Louis Lou A. Armendariz

Lou was born in Burbank in 1938. He spent his life within a handful of miles of his childhood home. He attended school at St. Robert Bellarmine and later graduated from Bellarmine-Jefferson High School. He married his wife at St. Robert’s church in 1960. He studied at the California State University at Northridge (CSUN) and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He entered the professional world at Redken Labs and worked for other prestigious companies such as Vidal Sassoon and The National Research Group. He retired as the Chief Financial Officer of the latter.

Lou had many interests including sports, aviation, and motorsports. He was an avid reader, movie fan, and lover of music. He and his family raised multiple Samoyed dogs over the course of his life. These interests intersected at times with Lou listening to opera with a Samoyed by his side. He also enjoyed the outdoors and spent as much of his free time as practical at the family vacation home in Lake Tahoe.

A lifelong sports enthusiast he enjoyed watching the local teams play whenever he had the opportunity. Lou was a fan of the Dodgers since their Brooklyn days and he rarely missed a game. He was also loyal to the Lakers and Rams, and UCLA was THE school of choice for college athletics. His interest in sports extended beyond being a fan. He was an avid player of racket sports. As a boy, he and his brothers learned to play badminton at the Olive Recreation Center located in Burbank. He continued to play badminton throughout his adult years and made many lifelong friends in the Burbank Badminton Club.

As a boy nearby Lockheed Aircraft provided Lou with his first glimpse of aviation. Although his dream of becoming a pilot went unfulfilled, his interest in aviation never waned. Throughout his life, he satisfied his love of flight by attending numerous air shows, air races, and visiting aviation museums around the country.

Lou’s enthusiasm for cars and motorsports was well known. In his teens and twenties Lou was already on a first name basis with many of the local shops. He attended and participated in multiple racing events over the years. At one point, he sponsored a drag boat team and it was from that sponsorship that the moniker “Smokin’ Lou” was born.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Lois, his son Louis, and all who loved him.