Arlene Louanne Mariani (Kielbasa) was born July 10, 1948 in San Pedro, California.
Her parents were Luka Mariani & Ina "Cvetcia" Mariani (nee Stanojevic) and she grew up in a small Spanish stucco house on West 13th Street. She went to 7th Street School for kindergarten and attended Mary Star of the Sea grade school and high school. She was student body president her senior year. At age 16, she went to Yugoslavia with her mother and her best friend, Sylvia, and they met President Josip Broz Tito. He approached them to them during a parade in Komiza on the Island of Vis. He wanted to meet the two foreign girls from America. He delayed the parade to speak with them at some length.
Arlene met John M. Kielbasa while in high school and began dating their junior year. He went to Fermin Lausen, which was an all boys Catholic high school near 25th and Western (now Little Sisters of the Poor), while Mary Star was an all girl high school at the time. Arlene graduated from Mary Star in June 1966. John and Arlene were married in September 1966. They had their first son, John R. in February 1967. They went on to have five children: John R., Michele M., Michael J., Katherine C. and Christina M.
John M. Kielbasa was California Highway Patrolman and Arlene had to endure the stresses of being a police officer's wife. The Kielbasas lived on Enrose Avenue the old Eastview section of San Pedro (Now Rancho Palos Verdes). Arlene and John divorced in 1985.
Arlene attended Harbor College where she obtained a degree in accounting. During the Vietnam War era she used to work for the Army in the payroll department at Fort Mac Arthur's Lower Reservation down where the Cabrillo Marina is now. She also worked as a bookkeeper/controller and accountant for several companies, including Bay View Produce in Long Beach, Danica Furniture at 22nd and Signal Street, Bolstad Industries in San Pedro, Teledyne in Torrance. For many years worked at Pioneer Fisheries and the Little Fisherman Restaurants in San Pedro. She also did bookkeeping for Harbor House Café chain located along the South Coast and prepared tax returns for many private clients.
Arlene loved local history and was a member of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. She had an extensive collection of porcelain dolls and loved decorating her house inside and out for all the holidays. She was known as Wheezy to her kid's friends and Big Nona to her grand kids: Cortney, Paige, Alessandra, Michael Luka, Jason Thomas "J.T." and Katie "Bug." She had two more grandchildren after her passing; John Anthony and Ava.
Arlene loved her family and friends and was very generous and lavished them with gifts, especially her grandchildren. She had a great sense of humor and a loud and infectious laugh. Her kids would hear her cheering at games at Peck Park, Bobby Sox Field at the Pistol Range or they could pick her voice out of a full crowd at Daniel's Field. Many people recount sitting around her kitchen table or on the porch, laughing and carrying on. There was side-splitting laughter. People would come and go at all hours. Although there were five kids at the house, most people would come by, mostly to visit with Arlene. Sometimes someone would stop by just to drop off taxes or cookies or something, only intending to stay for a few minutes, but they end up staying hours. They would not want to leave. She made people feel at home. She truly loved people and they loved her back.
Arlene was stricken pneumonia on News Years Eve, 2005 and she was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pedro. She died the hospital on the evening of January 9, 2006 at the young age of 57. Her family and closest and dearest friends were with her in her last days and when she died.
Her parents were Luka Mariani & Ina "Cvetcia" Mariani (nee Stanojevic) and she grew up in a small Spanish stucco house on West 13th Street. She went to 7th Street School for kindergarten and attended Mary Star of the Sea grade school and high school. She was student body president her senior year. At age 16, she went to Yugoslavia with her mother and her best friend, Sylvia, and they met President Josip Broz Tito. He approached them to them during a parade in Komiza on the Island of Vis. He wanted to meet the two foreign girls from America. He delayed the parade to speak with them at some length.
Arlene met John M. Kielbasa while in high school and began dating their junior year. He went to Fermin Lausen, which was an all boys Catholic high school near 25th and Western (now Little Sisters of the Poor), while Mary Star was an all girl high school at the time. Arlene graduated from Mary Star in June 1966. John and Arlene were married in September 1966. They had their first son, John R. in February 1967. They went on to have five children: John R., Michele M., Michael J., Katherine C. and Christina M.
