Fred Tena
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On Thursday, March 18, 2021, Fred Tena (born Federico Tena), loving man to all his family and friends, passed away and went on to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at the age of 66. Fred was born on November 18, 1954 in San Benito, Texas to Carmina Villegas Silva.
Fred was raised in Oxnard, CA when he was around 3 years of age. He was raised by his maternal grandmother, Guadalupe Pineda, which everyone knew her by Mama Lupe. Her tough hand of a loving grandmother is what helped mold and shape Fred's character of a hardworking, respectful person with morals and scruples, along with his wonderful, decent, funny, honest, layback, loving natural personality of a man.
He had a solid foundation in his Christian beliefs and convictions, he was a fundamental bible believing baptist, truly a man after God's own heart. He knew and believed The King James Version Bible is the God-inspired word of God. His favorite verses in the bible was John 3:16 and Philippians 4:13. He was close to his loving sister Guadalupe, he was also raised with his Uncle Robert, whom Fred saw as a big brother and his loving Aunt Maria.
He went to Oxnard High School. He enjoyed competing in martial arts (karate), was a competing professional dancer with his sister, Rosalinda, in the 1970's and his favorite music he danced to was disco music, they won many trophies. He also knew how to pop lock and do the robot.
His passion was boxing. He was one of the first pioneers to open La Colonia Boxing Gym. From his time as one of the first fighters from La Colonia in Oxnard fighting as "The Geronimo Kid" in different cities in California, to training and coaching kids at gyms in multiple states. His favorite boxer was Muhammad Ali. His favorite thing to say to his boxers he trained and coached was, "Dedication, motivation, stamina, endurance, speed, lots of speed, but first God. With God, you're everything, without God, you're nothing!" He owned many original classic cars from the 1960's and 1970's throughout his life, several were Chevy Impalas from the early 60's, and the first car he bought was a 4 door 1963 black and white Rambler when he was around 15 years old.
He graduated from California Vocational College in Computer Hardware and Networking Technician. Fred was a jack of all trades. One of his favorite jobs was working in Alaska in Diamond M Offshore Drilling as a roustabout, but his most favorite was working at Avtek Corporation building The Avtek 400 aircraft, and also Phalanx Dragon as a fabricator/builder.
Fred is preceded in death by his maternal grandmother Guadalupe Pineda, mother Carmina Villegas Silva, brother in law Juventino Gonzales, grandson Marlee Tena, brother in law Joe Hart, and step father Eduardo "Lalo" Silva.
He is survived by his loving and faithful wife which was the love of his life, Aurora Elizabeth Almada Tena, his seven children, Angel and his wife Marlena Tena, Carmina and her husband Jacinto Serrato, Antoinette and her husband Hassan Rogers, Federico Tena, Samuel and his wife Soraya Tena, Rosalinda Tena and her fianc? Jose Zuniga, and Eduardo Tena and his fianc? Veronica Vasquez, his five step children, Amanda, Juan aka Gordo, Connie, Freddy, and Thomas, his siblings, Guadalupe and her husband Victor Becerra, Eduardo Jr. Silva, Maria and her husband Javier Lopez, Rosalinda Hart, Alfredo and his wife Berlinda Silva, Elida Gonzales, and Sara and her husband Miguel Bella, his maternal uncle Robert Villegas and his maternal aunt Maria Tuttle, twenty grandchildren, and a large loving family with many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services were held on Monday, April 12, 2021 at the Garcia Mortuary Chapel, 629 South A Street in Oxnard.
To sign the family's online guestbook, click on Fred's name located below "Obituaries" at www.garciamortuaryoxnard.com.
Funeral arrangements were under the direction of GARCIA MORTUARY, 629 South A Street, Oxnard. For further information, please call (805)486-9148.