Lena Bezmalinovich (89) of San Pedro peacefully passed away on January 11, 2019 in San Pedro, Ca. Born Lena Felando in the town of Komiza, island of Vis, Croatia on March 19, 1929 to Augie and Fjura (Stanojevic) Felando. She spent her childhood days in Komiza and on her beloved nearby island of Bisevo where she had many fond memories growing up.
Her father came to America (San Pedro) and was working as a fisherman when WWII started. She, her mother and maternal grandparents were deported to El Shatt a displaced person’s camp on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt where she spent 2 of her teen years living as a refugee in the desert. Lena and her mother arrived in the U.S. on December 16, 1945 from Egypt and they were shortly reunited with her Father.
She attended San Pedro High School not knowing a word of English. Lena went to work at Star Kist Cannery where she met her future husband John and they were married on Feb 4, 1951 at the old Holy Trinity Church on O’Farrell Street. A stay at home mom, she started to work when her children were older first at the drycleaners on 9th and Cabrillo and then as a LA unified cafeteria manager where she retired after several years of service.
Lena was a tremendous cook and made fabulous Croatian cookies and she was a remarkable seamstress, a wonderful gardener and a talented artist and painted china plates and ornaments. Lena was an extrovert and loved people – she easily made friends, and most of all she will be remembered as a loving and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend to all. Lena will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by those who knew her as she was affectionately known to many as “Teta Lena”.
Lena is survived by her 3 children Andrew (Gordana) Bezmalinovich, Janet Bezmalinovich and Augie (Lynn) Bezmalinovich. Grandchildren Andrea Bezmalinovich, Ryan Mannas, Aaron (Barry) Alvarez and Chelsey (Weston) Jones; and 2 great-grandchildren Londyn and Walker Jones her sister Katherine Mason, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and countless friends. She was preceded in death by her husband John, brothers Blaz and Josip, and in-laws Madeline, Nick Glavinic, and Anthony Mason.
A viewing is scheduled for Thursday, Jan 17, 2019 from 4 to 8pm with a rosary at 7pm at McNerney’s Mortuary located at 570 W 5th Street in San Pedro. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 10:30am at Mary Star of the Sea Church with burial to follow at Green Hills Memorial Park. The Family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lena’s name to: Mary Star of the Sea Elementary School, 717 S Cabrillo Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731.
Please sign the guestbook at mcnerneysmortuary.com.
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