Joseph Cordova

Joe Luna Cordova was born August 21, 1923 in El Paso, Texas. He was the fifth child of Joseph and Anna Cordova’s six children. He grew up during the Great Depression and he knew poverty well. He grew up in a tin shack and walked to school bare footed. His family moved from El Paso to Santa Barbara, CA, where he graduated from high school. He was drafted into the Army where he serviced in the Pacific region war zones. After his military service he attended USC and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He was employed by the Aerospace Industry. When his employer was a subcontractor for NASA, he worked on the Apollo 11 which landed the first man on the moon. He also worked on other projects including the cruise missile and skylab. After college he also began investing in rental properties. He started with a single home and continued to grow his business. At the age of 45 he had enough income from his real estate holdings to be financially independent. He stopped working and focused his investments. He purchased and sold apartment buildings and a shopping center. He married his first wife, Fay Evelyn Cupp, and had three sons. They lived in Fullerton, California for several years. They divorced and he remained single for about a decade. In his fifties he married his second wife, Sylvia Welk. They moved from Anaheim, California to Dana Point, California. They had no children. During this time he invested in a small brick home in Quail Valley, California. He eventually moved to Sun City next to a golf course. He loved playing golf since he was a teenager in Santa Barbara. He played golf often, especially during retirement. He seemed at peace while playing. He divorced his second wife. He became close friends with Pauline McCloud. They lived together for over a decade. Near the end of his life he began to develop dementia. He will be dearly missed.
Rest In Peace Father.

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