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 - 8
Posted By: GenealogyBuff.com Date: Tuesday, 30 July 2024, at 9:32 p.m.
Charles C. Ettien, 88
27 Jan 1910 - 26 Aug 1998
DOWNEY - A memorial gathering was held at the family home in Downey, for Charles C. Ettien, a Downey resident for 57 years, who died Aug. 26, 1998 at the age of 88.
A man of many talents and interests, he worked as a cowhand in his youth in Montana, and later became an operating engineer.
He became involved in many California water projects and in the construction of Mare Island in the Bay Area.
He and his wife, Frances, purchased their home in Downey in 1941.
He worked as a shipfitter for Bethlehem Steel and served as an air raid warden in World War II.
After the war, he became a painting and decorating contractor, owning and operating a paint and wallpaper store with his wife in Downey.
Retiring from contracting, he became the chief maintenance engineer for Lincoln Hospital in Los Angeles.
He began a new career as a locksmith at age 70, retiring finally at the age of 85.
He loved bowling, and was an avid target shooter (even loading his own shells), and loved "muscle cars."
He raced a 1954 Ford pickup with a full-blown Chrysler engine at drag strips in the 1950s.
His last "muscle car" was a 1966 Dodge Charger equipped with a 426 hemi engine.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances, in 1992.
Survivors include children, Charles Norris Ettien, Joyce Fanning, Evelyn Rogers, Shirley Martinez, and Frances Larson; son-in-law, Keith Rogers; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and sisters, Peggy, and Dorothy.
Special thanks is extended by the family to Randy and Vicki Davis, whose kindness and caring were a comfort for their elderly neighbor.
Burial was beside Frances in All Souls Memorial Park in Long Beach.
George W. Loos, Sr.
13 May 1931 - 16 Sep 1998
DOWNEY - Memorial services for George W. Loos, Sr., a longtime Downey resident, who died Sept. 16, 1998 here, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Rose Hills Memorial Park.
He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, May 13, 1931.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Loos; children: Toby Mitton of West Virginia, Carla Wharton of Kentucky, Roberta Loos of West Virginia, George Loos, Jr. of West Virginia, Darla and Bob Wegener of Salinas, Michael Hefner of Ohio, Karen and Steve Goldsholl of Downey; grandchildren Jimmy Sample, Shelley Sample, Chris Wharton, Erik Wharton, Ryan Loos, Alex Wegener, Ashley Goldsholl, Seth Goldsholl and Brook Goldsholl; great-grandchildren, Morgan Sample, five others; a sister; two brothers; nieces, nephews and friends.
June Hope Vleerick
29 Jun 1918 - 23 Aug 1996
DOWNEY - Funeral services were held Aug. 28 at the Hillside Chapel at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier for June Hope Vleerick, a longtime Downey resident, who died Aug. 23, 1996 in Downey Community Hospital.
She was born in 1918.
Survivors include her husband, Robert H. Vleerick; two sons, Robert M. Vleerick, Steven W. Vleerick; and three sisters, Patricia Cramer, Evelyn Dobbins and Louisa Thurber.
Arrangements were by the Miller-Mies Mortuary of Downey.
Elsie Mary Hanson
2-3-1914 - 9-5-1996
WHITTIER - Funeral services were held Sept. 9 at the Rainbow Chapel of Rose Hills Memorial Park for Elsie Mary Hanson, a longtime resident of South Gate and a member of the Messiah Lutheran Church of Downey.
She was born in 1914 in the farming community of Neillsville, Wisconsin, moved to California, in 1947 and worked as a seamstress (power machine operator) for over 30 years at Cole of California in Vernon.
Survivors include her son, Jerry Brady, an advertising representative of The Downey Eagle; three brothers, Gerald Eberhardt and Alvin Eberhardt both of Wisconsin, Roland Eberhardt of Oregon; her sister, Renata of Wisconsin; and two grandchildren, Jeffrey Brady of McKinleyville, California, and Erin Brady of New York City, N.Y.
The Rev. Norman Stoppenhagen, pastor of the Messiah Lutheran Church of Downey officiated. Arrangements were by Rose Hills Memorial Park.
