Joseph Samuel Hurtado
June 11, 1942 ~ November 5, 2020 (age 78)
As a Kansas City native, he met many lifelong friends and was a graduate of East High School. Sam was always very curious and he had a knack for understanding how things worked and how they were put together. Talented in many fields, he could build just about anything from scratch or fix anything that was broken. He was a machinist, a mechanic, a carpenter/woodworker and he took pride in his green thumb. He was a loving husband to his beloved wife Celia “Sally” Hurtado whom he was married to for 54 years before her untimely passing in 2016. Together they had two children and five grandchildren whom Sam lived to love, protect, and help every chance that he could. He was a great teacher and instilled the importance of family values in his children and grandchildren.
He spent his entire professional career in the automotive industry including over 20 years at General Motors where he made many dear friends and traveled from Kansas City to Mexico and Detroit before starting a long and successful consulting career. While with GM, he was asked to help start up a new assembly plant in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico which he did from 1978 to 1986. It was in Saltillo where his family learned a great deal about their Hispanic culture including a newfound respect for the people and their traditions, music, cooking, and language. It was widely known that their time spent in Mexico was the most influential in the lives of each family member and they attribute this once in a lifetime opportunity to Sam for not only his professional abilities but also for making the bold move to leave home and relocate to a foreign country Following their time in Mexico, the family relocated to Detroit, MI, where Sam worked for the Cadillac Motor Division until 1990. He moved back to the Kansas City area and continued working as a consultant until his retirement in 2010.
Celia “Sally” Hurtado
December 13, 1941 ~ February 8, 2016 (age 74)
Celia (Sally) Sanchez was born on December 13, 1941 in Kansas City, Kansas to Guadalupe Sanchez and Luz (Cuevas) Sanchez. After attending Bishop Ward High School, she married Joseph Samuel Hurtado, on January 6, 1962 in Kansas City. Their love and marriage lasted 54 years. Together they lived in Kansas City and spent five years raising their family in Saltillo, Mexico while Sam worked for General Motors before settling down in Kansas City, MO where they have lived for the past 25 years.
Sally was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She lived to serve her many friends and loved ones, always putting their needs ahead of her own. She was a dedicated mother to her two children, David and Gina, and her five grandchildren who she absolutely adored. Sally was also like a second mother to her six siblings.
If you met Sally you were no longer a stranger. She spent countless hours helping others and taking a genuine interest in their lives, struggles and joy. Her smile and laugh filled the room and her love of life was contagious to all who knew her. She was a beautiful person who will be missed and mourned by many.