Sierra personified the American dream

Lolita Harper

He was an immigrant. He was a serviceman. He was a scholar and a good

friend. Julio Sierra, 75, died Feb. 18 at Hoag Memorial Hospital

Presbyterian after living the American dream.

Sierra came to the United States, like so many others, to take

advantage of the opportunities that this country provided to work

toward his goals, said close friend Edie Boudreau, who cared for

Sierra in his last weeks of life and was by his side when he died.

After arriving from Spain on a green card, Sierra served in the

U.S. Army for two years as a medical technician in Germany during the

Korean War. He then attended UCLA and graduated with a bachelor’s

degree in electrical engineering. He also gained another acclamation

-- his American citizenship.

Sierra began his distinguished career in the aerospace industry in

Orange County, starting with work on the Minuteman missile. He worked

up through the ranks, contributing to missile systems for the Army

and Navy. His European background, and knowledge of five languages,

propelled him to the position of international marketing manager for

Ford Aerospace, and he spent half of his time traveling around the

world marketing weapons to this country’s allies.

Boudreau said Sierra’s “linguistic knowledge, charisma and ability

to blend into any foreign culture were priceless assets” in his line

of work.

Sierra’s parents had also visited the United States, looking for

advantages to pass onto their children, working in a California

vineyard for five years. During that time, Sierra’s brother, Anthony,

was born. The Sierra family then traveled to Cuba where Julio Sierra

was born; and eventually made it back to Spain.

Their Spanish homecoming was met with bombing of the family’s

village during the revolution under Franco, so the Sierra family

moved to France. The Sierra brothers were immigrants, who did not

know the language, but let no hurdle stand in their way. Both

brothers passed the French national test in their second year.

Sierra requested services by the Neptune Society, with no funeral

or wake. Instead, he wanted his friends to hold a party after his

ashes were dispersed at sea, off the coast of Newport Beach, Boudreau

said. The scattering of his ashes took place on Wednesday from the

sailboat Aventure, with 10 of his closest friends on board.

The festivities will come March 18, as his sister-in-law Mary

Stuart Sierra, many friends and neighbors will meet at the Balboa

Yacht Club in Corona del Mar for the “Celebration of Julio’s Life.”

His memory will continue to shine later this month, as the

Espanola de Beneficencia Mutua will also host a celebration of

Sierra’s life on March 27 at its banquet hall in Montebello.