REFERENCE TITLE: Ava Arpaio; death resolution.

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

 

HCR 2043

 

Introduced by

Representatives Kavanagh: Chaplik, Roberts, Senator Ugenti-Rita

 

 

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 

On the death of Ava Arpaio.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Ava Jeraldene Arpaio passed away on March 20, 2021 at the age of eighty-nine after a courageous fight with cancer.

Born on August 25, 1931, Ava grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  Ava was one of twelve siblings who were raised in a small farmhouse with no plumbing but with an abundance of laughter.  Ava met Joe Arpaio on a blind date in Washington, D.C. in 1954.  The couple soon became inseparable and married three years later.  Joe became a federal narcotics agent, and he and Ava spent the early years of their marriage in various other countries, including Turkey and Mexico, where Ava entertained diplomats and dignitaries. 

Ava had a multitude of diverse adventures throughout her joy-filled life, including running her own dance studio and helping her husband make drug busts by dancing and dining with informants.  After the couple moved to Chicago, Ava pursued a lifelong dream of attending beauty school.  In 1978, they moved to Arizona where Ava started a travel agency, which she ran with her son, Rocco, and which became the longest running in Scottsdale.

Most recently, Ava walked the campaign trail in support of her husband, Joe, and owned and managed commercial properties in Scottsdale and Fountain Hills.  She also helped her daughter set up and run the world's only Catholic tearoom where she greeted and charmed guests with her southern hospitality, sparkling green eyes and engaging smile.  Through Joe's almost sixty years in law enforcement and public service, Ava never wavered in her dedication to her husband. Known for her humility and grace, Ava labored every day of her life to help make her family happy and fulfilled.

A soft-spoken and supportive wife, mother and friend, Ava is survived by her husband of sixty-three years, Joe, her two children, Sherry (Phil) and Rocco (Renee), her brother-in-law, Michael, and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

That the Members of the Legislature express their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ava Arpaio.