Richard Rice Pendleton

Richard Rice Pendleton was born in Huntington Park, California, March 11th, 1933 (of Sioux City, Iowa parents) amidst the aftershocks of the Long Beach Earthquake. He was raised in Alhambra, graduated from Alhambra High School, then attended the University of California, Santa Barbara (Economics, B.A.,1955). While in college he was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, Beta XI chapter and participated in R.O.T.C. He served in the Cold War with the 11th Airborne Division in Munich, Germany, completing active duty as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army.

He had a love of transportation (trains, boats, cars and airplanes) and in 1959 joined United airlines as a reservation agent, working there for 36 years. With the cheap flights he travelled all over the world: Australia, Kenya, Alaska, Hawaii, Korea, France, and more. At United, he met his wife-to-be, Elaine Jiménez McCann. They moved together to Rosemead, and had 3 children. In 1982 they separated, and he moved to West Covina for the next 40 years.

He wore an easy smile, could talk to anyone (especially about his children and grandchildren), reveled in facts about the world (avid newspaper reader and Jeopardy viewer), enjoyed learning languages, played tennis with his buddies, hung out with his neighbors, loved his cousins, nurtured his tiny garden of roses and oranges, admired his view of Mt. Baldy, adored the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, was a frequent winner of Halloween costume contests, and a devoted writer of greeting cards. Since the 1970s he has been active with the Mission Community United Methodist Church, where he met Flor Santos, the Love of his Life.

He is survived by his partner Flor Santos, his children David Pendleton (Rhoda Leung), Brian Pendleton (Arlene), Karleen Pendleton Jiménez (Hilary Cook); grandchildren Matt Pendleton (Ashley Boucher), Shane Pendleton (Amanda Nguyen), Melissa Pendleton (Tyler Bowersox), Elena Pendleton; his cousins Judith Caulfield (Sean), Janet Pendleton (Bob Copeland), Jean Pendleton (Dan Boyer), John Pendleton, James Pendleton, and Diane Amendola

He died comfortably in his sleep in Camarillo, CA on October 17th, 2024.

Donations can be made in Richard’s name to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF)

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