John M. Kielbasa was California Highway Patrolman and Arlene had to endure the stresses of being a police officer's wife. The Kielbasas lived on Enrose Avenue the old Eastview section of San Pedro (Now Rancho Palos Verdes). Arlene and John divorced in 1985.
Arlene attended Harbor College where she obtained a degree in accounting. During the Vietnam War era she used to work for the Army in the payroll department at Fort Mac Arthur's Lower Reservation down where the Cabrillo Marina is now. She also worked as a bookkeeper/controller and accountant for several companies, including Bay View Produce in Long Beach, Danica Furniture at 22nd and Signal Street, Bolstad Industries in San Pedro, Teledyne in Torrance. For many years worked at Pioneer Fisheries and the Little Fisherman Restaurants in San Pedro. She also did bookkeeping for Harbor House Café chain located along the South Coast and prepared tax returns for many private clients.
Arlene loved local history and was a member of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. She had an extensive collection of porcelain dolls and loved decorating her house inside and out for all the holidays. She was known as Wheezy to her kid's friends and Big Nona to her grand kids: Cortney, Paige, Alessandra, Michael Luka, Jason Thomas "J.T." and Katie "Bug." She had two more grandchildren after her passing; John Anthony and Ava.
Arlene loved her family and friends and was very generous and lavished them with gifts, especially her grandchildren. She had a great sense of humor and a loud and infectious laugh. Her kids would hear her cheering at games at Peck Park, Bobby Sox Field at the Pistol Range or they could pick her voice out of a full crowd at Daniel's Field. Many people recount sitting around her kitchen table or on the porch, laughing and carrying on. There was side-splitting laughter. People would come and go at all hours. Although there were five kids at the house, most people would come by, mostly to visit with Arlene. Sometimes someone would stop by just to drop off taxes or cookies or something, only intending to stay for a few minutes, but they end up staying hours. They would not want to leave. She made people feel at home. She truly loved people and they loved her back.
Arlene was stricken pneumonia on News Years Eve, 2005 and she was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pedro. She died the hospital on the evening of January 9, 2006 at the young age of 57. Her family and closest and dearest friends were with her in her last days and when she died.
Arlene Louanne Mariani (Kielbasa) was born July 10, 1948 in San Pedro, California.
Her parents were Luka Mariani & Ina "Cvetcia" Mariani (nee Stanojevic) and she grew up in a small Spanish stucco house on West 13th Street. She went to 7th Street School for kindergarten and attended Mary Star of the Sea grade school and high school. She was student body president her senior year. At age 16, she went to Yugoslavia with her mother and her best friend, Sylvia, and they met President Josip Broz Tito. He approached them to them during a parade in Komiza on the Island of Vis. He wanted to meet the two foreign girls from America. He delayed the parade to speak with them at some length.
Arlene met John M. Kielbasa while in high school and began dating their junior year. He went to Fermin Lausen, which was an all boys Catholic high school near 25th and Western (now Little Sisters of the Poor), while Mary Star was an all girl high school at the time. Arlene graduated from Mary Star in June 1966. John and Arlene were married in September 1966. They had their first son, John R. in February 1967. They went on to have five children: John R., Michele M., Michael J., Katherine C. and Christina M.
John M. Kielbasa was California Highway Patrolman and Arlene had to endure the stresses of being a police officer's wife. The Kielbasas lived on Enrose Avenue the old Eastview section of San Pedro (Now Rancho Palos Verdes). Arlene and John divorced in 1985.
Arlene attended Harbor College where she obtained a degree in accounting. During the Vietnam War era she used to work for the Army in the payroll department at Fort Mac Arthur's Lower Reservation down where the Cabrillo Marina is now. She also worked as a bookkeeper/controller and accountant for several companies, including Bay View Produce in Long Beach, Danica Furniture at 22nd and Signal Street, Bolstad Industries in San Pedro, Teledyne in Torrance. For many years worked at Pioneer Fisheries and the Little Fisherman Restaurants in San Pedro. She also did bookkeeping for Harbor House Café chain located along the South Coast and prepared tax returns for many private clients.
