Alfonso Mireles Jr. September 1, 1956 - June 30, 2021

September 1956 ~ June 2021

Alfonso Mireles Jr. passed peacefully with family around him on June 30, 2021. His battle with serious health issues showed his courage in facing life challenges with a smile.

He was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico on September 1, 1956 to his parents Alfonso Mireles Nunez and Alicia Razo Mireles.   His father immigrated to the U.S. in 1965, the land where his mother was born and raised.  In search of a better life and more opportunities for his wife and five children, Alfonso Sr. brought his family to reside in Lake View Terrace, California in 1972.

As a child, Alfonso enjoyed reading comic books, playing mandolin in church, learning about photography and taking photos, visiting with his cousins and eating tamarinds and spicy peanuts.

Alfonso Jr. arrived in the U.S. as a teenager and started attending Polytechnic High School. With the help and mentoring of one of his teachers, Mrs. Brown, he formed the first cultural club in his high school (Foreign Student’s club).  She was also instrumental in inspiring Alfonso’s future educational endeavors.

Alfonso attended Pierce College, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science at California Polytechnic State University (SLO), a Master of Science degree in Animal Science and a PhD in Nutrition at the University of California, Davis. He also became a citizen of the U.S.

After receiving his masters degree, Alfonso relocated to Turlock and began a long career with Foster Farms in 1983. Eventually, he became a senior nutritionist for broilers and turkeys. While working, he also went back to school to get his PhD.

In 2015, Alfonso became director of nutrition in charge of Pacific Northwest commercial broilers, southern California complexes, and turkey nutrition.

He traveled to many places in the U.S., Canada, Spain, and Austria for his work, presenting papers and doing what he loved: talking about science.  Alfonso also revisited Cal Poly as a guest speaker and provided assistance to the Avian Department and was also a guest speaker and mentor to students at UC Davis.

He enjoyed his job and missed not being able to see coworkers and friends in over a year due to COVID and his health.

Alfonso was a dedicated and loving husband, father, brother, and son. He left a lasting impression on people he would meet. He was a great conversationalist and had a wealth of knowledge and loved to share it, especially if it had to do with nutrition or poultry. His hobbies included going deep sea fishing and gardening. He loved to cook and made delicious home-made Mexican food. On family road trips, he enjoyed listening to opera. His favorite vacation spot was Pismo Beach.

Alfonso is survived by his wife Carrie, his children, Linda and Judy, his brother Jesus and wife Aracely Mireles, his sister Maricela and husband Craig Sholes, his brother Ernesto Mireles, sister-in-law Eileen Jones, brother Virgil and wife Debbie Mireles, and many nieces and nephews.

We will dearly miss him!

A memorial service will be held at Allen Mortuary in Turlock, CA on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. If you have a story, memory, or photo please bring them to celebrate Alfonso’s life. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity. 

To view the livestream of the funeral:

https://www.viewlogies.net/allen/Y4i3G54oJ

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