Louis Del Pozzo

Louis “Lou” Michael Del Pozzo, beloved father, grandfather, teacher and friend, died in his home on January 9.

He was born on July 11, 1930, in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, to Lucy DeStefano Del Pozzo and Luigi Del Pozzo, and was the last surviving sibling among nine sisters and three brothers. Lou grew up in Ridgway and moved to Los Angeles in 1948 after his parents visited on vacation and determined it was “heaven.”

Lou earned an AA degree at East LA College before transferring to UCLA where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business and education in 1952, amidst the draft for the Korean War. He attended Officers Training School and joined the Navy serving as the Communications Officer on the USS Bairoko during Operation Castle (the hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll) and the USS Shangri-La throughout the Pacific.

After serving in the Navy, Lou was able to pursue his chosen career and in 1957 started his dream job as a teacher at Culver City High School where he taught business classes (typing and bookkeeping) for the next 34 years. Early in his teaching career, he attended UCLA during several summers and earned a master’s degree in business and education.

Lou lived in his home in Pacific Palisades for the last 45 years of his life and, after retiring from teaching, worked part-time in the area as a real estate agent and served on the Marquez Knolls Property Owners Association. He was well known among his neighbors (and their dogs), and for many years could be seen walking in the neighborhood every day at the same time (sometimes backward), always willing to stop for a chat, witty remark, or friendly smile and wave.

He will be dearly missed by his children Dominic Del Pozzo (Ginger Revercomb) and Gina Brogi (David van Beek), two grandchildren Nico and Lucas Del Pozzo, many nieces and nephews, and countless neighbors.