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December 8, 2016
Dear Family and Friends,Our father, William “Bill” Arballo, died peacefully at home on December 8 of natural causes. He was 92.
While we are sorry to have to share this sad news with you, we also wanted to share with you a bit of our father’s life. He inspired us with his dedication to family, friends his country and community.
Our father was a newspaperman, decorated World War II veteran and former mayor of Del Mar, whose professional and civic work brought open-government laws to Hawaii and a regional park to north San Diego county.
Born in 1924 in Nestor, California, the family also lived in Oceanside and Carlsbad before settling in Del Mar. In the mid-1930’s his widowed father, Loreto Arballo, moved the family to Del Mar where he found work at the local farms and ranches.
He attended San Dieguito High School and Oceanside-Carlsbad High School, graduating in 1942. He enlisted in the Army and served as a medic in North Africa and Italy during World War II. It was there that he earned a host of awards, including: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Medical Badge 1st Award.
An official Army record tells how he earned the Silver Star on September 19, 1944, in Italy: “…Cpl. Arballo was seriously wounded in one leg. Disregarding his own painful wound and although unable to walk, Cpl. Arballo crawled from man to man administering first aid… The courage and devotion to duty displayed by Cpl. Arballo were a source of inspiration to the entire company.”
He married Angelyn Knier Johnson in 1948 and the family settled in Del Mar where he became active in numerous civic projects.
He was one of a handful of community leaders who successfully fought the state highway department’s plans to route Interstate 5 through the coastal communities from Leucadia to Del Mar.
He was a driving force behind the acquisition and opening of San Dieguito Park, just east of Solana Beach and the incorporation of the City of Del Mar. In 1960, he was elected to the Del Mar City Council and served as mayor in 1962.
Later his work took him to Hilo, Hawaii where, as a correspondent for United Press International and the Copley News Service, he interviewed visiting president Richard Nixon and later vice-president Gerald Ford, as well as Apollo astronauts training for moon landings at Volcano National Park. He reported on numerous topics and people of local and national importance.In 1966 he became one of the first non-Japanese members of the Hilo Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He was a co-founder and first president of the Big Island Press Club. In that capacity, he pushed for Hawaii County to conduct the public’s business in public. The Big Island Press Club and our Dad were parties to a “right-to-know” lawsuit against Hawaii County. In 1971, a federal judge ruled in their favor.
Later the family returned to California, when he took the position as public relations director for the the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
He was an early supporter and long-time board member of the Mexican American Educational Guidance Association (MAEGA), a fundraising group that provides scholarships to Latino students in the San Dieguito Union High School District.
He later worked for the Coast News, covering local politics and writing a column
called Eye on the Coast with his own take on the news of the week. He wrote “Del Mar Reflections – a Personal History” telling the story of growing up in the coastal community and the early years of the city.He is preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Angelyn, and his brother, Robert. His survivors include a sister, Mary Magana; daughters Loreta Arballo and Teresa Arballo Barth (Don), granddaughter Elizabeth Sounders (Andy) and two great-grand children, AlexAnn and Jacob William.
Memorial services are pending. Memorial donations can be made to the San Dieguito Heritage Museum or Hospice by the Sea Solana Beach.
Love & Aloha, Loreta & Teresa
17 Feb 1923 — 15 Jan 1949
11 February 1993
STURDEVAN, BETTY JEAN Aug. 9, 1924 to June 9, 2011
On Thursday morning, Betty “Baba” Sturdevan, a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away, and was at long last re-united with her beloved Garth. She had dedicated her life to both her family and the pursuit of her art, specializing in primarily water colors and pastels.
She was preceded in death by her husband Garth and sister Kay, and she is survived by her four children, Kip, Kerry, Kim and Kelli, and by 8 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Encinitas Humane Society or Alzheimer’s research.
10 March 1924 – November 1986
Harry Phillips had prepared to be an engineer when he graduated from college in 1949, but instead of dealing with formulas and mathematics, his future turned out to be filled with lilies, tulips and orchids.
Not that his life was a bed of roses — he was widowed twice and survived a serious fall from a second-story balcony — but his business skills and creative flair brought him success as owner of Adelaide’s, a longtime La Jolla flower business.
Mr. Phillips believed that local businesses should support the community, and he often donated floral arrangements or funds for local charity and civic events.
Mr. Phillips died of complications from Lewy body dementia July 22 at his La Jolla home. He was 83.
Adelaide’s and Mr. Phillips have been part of the fabric of La Jolla since 1949, when his mother… (read the rest here).
—Harry Phillips; Flower shop owner considered pillar of the community,” by Blanca Gonzalez, San Diego Union-Tribune, published July 29, 2009
31 Aug 1924 – 19 Mar 1998
5 May 1925 – 28 May 2000