Efren Elias, beloved husband, father and grandfather peacefully passed away surrounded by his family on Thursday, June 29, 2017 after battling lung cancer for two years.

He was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico on June 18, 1955 to Manuela Varela and Sotero Elias. He was one of nine living children. He grew up in Mexico for 12 years until his family immigrated to the United States in August of 1968.

He loved boxing, playing baseball and basketball. He grew up and went to school in the Los Angeles area. He only attended one half of a semester of community college, then entered the United States Marine Corp in 1974. He loved the Marine Corp and wanted to stay, but he got ill and had to be honorably discharged.

When he came out he went to work for a couple of pest control companies in the Los Angeles area. He met his wife Diana Sciarappa in 1979. They married on March 15, 1980 in Inglewood, California. They raised four children; Monica Harnden (Michael Harden), Melissa Elias-Espinoza (Romaldo Espinoza), Michelle Matinez (Michael Martinez) and Matthew Elias. The moved to Lompoc in 1988 to raise their children in a small-town environment. Efren worked for a local pest control company for a couple of years, then started his own pest control company in 1990. He owned and operated BZB Pest Control for 27 years. He loved his family, sports, music and church. He was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Efren was preceded in death by his parents, Sotero Elias and Manuela Varela Elias, and two children Cruz Antonio Elias and Mary Angela Elias. He is survived by his loving wife Diana Sciarappa, his children Monica Harnden (Michael Harden), Melissa Elias-Espinoza (Romaldo Espinoza), Michelle Matinez (Michael Martinez) and Matthew Elias, eight grandchildren and one on the way, all from Lompoc. He is also survived by his brothers and sisters; Marcelina Draper of Las Vegas, Nevada, Sotero Elias of Houston, Texas, Genoveve Lee of Las Vegas, Santiago Elias of Pacoima, California, Laura Ibarra of Reno, Nevada, Velia Elias of Rowland Heights, California, Ulysess Elias of Fontana, California, Alejandra Jimenez of Las Vegas, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Efren will be greatly missed.

The visitation will be from 9-10am with the funeral starting at 10:30am, on Friday, July 7, 2017, in the Lompoc Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1312 West Prune Avenue in Lompoc. The interment will follow at 12 noon in the Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery. The funeral arrangements are in the care of Starbuck-Lind Mortuary.