Lope A. Arante's Obituary
Lope (Lou) Aguirre Arante, 81, beloved husband and father, went home to be with the Lord on
December 9, 2021. Lou was born on September 25, 1940 to Lamberto Magboo Arante and
Maria Aguirre in Batangas, Philippines.
Lou came alone to the United States to San Francisco, CA at the young age of 12, while his
father served in the United States Merchant Marines. While his father was away at sea, Lou
lived in a dorm and attended St. Mary’s run by the Christian Brothers. Two years later, his
mother, Maria, and younger sister, Ana, joined Lou in San Francisco.
Lou attended Sacred Heart High School, and later San Francisco City College, where he met
his sweetheart, Norma. Lou and Norma married on July 15,1962.
Lou and Norma expanded their family from two to three with the birth of Joe on February 14,
- Ten years later their family again expanded from three to four with the birth of Richard in
October 1973. Lou instilled the importance of family values, hard work ethics, and the love of
sports in his sons.
Through his career, Lou was employed as a store manager of retail stores such as Walgreens,
JC Paper, Russell’s, Gemco, and Value Giant just to name a few. True to form, Lou worked hard
to build his stores to be the best they could be. Lou had an unshakeable commitment, integrity,
and determination in everything he did.
Lou retired from working in 2000. Lou’s favorite hobby was to work with his hands, spending his
retirement building projects around his home. His greatest joys were his family whom he loved
spending time with, going to Disneyland and DisneyWorld, going to the casino, and was an avid
fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Giants, and the Golden State Warriors.
Lou passed away holding the hands of his wife, Norma and son, Richard. Lou is survived by his
devoted wife of 59 years, Norma, sons Joseph and Richard Arante, daughter-in-laws Diane and
Denise, and grandchildren Emily, Laura and husband Jamil Kassam, AJ, Andrew, and Nicholas,
sister Ana, nephew Paul Dimapasoc and wife Sylvia and children Hanna, Devin, Bella, and
Noah, niece Jennifer and husband John Chapman, and nephew Ryan Gagnon.
Lou has touched the lives of countless individuals. He will be loved, missed, and will always
and forever live in our hearts.
Chapel of the Chimes, Hayward
Visitation: December 27 4pm-7pm
Vigil: December 28 4pm-7pm
Funeral service: St. Anne’s Catholic Church, December 29 10am
Interment: Chapel of the Chimes, Hayward
What’s your fondest memory of Lope?
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Describe a day with Lope you’ll never forget.
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