Ricardo Beltran, owner of Dolce Vita Bakery & Cafe on Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, died ast week.
He was buried this morning from St. Raymond's Church in Downey. I was told he
leaves behind a wife and three small children.
When I sat down to write a proper obituary for Mr. Beltran, I discovered that his website
had vanished from the Internet.
I met Mr. Beltran more than a year ago when I would stop by in the morning for coffee and
baked goods that were fresh out of the oven.
Last April, he had volunteered to cater the Backlot Film Festival.
Shortly before the Festival, he called to apologize. He said he had to back out because his chef had quit and he was in a bind.
Still he took out a large advertisement in the Festival program, and he and provided a generous array of treats for the reception for Carl Reiner and the filmmakers whose films had been screened during the week.
I never met any of his family.
But I remember Mr. Beltran because he always had a smile and a warm greeting
for his customers.
He will be missed
