Eligio C. Ojeda “Lico” was born on May 6, 1927 to Eligio and Maria Ojeda in Bisbee, Arizona. Lico entered into eternal life on Jan. 13, 2020 with his loving wife next to him.
The family moved to Superior, Arizona when Lico was a young boy to find work in the copper mines. Lico and his elder sister, Antonia, finished their education in Superior. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was Honorably Discharged in 1947 when he returned to Superior to work in the copper mines.
Lico and Virginia married in 1949 in Superior at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church with many family members and life-long friends. They were blessed with three children, Mary Esther (Ray), Eligio Steven (Jackie) and Gloria. The family relocated to Scottsdale in 1970 but Lico continued to commute to work at Magma Copper Company. He retired from Magma in 1979 and began to work for Furcini Construction Company as a sub contractor.
Lico was never a person to remain idle and truly enjoyed building new things with an enviable attention to detail. Lico truly retired in 1993, but remained extremely active with his family. His many interests included camping, fishing, helping with many family “fix it” projects and spending quality time with his 3 children, 9 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and, yes, 4.5 great-great-grandchildren. Lico and Virgie celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last year. Their marriage remains a shining example of relationship goals. He will be missed more than words can express and his memory remains strong in our hearts.
Mass of Christian Burial was at St. Daniel the Prophet Catholic Church in Scottsdale, followed by graveside services at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Mesa on Jan. 21, 2020.