Kathi Rose Kitzler

Kathi Rose Kitzler of Arleta, California, passed away peacefully in her sleep, Thursday, January 26, 2017 (28 Tevet 5777), at 77. Services have not yet been scheduled, please check back for more information. Services will be officiated by Rabbi Michael Barclay. Flowers are being accepted.

Kathi is survived by her beloved husband of 56 happy years, Arthur Kitzler; her sons, Sam (fiancée Melissa Moat) Macuk and Patrick (Michele) Schee; and her grandchildren, Deeann Macuk, Lazar Macuk, Rachael Macuk, Sabrina Macuk, Nicole Macuk, Jacob Macuk, Brandon Schee, Jessica Schee, Andrew Ossa, Jaden Ossa, and Connor Ossa.

Kathi Rose Bernon was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on October 17, 1939, to Bernard and Eunice (née Greenbaum) Bernon. She was raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 1957. She married Arthur Zelig Kitzler on June 26, 1960, at which time she moved to an apartment in Los Angeles, California. She worked for Jack La Lane in the mail order department, until Arthur graduated from UCLA in 1962. They moved to an apartment in Sherman Oaks, California, in June of 1962, when Arthur was employed by Litton Data Systems Division, as an Engineer/Programmer in the San Fernando Valley. In 1964, they moved to an apartment in Panorama City, California, so Arthur could be nearer to his place of employment. They finally decided to buy a house in 1975, and moved to Arleta, California, in the San Fernando Valley. Kathi was an excellent housewife during these years. She also got a job at Northridge Auto Body as a secretary. This is where she developed her love for classic cars. Although Arthur and Kathi never had any children of their own, Kathi has taken on the role of mother to both Patrick Schee and Sam Macuk.

In Arthur's words...

My wife Kathi was like a mixture of Lucy in the "I Love Lucy" TV show, and the nurse Florence Nightingale. She was wild, and exciting, and loving, and nurturing, and caring.

THE EXCITING AND WILD KATHI ROSE KITZLER AS SEEN BY HER HUSBAND:

When I was in my teens, my best friend moved from Los Angeles to Cleveland, Ohio. One day in school, he bumped into Kathi, and knocked her books on the floor. They became good friends. When he heard that she was going to Los Angeles to visit her grandparents, he told her to call up several of his friends, including me. I was 15 years old, and I got a call from Kathi on July 3, 1956. She sounded so exiting because she loved to talk, and she told me who she was. I was a very shy boy, but something about her made me feel relaxed and at ease with her on the phone. We got together, and at the age of 15, I fell in lover with her, and dreamed of marrying her, living our lives together, and growing old together. On June 26, 1960, we did get married, and my dream came true.

Kathi was an exciting woman. She loved to talk about everything. Only her grandmother could outtalk her. Since I was so shy, she was perfect for me. She loved to ride her 450 Nighthawk motorcycle. She took karate, and she showed me what she learned one day by instantly flipping me onto my back in the backyard. She had a pet rabbit that lived in our kitchen uncaged. She bought a baby carriage, and she and I took the rabbit for rides every night when we went out for our 2 mile walk. The rabbit, Furball, sat on a pillow and watched everything around her. Kathi knew the manager of the Black Angus in Panorama City, and arranged to have a birthday party for Furball, the rabbit, there. She then contacted a local TV station, and they came out and filmed it for their TV newscast that day. She became known as the Rabbit Lady in our neighborhood.

Kathi became interested in classic cars when she worked at Northridge Auto Body. The owner had a 1975 black Mercedes Benz. It needed a great deal of work. Kathi wanted to buy it and fix it up. Her boss told her "women don't do that kind of thing". That, of course, was a challenge to her, and she bought the car. She got it in running order, and named it "Black Beauty". Then, she entered it into classic car shows, and won over 50 trophies. She belonged to several car clubs, and through people there, she got her car onto the TV series "Alias", with Jennifer Garner, as well as many other TV shows. It was always the gangster's car. When the engine failed, she replaced it with a Ford engine, and entered the car in a Ford Only show, and won yet another trophy. She was taking her Black Beauty car for repairs to a gas station in Van Nuys, owned by Sam Macuk (pronounced Masuk). She hung out at the gas station, so Sam hired her part-time. She would give people "full service" by pumping the gas for them, cleaning the windshield, checking under the hood- like the good old days. When her engine in Black Beauty failed, this was the station where the Ford engine was installed. She would get under the car on the lift, and help the mechanics. She would come home full of grease, and was proud of it. Sam had his own personal problems, and Kathi was there for him through much of his turmoil. They developed a strong bond between them. When sold Sam sold the station, he kept in touch with Kathi, and called her Mom #2. Today Sam Macuk is here to help me through this crisis in my life.

THE LOVING, NUTRURING, AND CARING KATHI ROSE KITZLER AS SEEN BY HER HUSBAND:

When we lived in apartments, there was a man who did welding. Kathi was surprised to see him home one day, and asked him what was wrong. He complained of severe pains in his abdomen. He wanted to take some pain medicine and sleep it off. Kathi insisted on taking him to the doctor. It turned out he had a ruptured a portion of his intestine on the job. The doctor said he would have died if she had not taken him to the doctor.

When we were in the house, Kathi became the "block mother". The boy next door, Pat Schee, and his friends, would come over to our house to play after school. Most of the kids had mothers that worked. Kathi would bake cookies for them, and she loved playing along with them. She developed a strong love, and caring feelings, for Pat. Our two households became like family, and we celebrated all of our occasions together. Later, Pat's mother Betty developed breast cancer. Kathi began taking Betty to all of her doctor visits. Kathi was with her every day up to Betty's death bed, in the hospital. After this, Pat was like a son to both Kathi and me. Kathi and I were there to help him when he needed it. Today, Pat Schee is here to help me through this crisis in my life.

When a man on our street had congestive heart failure, she volunteered to care for him, because his wife had to work. She tended to all his needs until his wife came home.

When an elderly man on our street lost his wife, Kathi stepped in and kept him company, taught him to cook, and do laundry. She cleaned his house for him, took him marketing, took him to visit his wife's grave every week. One time, he had become extremely depressed, and attempted to commit suicide. She realized his state of mind, and ran over to his house. She stopped him from his attempt, and stayed with him until hew was better. She gave him even more of her time, along with things to look forward to, like a trip to Italy, where he was born.

Because Kathi had a fox stole that her grandmother gave her as a child, she had a love for fur stoles. She found one at a shop that sold old, antique items one day. Each piece in the stole was a fill animal pelt, called a Stone Martin- it was not a fox. You can see these in the "I Love Lucy" episodes sometimes. She would cut the pelts apart, and each one became an individual "pet", which she called Foxy. Wherever she went, she would take a Foxy with her in her purse. One day at the dentist's office, a small girl saw Kathi's Foxy, and fell in love with it. The girl lived in an apartment and wanted a pet, but was not allowed to have one there. Kathi promised her that she would get one on her next visit to the dentist. Kathi gave the receptionist at the dentist office an extra Foxy that she had at home, so that the small girl could get it on her next visit.

When we belonged to the Neighborhood Watch program, Kathi volunteered to be the "block captain" for our street. She would distribute fliers to everyone about the events in our neighborhood with suggestions on how to avoid burglaries and other problems.

CONCLUSION:

I wish my memory was better, because I know there many more stories to tell about Kathi. But as I said before, my wife Kathi was like a mixture of Lucy in the "I Love Lucy" TV show, and the nurse Florence Nightingale. She was wild and exciting and loving and nurturing and caring.

Arrangements under the direction of Groman Eden Mortuary, Mission Hills, CA.