Ada Irma Arensdorf

1930 - 2023

July 26, 1930 - May 18, 2023 Ada Irma Troncoso was the 5th child born to Ninfa & Santiago Troncoso on July 26, 1930 in Ciudad Juarez, where her father published the first daily newspaper, El Dia. She worked at a bank in Guadalajara, Mexico until 1957, when she immigrated to the U.S. and met Donald Arensdorf while working at Azteca Films in L.A. Don and Ada married on November 8, 1958 and settled in South Los Angeles where they were active parishioners of Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini Church. Together, they raised six children: Luz Maria (Dempsey), John, Teresa (Barth), James, Gabriela (Mafi) and Elena (Vazquez). Ada worked at Saint Francis Cabrini School, Saint Sebastian Rectory and subsequently Benjamin Banneker School (LAUSD). In 1982, the family moved to Moreno Valley, where she worked at the UCR Extension Office. Returning to L.A. in 1987, Ada began work at UCLA as Assistant to the Director of Chicano Studies, where she nurtured students and staff, retiring in 1993. A force to be reckoned with, Ada was a tenacious, intelligent and articulate woman. Ada painstakingly cared for her husband, Don (d. 2018), who was afflicted with Alzheimer's for the last 9 years of his life. Ada is survived by her children, 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Her funeral will be held on June 17 at 10 a.m. at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Long Beach.