Arliene Otis Hillinger

ARLIENE OTIS HILLINGER,
WIFE OF LOS ANGELES TIMES FEATURE AND COLUMIST CHARLES HILLINGER
PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Arliene Otis Hillinger, 86, wife and inspiration behind the award winning Los Angeles Times reporter and feature columnist Charles (Chuck) Hillinger, peacefully passed away in her sleep, Sunday morning. Arliene was a resident at the Silverado Assisted Living Alzheimer's Unit in Redondo Beach, California.
Arliene was born February 21, 1928 in the family home on Avenue 54 in Highland Park, California. Arliene was the youngest of the five daughters, (Doris, Ruth, Marcia, Mae and Arliene) born to Zora Davis and Jesse Otis.
Arliene lived in Highland Park until her early teens. Following her graduation from Luther Burbank Junior High School she moved to Hermosa Beach where she attended Redondo Beach Union High School and graduated in 1944.
In 1945, at the age of 16, while working behind the soda counter at Opal Pharmacy, then located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Torrance Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, she met Chuck Hillinger. Chuck, a young 18 year old skinny sailor from Chicago, deciding to take a break from his hitch-hiking adventure from the Long Beach Naval base to the USO in Hollywood entered the Pharmacy and sat down to have a malted milk.
--Charles Hillinger, before he died on more than one occasion would always claim, "That day changed my life and my career". -
Hillinger went back to Opal Pharmacy the next day to seek out more information about the young blue eyed blond that caught his attention. He asked her to go to the movies when she got off work. Not knowing what to do, Arliene convinced the Pharmacist at Opals to call her mother for permission to join the young Hillinger on their first date. A sixty three year relationship began that day and ended with Chuck's passing in 2008.
Arliene and Chuck were married in June of 1948 and settled Redondo Beach. During the early 50's Arliene traveled with Chuck on many of his assignments with the Times. Arliene and Chuck wondered as far west, as Hawaii, all states east to the Mississippi River (a restriction places on him by his editors) and south to Central America and north throughout Canada, with Chuck writing stories for the Los Angeles Times.
When not traveling with Chuck, Arliene became active with the Redondo Beach Dianas Junior Women's Club. She served as President of the Redondo Beach (Calif.) Dianas Junior Women's Club in 1959-1960. President of California's Marina District of the Junior Women's Clubs, 1961-1962 and California Home Chairman for the state organization in 1963-1964.
In 1960 Arliene was Redondo Beach's Woman of the Year and Arliene was profiled in the third edition (1964-1965) of Who's Who of American Women for her club and philanthropic work.

In 1963 the Hillinger's moved to Rancho Palos Verdes. Travels with Chuck took Arliene around the Globe to every continent. In her spare time Arliene took up tennis. She and Chuck were founding members of the Peninsula Racquet Club. Their lives on the Palos Verdes Peninsula were filled with social and philanthropic events. Arliene became known throughout the southland for her annual Christmas Cookie Bake, featured in Holliday editions of the LA Times, and broadcasted on local and national television news shows. The event support an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico.

Arliene is survived by her son, Brad Hillinger, daughter Tori Lindman, and four granddaughters; Kristina and Carlie Hillinger, and Brittani and Nicole Arliene Lindman.
"In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation or Cancer Society, or a Charity of your choice on behalf of Arliene Hillinger"

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am March 5, 2014 at the Green Hills Memorial Park Chapel, located at 27501 S Western Ave, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275


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