Arlene loved local history and was a member of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. She had an extensive collection of porcelain dolls and loved decorating her house inside and out for all the holidays. She was known as Wheezy to her kid's friends and Big Nona to her grand kids: Cortney, Paige, Alessandra, Michael Luka, Jason Thomas "J.T." and Katie "Bug." She had two more grandchildren after her passing; John Anthony and Ava.
Arlene loved her family and friends and was very generous and lavished them with gifts, especially her grandchildren. She had a great sense of humor and a loud and infectious laugh. Her kids would hear her cheering at games at Peck Park, Bobby Sox Field at the Pistol Range or they could pick her voice out of a full crowd at Daniel's Field. Many people recount sitting around her kitchen table or on the porch, laughing and carrying on. There was side-splitting laughter. People would come and go at all hours. Although there were five kids at the house, most people would come by, mostly to visit with Arlene. Sometimes someone would stop by just to drop off taxes or cookies or something, only intending to stay for a few minutes, but they end up staying hours. They would not want to leave. She made people feel at home. She truly loved people and they loved her back.
Arlene was stricken pneumonia on News Years Eve, 2005 and she was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pedro. She died the hospital on the evening of January 9, 2006 at the young age of 57. Her family and closest and dearest friends were with her in her last days and when she died.
Her parents were Luka Mariani & Ina "Cvetcia" Mariani (nee Stanojevic) and she grew up in a small Spanish stucco house on West 13th Street. She went to 7th Street School for kindergarten and attended Mary Star of the Sea grade school and high school. She was student body president her senior year. At age 16, she went to Yugoslavia with her mother and her best friend, Sylvia, and they met President Josip Broz Tito. He approached them to them during a parade in Komiza on the Island of Vis. He wanted to meet the two foreign girls from America. He delayed the parade to speak with them at some length.
Arlene met John M. Kielbasa while in high school and began dating their junior year. He went to Fermin Lausen, which was an all boys Catholic high school near 25th and Western (now Little Sisters of the Poor), while Mary Star was an all girl high school at the time. Arlene graduated from Mary Star in June 1966. John and Arlene were married in September 1966. They had their first son, John R. in February 1967. They went on to have five children: John R., Michele M., Michael J., Katherine C. and Christina M.
John M. Kielbasa was California Highway Patrolman and Arlene had to endure the stresses of being a police officer's wife. The Kielbasas lived on Enrose Avenue the old Eastview section of San Pedro (Now Rancho Palos Verdes). Arlene and John divorced in 1985.
Arlene attended Harbor College where she obtained a degree in accounting. During the Vietnam War era she used to work for the Army in the payroll department at Fort Mac Arthur's Lower Reservation down where the Cabrillo Marina is now. She also worked as a bookkeeper/controller and accountant for several companies, including Bay View Produce in Long Beach, Danica Furniture at 22nd and Signal Street, Bolstad Industries in San Pedro, Teledyne in Torrance. For many years worked at Pioneer Fisheries and the Little Fisherman Restaurants in San Pedro. She also did bookkeeping for Harbor House Café chain located along the South Coast and prepared tax returns for many private clients.
Arlene loved local history and was a member of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. She had an extensive collection of porcelain dolls and loved decorating her house inside and out for all the holidays. She was known as Wheezy to her kid's friends and Big Nona to her grand kids: Cortney, Paige, Alessandra, Michael Luka, Jason Thomas "J.T." and Katie "Bug." She had two more grandchildren after her passing; John Anthony and Ava.
Arlene loved her family and friends and was very generous and lavished them with gifts, especially her grandchildren. She had a great sense of humor and a loud and infectious laugh. Her kids would hear her cheering at games at Peck Park, Bobby Sox Field at the Pistol Range or they could pick her voice out of a full crowd at Daniel's Field. Many people recount sitting around her kitchen table or on the porch, laughing and carrying on. There was side-splitting laughter. People would come and go at all hours. Although there were five kids at the house, most people would come by, mostly to visit with Arlene. Sometimes someone would stop by just to drop off taxes or cookies or something, only intending to stay for a few minutes, but they end up staying hours. They would not want to leave. She made people feel at home. She truly loved people and they loved her back.
Arlene was stricken pneumonia on News Years Eve, 2005 and she was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pedro. She died the hospital on the evening of January 9, 2006 at the young age of 57. Her family and closest and dearest friends were with her in her last days and when she died.
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