Luis Ismael Gómez, Esq
December 31, 1941 – August 4, 2020
Luis Ismael Gómez, of Ventura, formerly of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully due to heart failure, surrounded by family on August 4, 2020. Luis was born the 8th out of 11 children in Pacayas de Alvarado, Cartago, Costa Rica during the Calderón Administration, to the late Rafael Angel Gómez and Etelvina Ramírez de Gómez.
When Luis was only seven years old, during the spring of 1948, he and his family lived through the Costa Rican civil war that ensued in response to a coup by a dictatorship government and ultimately served to establish the peaceful democracy that exists in Costa Rica to this day. When the general store owned by Luis’s father, Rafael Angel, became a hub for revolutionaries, militia from the opposing side arrived at the family’s doorstep, prompting Luis and his brothers to flee under cover of night into the hills for safety. When the war ended, 44 days after it began, the family was happily reunited.
After studying in the Seminary, Luis immigrated to the United States in the early 1960s. He first spent time in New York, and then Massachusetts, where he met his first wife and had two daughters. The family moved to Santa Barbara, CA in 1969.
Luis invested himself in helping and serving others. He began his career working for the State of California Employment Development Department, and in 1978 was recognized for having placed the most people into jobs in the state, including hundreds of refugees from the Vietnam War, who welcomed him into their community.
In 1981, Luis achieved a life long dream when he was sworn into the California Bar Association and became a worker’s compensation attorney. He was a true lawyer for the people, beloved and appreciated by the community.
In 1985, he met his second wife with whom he would eventually have three children. The family moved to Ventura in 1992, where he would spend the rest of his life. During the 1990s, he partnered with William Wolff, Esq. to open a multi-location private practice dedicated to the legal defense of the Latin American community within the tri-counties; his specialties included the fierce defense of migrant farmworkers and workers poisoned by asbestos.
During the prime of his life, he enjoyed playing soccer, running, participating in marathons, and late nights playing cards with friends and family.
He is survived by his siblings Madre Auxiliadora Gómez, Julio Gómez & Lidia Gómez de Montero; his first wife Maryann DeLoria and their two daughters, Mina Luisa Kelly (Neil) & Jennifer Fleury (Daniel); his second wife Marilu Sagastume and their children, Carmen Cuevas, Gladys Dobson (Devon), Juan Sagastume-Gomez & Phillip Sagastume-Gomez; and his six grandchildren, Gabrielle, Rhiannon, Andromeda, Phoebe, Gavin & Strelitzia.
His presence in our lives will be dearly missed and the legacy of his life will forever shine in our hearts. The family would like to sincerely thank the wonderful staff at St. John’s ICU, especially the attentive nurses and compassionate doctors, including his cardiologist Dr. Rothschild.
Flowers or memorial donations in Luis’ honor may be made to the family in c/o Gladys Dobson at 9847 Millwood St. Ventura, CA 93004.