Laura Marie Ange, beloved matriarch to the Ange clan, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Oxnard.

Born Illuminata SanClemente on March 9, 1912, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Italian immigrant parents Antonino SanClemente and Biagia Longo, "Nonnie" just missed celebrating her 100th birthday. Laura was raised in a small tenement complex with her parents and five siblings as the influx of immigrants had begun to settle the East Coast. To assimilate into the New World culture, her grade school teachers referred to her as "Laura," the American name she eventually chose to be called.

Growing up poor during the Depression, she left school to help support the family by working as a seamstress in the sewing factories, the place where she met her husband, Frank Joseph Ange. Ever crafty and self-sufficient, Laura would save up enough money to purchase expensive clothing on 5th Avenue, reverse-engineer the pattern for her own purposes, then return the item to the store. Her creativity became the foundation for her 'fashionista' image during the 1930s and 40s. In the 1950s, Laura and Frank moved to the San Bernardino area of a growing California where they owned and operated a bowling alley.

Frank's untimely death in 1961 compelled Laura to complete her education, earning a GED and Associate of Arts degree in Business. Her knowledge of clothing combined with savvy business skills, Laura entered the women's clothing retail industry where she quickly rose to manager of the Arden's dress shop chain in the Los Angeles area. In the early 1970s, Laura opened and managed Anita's dress shop located in the original Esplanade Mall until her retirement in the 1990s.

Upon her retirement, Laura kept busy assisting in raising her great-grandchildren, managing family property, lecturing on "how to be successful in life," and baking her world-renown 'S' cookies, pound cake and Italian dishes. She was independent, strong willed, and sharp as a tack, and will be dearly missed by all family and friends who were such an integral part of her life. The last of her generation, Laura was welcomed to her new life by her beloved Frank, her parents, sisters, brothers, and numerous family members and friends.

She is survived by her only child, Salvatore and his wife Carolyn; grandchildren, Chris Ange (Viola), Valerie Barraza (Johnny), Frank Ange (Lisa) and Curt Ange (Barbara); step-grandchildren, Susanne Bentley (Christian) and Peter Tholl (Tammy); great-grandchildren, Tony (Kris), John (Liesl), Vincent, Megan, Brandt, Mary Beth, Tyler, Jake, Jeff, Rachel, Jack, Hayden, Lauren, Nicholas and Nathan; great-great-grandchildren, Conner, Blake and Emma Rose; nephews, Anthony and John (Susan) Santorufo; and remaining members of the extended SanClemente family.

The family would like to sincerely thank her close friend Margaret Tatum-Potter for her unconditional love and support throughout Laura's life, her caregiver Christina, and the doctors, nurses and staff of Saint John's Hospital for their compassionate aid and comfort provided during her final months.

Funeral services for Laura will be held Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Padre Serra Parish, 5205 Upland Road, Camarillo, CA 93012. Services begin at 10 a.m. and include viewing, rosary, requiem mass, and reception at the Parish center. The following morning, Laura will be transported to Olivewood Memorial Park, Riverside, Calif., where she will be buried at 11 a.m. near her beloved Frank and first grandson Salvatore II.