Carlos and Son David 1965/66 in front of the pool at their house on Encino Ave. Northridge, California
Carlos Robles was assigned to the 357th Ordenance-Heavy Maintenance Company, Nellingen Germany ( 1951- to Sept 1952 ).
His duties with the 357th involved repairing heavy canvas most commonly found on tanks and other types of wheeled vehicles.
Carlos operated the big sewing machine and possessed some of the biggest needles to get the job done! He used to say that the “ 357th could fix just about anything”!
During this time period other members of the 357th were stationed in Korea. I remember him telling me that some soldiers went to Germany and others deployed to Korea.
“ Carlos was one of the good guys”! (Sgt. John Celesnik of Cleveland, Oh. U.S. Army 1950-52).- After being honorably discharged he moved to
During the early 1950’s, Marisa worked for a North Hollywood tailor where she made fancy clothes for some of Hollywood’s western stars.
Marisa even helped make the Gold Elvis jacket! Marisa went on to teach Commercial Power Sewing at El Camino College in Torrance, Ca.
During her early teaching career she took a pattern grading workshop and that is where she met Carlos. From this point forward it was “Love at first sight.”
They both married on December 14th 1957. In 1959 they traveled to Europe and visited Nellingen. By that time the town had changed since 1952 says Carlos.
In early 1964 they moved to Northridge, California. They adopted me (David) and then my sister (Carla) was adopted two years later.
It has been said that Carlos and Marisa were truly the best match.. We lived in a quaint Los Angeles neighborhood in the middle of the San Fernando Valley called “Northridge.”
Carlos was not only a devoted Husband, Father, Brother and Uncle, he was a devoted Catholic and strongly believed in his faith.
In everyday life he truly practiced what he believed in. Besides being a good role model, he was the kind of person that would go out of his way to help a
friend or even a complete stranger. With a hammer in one hand and nails or a 2X4 in the other, dad was a carpenter just like his father!!
He was good at getting the job done right the first time. He built a few condos and worked on many construction projects.
Besides having an eye for perfection he was nearly always dead on. If you gave him something to cut you can be sure it was going to be cut on a perfect line.
It never really occurred to me at the time but everybody liked Carlos. In 1974, he opened up his own business. It was a Liquor and grocery store with an Italian Deli.
I recall customer’s coming in and asking, “Where’s Carlos”. After joining the Army in 1982 I deployed to South Korea near the DMZ and then went to Ft Riley, Ks.
A few years after my discharge in 1985 I became a Police Officer. I eventually relocated to the Phoenix, Az area in 1990 and entered my second Police Academy.
I also became a member of the National Guard. In 2009 I finally made it to Germany and went TDY to “Ramstein Air Base” for six months, and then deployed to Kuwait in 2010.
Yes, dad was a great role model, but in reality I think he was much more. Right up to the very end he was helping others who had little to nothing.
I believe Charity and Compassion was his legacy to be passed on for all of us to follow. Dad battled Congestive Heart Failure for many years.
Despite being ill he found the time to do what he did best: “Cutting children clothing patterns while my mother sewed them together.”
During his services at the Church, Deacon Herb said: “ Go to Jesus Carlos, Jesus is waiting for you. It is now your turn to be adorned with the finest clothes in heaven.”
Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life. ~ George Arliss
I love that beach with the sood on it. But I wish you had straighten up the shot. Then it would have been perfect.
loves music. loves dogs. obsessive- compulsive. loves books. loves travel. trying-hard mountaineer. photographer wanna-be. loves the moon. loves love and food and roundness. coffee-lover. free-thinker. beer-drinker. dimensionally-challenged. loves struggles. loves herself... regardless.
“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” ~ Elie Wiesel
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