Louie "Papa Louie" Robert Sarracino

      Luigi Sarracino was born on January 1st, 1922 in Valdez, Colorado, the youngest of five
children to Italian immigrants Rosina and Biaggio. His family settled in East Los Angeles,
California when he was 8. Louie would be an integral part of this community for the majority of
his life. Louie began his academic pursuits at Los Angeles Community College where a speech
teacher would leave a lifelong impression. He transferred to UC Santa Barbara and graduated
at the age of 19.
      Drafted into the Army during WWII he was spotted by a Doctor as a person of
intelligence and empathy. Because of this doctor’s recommendation Louie spent 4 and half
years stationed in Texas as a Psychiatric Social Worker. After discharge, he attended USC on
the GI Bill where he obtained his Master’s Degree and subsequently obtained his PhD in speech
while teaching at East Los Angeles College. As a result of his studies he received two Fulbright
Scholarships, one to Iraq and the other to the Netherlands.
     During this time he met Nina Ahlstrin in Florence, Italy. They married in her native
Sweden in 1956. They moved back to the United States and had their first son, Tom, in 1957.
Their son Marc was born in 1959 and Sten in 1961. Louie and Nina would divorce in 1971.
Louie would remarry in 1980 to Patricia Denbo, mother of John and Robert and move to
Huntington Beach where they created a large blended, harmonious, family.
     Louie continued teaching at ELAC where he would remain until 2002. Teaching
appealed to Louie’s giving, compassionate nature and ELAC was the perfect place for his
inspirational, nurturing teaching style. He has received numerous awards and accolades during
his career culminating with a California Assembly Resolution in his honor.
     He is survived by his wife, Patricia, sons, Tom, Marc, Sten, John and Rob, loving
daughters-in-law, Denise, Leslie and Stacy and grandchildren Nick, Michael, Jayme, Luigi,
Catherine, Francesca and Lindsey.

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