Jimmy Barela Valdivia, 78, passed away April 24, 2016 in Flagstaff.He was born in Flagstaff, Arizona on September 27, 1937 to Macario Valdivia and Carmen (Barela) Valdivia.He attended South Beaver Elementary School and graduated from Flagstaff High School in 1957 and lettered in football.Much like his family before him he began working at Southwest Forest Industries, but within three months he enlisted in the U.S. Army.He completed boot camp in Fort Ord, California and then received training as a Military Police Officer in Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey.He was stationed in Camp Red Cloud, I Corps, in The Republic of South Korea for one year and then several months near the DMZ eastern side.He returned to the United States and was stationed at Yuma Proving Grounds for 9 months.After his 3 year enlistment he returned to Flagstaff in 1960 and attended a meat cutting school in Toledo, Ohio.He worked shortly at Babbitt's Grocery Store and then Al's Market in Tuba City for one year.He returned to Flagstaff and worked at Kaibab Industries for 1.5 years.In 1965 he took an exam for the Arizona Department of Transportation and was hired to work on a survey crew and worked as a crew chief and inspector.He worked on many projects throughout the state in Phoenix, Yuma, Flagstaff, Page and on the Virgin River Gorge project and he retired in 1992.During his career with ADOT he also served in the Arizona National Guard until he was 60.In 1991 he served in Operation Desert Shield.During his 37 years in the U.S. Army and the Arizona National Guard he was an M.P., Mess Sergeant and in Ordinance management and achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and was the First Sergeant of the local unit.During his retirement he worked as a bus driver and had a small catering business.His hobbies were hunting and underwater diving, where he traveled extensively.

The first of Jimmy's ancestors to make Flagstaff home was Blasa Rodriguez-Yniguez who moved to Flagstaff in the first decade of the 1900's. One of Blasa's children, Esther Rodriguez, met Arturo Valdivia and Jimmy's father, Macario, was born in Flagstaff in 1912.Carmen Barela from Albuquerque, New Mexico met Macario in McNary, Arizona and they raised the family in Flagstaff.Jimmy is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Macario, Jr. and Richard.He is survived by brothers Henry and Roy and a sister, Patricia. Jimmy married Gloria (Huerena) Valdivia in 1964 and they raised 3 children, Sixto (Carrie), Cipriana Wong and Mario. He had immense pride in raising and caring for his children.He had the most love for and received the most joy from his grandchildren, Cesar, Mario, Jr., Rian and Reese.

Family viewing is Thursday, April 28, 2016 at Lozano's Flagstaff Mortuary from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.Holy Rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m.at San Francisco de Asis Church 1600 E. Rt. 66 on Thursday, April 28, 2016.Public viewing at 9:00 a.m. and Funeral Mass is at 10:00 a.m. at San Francisco de Asis Church on Friday April 29, 2016.Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery, 201 W. University Ave.Luncheon following at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, 224 S. Kendrick.