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She was born on October 12, 1936 and named Sophie Charlotte Kolmsee in downtown Los Angeles, CA the last of the 5 children to her Polish/German Immigrant parents Gus and Auguste Kolmsee. Raised under very modest means during her young life, shortly after the passing of her father at the age of 5, Sophie was placed under the care of foster families provided by the State of California. As a young woman and maturing adult she spent her working career as a food server beginning with the1950’s and 60’s googie designed and popular coffee shops such as Tiny Naylor’s and below the neon lit sign of San Gabriel Lanes. Sophie came to be a customer favored server as a long time tenured waitperson at San Gabriel Valley’s finest dining establishment where in Pasadena it was the Talk o’ the Town and later at the El Encanto Restaurant hidden just off the highway up in Azusa Canyon.

Always a lover of animals, Sophie was never without her constant companions of either small dogs or cats to keep her company. Devoted in her Christian beliefs, she was a woman of the Lord never to complain of what humble worldly possessions she had acquired in life, but always felt compassion and willingness to share with others whenever she saw someone less fortunate than herself in need of assistance.

Sophie passed away unexpectedly at her home in Glendora, CA on December 18, 2017. Along with her parents Gus and Auguste, she was predeceased by her sister Elizabeth and brother George. She is survived by her sisters Mary Kratzer and Anna Bridenbecker, along with the numerous nieces and nephews and their extended families which she richly cherished.

To those that knew and loved her she was always referred to simply as Aunt Sophie, and as she herself claimed many times “it’s a title I’m proud of.”