May 23, 1953 ~ May 18, 2026
Carmen Elissa Chiapa (Tuero) died suddenly in her home May 18, 2026 in Sacramento, California, just five days shy of her 73rd birthday. 
Born in Salt Lake City in 1953 to Blandina and John Tuero, Carmen was schooled at Liberty Elementary, Lincoln Junior High, South High School, and Salt Lake Technical College, where she earned her associate’s degree in business. She was always artistic and put that passion into everything from painting to doodling on any scrap of paper in front of her. Carmen was a passionate scrapbooker and sentimental person. Her brothers and sisters described her as a “mother hen” and, as the second oldest of nine children, Carmen cared for her younger siblings while everyone else worked outside of the house. She also cared for any and every small animal that crossed her path. As a Catholic, she cared deeply about faith, justice and truth.
Carmen and her sisters fondly remember working at Manuel’s Fine Foods in Salt Lake, but Carmen went on to work for the County of Mental Health and then, after moving to Sacramento in 1982, she worked at St. Partrick Elementary School and Patrick Bennet School as a secretary and office manager. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration at the University of Phoenix in 1997, she went on to work for the Franchise Tax Board.
Carmen always worked very hard and with compassion to help others. Plagued by back injuries, she had to retire early, but she kept in touch with many lifelong friends.
She is survived by her dedicated and loving husband, Jose Guillermo Chiapa; her three children Guillermo (Renee+), Vicente (Carlene) and Natalia (Mathew); her grandchildren Derek (Ashley), Awj, Katie, Andres and Alicia; and her great-grandson Langston. Even while disabled and hospitalized, Carmen put in so much effort to make sure her grandkids felt her intense love and affection
Carmen is also survived by her siblings Joanne (Manuel), Anna (Lynn), Richard (Julia), Benito (Denise) and so many nieces and nephews who love and remember her well. Carmen was preceded in death by her sister Lucina (’72), father John (’03), mother Blandina (’09), brother John (’16), brother Carlos (’21), nephew Richard (’21), sister Diana (Mark) (‘22), nephew Manuel Robert (’24), and all her precious animals except Honey, who is still puttering around.
Services will be held at Cavalry Cemetery and Funeral Center, 7101 Verner Avenue, Citrus Heights, California. The viewing/rosary will be held June 9 from 5-8 p.m. The final viewing will be June 10 from 1-2 p.m., followed by the funeral Mass at 3 p.m. Reception will follow until 6 p.m. Burial will be June 12 at 1 p.m. 
Donations in Carmen’s honor should be directed to the SPCA in lieu of flowers.