Anton Calleia, a Los Angeles City Hall aide for nearly a quarter of a century, died at his Carlsbad home of heart failure. He was 90 years old.
Calleia, who died Aug. 31, was an associate of former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley and served as a representative for the 1984 Olympic Games. He was born in Malta and immigrated to Los Angeles when he was a teenager, attending University High School, Santa Monica City College and Cal State L.A., eventually graduating with a journalism degree. Before going to college, he served in the U.S. Army for two years and was stationed in Germany.
He wrote for the Westside section of the Los Angeles Times, the Santa Monica Evening Outlook and the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner before getting a job with then-L.A. City Councilman Marvin Braude. He then volunteered for Bradley, who was running for mayor.
Calleia served in various City Hall budget, management and administrative roles. He was the liaison for the 1984 Olympics, serving as the official city representative who signed Olympic Games contracts.
In his free time, Calleia built Meccano erector set models and made models of military equipment, bridges and machinery. He volunteered as an editor of the Meccano enthusiasts’ international newsletter.
Calleia is survived by his wife, Shelia; daughters Victoria Bunce and Maria Calleia; and granddaughter, Sam.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
