Los Angeles County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection
(Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Downey and surrounding towns.)
Many of these obituaries do not have the year of death included. Use the Social Security Death Index to determine this information.
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Downey, Los Angeles County, California Obituary Collection
GenealogyBuff.com - Downey, Los Angeles Co., California Obituary Collection - 32
Posted By: GenealogyBuff.com Date: Tuesday, 6 August 2024, at 5:02 p.m.
Bruno Manetta
DOWNEY - Funeral services for Bruno Manetta, a Downey resident since 1986, and an assembly mechanic for L & F Industries, were held Tuesday, Feb. 10, at St. Raymond's Catholic Church.
He was 53, born in Italy, and died Feb. 4 at Downey Community Hospital.
He was a member of St. Raymond's Church, and the IAM/AW Union.
Survivors include his wife, Rosaria Manetta; his son, Bruno Manetta (Shawna); his daughter, Lidia Manetta; a brother, Unberto Manetta (Franca); and sisters Josephine DiRaimo (Annibale), and Elena DiRaimo (Modesto).
Father Steve officiated.
Burial followed at All Souls Cemetery.
Arrangements are by the Miller-Mies Mortuary Chapel of Downey.
William Clarke Russell
DOWNEY - Private services and cremation were held for William Clarke Russell, a Downey resident for 48 years and a retired manager for the General Telephone Co., who died Feb. 8, in a La Mirada hospital.
He was born in Portland, Oregon, March 20, 1927.
Survivors include his wife, Rita; his daughter, Jill Conte (Vince); grandchildren, Danielle Sallese, Deanne Sallese, Jarrod Leone and Joel Leone; and great-grandchildren, Alexandra and Cameron.
Arrangements were by the Miller-Mies Mortuary of Downey.
John Brignoli
DOWNEY - John Brignoli died at his Downey home Jan. 11, following a long illness.
He was 87, born in Sette Sorella, Italy.
He came to the United States, with his family when he was a child.
They settled in Massachusetts.
He was a resident of Downey, for more than 40 years.
Survivors include his sister, Lena Brignoli; a brother, Joseph Brignoli; his son, John; daughters, Eva Marie Boire and Gloria Fitzmaurice; six grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.
He was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.
Marvin J. Babbidge
DOWNEY - Cremation and burial was at Riverside National Cemetery for Marvin J. Babbidge, a UCLA graduate and Pacific Bell executive, and a 60-year Downey resident who died Feb. 2, at the Southland Lutheran Home.
He was 85, born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Jan. 10, 1914.
Babbidge was a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army HTQ serving during World War II.
He was also a past Commander of the American Legion Downey Post 270; a member of the Past Commander's Club, greater Los Angeles Navy League, 40 & 8 Voiture 1262; and was a Phi Beta Kappa, and belonged to the Theta Chi Fraternity at UCLA.
He was a lifetime member of the Telephone Pioneers of America, AARP No. 262, the Squires Club, Challengers Fisherman's Club, Coachella Valley Pheasant Club, Duck's U. Unlimited, and many other organizations.
Survivors include his wife, Rosalie; a son, John; a brother, Robert; a sister, Arlee; three stepchildren and six grandchildren.
Aurelia G. Oropeza
DOWNEY - A Mass of Christian Burial was heard at St. Raymond's Catholic Church for Aurelia G. Oropeza, a Downey resident for more than 23 years, who died at her home Feb. 3.
She was a member of Saint Raymond's Catholic Church and was a homemaker and devoted mother.
Survivors include her children, Cira Garces, Ignacio Oropeza and Veronica Sanchez; 18 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Laura Gonzalez; daughters-in-law Laura, Eloise and Maria Oropeza.
She was preceded in death by four children, two of whom died as infants and two as adults.
A rosary was also heard at St. Raymond's.
Burial was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Orange.
Arrangements were by White's Funeral Home in Bellflower.
Alison Hertz Loza
DOWNEY - Memorial services will be held tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 13) at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Downey, 8348 Third St. for Alison Hertz Loza, who died Jan. 29 in Penn Valley, California.
She was 65, born Aug. 20, 1933 in Whittier, and lived most of her life in Downey, after graduating from Downey High School.
Survivors include her husband, Stan; three children, Patrick, Johanna and Jeanita; and eight grandchildren; as well as her childhood best friend, Jeanita LaVigne.
Lt. Col. Robert L. Fisher Mass
DOWNEY - A Funeral Mass was heard Feb. 5 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church for Lt. Col. Robert Lee Fisher, Ret., who died in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Feb. 2.
He was 77, born in Downey, Feb. 21, 1921, and served in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot, flying many types of aircraft for 21 years, before retirement in 1962.
He was a member of the Retired Officers Association.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, in 1995, and his son, Lawrence in 1961.
Survivors include his son, Duncan A. Fisher of Colorado Springs, Colorado; daughter, Victoria Fisher of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; stepson, Peter D. Noyes of London, England; and five grandchildren.
Pastor Rev. John Moloney officiated. Burial followed in Queen of Heaven Cemetery.
Arrangements were by the Downey Zrelak Family Mortuary.
James Yoshio Murata
DOWNEY - Funeral services were held Saturday, Feb. 6, at Rose Hills Sky-Rose Chapel in Whittier, for James Yoshio Murata, a longtime Downey resident who died Jan. 29, in Chapman Medical Center in Orange County.
He was 50, born in El Monte.
He was the son of the deceased Kenji and Hatsuye Murata.
The Murata family was forced off their land shortly after the outbreak of World War II, and avoided internment by voluntarily relocating to Utah, in 1942.
They resumed strawberry farming in Downey, near the San Gabriel River, after the war, but were forced off a portion of their land to make way for a freeway in the mid-1950s. After a three-year legal battle, they agreed to swap their 55 acres for 17 acres to make way for the 605 Freeway.
In 1991, they again faced the threat of eminent domain, to make way for city redevelopment plans for an auto mall.
The City decided to drop its plan to file eminent domain proceedings and worked out an agreement, after the family obtained an attorney and threatened suit.
Survivors include his brothers, Henry (Yoko) and Thomas (Kazuko) Murata; a sister, Kiyoko (Gary) Chew; and many uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and other relatives.
