Wednesday, July 9, 1975
SANTA ANA —
Pepito, the ontime court jester to King Alfonso of Spain and a former associate of Lucille Ball, is dead.
The 77-year old famed Spanish clown, who was the “King of the Playmates” in vadevulle for 20 years and a regular on the initial I Love Lucy show, died in his Santa Ana ho,e last SUnday. Provate gravelide services were conducted Wednesday in Fairhaven memorial Park.
Pepito, born Jose Escobar Perez in Barcelona, Spain, had lived in Santa Ana since 1949. He and his wife, Joanne, operated the Academy of Theatrical Arts.
Miss Ball once credited Pepito with heloing ehr develop in to a trop-flight comedienne. He also helped write her maeterial, built props, designed costumes, and taought her the art of pantomime in utting together the initial pilot of the I Love Lucy show.
He is survived by his wife and two sisters living in Spain.
Funeral services were handled by Smith and Tuthill Mortuary, Santa Ana.
Pepito & Joanne 