77 years old

Pebble Beach

Arlene Rose Turqueza passed from this life on Sunday May 25. She was the daughter of Consuelo Kaimo and Major Arsenio Turqueza of Carmel Valley. Born at Ft. William McKinley in the Philippines on March 1, 1948, she spent the early years of her life inand around the military installations where her father was posted; in the Philippines, Hawaii, New Jersey, Washington State and California. The Turqueza family finally settled in Monterey where Arlene graduated from Monterey High (Class of 1966), and attended Monterey Peninsula College. She transferred to and graduated from UC Santa Barbara, majoring in Political Science. Arlene later earned her Master’s Degree in Radio/Television Journalism at San Francisco State University. There she met Michael Becker, another Monterey Peninsulan, who was working on his Secondary Teaching Credential.

They were married in San Francisco in 1978. While living in San Francisco, before and after their wedding, Arlene worked as a reporter and anchor on “Asians Now,”a community affairs program at KTVU in Oakland and was program director at radio station KUSF in San Francisco.

She also taught television journalism at Mission College in Santa Clara.

In 1980, Arlene and Mike moved to Los Angeles, where Mike found work, and they began a family. Maximilian arrived that year, Lukas in 1982 and Conrad in 1984. Arlene was invited to join the Advisory Board of the Lanterman Regional Center in the Los Angeles area, as she was acknowledged for her advocacy of Max who is a person with special needs. Being the mother of three boys requires a lot of love, patience and creativity, Arlene met each challenge head-on, finding services for Max, helping Lukas and Conrad navigate the vicissitudes of growing up, attending the right schools and coordinating the sports and social activities for all three. She spent much time in the car. In1996, Arlene, Mike and the boys returned to the Monterey Peninsula to be nearer to their aging and ailing parents and grandparents, to get them into better schools and out of Los Angeles.

Arlene was a beautiful woman whose smile was disarming.

She was charming, vivacious, loving and kind, smart and curious. She loved the visual arts and the theater.

She and Mike visited museums in the U.S., Europe and Egypt and enjoyed plays in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Salinas and Monterey. Arlene joined Mike to symphony concerts and operas in San Francisco and also the Carmel Bach Festival where Mike worked. One of her favorite authors was Hemmingway and in her fifties and sixties, the short stories of Alice Munro. And, movies, especially classic ones.

Having survived two strokes and beset by chronic ailments, Arlene began to have balance problems and required the aid of canes and walkers. The long path of failing health began just before COVID, when she required the assistance of caregivers. The long decline lasted over five years and literally wore her out.

Arlene is survived by her loving husband, Michael Becker, sons, Maximilian of San Jose, Lukas (Jade) of Prague, Czech Republic, Conrad (Kate) of Carmel Valley, and four granddaughters, Delila, Sofia, Elody and Juliet; her sister, Carol Auerbach of Orinda, brother, Arthur Turqueza (Aubrey) of Carmel, and two nephews, Alex and Ben Auerbach, also, of Orinda. There will be amass at San Carlos Cathedral, Church Street, Monterey, on Wednesday June 11 at 10am followed by the interment of Arlene’s ashes at the San Carlos Cemetery, 792 Fremont Street. There will be a Celebration of Life at Woody’s at Del Mesa Carmel afterwards. The Paul Mortuary handled the funeral arrangements and has created a website at www.thepaulmortuary, in Arlene’s honor.