Joseph Carl Arena, 89, of Laguna Niguel, our wonderful and beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather passed away on Monday, April 9, 2018. He is survived by his loving wife Francine of 67 years, son Shawn Arena (Laura) grandsons Matthew and Andrew (Cierra) great grandson, Owen Gregory and daughter Mary Anne Moreno (Jaime), grandchildren Phillip, Timothy and Monica.
He was born in Rochester, New York on October 23, 1928 to parents Joseph and Frances Arena. He was a Veteran of the US Army Signal Corps and was stationed in Germany.
He married the love of his life on June 24, 1950. Joe and Francine moved to California in 1956 where they raised their family, and he began his exemplary civil service career with the County of Los Angeles and then the City of Los Angeles for a combined 54 years of service. During his tenure, he held various job titles including Draftsman, Inspector, and Quality Control Manager for many of the most prolific public works projects for the County Road Department and the City of Los Angeles. In addition to his primary responsibilities, he was a member of the City of Montebello Planning Commission. He also was a Real Estate Broker and the developer of many projects in LA and Orange counties. In his retirement, Joe was active as a Hoag Hospital Auxiliary Volunteer.
A Memorial Mass to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, April 21st at 10:00 am at the Mission SJC Basilica. Arrangements made by Pacific View Mortuary, Newport Beach. Donations may be made in his name to Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
