Aurelio Covarrubias Arteaga
Aurelio Covarrubias Arteaga passed away peacefully at his home in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles on August 20, 2025. He was born on January 4, 1934, in a ranch owned by his parents, Aurelio Arteaga and Maria Covarrubias, located in Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román, Zacatecas, Mexico, “Tlaltenango”. He was the 2nd youngest of seven children. When his father died after a horse-riding accident, his mother sold the ranch and moved her family to Aguascalientes and set up a general household goods store. Aurelio traveled to Los Angeles to visit his cousin Manuela and was intrigued by the life he could have there. When he returned to Aguascalientes, he met Graciela, who was working downtown, near his family’s store. They married after a few chaperoned dates and Aurelio brought her to Los Angeles on their honeymoon. They decided to put down roots, raising their four children and later, two grandchildren.
Aurelio started working in the slaughterhouses of Vernon, CA and became an experienced butcher and meat packer for over 23 years. To earn extra money to send his children to Catholic school, he worked as a bartender on weekend nights. Along the way, he acquired construction, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and home renovation skills from working with a family member who was a contractor. He was a self-taught welder and tiler. When he retired, he focused on helping family and friends with renovating and fixing their homes, which brought him much satisfaction. His 1st car was an old Model T with a manual transmission, and he was his own mechanic, faithful to Fords, until he stopped driving. Out of habit, he insisted on trying to tweak his motorized medical scooter to give the engine a little more power. He was also an outstanding cook, and his perfectly tender carne asada was the centerpiece of many family celebrations. One of his proudest moments was when he and Graciela were sworn in as U.S. citizens.
Aurelio was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease during the pandemic. He loved his home in Eagle Rock with its pretty tree-lined streets nestled under the foothills and an array of wildlife. In his later years, he often remarked that the tranquility he felt there was like that of his childhood in Tlaltenango. He spent most of his days enjoying walks and the scenery from his front porch. He adamantly wanted to die in his own home. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Graciela, his four children: Sonia (Mark Shurlock), Daniel (Mary Bender-Arteaga), Lilia (Michael Ramos), and Alma (Jose Salas) and two grandchildren – Jasmine Graciela Salas-Arteaga and Cristian Aurelio Salas-Arteaga.
Visitation/Viewing will be Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Cabot and Sons, 27 Chestnut St., Pasadena, CA 91107. A Rosary will start at 5:00 p.m. for those wishing to participate. A Mass will be held at St. Dominic’s Church at 10:30 a.m. located at 2002 Merton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90041. The burial will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery located at 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, CA 91205.