Louis Sam Carlentine Sr.

Louis Sam Carlentine (Louie), 88, peacefully passed away on January 13, 2020. He was born on November 13, 1931 in Omaha, Nebraska where he was raised by his mother Nancy (Palermo) Carlentine and his father Sam Louis Carlentine. After he completed high school, he joined the Army of the United States Armed Forces. As an Italian American, when Louie first went into the Army, he had anticipated that he would be sent to Italy as an interpreter as he spoke Italian fluently. However, he was sent to Japan where he spent a year and a half before the Korean War broke out. He spent 13 months in Korea during the war and was discharged from the Army in June of 1952 as a Korean War Veteran.

Upon his return home to Omaha, he went to a roller-skating rink and met his future wife. Her name was Margaret Mary Mullink. Louie asked her to dance three times and each time she turned him down. On the fourth time he asked her to dance, she replied “I’m so much taller than you and it would make you look funny”. However, they danced and skated that day and a year later, they united in marriage in Omaha on May 22, 1954 at St Philomena Catholic Church with approximately 300 in attendance. When walking down the aisle, Louie felt there was something different and kind of funny about his shoes. Margaret admitted that the shoes she had ordered for him for their wedding day were built up four inches! After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Carlentine made their home in Omaha where Louis was self-employed as a painting contractor and later at Omaha Housing Authority where he retired. Louie and Margaret were married for 42 years when she passed away. Five children were born as a result of this union. About 2 years later, Louie met up with an old girlfriend, Jenene Parker, whom he had a child with many years earlier. To his children, he is known as dad, and to his grandchildren, he is known as Nanu.

Life took Louie to Arizona, where he settled for the remainder of his life. Louie loved Arizona and always said there was only one way he’d leave: “feet first!” Specifically, he loved the trees to which he referred to them as “drunk” with their uniquely twisted stumps, the plant life and the sky. He was always known to have “the heart of a 20 years old” as he had quite the zest for life.

Louie died on January 13, 2020 in Youngtown, Arizona having attained the age of eighty-eight and two months. Preceding him in death were his father Sam Louis Carlentine, his mother Nancy (Palermo) Carlentine, his wife Mary Margaret Carlentine, his daughter Terry Lee Newquist, his son Michael Edward Carlentine, his son Louis Sam Carlentine Jr., and a grandson Amir Joshua Asayesh. He is survived by his children, Ronald Carlentine of Omaha, NE, Cynthia Asayesh of Glendale, AZ and Denny Parker of Phoenix, AZ; son-in-law Ali Asayesh of Paradise Valley, AZ; three granddaughters, Shadi Asayesh of Paradise Valley, AZ, Jessica Valenzuela and her partner Stephen Lavallie and great granddaughter, Amelia Lola Lavallie of Peoria, AZ, and Brianna Valenzuela and her partner Stefan Bigboy of Minneapolis, MN, other relatives and many friends. He was very loved and celebrated for his spunk in life. He will be deeply missed and forever loved.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at a later date at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Portsmouth, Iowa.

When asked what he loved most about his life, he said---

“My Kids, My Grandkids and My Great Grandkids!!”