Clarice J. Letizia passed away on July 23, 2025, at the age of 70, after an unexpected illness. Clarice was born on October 29, 1954, in Alhambra, California. The middle of three daughters, she grew up in Alhambra and graduated from Alhambra High School in 1972. Clarice obtained Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education from the University of Southern California. She worked in the education field for ten years. She taught school in California, trained student teachers at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and worked for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education, in Washington, D.C.

In 1986, Clarice obtained her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. She took classes at night while working full time during the day for the U.S. Department of the Navy developing technical training programs. Clarice practiced as an attorney for 38 years. While working full-time as an attorney, Clarice continued her passion for education as an adjunct professor at California Western School of Law in San Diego, where she taught Legal Drafting for 24 years.

Over the course of her career as an attorney, Clarice was a strong advocate for women in the courtroom. Clarice would frequently serve as a mentor and guide to successful female attorneys and provided practical and realistic steps to empower female lawyers to open their own law firms. She was a member of the CAOC Board of Directors and Board of Governors for five years. She was also a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, and the American Association for Justice. Clarice possessed a tremendous resilience and strength which shone through in her advocacy.

Throughout her life, everyone knew Clarice to be such a welcoming, friendly, and warm person. She made friends easily and was always funny, bright, and full of joy. She maintained many long-term friendships from her childhood and developed so many more friends along her journey. She was dedicated to her family and loved her family’s Italian Heritage. She absolutely loved the ocean, and one of her favorite pastimes was spending time on her sailboat in the Oceanside Harbor and visiting with friends at the Yacht Club there. She loved to visit Disneyland with family and friends, sing in her church choir, and take walks with her dog Ally. She was passionate about her work and dedicated to her clients. Clarice was the definition of a strong and independent woman, while also always being loving and kind. She left a lasting impression and she will be missed by all who knew her.

Clarice is survived by her son Royce Whitten of San Diego, her sisters Diana Mackinson of Martinez and Janine Padia of Newport Coast, her many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and numerous lifelong and loving friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Thomas and Joan Letizia.

Services for Clarice J. Letizia will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 1:00 PM at the Mission San Luis Rey Parish Chapel, located at 4070 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA 92057. A reception will follow at the Oceanside Yacht Club, located at 1950 N Harbor Dr, Oceanside, CA 92054. All who knew and loved Clarice are welcome to join us in remembering and celebrating her life.

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