Albert "Al" Bellucci

Albert "Al" Bellucci was born on August 17, 1932 in Los Angeles to Domenic and Rose Bellucci. He grew up in a loving home with his three older siblings, Alfonse, Theresa, and Leanore. Theirs was a childhood surrounded always by lots of extended family and friends at their home on 81st Street. Al attended Washington High School where he was proud to be a first-string football player all three years. It was during his junior high and high school years that he met his future wife, Betty, and many of his close lifelong friends.

After high school, Al married the love of his life, Betty, and then served in the U.S. Army in Texas and Germany during the Korean War. Upon returning from the service, he worked with his father-in-law, Herman Shier, in the automotive business. Thus began a fifty-plus-year career in the auto industry, where he eventually was the owner of Volkswagen and Nissan dealerships. Al was a complete "people person" and that accounted for much of his success in his business and personal life. To know him was to love him; he almost never forgot a name and had an incredibly generous nature. He loved his employees and was always appreciative of their efforts every day.

Al, with his wife Betty, was a resident of Rancho Palos Verdes for over fifty years. He was also a member of the Elks Club for over fifty years. He discovered golf in his late 50's and it was a sport he loved playing with his buddies. He was a member of the Avondale Golf Club in Palm Desert, Canyon Lake Golf Club, and the Majestic Golf Club in San Pedro.
There was nothing Al loved more than his family. He and Betty were blessed with two daughters, Nancy and Karen. As a family they loved boating and water skiing at Bass Lake and the Colorado River. And when his son-in-laws, John Pate and Jim Nichols, came along Al loved to include them in his fun travel adventures. Later, the apples of his eye were his grandchildren, Christopher and Kimberly Nichols, and Tessa and Alexandra Pate. He was so proud of them and was the most wonderful, fun, and loving grandpa to them. He took all of them on many family trips to Hawaii and on fun family cruises. Many fabulous memories were made during those years and Grandpa and Grandma Bellucci were always at the heart of them. Almost thirty years ago, Al and Betty bought a home in Canyon Lake where the kids and grandkids gathered often for summer vacations.

Albert passed away surrounded by his loving family on October 12 in Los Angeles. Al is survived by his beloved wife, Betty; sisters Theresa Copley and Leanore Moran; daughters Nancy (John) Pate, and Karen (Jim) Nichols; grandchildren Christopher (Nicole) Nichols, Kimberly Nichols, Tessa Pate, and Alexandra Pate; and great-grandson Benjamin Nichols, plus many nieces and nephews that he loved dearly. His love of life and wonderful sense of humor will be missed by all of us.

A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, October 18th at 10:00 am at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1292 W. Santa Cruz Street, San Pedro. A private family interment will follow at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Albert's name to: San Pedro Peninsula Cancer Guild, c/o 7 Wagon Lane, Rolling Hills, CA 90274.


Funeral Home:
Green Hills Mortuary and Memorial Chapel
27501 S.Western Ave.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
US 90275