Florence Alice Kovacic

Long-time Arcadia resident Florence Alice Kovacic peacefully passed on February 6, 2024, at the

age of 101 at Royal Oaks Manor in Duarte, California.

Florence was born at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, on November 19,

1922.

She and her sister Virginia grew up in Pasadena during the Depression. They were raised by a

single mother, Mildred Lowe, an incredibly strong woman who provided her girls with a sense of

dignity, faith, integrity, and optimism.

Life was not easy for a single mother with two young daughters during the Depression. But

Florence’s mother was an excellent seamstress and often found work sewing clothes for others.

She also sewed most of the clothes her daughters wore. She always made sure her daughters were

well-fed, well-mannered, and well-clothed.

These formative years had a lasting impact on Florence and her outlook on life.

In those days, a Pasadena public school education involved two years of high school followed by

two years of junior college at the same campus. Florence was an honor student, and after her two

years at Pasadena Junior College, Florence’s dream was to go Cal-Berkeley to save the world. But

her mother developed a serious case of rheumatic fever and, times being what they were, Florence

stayed home to care for her mother and work.

She took a course at Sawyer School of Business and mastered the fine art of shorthand. Her first

job was as a secretary at United Geophysical Co. founded by Herbert Hoover Jr., the son of the

former U.S. President.

During World War II, Florence attended an event for injured soldiers in South Pasadena. There

she met Tony Kovacic, who had been seriously injured in a landing craft accident and was

recuperating at the Vista del Arroyo Hotel in Pasadena, which had been converted into an Army

hospital.

They married in 1947 and moved to Arcadia in 1952 with their six-week old son Gary. Their

second son Greg was born in 1954.

Florence and her husband were classic “Baby Boomer” parents, active in their kids’ endeavors

including Little League, PTA, Scouting, and their church.

Florence also served many years volunteering on the Arcadia Child Health Council and other

organizations committed to making the world better. For many years, she also taught ESL

classes at the Arcadia Public Library.

In 1973, Florence’s life was tragically interrupted with her husband‘s death from a brain tumor at

age 53. Shortly thereafter, her mother, then suffering from painful arthritis, moved in with

Florence and received loving care.

Later Florence developed macular degeneration, which would ultimately lead to blindness in one

eye, and limited vision in the other.

A lesser person would have felt cheated by the unfortunate events in her life, but Florence never

complained. Rather, she remained positive and compassionate, devoted to her family, dedicated

to her faith, progressive in her politics, and concerned about the world around her.

Florence always embraced the dignity of hard work. Her career started as a secretary with

impeccable shorthand skills. It reached its apex as an administrator at the Graduate Aeronautical

Laboratories at Caltech where she herded an idiosyncratic faculty for 27 years with tact,

intelligence, and class. It was a job she mastered and loved.

Florence also loved the outdoors, and had a special fondness for Yosemite National Park. She

hiked the 52-mile, seven-day, High Sierra Camps loop out of Tuolumne Meadows at least three

times.

Florence also loved staying current about politics and world events. She was especially interested

in what was going at Arcadia City Hall where her son Gary served on the Arcadia City Council

and was a six-term mayor. She enjoyed being First Mom during Gary’s terms as mayor, attending

as many events as possible.

Most of all, Florence loved being with her family, whether it was for a simple meal, or a great

celebration. She loved trips to Costco and the Dollar Store with her son Greg, and traveled

extensively with Gary’s family.

In 2019, at the age 96, Florence and Gary took a road trip together to visit her great-grandkids

in Portland and Seattle just to prove that she could do it. In 2021, she flew to Seattle to celebrate

her 99th birthday.

Florence also enjoyed attending scores of Dodger games and UCLA football and basketball games

with Gary. If they were not at a game together, she would often call Gary within minutes of the

game’s conclusion, sometimes late at night, to savor a win or commiserate about a loss.

Florence was kind, considerate, and patient. She was smart, practical, and

insightful. She was optimistic, strong, and resilient. She believed that things tend to work out for

the best.

Her love of family, sense of fairness, and support of righteous causes, were unwavering.

Florence is survived by her two sons and their spouses, four grandchildren and their spouses, and

six great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Florence’s life was held on Monday, February 19, 2024, at the Church of the

Good Shepherd in Arcadia. Donations in her memory can be made to Foothill Unity Center or the

Church of the Good Shepherd Foundation.

Family and friends alike were very blessed to have known this remarkable and beautiful woman –

Florence Alice Kovacic.