Merle Hatleberg remembered

COSTA MESA — Airwoman. Angels fan. Mother of eight. Grandmother of 16 and great-grandmother of 16 more.

Many in Costa Mesa knew Merle Hatleberg as the dedicated woman who served them free hot meals, but as her funeral Friday indicated, she played many other roles in her lifetime.

Hatleberg, the founder of the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen on 19th Street, passed away last week at the age of 83. On Friday, more than 100 people filled The Crossing church to remember her life, her charity work and her seemingly boundless energy. Some of Hatleberg’s colleagues attended, sporting their red-and-white Someone Cares uniforms.

“Merle had compassion for everybody,” said Hatleberg’s granddaughter, Shannon Santos, the manager of the soup kitchen. “It wasn’t selective.”

During the service, which lasted slightly over an hour, patrons signed a memory book for Hatleberg outside the church. The stage inside was lined with flowers, photographs and even an Anaheim Angels jersey that she often wore while watching her favorite team play.

Ian Stevenson, a pastor at The Crossing, started the proceedings with a short speech about Hatleberg. The best way to honor her life, he said, was to find inspiration in her works.

“Physically, she will no longer be here,” Stevenson said. “But saying goodbye doesn’t mean it’s forever.”

Afterward, Santos and other family members shared their memories. Hatleberg’s youngest son, Greg, described her as a tough-minded woman with a sharp sense of humor and a love of adventure.

She enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and attended Angels games with a near-religious zeal — breaking down in tears, he said, when the team finally won the World Series in 2002.

Despite his mother’s many passions, Greg Hatleberg said, she was most dedicated to those closest to her.

“I believe some of her happiest moments were when she had the whole family around,” he said.