Costantino Lazzaretti
March 23, 1928 - July 30, 2010
Obituary
COSTANTINO LAZZARETTI
On the morning of June 30th, 2010 we lost our beloved Tino. He was born March 23rd, 1928 in Pottsville, PA to Italian immigrants Giuseppe and Ambrosia and at the age of three moved to the Veneto region of Italy where he lived until he was eighteen. Shortly after the war ended, he returned to the United States and resided in Seattle, WA where he met and married the love of his life, JoAnne Fabbio.
While raising a family and working full-time as a chef for some of Seattle’s most renowned restaurants, he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington as well as an MBA from Seattle University. This enabled him to enjoy a long and distinguished career at the Boeing Company for nearly 40 years.
He lived the ‘American Dream’ while never losing sight of his Italian heritage, serving as a prominent figure within the Italian-American community on many advisory and fiduciary committees. He was multi-lingual, an avid reader, and a supporter of the arts, sciences, literature, history, and music…the modern day equivalent of a Renaissance man. He was an extraordinarily honest, kind, loving, generous intellectual with unwavering faith and devotion to his family. He lived a truly exemplary selfless life influencing all those who had the opportunity to know him.
Tino was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Lillian and Josephine. He is survived by his wife of 60 years JoAnne, his three children LindaRic Monroe, Michael and Dr. John Lazzaretti, his two grandchildren Michael and Marisa Monroe, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. We welcome all to join us in celebrating his life on Thursday July 8th, 12:00 pm at St. James Cathedral. The family has entrusted arrangements to BONNEY-WATSON Funeral Home, 1732 Broadway, Seattle, WA 206 322-0013. Remembrances suggested to: Festa Italiana- Costantino Lazzaretti Endowment-PO Box 9549 Seattle, WA 98109.
I am Connie and Bill Smith’s 5th. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
I remember as a child visiting your home and watching the Flintstones in color and your kids couldn’t believe that we hadn’t seen a color tv. This was some time in the 60’s. I also remember Tino emailing information to my son Matthew when he was thinking about doing something in the aviation field.
God Bless you all.
Mary Jane “Smith” Armstrong
From Anna: I always thought you had a fun house to visit. We always looked forward to our trip to Seattle and seeing our Italian family.
Daughters of Bill and Constance Smith, MJ-oldest Anna 3rd.
Condolences.
I remember the fun times we had whenever we came to visit as kids.
Tino was always “Uncle” as that is the respect we were taught. God Bless
Hank
It’s been a rough year, my prayers are with you.
Dear Lazzaretti Family,
Please accept my condolences on the passing of the patriarch of your family. As a friend of Dr.Lazz.
How impressed I am of the profound Love you all have shown to your Father Papa What a Blessing to Love, and be So Loved.
The guest book has a repeating theme. Loyal, always there, Reliable, Respect, His caring ways. This Good man. I have to acknowledge the importance of these traits that are the core of this Fine man. You’re Father, Papa. Surely he is a man who lived by example. What a great gift he has left you ALL. I feel privileged to know of him through John and Marisa. How Proud and comforted he surely felt having you both at his side. Now at rest and with Our Lord he must be Proud to hear His lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lords Kingdom.
Matt,Ch25,V 21
God bless you all.
James Piscioneri
PISH
To The Lazzaretti Family:
It was a very sad day when Uncle Tino died for all of us. We all loved him and will miss all of his jokes, his advice on any topic, his great knowledge of the world that he loved to share. He was our last link to Italy and we will always cherish in our hearts, all of our conversations with him. We have so enjoyed our visits with JoAnne and Tino, it was so fun to watch such love between a couple, the little teasing and loving comments between the two. We enjoyed the great talks and great food and we are all looking forward to many more times with JoAnne. Please know that we are here for you whenever you need us just call.
Love
Debbie, John, Haley
I am so glad that I got to sit and watch game 7 of the NBA Finals and listen to Tino cheer on the Lakers. He mentioned a number of times that he would be the only one happy in his family, as everyone else was pulling for the Celtics. It was always wonderful to visit Tino and JoAnne at their home where you did not leave without covering a wide variety of topics and being stuffed to the gills with cheese, salami, and topped off with ice cream. I will always remember fondly sharing and tipping a cold Heineken with Tino. I also loved busting his chops about an Italian driving a German car. In my prayers and thoughts.
John Wunderlich
I will alway be thankful to Tino for starting me on my Boeing career over thirty years ago.
What a GREAT GUY!!!
He will be very much missed.
He is in a better place,in the presence of OUR GOD.
I enjoyed my many years working with Tino at The Boeing Co. My sincerest condolences to the family. He will truly be missed.
We are both so sad to hear of Tino’s passing. We have many warm memories of him over the years, visiting, talking and laughing together, and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts are with all of you.
Hi Lazz:
I was so sorry to learn of the passing of your Father. My deepest
sympthy to you and your wonderful
Mother, and all the Lazzaretti Family.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you at this most difficult
time.
