Obituary of Angela C. Sarantinos

Born May 29, 1927, in Long Beach, California, Angela passed away at home in the arms of her loving husband Al on November 10, 2018. Angela is also survived by her three sons, Les (wife Christine, daughters Alexis, Nikki, and Eleni), James (wife Patty, son Devin), and George (wife Athena, sons George, Evan, and Luke). Angela was the youngest of four children born to Greek immigrants, Demetrios and Maria Cocallas. She was the last surviving of her siblings including Amy, Sophie, and George. Growing up in Long Beach, California, Angela attended and graduated from Poly High. Her first job was working at a Greek owned shoe shop while going to high school. Shortly after, Angela secured a job working at Buffums department store, for a while working as an elevator operator. She would laugh as she recounted a funny story about a larger gentleman who got caught between the elevator doors as she was operating the elevator levers. Panicking a bit, she accidentally kept opening and closing the sliding doors on the individual as he was exiting the elevator. But all to no avail, because the poor guy repeatedly kept getting bounced back and forth between the sliding doors as they continued opening and closing, before he finally got out of the way. We can’t say for sure if she was let go for that or not, but soon after, Angela attained a job at Douglas Aircraft where she continued to work for five years. On July 12, 1953 Angela married the love of her life, Evangelos (Al) Sarantinos. Al and Angela were married at the Greek Orthodox Church of Assumption in Long Beach, California and remained happily married for the next sixty-five years, living primarily in San Diego where they raised their three sons. For Angela, it was all about the well-being of her family. She raised her family with examples of love, devotion, generosity, and strength that she shared with her family, friends and community. As her sons grew and married, she was blessed with seven grandchildren. Angela loved being a mother and a “yiayia” (Greek for grandmother), but most of all, being a yiayia. And now, Heavenly Father, your daughter comes to you renewed in the peace of your Spirit. We pray that you welcome her and let her take her place at your table to finally be rejoined with sisters Amy, Sophie, and brother George. For she is Angela, last of the Cocallas’s… beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. Trisagion Service (Viewing) will be held at St. Gregory Nyssa Greek Orthodox Church in El Cajon, California on Friday November 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm. Funeral Service will be held at St. Gregory’s on Saturday November 17 at 11:00 am.