Obituary

Arlene Michelle Gonzaga Covey was born on October 1, 1955 in the Philippines at Manila Sanitarium and Hospital to Ofelia Cruz Gonzaga and Pastor Laurentino Gonzaga. She had two siblings: Laurie Fe Gonzaga (deceased) and Daniel Gonzaga. Arlene passed away on February 2, 2024 surrounded by her children, their spouses, her three beloved grandchildren, and three grand-dogs. Arlene, known for her radiant smile, zest for life, and devotion to family will be deeply missed.

Arlene went to Passy City Academy (PCA) in the Philippines. In her childhood, she was known to be ahead of the curve and would read anything she could get her hands on. She was musically talented in piano and often played in church. She had a core group of friends at PCA, who are still close to this day and go by the “Fab 7.” In early adolescence, Arlene’s mother moved to the U.S.; Arlene and the rest of her family followed shortly thereafter.

Arlene lived in La Puente and attended La Puente High School, graduating early, in fact. She took college courses at Cal State LA in their med-tech program, but had to take a hiatus when she started her family. She met Charles Covey in the late 1970s and they got married in a simple but beautiful backyard wedding on July 11, 1981, in a dress made by her mother. Arlene gave birth to Keith in 1982 and then to Desiree in 1985. The family moved to Mission Viejo, where Arlene, Keith, and Desiree settled into school and life. She was widowed in 2002, but able to carry her children through some difficult times due to her tenacity and perseverance. Even when the odds were stacked against her, Arlene always managed to put her family first.

She had multiple professions over the years, with a primary focus in the medical device field. She made friends everywhere she worked, including companies such as Star Surgical, Thermo Fisher, Abbott, VitalCom, Johnson and Johnson, and TherOx. Arlene also obtained her real estate license, working as an agent part-time. She even helped her daughter and son-in-law purchase their first home in 2019 just months shy of the impetus of the covid pandemic. Her expertise in technical writing over the years and appreciation for higher education led her back to checking off an important item on her bucket list in later adulthood: finishing college. She completed her degree in Public Health online at American Public University in June 2012, all while working full-time.

She loved to travel, including adventuring with her daughter to such places as Canada, New York, San Francisco, Washington, Massachusetts, Florida, and Australia. Her favorite places to visit were anything coastal or near a body of water. Her hobbies included music, meditation, playing the saxophone/ukulele, travel, fitness, health/wellness, yoga, Zumba, spending time with loved ones, vision board brainstorming, and boba runs with her daughter.

In late 2022, Arlene was unfortunately diagnosed with Uterine Sarcoma and fought for 6 months with chemotherapy and radiation. The cancer re-presented aggressively and suddenly in January 2024. She passed peacefully and painlessly surrounded by love, comfort, and family just a day after her son-in-law’s birthday. She is survived by her mother, Ofelia, brother Daniel, her son Keith, daughter Desiree, son-in-law James, and daughter-in-law Kenni, three grandchildren: Brighton (4), Avery (1.5), and CJ (10 months), three grand-dogs (Ginger, Fred and Chica) and countless friends who will proudly carry on Arlene’s legacy of love, laughter, and positivity. Arlene’s life was defined by her passion for helping others and adventurous spirit. Her memory will forever be cherished by all who knew her.