Marcella Raye Twiford

Robert and Marcella are finally together again for eternity.  Robert James Twiford passed away from natural causes on 16 April 2022.  He was 97 years old.  For the past 2-1/2 years he was cared for by his daughter and son-in-law Cathy and Tom Houston in Harbor City, CA.  Robert was born in Los Angeles on January 17, 1925 to Bertie May (nee Berry) and George William Twiford.  He was the sixth of seven children.  He attended Fremont High School, Edison Middle School and Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles where he met his bride of 75 years Marcella Raye Reynolds.  They knew each other for almost 90 years.  His high school was cut short when he enlisted on 3 Mar 1943 in World War II before his senior year was completed.  He served in the Army Air Corps of the Fifteenth Air Force, serving as an Airplane Armorer on a B-24 bomber for the 350th Ftr. Sq.  He reached the rank of Sergeant, and flew over 57 missions including in the Air Offensive Europe, Normandy, Northern France, Air Combat (Balkans), North Appenines, Po Valley and Rhineland, and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the Distinguished Unit Badge.

After his return from the war, he reunited with Marcella and they were married on 9 September 1945 at The Little Church Around the Corner in Inglewood.  He was employed by Byron Jackson Pump Co in Los Angeles, and then moved to Oxnard in 1947 and spent the next 42 years at Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu as a Senior Engineering Technician, Systems Supportability Division earning numerous awards.  He held two U.S. Patents for missile components.  In addition to his full time job at Point Mugu he also worked part time at Sears and Diener’s Men’s Ware in Oxnard.

Marcella Raye Twiford (nee Reynolds) passed away on December 11, 2020 in Harbor City.  Marcella was born April 24, 1926 in Rising Star, Texas to Raymond Clifford Reynolds and Dora Leola Gage.  Marcella graduated from Fremont High School, Edison Middle School and Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles.  She worked on the assembly line for Avion, Inc during WWII and Pacific Electric Railway Co.  She was AFS coordinator for Ventura County for many years, PTA President at Harrington Elementary School and Brownie and Girl Scout Leader.

Robert and Marcella are survived by daughter and son-in-law Cathy Lee and Thomas Allan Houston of Harbor City, daughter Lisa Lea Lloyd of Suffolk, Virginia, grandchildren Jeffrey Allan and Lori Michelle Houston, Michelle Marie and Mark Story of Slinger, Wisconsin, David Allen Lloyd Jr. and Aaron Anthony Lloyd of Suffolk, Virginia, great grandchildren Jordyn Taylor and Dylan Anthony Houston of Torrance and Kylene Marie and Zackary Tyler Stupnik of Slinger, Wisconsin.  Robert is preceded in death by his parents Bertie May and George William, four brothers and two sisters and son-in-law David Allen Lloyd.

Private services will be held at a later date.  Donations in their honor may be made to Alzheimer’s Association.

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