Aileen Patricia (Aust) Angel

Angel, Aileen Patricia, was born in Brooklyn, New York, to the late John (1928-2006) and Dalia (1929-2002) Aust on December 5, 1950, and passed away on Saturday, December 28, 2019, at the age of 69. After moving from New York, Aileen settled with her parents and her brother John in their family home in Orange in 1960 and has been a longtime resident ever since.

Aileen graduated from Orange High School in 1968 and went on to graduate from the University of California, Irvine in 1972. After receiving her teaching credential, Aileen worked as an elementary, middle, and high school teacher for over thirty years in Orange Unified, Santa Ana Unified, and Garden Grove Unified School Districts. Her enthusiasm as an educator was essential to her role in bilingual education and English language development, and she believed strongly in community outreach and supporting families in the communities where she worked. Aileen was passionate about teaching and touched the lives of many students and their families before retiring.

Family was important to Aileen, and her family included a wide circle of friends from over the years. Her Catholic faith was important to her as well, and she believed strongly in the power of prayer. Aileen loved to read, and her homes always included bookshelves filled with books that she had read and books-to-be-read piled in other nooks and crannies. She loved to play the guitar, and with her guitar, she found joy in singing songs of praise and worship. The beach is probably the place that brought Aileen the greatest joy, and she could often be found down in Newport burying her toes in the sand until the sun had set. She was a proud grandmother of eight grandchildren - Logan, Cole, Tommy, Riley, Seth, Hailey, Wil, and Max - and always enjoyed showing people pictures of them. 

Aileen’s name means “bright, shining light”. The very best parts of Aileen shone through the light and love she shared with others, and those who knew her were often attracted to the light in her smile and in her laugh. Her family finds comfort in knowing that in the last few weeks of her life, Aileen was reminded that this bright, shining light had never stopped shining. 

Aileen is survived by her daughters, Heather Cassara and Holly Angel; her son, Abraham Angel; eight grandchildren; and her brother, John Aust. She will be missed but never forgotten. A vigil will be held at Brown Colonial Mortuary on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020 at 7 pm. Services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 10 am at Holy Family Cathedral. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Aileen’s name to Catholic Charities of Orange County at 1820 E 16th St, Santa Ana or to The Maalgo Project at the maalgoproject.org.