Lucia Gastanaga Balanzategui

Lucia Gastanaga Balanzategui, 93, of Ontario, Oregon passed away peacefully in Boise, Idaho on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Lucia was born to José Victoriano Balanzategui Dunabeitia and Micaela Balanzategui Uribeon July 27, 1932 in Muxica, Bizkaia, Spain. When the Spanish Civil War began, the familyrelocated to Bedarona, Bizkaia, Spain, a tiny village along the Bay of Biscay that Lucia considered heaven on Earth.

Lucia met her husband, Ignacio Gastanaga, in Bedarona. He left Spain to work as a shepherd in the U.S. for several years, later returning to marry Lucia, as promised. The pair were married in Iurreta, Bizkaia, Spain on July 27, 1961, and in 1962 they moved to Ontario, Oregon to start their married life together. Lucia was seven months pregnant with their son Joe when they made the journey. The family was completed in 1965 with the birth of their daughter Diana.

Lucia worked as a housekeeper in Ontario, and in her retirement, she was actively involved in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church—working at the Little Red Hen Thrift Store, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, and attending daily mass with her best friends Elena and Jeanne. Many in Ontario remember seeing the “three amigas” out and about, often speaking Basque together over coffee at the Plaza Inn.

Lucia was immensely proud of her Basque heritage. She insisted that her children speak Basque, and the family made several trips to visit family in Spain together over the years. She was an active member of the Ontario Basque Club for over forty years, and she especially enjoyed cooking for the annual Basque Dinner & Dance with Elena and Jeanne. Her kroketas were always a hit, and they are still talked about to this day.

Lucia will be remembered as a woman who was quick-witted, funny, hardworking, and warm to all. The void she leaves behind can never be filled, and we will spend the rest of our days sharing memories and laughing about Amuma, just as we do now. We are eternally grateful for the many wonderful years we had with her and happy that she is reunited with her beloved family in heaven.

Lucia is survived by her son Joe (Lynda) Gastanaga, of Fruitland, Idaho and Diana (Mike Kirby) Gastanaga of Boise, Idaho. She was proud to have five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ignacio Gastanaga, her brothers Tomás (Mari) Ibáñez of Townsville, Queensland, Australia; and Juan Balanzategui and Jesús (Maribel) Balanzategui of Durango, Bizkaia, Spain, as well as her parents José and Micaela.

A rosary will be said for Lucia on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:00am at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Ontario. Funeral services will follow at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ontario Basque Club or to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Arrangements and services by Lienkaemper Funeral Chapel in Ontario.