Olivia Trujillo loved being called Grandma Mayor. She was also a mother, sister, friend, and proud member of the Arvin community for over 60 years.

Olivia gave the best hugs and always had time for people, no matter what she was going through. She would always pick up her phone or welcome you in her home. Whether it was a quick chat or an all-day meet up, you always felt loved after spending time with Olivia.

After a brave battle with breast cancer, Olivia passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her three daughters on March 3, 2024. She was born on January 22, 1957, to Margarita Urzua and Agapito Trujillo in Guadalajara, Mexico. At the age of five she emigrated to the United States from Mexico with her mother and brother.

Growing up in Arvin, Olivia was a fun-loving child who enjoyed caring for her pets and playing with her best friend, Angela. The two of them were inseparable. During the summers, Olivia, worked in the fields along with the rest of her family. She attended Sierra Vista Elementary School, Haven Drive Middle School and graduated from Arvin High School in 1974 where she was voted homecoming queen.

In the fall of 1977, Olivia met and fell in love with Osmin Calderon. In August of the following year, they were married at St. Thomas Church in Arvin. They worked side-by-side selling stainless steel cookware door-to-door. Olivia and Osmin had three beautiful daughters Olivia, Vanessa and Genie Calderon.

Always the fun-loving mother, Olivia enjoyed playing and singing with her daughters. She taught them to dance in the rain, cook delicious family dishes and crank-up the radio to sing oldies but goodies. On school days, she would wake her daughters up with a song and take them for a walk in the park before getting ready for school.

Olivia also had a great sense of humor and loved to tell jokes. She was always the life and soul of the party, and she enjoyed hosting many parties for her family and friends. If there was music playing, you would find her on the dance floor. Her smile was contagious and positive attitude uplifting. "In my 67 years on earth, I've learned the only thing I can control is my attitude," she would say.

Kindness for others was a character trait of Olivia's that shone through her daily life and was particularly evident in his role as a long serving volunteer. Olivia loved helping others and enjoyed volunteering at local festivals, food drives, community clean-ups, public health immunization campaigns, the PTA and AmeriCorp. She taught English and citizenship classes out of her home helping many residents acquire citizenship and work in the United States.

In 2017, when Olivia was faced with breast cancer for a second time she was determined to live life to the fullest. She was a woman of faith and believed God a purpose for her life. That's when she decided to enter politics and humbly serve her community as a local elected public servant. She launched her grassroots campaign for Arvin City Council from her backyard surrounded by family and friends.

Olivia would often say, "Anything and everything is possible. Never limit yourself by saying you cannot. You can, and you will, if you put your heart, mind and soul into it." And so it was in 2020 that Olivia made history when she became the first woman, first immigrant, first Latina elected Mayor of the City of Arvin. During her tenure, she worked-hand-in-hand with a diverse group of

community leaders to uplift Arvin's residents. She was proud of her work to establish Arvin's only food bank together with Laborers of the Harvest and Arvin's first navigation center for the unhoused together with Flood Ministries.

As Mayor, whoever walked through her office door was welcome with genuine love and respect and Olivia would happily be a listening ear and a helping hand whenever she was needed. She was transparent about her battle with cancer to inspire future leaders: "I want everyone to know that no matter your age, no matter your circumstance, no matter your background, you can make a positive difference in the world," Olivia would say.

She is survived by her daughters, Olivia, Vanessa and Genie, and her nine grandchildren, Natalie, Eli, Jaiden, Noah, Isabella, Eva, Samuel, Luca, and Joshua as well as her brother Robert, her sister Nelly, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and god-children.

She will be greatly missed by all of us who had the pleasure of knowing her and being her friend. The love she shared will continue to live on in our memories forever. "Focusing on serving others, instead of my personal pain, has given deeper meaning to my life. And in so doing, has been healing and blessed me with joy," Olivia shared earlier this year. May those of us who were blessed by her example honor her legacy of service by continuing the good work for our beloved community.