Obituary of Edmond Flores

Edmond Benito Flores was born November 29, 1941 in Indio, CA and passed over on November 10, 2007 in Palm Springs, CA at the age of 65. Ed spent his childhood in the Palm Springs area and then moved to Hemet where he lived for 40 years. One of his proudest accomplishments was joining the Marine Corps in 1964 as a member of the elite FORCE RECON Unit. He served two terms in Vietnam, returning home with a major head injury and two Purple Hearts among other awards. His dream of making the Marines his life career was sidelined by his serious injuries, but Ed turned his love of sports into a full time job, coaching high school track, cross country and swim teams. He was also involved in youth sports as part of the Valley Wide Recreational District in Hemet. Ed loved to dance and the night before he left for Vietnam, he and his cousin Norma Potter won the Marine Corps Ball dance contest. He excelled as an athlete himself, competing and winning medals in swimming and bicycling events. He was an alternate for the 1960 Olympic Water Polo Team as well as an alternate for the U.S. National Swim Team for the Pan American Games. In 2004 he and his beloved wife Judy moved to their retirement home in Beaumont, CA where he continued to make new friends and join in many of the activities, such as bicycling, swimming, line dancing and hiking. He faced many health challenges over the years and always fought his way back to wellness until he lost his final battle with thyroid cancer. Ed is survived by his wife Judy, his sons, Edmond and Christopher Flores, step-son Ricardo Juarez, sisters Linda McClure and Margie Flores, brothers Robert, Danny and Charles Flores, grandchildren, Alethea, Zachariah and Caleb Flores. Ed was predeceased by his loving mother Ramona, his father Benito and his younger brother Gilbert. Ed will always be remembered as a fun loving, gregarious, tenacious man who was always a gentleman and a fighter to the very end. SEMPER FI