My
father-in-law Sam Lucchese died on Christmas Eve. Here is a little about
him, taken from the SF Chronicle obituary and the memorial biography I wrote:
Salvador Francis (“Sam”) Lucchese, born in Vallejo, CA
on September 5, 1924, died at home in Oakland on December 24, 2012.
Sam served
with the 33rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron in WWII, worked for 40
years with the California Department of Transportation, and was a long-time
member of First Congregational Church Berkeley (FCCB). He is survived by
his wife Natalie, his children David (“Skip”), Gina, and Robert, his niece
Rosalinda, his grandchildren Jon, Ben, Tia, Ian, George, Peter, Sevda, and Ali,
and his great-granddaughter Maddie. He is preceded in death by his parents
Giuseppe-Carlo and Rosa, his sister Mary, his brothers Louis and Michael, his
son Jon, and his nephew Giordano. A memorial service will be held in his honor
at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 6, 2013 at First Congregational Church, 2345
Channing Way, Berkeley, followed by a reception at the church. Friends are
invited to make a donation to FCCB in lieu of flowers.
SALVADOR FRANCIS (“SAM”) LUCCHESE
(September 5, 1924 to
December 24, 2012)
Though church members may remember Sam for his tireless
work at the Thrift Shop, often fixing appliances which others had discarded as
hopeless with characteristic skill and determination, few knew the depth,
length and breadth of his commitment to the church. Sam joined FCCB after mature reflection and as
a personal decision, surprising even his wife, already a church member, by
appearing on the list of New Members one Sunday many years ago. Sam and Natalie
raised their children in the church, and he could be seen nearly every week in
their usual spot in the pews. Just as he generously supported the
education of his children and grandchildren, Sam also gave faithfully to
support the church’s many needs and missions and particularly treasured the
music programs.
Throughout his
eighty-eight years, Sam was said to have “luck,” but those who knew him best
put down his uncanny successes and survivals to the possession of a keen eye,
determination, boundless self-confidence and a strong faith in God. The
youngest child and only surviving son of Calabrian immigrants, Sam grew up
speaking Italian in the home, but not only mastered the difficult language of
engineering but was also prized by co-workers and supervisors for his 40 years
of excellent work at the California Department of Transportation. Drafted into the army in 1943 at the age of
19, by April of 1945, Sam was one of a group of advance scouts with “C” Troop
of the 33rd Cavalry Reconaissance Squadron who assisted the 20th
Armored Division during their liberation of the notorious death-camp of Dachau.
He would never willingly speak to his family of this terrible experience, which
gave him night-terrors for the next ten years of his life.
Sam met the love of his life on a double-date
to a Cal football game with boyhood friend Paul “Tink” Kilkenny, whose
girlfriend Eunice brought along her friend Natalie, and they were married
November 17, 1951. The couple made a life for their growing family in a little
house in Berkeley on The Alameda. The arrival of Robert necessitated a move in
1956 to the house on Arlington Avenue in Berkeley which had belonged to Sam’s
in-laws and which is still in the family. Sam loved being with his grandchildren, going
to their performances, supporting their education. He was expert at family tent
and trailer camping, and also enjoyed trips to Europe and Japan both independently
and with Elder Hostel. He and Natalie discovered a mutual love of opera, and
they attended many seasons at War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Sam
was also fond of instrumental music, especially that of Bach. As he neared
retirement from the DOT, Sam launched on the design and building of an
expansion of the house which not only provided space for hosting his children
and grandchildren, friends and colleagues, but also included a downstairs
apartment in which many friends and family members have lived down the years.
In August of 2008, Sam and Natalie chose to move to Lake Park Retirement
Community, moving into an apartment with a fine view of Lake Merritt. Here Sam
passed away on the night of Christmas Eve. Sam’s health had been poor for some
time, and he had been working hard to help his niece after the death of her
brother. He died in his arms of his wife and his daughter, having recently seen
every member of his family and having kissed most of them good-bye. He
will be sorely missed.
