Arlene Katherine Claypool (Kelley)
1934-2016
Arlene Katherine Claypool of Newhall, CA died of metastatic lung cancer and COPD at Santa Clarita Convalescent in Santa Clarita, CA on Sunday, July 3, 2016. She was 82. Arlene was born in Hollywood CA on April 16, 1934 to Ernest H. Kelley and Katherine Hardy Kelley.
As a teen, she worked as a cashier for the old Loma Theater on Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood. She graduated Hollywood High School in 1952. After attending one semester at UCLA, she left school to work as a production assistant at Four Star International, an American television production company founded in 1952 by Dick Powell, David Niven, Joel McCrea, and Charles Boyer. She loved her work!
In 1954, Arlene married Les Claypool Jr, a Los Angeles DJ and son of a prominent political editor and columnist for the Los Angeles Green Sheet. They relocated from Hollywood to Pacoima in the suburbs of the San Fernando Valley in the late 1950s. They divorced shortly thereafter.
Arlene struggled to keep a roof over her family’s heads and food on the table, yet she managed to juggle multiple jobs while still being active in her children’s lives and the community. She was a beautiful, strong, hard-working, fun loving woman who loved to tell jokes, laugh, cook and entertain. She appreciated art, history, classical music, and opera. She was a friend to all who met her.
Arlene moved from Pacoima to the Friendly Valley retirement community in Newhall, CA in 1991 and continued to live there independently until her passing. She was loved and admired by her family, friends, and neighbors and will be greatly missed. Blessings to all who helped provide care for her over the years.
She is survived by her son Leslie and daughter-in-law Mary; daughter Kathy and son-in-law David Sr; son -RKQ ¿YH JUDQGFKLOGUHQ 'DYLG -U Kelley, James, Christina, Daniel and one great-grandchild.
No services will be held but a memorial to honor Arlene is pending. She will be cremated and her ashes scattered per her wishes. To honor Arlene’s love of DQLPDOV DQG LQ OLHX RI ÀRZHUV SOHDVH make a donation to your favorite animal charity or rescue organization. The Signal, July 23, 2016 Sign the Legacy online guestbook at www.signalscv.com