I first met Art in 1965. we ran the 1,320 against each other in the Paramount J.H. vs Alondra track meet. When we got to Paramount High School we had classes together and got to know each other better. Art was very well liked and hung out with various groups of guys. I know that monay of you can remember hanging out with Art. There's to many name for me to list, but you who he hung out with. I always thought that he was a bit of a "Maverick" as he didn't have one particular group that he followed. I can still hear that "Art laugh, more like a chuckle tha last lasted all of his life. Art participated in some of the school's clubs and took on leadership roles and was a part of the Student Council. Art played on a variety of sports teams and was an all around athelte. Baseball was his favorite sport.
We' fool around in class, but Art made sure that he got his work done. Even though he went to parties with us, I don't remember him drinking (alcohol).
He worked at the "Big D's Char Burger" (it's long gone) in Hollydale, while another group of us worked at the Tastee Freeze (it's long gone too). Art would trade us their food for ours. He had a red "57 Chevy" that he "souped up". Steve Tanakawa and Ron Dumphy's cars "shut him down". I went on a a couple of double dates with him and Paula, always having a good time. After graduation we attended Compton J.C> Art took some business and computer classes. The classes served him well as he became a Certified Public Accountant years later. In 1959 he and I decided to enlist in the military. We went to the Marine Corps Recruiting Offin in Compton. The recruiter was a bit to aggressive in getting us to sign up right then and there, so we decided to wait and think about it some more. A few weeks later he joined the Army and Randy Roberts talked me into enlisting in the Naval Reserve.
As is the casr with most of us, there was less and less contact with old friends after our military service, college, marriage, having children and careers,, and many classmates moved. Art married Paula and the had two lovely daughters. Eventually we did start to communicate again. He became my "Tax Man" (CPA) until his passing. He was someone that i knew and someone that I could trust to help me avoid getting taken to the cleaners by the IRS. Rosa (my wife, Cheryle (Art's wife, Art and myself got together a few times a year. I still, as of this writing, have the plant and pot that they brought to our Christmas party in 1996. He like to take us to "Captain Kidd's Seafood Restuarant" in Redondo Beach during the Summer monts.
Art was a generous person and donated many organizations. he donated to my son's Boy Scout Troop and joined us for our son's Eagle Scout Banquet. He was an avid baseball fan and had lots of baseball memorabilia in his office at home. He showed me a special baseball book that Richard Martinez had given him years ago. He and Richard went to school together since kindergarten at Las Cerritos Elem. In the 60's his family moved to the new housing area of Paramount only a few blocks away from Alondra J.H School. He showed me some old photos of him with Don Hodges, Havey Rose and others on a baseball team that his dad coached. Art and I liked Elvis Presley. One day Cheryle had put on a tape of "Don't Be Cruel" and it tourned out that it was Art singing the song. It fooled me. Then there was the time that I was at his office going over my taxes. I called him "Tudy". He slowly looked up at me and said, "You don't have to call me Tudy." I asked him how he got that nickname. He said that, if he remembered correctly, that the song "Tutti Fruitti" was popular in the 60's and for some reason Steven Tanikawa called him "Tudy." The nickname stuck.
I have been blessed to have had art in my life. The memories that I have will always be a part of me. I miss his Art laugh (chuckle), his art boyish-sheepish look, and our personal talks about our lives. I have many more stories about Art and I'm sure many of you do too.
Please share your stories with us, good meories last a lifetime.
Mark Overstreet
I first met Art in 1965. we ran the 1,320 against each other in the Paramount J.H. vs Alondra track meet. When we got to Paramount High School we had classes together and got to know each other better. Art was very well liked and hung out with various groups of guys. I know that monay of you can remember hanging out with Art. There's to many name for me to list, but you who he hung out with. I always thought that he was a bit of a "Maverick" as he didn't have one particular group that he followed. I can still hear that "Art laugh, more like a chuckle tha last lasted all of his life. Art participated in some of the school's clubs and took on leadership roles and was a part of the Student Council. Art played on a variety of sports teams and was an all around athelte. Baseball was his favorite sport.
We' fool around in class, but Art made sure that he got his work done. Even though he went to parties with us, I don't remember him drinking (alcohol).
He worked at the "Big D's Char Burger" (it's long gone) in Hollydale, while another group of us worked at the Tastee Freeze (it's long gone too). Art would trade us their food for ours. He had a red "57 Chevy" that he "souped up". Steve Tanakawa and Ron Dumphy's cars "shut him down". I went on a a couple of double dates with him and Paula, always having a good time. After graduation we attended Compton J.C> Art took some business and computer classes. The classes served him well as he became a Certified Public Accountant years later. In 1959 he and I decided to enlist in the military. We went to the Marine Corps Recruiting Offin in Compton. The recruiter was a bit to aggressive in getting us to sign up right then and there, so we decided to wait and think about it some more. A few weeks later he joined the Army and Randy Roberts talked me into enlisting in the Naval Reserve.
As is the casr with most of us, there was less and less contact with old friends after our military service, college, marriage, having children and careers,, and many classmates moved. Art married Paula and the had two lovely daughters. Eventually we did start to communicate again. He became my "Tax Man" (CPA) until his passing. He was someone that i knew and someone that I could trust to help me avoid getting taken to the cleaners by the IRS. Rosa (my wife, Cheryle (Art's wife, Art and myself got together a few times a year. I still, as of this writing, have the plant and pot that they brought to our Christmas party in 1996. He like to take us to "Captain Kidd's Seafood Restuarant" in Redondo Beach during the Summer monts.
Art was a generous person and donated many organizations. he donated to my son's Boy Scout Troop and joined us for our son's Eagle Scout Banquet. He was an avid baseball fan and had lots of baseball memorabilia in his office at home. He showed me a special baseball book that Richard Martinez had given him years ago. He and Richard went to school together since kindergarten at Las Cerritos Elem. In the 60's his family moved to the new housing area of Paramount only a few blocks away from Alondra J.H School. He showed me some old photos of him with Don Hodges, Havey Rose and others on a baseball team that his dad coached. Art and I liked Elvis Presley. One day Cheryle had put on a tape of "Don't Be Cruel" and it tourned out that it was Art singing the song. It fooled me. Then there was the time that I was at his office going over my taxes. I called him "Tudy". He slowly looked up at me and said, "You don't have to call me Tudy." I asked him how he got that nickname. He said that, if he remembered correctly, that the song "Tutti Fruitti" was popular in the 60's and for some reason Steven Tanikawa called him "Tudy." The nickname stuck.
I have been blessed to have had art in my life. The memories that I have will always be a part of me. I miss his Art laugh (chuckle), his art boyish-sheepish look, and our personal talks about our lives. I have many more stories about Art and I'm sure many of you do too.
Please share your stories with us, good meories last a lifetime.
Mark Overstreet