Estella Acosta

Estella M. Acosta passed into eternity on April 19, 2016, following a valiant battle with cancer. Estella was born on August 13, 1945 in Fullerton, CA. She was the eldest of twelve children born to Pedro and Virginia Elias. She was raised in Pomona where she attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church and School and graduated from Pomona Catholic High School. She attained her BA and teaching credential from the University of La Verne and her MA in Education from CSU Long Beach. Estella was a life-long educator with a passion for bilingual education. She began her teaching career in in 1976 in the Upland Unified School District where she taught both kindergarten and second grade. In 1984 she joined the Montebello Unified School District where she worked as a resource teacher for several years. After nearly 35 years in education, Estella retired in 2010 from the Orange County Department of Education where she held the position of Director of English Language Arts. In the years preceding her illness Estella stayed active by serving as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Los Alamitos, and by volunteering her talents at the Long Beach Senior Center where she served lunch and organized events. She also worked side-by-side with her siblings and nephews and nieces at Relay For Life to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Estella enjoyed spending time with her family, hosting tea parties for her aunts and traveling with her sisters and cousins. Estella was an avid amateur photographer who donated her photos in support of the California Missions. Estella is survived by her children Justine Cristan (Roland), Roy Marquez (Sandra) and Arlene Hallan (Dave), and three step children, including Tad Acosta (Leyla); grandchildren Candace Weidenmiller, Steven Cristan, Krista Acosta, Bree Acosta and Guinevere Hadden; great-grandchild Ava Weidenmiller; siblings Lydia Mulkey (Frank), Sandra Selio, Sara Parra (Jim), Richard Elias, Ruben Elias (Terry), Mary Lou Delgadillo (Felix), Barbara Jean Elias, Ronald Elias (Tina), Gracie Jimenez and Rebecca McNicholl (Mark); and by her large extended family. She is preceded in death by her husband of 27 years Charles Acosta, her mother and father, and her brother Raymond Elias. The Rosary will be prayed for Estella at 6pm on Monday, April 25th, at All Souls Mortuary in Long Beach. Mass will be held on Tuesday at 10am at St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Los Alamitos. Following the service she will be laid to rest at All Souls Cemetery.