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It’s not often that a roomful of Kindergarteners is completely quiet. But when Fran Andreozzi —temporarily transformed from classroom volunteer into a charmingly authentic Mrs. Santa Claus— sat before the class reading the holiday classic, “The Night Before Christmas,” everyone present listened in absolute silence with eyes full of wonder.
Andreozzi, 84, has been volunteering as West Covina’s resident “Mrs. Claus” for the last decade. In addition to her “official” duties presiding over the city’s annual tree lighting ceremony, she also appears in costume at a number of other holiday events throughout the community, from the local senior center to the mall, noting that groups of younger children often prefer the grandma-like persona of Santa’s better half.
Yet Mrs. Claus is only one of many volunteer roles Andreozzi plays throughout the city. She’s vice president of the West Covina Historical Society, was chairman of the West Covina Senior Center’s boutique for over four years and is a cardcarrying Friends of the Library member that revels in helping raise much-needed funds. Andreozzi also established and sponsors the annual West Covina Beautiful Garden Walk, is an active participant in the Friendship Garden Club of West Covina, plus she’s the local Retired Public Employees phone chairman.
California-Bound— Via Western Union
A native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, the 19-year-old Andreozzi and her twin sister both took jobs as Western Union telegraph operators during World War II. “One of the perks of working for Western Union was that they offered free relocation to any city we wanted to work in,” she explains. “And, because my sister was engaged to a man in Los Angeles, that’s where we went.”
While her sister ended up returning to Green Bay and getting married there, Andreozzi met the “man of her dreams” in California. They had just one date before he was deployed overseas for four years—and were married almost immediately upon his return.
Sadly the couple divorced after 12 years of marriage. Andreozzi was then left to raise her four children ages four to eleven alone. She took great care to ensure her sadness over the divorce was never communicated to her children. “And, even though the money never quite made it to the end of the month, we somehow always managed—and my kids all turned out beautifully.”
It was after ten years as a single mom that a mutual friend introduced her to Lou Andreozzi at a party. “He danced like a dream,” she says. “And I didn’t think I’d ever meet a man I’d want to marry again. But we had 11 wonderful years of marriage, until Lou died of a heart attack in 1981.”
Work, Retirement—and Survival
To support her young family, Andreozzi had taken a job as school secretary for the Azusa Unified School District, which she quickly learned was the best place she could be. “For me, every day at the school was an absolute pleasure,” she says. “I could write a book on the joys of being a school secretary. The children were all so endearing and innocent, and I looked forward so much to going to the school every day.”
Then, in March of 1985, Andreozzi’s life was once again turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “The doctors had prepared my children for the worst,” she says. “But I surprised everyone and was back at work in the school office by August.”
However, Andreozzi’s right arm had troubled her after the cancer treatment and she gradually lost the use of her fingers, then her hand—and, ultimately, the use of her right arm. Later, she learned that her arm had been broken at the shoulder, but the damage was irreversible. So after 27 years at the school and no longer able to type, Andreozzi retired at the age of 60.
Characteristically, Andreozzi didn’t waste any time focusing on misfortune. Instead, she took a realistic look at her “new” life. “My children were grown, I was retired and I knew I didn’t want to get married again! So I walked into the West Covina Senior Center and told them that I wanted to volunteer.”
Volunteer/ Great- Grandmother Extraordinaire
Andreozzi, as school secretary, had taken great pleasure in dressing up for Halloween each year, clearly a key factor in her tremendous enjoyment of assuming the role of Mrs. Santa Claus. Most recently, she won third place for her Lady Godiva costume at the West Covina Senior Center.
She’s also especially proud of being West Covina’s Citizen of the Year in 1992, as well as the part she played in West Covina’s 75th anniversary celebration. “I had seen an ad in the newspaper offering grants for tree planting. So I applied and received a grant for planting 75 trees in honor of the city’s anniversary,” she says, adding kudos to City Resident Juan Carlo Massarotto for helping get the job done.
These days, Andreozzi stays remarkably busy with a wide range of activities. Raising funds for the library, being the “Queen Mom” of the Rowdy Red Hats of West Covina, and making floral arrangements for the senior center from her home garden, all endeavors that “keep me down to earth.” she says. Andreozzi also takes tremendous pleasure in her children, six grand children and three great-grandchildren.
Her first husband is still in her children’s lives and she enjoys the challenge of the occasional Scrabble game with him.
As far as how the kids feel about their mother dressing up as Mrs. Claus and traipsing throughout West Covina for her various causes, Andreozzi just laughs, “Nothing surprises them about their mother!”
“Ultimately, I’ve had a wonderful life,” she says. “I feel so fortunate to be here in California and, especially in West Covina. I have four wonderful children— Curt, Howard, Arbrey and Christine. And I think Abraham Lincoln said it best: “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
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