Bea Olivieri

Born in San Francisco on May 27, 1922, Bea was the daughter of Henry Orville Ellis and Elsie Ware. Bea grew up in Old Caribou in Plumas County on the Caribou and Pioneer mining claims. Bea’s early life was a mixture of the California Gold Rush culture and her Maidu heritage. Bea maintained a lifelong connection to her Plumas roots, returning to the area frequently until age 97.

Bea met her husband, Mario Olivieri, at a USO dance in San Francisco during WWII, and they married in 1952. The couple lived in Stockton and later moved to Modesto. Bea loved to garden, and she was a fantastic dancer. In 2017, she moved to San Marcos to be closer to her daughter, and in 2023 to Santa Ana. She had a beautiful smile and was loved by all who met her.

She was predeceased by her parents Henry and Elsie Ellis, her baby brother Elmer and sisters Laura Mae Gentry of Storrie, Elsie Hill of Vista, and Beverly Malarkey of Quincy. She is survived by her daughter Sandra Ellis of Tustin.

Committal service will be held at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego at 11 a.m. on June 15 (procession line up at 10:45 a.m. sharp). Reception for family and friends will follow in San Marcos. For reception details please contact [email protected].