Newport Beach, CA
December 8, 1937 – January 13, 2021
John Hamilton “Ace” Arens, aged 83, passed away suddenly on January 13 in Newport Beach from a heart attack. We are all shocked and saddened.
John was born in Plainfield, NJ on December 8, 1937. He was the eldest of three children born to John Edward Arens and Ruth Hamilton Arens. After moving west in the 1940s, the family settled in San Marino, CA. Ace (a moniker earned as a 6-year old watching his parents’ Civil Air Patrol training in Northbrook, IL) attended Pasadena Polytechnic and graduated in 1956 from his beloved Cate School in Carpinteria, CA. He then matriculated to Princeton University, where he joined the sailing team and Terrace Club. In 1959, Ace left Princeton and joined the U.S. Coast Guard, assuming his station in Alameda, CA. Upon completing his active duty obligation, Ace finished his studies at Whittier College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in history in 1962. John later earned a Master of Business Administration from Long Beach State in 1969.
In 1964, John met the love of his life, Karen Margrethe Jensen. They were married in 1966 in Karen’s hometown of Skive, Denmark. John and Karen lived in Newport Beach and then for 22 years in San Marino, where they raised their two sons, John Jensen and Michael Edward.
John started his career in the steamship industry but made his mark in business after joining his father’s new enterprise, Coupon Clearing Service. John and his father grew CCS into one of the largest coupon redemption companies in the country. Over the course of a 20+ year career, John achieved the role of President in 1985.
Aside from his wife and children, John’s great passion in life was sailing. A love affair that began as a child in 1948 sailing flatties on Lake Arrowhead flourished through innumerable cruising and racing adventures in Newport Beach, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Denmark.
In 1992, John and Karen embarked on their greatest adventure. Aboard Andrea, a 36-foot Danish-built racer/cruiser, they cruised the Mediterranean extensively for four years, visiting ports in Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. On the success of the adventures in the Med, John and Karen embarked on a second tour aboard a Hallberg-Rassy 34, also called Andrea. This tour began in 1998 and covered the Caribbean, the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway and “outside” points as far north as New Bedford, MA.
John is now reunited with his wife of 54 years, who passed in August 2020.
John is also predeceased by his parents and two siblings, William F. Arens and Barbara Arens Jones. He is survived by his sons John J. Arens (Molie Malone) of San Rafael, CA, and Michael E. Arens (Rhonda) of Newport Beach. He is also survived by five grandchildren, John R. Arens (21), Allison G. Arens (20), Reilly E. Arens (18), M. Mason Arens (14) and Madeleine R. Arens (11), and brother-in-law Wayne L. Jones of Newport Beach and sister-in-law Olivia R. Arens of San Diego. John also leaves cousins, nieces and nephews throughout the United States and Denmark.
John was humble, dutiful and a true gentleman. He is loved and will be deeply missed.
Services will be planned pending COVID-19 restrictions.
