“100 Cards for One Hundred Years.” Born Aug. 28, 1924
On Aug. 28 Anita (Fistonich) Mardesich will be 100 years old. She’s lived through the century that has seen the most significant industrial, labor, immigration and climate changes.
Anita has a long, valued San Pedro history. Her father Andrew Fistonich founded Star Fisheries in 1921. Anita was an early member of the Dalmatian American Club, (DAC) which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.
She is the daughter of immigrant parents — her father from Croatia, her mother “Mamasita” from Mexico — one of three siblings (Helen (Fistonich) DiMaggio and Andrew Fistonich, Jr.) were born and raised in San Pedro. She is a grandmother of three, and great-grandmother of three.
Anita grew up attending Mary Star of the Sea parish. She was married in Holy Trinity Church in the 1950’s and became part of that parish. She was a working mother alongside her late husband Nick, in their numerous businesses enterprises.
Anita’s good friend Stephanie Mardesich describes the centenarian as agile, totally cognizant, gracious, generous, walking tall, busy with bookkeeping and maintaining property, nostalgic and grateful.
Anita is also one of the “stars” of the oral history project Stories of Los Angeles Harbor Area: For Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (SOLAHA, Vol. I) where her anecdotes and memories are viewable at the link below.
She requests no birthday gifts, though donation(s) to scholarship funds at Mary of the Sea High School, or the DAC would be an honor.
Mardesich has suggested what would be a “truly appreciated by Anita” is a birthday greeting card or message. “100 cards for 100 years.”
“My wish for her is that all receiving this missive, and more, will respond,” said Mardesich.
Random Lengths News had the opportunity to speak with Mrs. Mardesich.
On turning 100, she said it’s hard for her to comprehend and a little surreal.
“I’m talking to you and we’re talking about it,” said Anita. “It’s like we’re talking about some story.”
For more than a year, Anita’s family has been telling her they’re going to throw her a birthday party.
“I say no, because I’ve never been one that can be the center of anything,” Anita said. “I like to be in the back, and I’ll do my share with meetings and donations and clubs I belong to. But they insisted and I said, okay; I’ll go along with you. I won’t rebut in any way but don’t ask me anything because I have a big mouth.”
Anita shared that it’s sad also because her one and only son, Nick, who never missed Anita’s birthday, died in October 2023. Last year, he was in the hospital when the doctor told him he needed to undergo a procedure. Nick agreed, and then said the one thing he asks is to go home first, to be at his mother’s birthday.
“So he came home for my 99th birthday,” Anita said. “He was so happy to be there.
“Then the beautiful part was on July 3 of last year, a new baby came into our lives. A little boy and they named him after him, Nick Andrew Mardesich IV. Nick got to hold him in his arms from July to October of last year.”
Anita used to be very active with clubs but said those days are over. Now, she occasionally goes out to dinner and spends time with her family.
Anita said, “I appreciate [my family’s] younger generation — “that want to even tolerate me, let alone all the time.”
It sounds like the centenarian’s family appreciates her.
It’s really a blessing, she said. “I am trying to make the most of it. You just gotta face it; I don’t have the energy I did and I live alone. Whenever I feel like sitting down and watching a program, and I think, ‘I want a glass of water,’ then ‘nah,’ I don’t want to get up and go get it.
“I tell myself, ‘Anita, think about it. One is that you don’t want to and the other means that you can get that glass of water. If you want to, get up and get that damn glass of water.’”
We should all have a strong mind like Anita’s. Before we ended our conversation, Anita shared this advice.
“I think yes, how wonderful, how carefree we were, how wonderful everything was and our parents. [Not] that we never thought of the monetary. [It’s] always having each other, loving one another, doing for one another … if you want a friend, you’ve got to be a friend. You want to be loved, you gotta give love … Life [has] tribulations … but you have to try to do the best to overcome them. And when they happen don’t put them in your memory book. Try to keep your book with nice memories.”
Well said, Anita.
To send a greeting, mail to:
P.O. Box 5202
San Pedro, California 90733
Details: Anita (Fistonich) Mardesich SOLAHA Vol. I stories:
http://www.storieslaharborarea.com/histories/anita-fistonich-mardesich