Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Paul Michael Avila was born in Bellflower to Noreen and Abel Avila in 1958. He was raised Catholic in Artesia with his eight siblings: Carol, Cecilia, Abel, Timothy, Nativa, John, Mary and Louis. His mother says he was moving from the day he was conceived and he grew into a very active child. Before he was two-years-old, they had to take him off the top of the horse feeders. Before he was three-years-old, they had to take him off of the house. In kindergarten, the teacher told his mother that he was such a lovable child. His father was self-employed working in construction, while his mother spent time raising the kids and then worked for 18 years as a school bus trainer. The family had an animal farm with chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys, horses, rabbits, and goats. All of the kids had responsibilities at home. His father taught the boys construction and plumbing work. As a result, the boys built scooters, bicycles, go-karts and dune buggies at home. Kids in the neighborhood were always welcome and instead of nine kids, there were normally 15 kids most of the time. Their house was the place to be. The neighborhood kids would go to their own homes in the evening and then they'd be back for breakfast.

Wanting to see the world, Paul traveled to Oregon and Washington. He returned home to Artesia where he bought his first Harley-Davidson motorcycle in his late teens. His nickname among other bikers became Fat Paul. When he was 25, he fell in love with Cindy, a girl who lived down the block. She was seven years younger than him. As the story goes, she really liked him because he was a biker and her mom wouldn't like it. The couple was thrilled with the birth of their beautiful daughter, Candice. Even though the couple broke up when Candice was two-years-old, they remained good friends and stayed in touch. When Candice was in the first grade, she moved to Bakersfield and then Cambria with her mother and stepfather. She spent time with Paul at Easter and Christmas holidays, along with two weeks during the summer because she had a summertime birthday. Paul made a delicious homemade banana ice cream for her birthday and she loved spending time with the entire family. There were fun outings along the way. Candice liked movies and she remembers taking her father to see Star Wars, but he wasn't into movies as much and snored through most of the film. On the 4th of July, Paul enjoyed using his Air Cannon to load tennis balls and shoot them off his porch. They'd see tennis balls on the side of the highway for days afterward, knowing exactly where they came from. Paul liked to laugh and got chuckles out of shooting the tennis balls. He was really a big kid at heart.

One of the most amazing gifts that Paul gave during his lifetime was the gift of life. He donated a kidney to his younger brother, Louis, when he was in need at the young age of 18. Paul didn't hesitate to save his brother's life.

Professionally, Paul was a self-employed mechanic who enjoyed working on motorcycles and cars. When Candice was of driving age, he rebuilt a 1965 dark blue Chevelle for his daughter and she loved it. He did such a good job fabricating parts and rebuilding the car. She still drives that car today. Before Candice joined the Air Force, Paul took her on a road trip for a few days to the Grand Canyon. When Candice was leaving for the military, she was staying a hotel room. Paul made a special trip to see her and took her out to eat to say goodbye. While in training, she was very homesick so Paul traveled to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to spend the holidays and Christmas with her. She had to stay dressed in her blues the whole time, but it was so nice to go out to a steak house on Christmas day with her father. It meant so much to Candice when her father watched her graduation ceremony. As a father, he was always there for his daughter. Candice married and moved to Iowa and when she was expecting her first daughter, Paul spent two weeks visiting. He was there just before the birth of his first granddaughter, he was at the hospital when she was born, and he stayed and helped after she was born. He loved holding her. He just lit up with the grandkids and loved being a grandfather. Candice talked with her father by phone all the time from Iowa and he always asked if they were okay. His family was his priority as he loved with all of his heart.

When Candice was little, she remembers her father saying that maroon was his favorite color. He had many other favorites in life and loved collecting a variety of memorabilia including miniature motorcycles, Harley-Davidson items, and photos of Marilyn Monroe. He loved going to classic car shows, riding in dune buggies, and taking Candice to swap meets where he would find things that caught his eye. He was a wheeler dealer who loved getting a bargain. He enjoyed a variety of classic rock n' roll music and listened to the radio while working on cars and bikes. He also went to see White Boy James when they played and he was a close personal friend. Sometimes, he liked watching boxing or football on TV. He loved making a traditional Portuguese meal of Soupas for Thanksgiving and he was a great cook. His mother used to make the special dish when the kids were growing up and Paul took over making the family recipe. Paul's favorite beverage was iced tea and after being diagnosed with diabetes, Paul was very good with his diet and lost 40 pounds. Paul and his sister, Mary, were always sharing recipes and eating at each other's homes. He had a favorite saying as everything was "cherry" to him. It was a special quote that made his family smile, because he truly saw the value in everything and everyone and never judged anything or anyone. In many ways, he was the Good Samaritan, as he always pulled over when he saw a motorcycle stopped by the side of the road. He took the time to fix their motorcycle so they wouldn't be stuck. Other people also stopped to help him when he faced a similar problem and he was happy to return the favor.

For the past 13 years, his girlfriend was Tina. She always took care of him and they loved each other very much. When Tina took a cat in, he didn't seem to like it but he was secretly bringing the cat into the house. Paul was a giving man of love and he was loved in return by his friends and neighbors as well. Even the three-year-old boy next door has been calling his name because Paul oftentimes gave him a treat or a toy. There are so many memories of holidays spent with family on the 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. There were wonderful times on Tim's property in the desert going out to ride the dune buggies. If his mother called him for any kind of help, he always helped. He also fixed his mother's car. He lived down the street and was a wonderful son. He was always there as a father and wanted to make sure his daughter and granddaughters were doing well. His advice would be for Candice to take care of his grandbabies. The family will miss Paul because he was just Paul. They'll miss his smell, miss hugging him, and talking to him. Paul believed in God and Heaven and his mother believes her kids are now reunited. His family believes he is now at peace.

Paul was preceded in death by his father Abel and siblings Carol, Cecilia, Nativa, John, and Louis. He is loved and remembered by his daughter Candice and son-in-law Nathan; granddaughters Abigail and Isabelle; mother Noreen; sister Mary; brothers Abel and Timothy; girlfriend Tina; in-laws, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

White Boy James is in the process of planning a benefit concert for Candice and the kids.