Louis Attilio Arata
1924 - 2018
Louis “Lou” Arata passed away peacefully at his home in Millbrae on June 14th, 2018, three weeks shy of his 94th birthday. Lou was dearly loved by family and friends for his humor, kindness, positive attitude and ability to make those around him laugh. He was predeceased by his older sister Florence and his younger brother, Gene. Lou leaves behind his loving wife of 67 years, Jeannine, his daughters Beverly (Rick) and Diane (Richard) and sons David (Cathy) and Michael (Penny), as well as 12 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
Lou was born in San Francisco, the son of Attilio and Marie Arata. He grew up in Daly City and graduated from Jefferson High School with the class of 1943.
Shortly thereafter, in the midst of WW II, Lou enlisted in the Army. As a Private First Class in the 86th Infantry Division, he was assigned a Browning Automatic Rifle. Members of his company joked that they gave the biggest gun to the smallest man. His Company marched through Belgium, fought at Cologne, met the Russian army in a pincer movement, (though they had to delay a day as his company was faster than the Russians) and was then deployed to assist General Patton’s forces. After that mission, he was sent to the Philippines to prepare for an amphibious invasion of Japan. Plans for that invasion were scuttled when Japan surrendered.
After the war, while a student at UC Berkley, Lou met his future wife, Jeannine, as she passed him on the street while he was cutting his mother’s lawn. He was smitten. He then devised a plan to meet her again at family friend’s wedding. Soon, on a romantic overlook of San Francisco, he proposed. Until the last months of his life, he would rise early each morning, set the breakfast table for Jeannine, prepare her tea and have a folded section of the newspaper waiting for her. She was his partner until the end.
Lou began his engineering career at a time when engineers carried slide rules. That career spanned seven decades. A curious mind, always looking toward the future, he moved into computers before most, beginning the purchase of a Wang computer. Fair, with a strong sense of justice, Lou had a desire to give back to the community. He saw his engineering work as means to that end by designing roads, bridges, and retaining walls for countless communities as well as by his 60-year membership in the Millbrae Rotary Club.
He had an artistic bent; whether it involved flower arrangements, wrapping gift packages, refinishing furniture, or persuading a developer to create an island in a road to preserve an oak tree. Tasked with working on the expansion of Millbrae Meadows, Lou took it upon himself to name several of Millbrae’s streets, Sleepy Hollow being one example. He liked the mood the name evoked.
Engineering was Lou’s full time job but it was not his only passion. His love for his family was so great that many of his grandchildren and great grandchildren spent their pre-school years at his office. Wading through the toddlers on his way from his desk to the drafting table became a daily ritual cherished by all. Lou’s exuberance for life was evident through his warm hugs and playful antics. He loved parties and family get-togethers, his Italian heritage and a good glass of wine. His secret recipe for antipasto sauce is legendary. Annual trips with his grandchildren to Disney Land were a summer staple while in earlier years, his children were squeezed into his Chrysler for weekly trips to the drive-in theater.
He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
A memorial mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 21, at St. Dunstan Catholic Church in Millbrae.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Anthony’s Foundation, 150 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, or to your favorite charity.