Arnold Floriano Tena

1935 - 2023

Arnold Floriano Tena, January 14, 1935 - March 20, 2023. Born of Francisco ‘Pancho’ and Beatrice Tena née Floriano, Arnold was the youngest of three children, and grew up in East Highlands, CA. As a boy, Arnold worked in Southern California’s then-burgeoning orange industry, and later graduated from Redlands High School, San Bernardino Valley College, and the University of California, Riverside, where he had the honor of graduating in that institution's first student class. Arnold served his country proudly in the United States Army, stationed in West Germany. He received an honorable discharge in 1961 with the rank of SP5 (Sergeant) and then went on to earn a teaching credential at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

 

Arnold met Juanita Tena née Merás in 1964. They married in 1966 and eventually settled in Westchester. A loving husband of 56 years, he was a proud and dedicated father to four children, the eldest Michelle, Theresa, John, and Joel. 

 

Arnold taught high school government and history for over 40 years, predominately at Hawthorne High School in Hawthorne, CA for the Centinela Valley Union School District. He was a proud organizer for the Centinela Valley Secondary Teachers Association (CVSTA), including service as its President. Arnold also served the adult learners of Hawthorne by teaching citizenship classes in the adult education program. He was a longtime advocate of public education. Arnold was a life-long learner, a voracious reader and an avid collector of books. He was keenly interested in texts relating to history and politics – and about World War II in particular, the event that shaped his young life. 

 

Arnold was a devout Catholic and an active member of his neighborhood’s congregation. He provided charitable service to St Jerome Church as an usher and assisted with clothing drives. A man who believed in the truest sense of living life as a Christian, over the years he was heavily involved in school, afterschool, and youth sports development activities. In retirement he continued to serve his community, volunteering regularly at a local food bank and making weekly visits to Los Angeles juvenile hall for outreach efforts through a Catholic missionary program. 

 

A runner in his youth, Arnold was an avid camper and adventurer, proud of his travels both in Europe and Asia, as well as the many road trips he led and took throughout the United States, from visits to national parks to his numerous baseball ballpark tours. 

 

An enthusiastic sports fan, Arnold’s two loves were the Los Angeles Dodgers and the UCLA Bruins basketball team. 

 

Arnold loved music. He grew up listening to Rat Pack crooners such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. But his first and lifelong joy was listening to Mexican music, primarily mariachi, and also rancheras and corridos, in particular those of Vicente Fernández. 

 

Arnold is preceded in death by his father and mother, older brother Abel, sister-in-law Ophelia, older sister Antoinette ‘Toni’, and nephew Charles ‘Chuck’. He is survived by his wife, his children, sons-in-law John & Jason, daughter-in-law Aparna, and grandchildren Neil, Sean, Jack, Francisco ‘Coyo’, Marco, & Catalina, numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, fellow congregants, colleagues, neighbors and friends.

Services will be as follows: a wake for Arnold will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 5835 W Slauson Ave, Culver City, CA 90230, on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 3 pm. Burial services for Arnold will begin at 1 pm on Friday, April 28, 2023, also to be held at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery. For more information please continue to check this site, or contact joelarnoldtena@gmail.com.