Marjorie C. McMillen
DOWNEY - A vigil service will be held Sunday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Downey Zrelak Mortuary Chapel for Marjorie C. McMillen, a Downey resident for 44 years, who died Sept. 9, 1996 at Good Samaritan Hospital.
She was 75 and formerly worked as finance manager for Lawson's Jewelers of Downey.
Survivors include her sons, Patrick of Crestline, Richard of Placentia, Mike of Norwalk; daughters Judy Gavin of San Francisco, Debbie Welker of Pico Rivera; sisters Lavonne Regan of Jackson, California, Rita Kocher of Beaumont; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death in 1977 by her husband, William.
A Funeral Mass will be heard at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16 at Saint Ray- mond's Catholic Church.
Burial will follow at All Souls Cemetery.
Arrangements are by the Downey Zrelak Family Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations for heart research at Good Samaritan Hospital or the Kay Medical Group.
Esther Pagaduan
DOWNEY – Downey resident Esther Pagaduan, born March 31, 1927, died Sept. 10, 2015.
Esther was born to Lebrado and Consuelo Morales of El Monte, and grew up with many brothers and sisters.
The family later moved to Hawthorne.
In December of 1946, Esther married George G. Pagaduan.
Their first home was in Redondo Beach and they later moved to Torrance to raise their three children: Carmen, David and Gloria.
Esther became a Jehovah Witness in the late 1950’s and belonged to the Gardena Central Congregation.
Esther lived in Torrance for 45 years until she decided to move to Downey, three years ago to be close to her only surviving child, Gloria Pasmant, and her son-in-law, Andrew.
Esther is survived by her sister, Jenny Hart, of Lawndale; son-in-law, Benjamin R. Hemulgada, of San Diego; grandchildren Andy Pasmant Jr., Leianna P.Solis and husband, Michael, David Pasmant and wife, Lacey, Marie, Michael and Angelina, Benjamin P. Hemulgada and Melinda Hemulgada; and great-grandchildren Brittain and William Pasmant.
Esther was preceded in death by her husband, George; sisters, Eleanor Morales, Sarah Caspillo, Anna Lopez and Maggie Bautista; brothers, Dale, Alfred, Lee and Louie; son, David; daughter, Carmen;, nephew, Ray Morales; and niece, Sarah.
The family would like to thank Brookfield, Downey Retirement center for all the attention and she received.
On behalf of my mother and our entire Family, Thank you, Dr. Alan Frischer and staff for 25 years of tender and loving care.
Services will be Sept. 25 at the Glenn Abby Memorial Park in Bonita, at 1 p.m.
Ethel Rose Cohen
DOWNEY - Ethel Rose Cohen, who lived in Downey, since the 1950s and was a sponsor of the Paramount Pacesetters Club for the physically challenged, died Sept. 3, 1996 at Scripps Oceanview Hospital in Encinitas.
She was born Nov. 7, 1911.
Survivors include her son, Donald R. (Rikki) Clauson of San Diego; stepdaughter, Sally Hoberman (Len), of Philadelphia, PA; a niece, Marjorie Wittingham of Downey; four sisters, Lorraine Stern of Ardmore, PA, Dorothy Rosenberg of San Francisco, Janet (Ken) Dunlap of Charlottesville, VA, Marion Clauson of Downey; brothers, Edward Clauson of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Jack Clauson of Philadelphia, PA; six grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by husband Edward I. Cohen.
Arrangements were by the Neptune Society.
Donations are suggested in her name to the American Cancer Society or the Paramount Pacesetters Club.
Jack Fitzgerald
RANCHO BERNARDO - Memorial services will be held in Rancho Bernardo for Jack Fitzgerald, a former Downey resident for 32 years, who died Sept. 17, 1996 there.
A retired builder, talented woodcarver, sportsman and avid golfer (he was a former member of the Rio Hondo Country Club), he was 74, born in Los Angeles Jan. 20, 1922.
He served in the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Virginia of Rancho Bernardo; sons, Michael Fitzgerald (Susan) of Enumclaw, Washington, Jay Fitzgerald (Ginger) of Henderson, Nevada; daughter, Laurie (Tom) Black of Downey; six grandchildren, Kellei, Katie, Kellie, Victoria, Michael and John; sister, Luverne Gibbs of Balboa; and several nieces and nephews.
