2:16 pm: Pauline and Joseph Janelli
West Covina, California: Pauline and Joseph Janelli, both 76, headed a big, close-knit family who gathered together as often as they could. They talked with each of their children on the phone daily and shared dinner several nights a week with whomever happened to drop by their longtime La Puente, California, home. "They were just wonderful people," says daughter Dawn Hines, youngest of the couple's 4 grown children. Others included Debbie, Dori, and Danny. "It's rare to find somebody like them. They were good hearted to everybody. Nobody was a stranger. The door was always open." The Janellis were on their way to a medical appointment in the next town over when a Nissan Altima driven by a 23-year-old man crossed the center line and hit the couple's Mercury Marquis head on. Pauline died instantly, and Joe was airlifted to a hospital where he died shortly thereafter. Both were using safety belts. The other driver survived but was injured. Police say alcohol wasn't involved. Their grandkids and great-grandkids miss hearing the couple cheer them on at their tennis matches and baseball and softball games. But the family has found ways to keep Joe and Pauline's memory alive. "My mom had 4 special rings," Hines says. "We all took 1. We took another, her solitaire, and we made it into a ring that's kind of like 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.' We made a special box for it, and each of us siblings passes it around among ourselves to wear. We have to do certain things when we wear it like have a taco night in honor of them." Pauline's tacos were family favorites.
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The couple, who had 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, died about 3 miles from their house, just 2 weeks shy of their 56th wedding anniversary. Hines says that 2 weddings have taken place and another baby has been born since the Janellis' passing.