Hon. Louis C. Palella
January 28, 1924 - May 16, 2019
Laguna Woods CA
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Hon. Louis C. Palella
January 28, 1924 - May 16, 2019
Laguna Woods CA
Obituary
The Hon. Louis C. Palella of Laguna Woods, California (formerly of White Plains, New York) died peacefully on May 16, 2019 surrounded by his loving family, at the age of 95 years.
Justice Palella served on many courts within the New York state court system for 40 years including the New York State Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District and the Supreme Court, Appellate Term for the Ninth and Tenth Judicial Districts. He was also a Judicial Hearing Officer for the Appellate Division Second Department.
Judge Palella was born and raised in New York City in a neighborhood filled with his extended Italian-American family. He attended Evander Childs High School in the Bronx where he excelled at football. His undergraduate studies at Fordham University were interrupted by World War II where he served in the United States Army Air Corps in the China-Burma-India theater of operation, ferrying ammunition and supplies in a Douglas C-47 Skytrain to re-equip US troops in China whose supplies had been cut off.
Upon his return from service, he obtained his law degree at St. John’s University School of Law and later earned a postgraduate masters of law degree from New York University Law School.
Most importantly, in 1949 he met and married his soulmate, the former Gloria Scott of San Francisco, California – an exceptional partnership that lasted until her death in 2018.
Judge Palella was admitted to the bar the next year and remained a member of the bar until the date of his death – a period of nearly 70 years.
Throughout that time, whether as a lawyer in private practice, a Family Court judge striving to rehabilitate children from broken homes, or as a Supreme Court justice overseeing the guardianship of incapacitated persons, Justice Palella always put people first, and earned the respect of his peers and all who appeared before him.
He is survived by his children: Rosanne (John), Charles ( Mia), Donna (Bob) and Loucinda (Dan), 8 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
Funeral Mass
- Date & Time: May 21, 2019 (10:30 AM)
- Venue: St. Kilian Catholic Church
- Location: 26872 Estanciero Drive Mission Viejo, CA 92691 - (Get Directions)
- Phone Number: (949) 586-4440
Graveside Service
- Date & Time: May 21, 2019 (12:00 PM)
- Venue: Ascension Cemetery
- Location: 24754 Trabuco Road Lake Forest, CA 92630 - (Get Directions)
- Phone Number: (949) 837-1331
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6 responses to Hon. Louis C. Palella
Judy & Dick Manning says:
May 18, 2019
Lou was an amazing person and neighbor. He was very kind and giving. I am going to miss him and Gloria so much. He had great stories and told it like it is. What an amazing life he led.
Joyce Sommers says:
May 20, 2019
He was truly an amazing man & I always loved him & Nana with all my heart. And he & Nana raised an amazing family who reflected them in every way. I will especially miss all the little health/food talks Louis & i had; and I’ll never forget all his annual birthday flings we had every January & the fantastic trip I had when Loucinda took me to New York to visit them. We used to talk about some of the judges he worked with & he told me he had them all “juiceing” way before most people even knew about it. May he Rest In Peace with Nana & all the angels!
Quincie Novella says:
May 20, 2019
What an amazing human being who raised such a beautiful family. May he live through his children and may his memory shine through them daily. God Bless you all and may peace be with you all
Ray & Joyce says:
May 20, 2019
With much much love to the greatest man on earth.
Ray & Joyce.
Benito P Sagra says:
May 26, 2019
I was one of the Home Health Aides assigned to take care of Judge Palella during his process of transitioning at his home in Laguna Woods, California. In the short time that I have the grace and privileged of making sure he is safe and comfortable, I thank God for having been given the opportunity to be near one of the finest human beings i have ever known on earth. His smile, sense of humor and extraordinary intellectual strength are heartwarming and inspiring. His family is nurtured by his love till the end and they reciprocated that by showering him with their love and care till the last moment of his beautiful and distinguished life. May God reward him with the gift of eternal life, after all the labors or love and service he invested on earth.