My Love to all of you,
Beverly Demattea
Tino was a good Christian, engineer, and friend. I will miss his friendship and wit,
I got to know Tino during the last 8 months of his life. The Lazaretti family was generous enough to allow me to share several celebratory family meals during this time. A month ago, while sitting at the kitchen table, I asked Tino if he were able to live forever, would he want to? He smiled and without missing a beat said, “Yes”. It was obvious I was talking with a man who loved his life. Tino was surrounded by his wife, his children and grandchildren of whom he was immensely proud. A true legacy.
Tino loved being Italian and it showed when he talked about history from his own unique cultural and political perspective.
Tino turned to me once in a restaurant and said approvingly, “One thing I will tell you for sure about my son Michael – he is the child of mine who really knows how to have fun.” I imagine Michael got much of his romanticism and lively passion for life from his father.
Thank you for allowing me to know such an extraordinary man.
First of all, I never met Tino but I did have the pleasure of working with and knowing Dr John. I can say that from what I did know of John and his complete devotion to family and the Italian culture it must have been crafted by his dear father. I am sorry to hear of the passing of such a remarkable man and have also suffered loss of a mother and father- it stings but I urge all of those close to Constantino to never let his flame dwindle, remember those family events that clearly made him shine, embrace his zest for life and love one another. I want to let Dr John know that his father was a special person and that there aren’t mant Tino’s walking the earth- you are a good man and its because of people like your wonderful father. I am sorry for your loss but know that Tino left nothing on the table! Rest in Peace.
Darin Smith and Family
Tino, Guy Haines and myself were early KC-135 MRB Draftsman who worked together in KC-135 Liaison Engineering and all went to the University of Washington and became engineers for the Boeing Company. I am the now the surviving member of that group and I will always remember Tino and Guy.
Dear JoAnne and Family: Please accept our deepest condolences on the passing of your dear sweet Tino. You were so blessed by his love and life. We feel priviledged to have known him. We will miss him and the joy of his presence. Gary & Wanda
John, I am very sad to hear of the passing of your Dad. I hope that your memories will help you during this difficult time. From all of the shared stories, he was a wonderful human being and father! My condolences to you and your family.
Judy Roberts
My condolences for your loss. I enjoyed my years working with Tino on Boeing’s factory systems, I have a memory of Tino standing to welcome me into his office. He was always the gentleman and so willing to share his knowledge of Manufacturing Engineering. When I learned that Tino and JoAnne are the “Italian Grandparents” of my new daughter-in-law Rachel Berkson, I was excited about reconnecting with this wonderfully intelligent and generous man. We will miss him.
Please accept my best wishes & condolences to Tino’s family at this time. I have fond memories of Tino telling me about the region in Italy that my family is from & about his time in Italy. I also truly appreciated Tino’s passion for the Italian-American culture in Seattle.
Tino will be missed.
John and all of the Lazzaretti family, we are truly grieved by the passing of Tino. Our family shared a wonderful one of a kind evening with Tino, JoAnne, John, and Mike, that we will always cherish and remember. He was a great man and we were honored to have met him. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. I pray that you may find peace and comfort in the hands of God, whom has given this wonderful life and has taken it back home.
Joanne & the Lazzaretti family. We have fond memories of Tino and you when we came to Seattle to play for the Fiesta Italiana with the Alpine Band. Please except our condolences. Eliseo Marchetti on behalf of the Alpine Band
I did not know Costa but did have a boy named Peter Lazaretti in my second grade class at TT Minor. I believed Peter was his son but do not see him listed–does he go by another name now? I was his second grade teacher. My name then was Ms. McKelvey. Sorry for your loss.
Mrs. Lazzaretti being a quest at your house here recently was very much so inspirational. I truly enjoyed your sharing of yours and Tino early years that begun the journey of love for the two of you that lasted a lifetime. Real love is the greatest work of art, please accept my sincerest condolences on the passing of your best friend.
Michael – as one of your life long close friends, I must say I truly admire your relationship and devotion to your parents. It really amplifies who they really are in the big scope of life. I’m certain you will continue to look after and be there for your mother and am deeply sadden for your loss of your dad.
To the entire family my condolences…
Un grosso bacio a tutti
To the family of Tino. Tino was a good man and I will miss him. I first met Tino in 1963 and we enjoyed getting older. We enjoyed the celebration of life including birthday luncheons where we shared love of family, love of work, and love of God. He was a man in whom there was no guile. We can all be proud to have known such a loving and faithful friend.
I met “Papa” Tino over 20 years ago and I have the most fondest memories of our time together…
– Walking or mostly searching for the family’s beloved dog Jake in Madison Park
– Going to Michael’s and Marisa’s games in Blue Lightening
– Attending various Italian Club events Bocce Tournaments in Maple Valley and Wine Garden’s at the Festa
– Listening to his great stories of his time in Italy growing up and his adventures throughout the years
– Our many meals we shared, with the occassional runs to the East Side to Dairy Queen
Tino was a great man, a great friend, a great intellect, a proud husband, father and grandfather…
Thank you for the memories!
My memories of Tino are as a child growing up in Madison Park and knowing of the Lazzeretti family through my all time favorite babysitter Mrs. Fabio, Joann’s mother. As I grew up the family became more familiar to me having met the children. I only knew Tino through other people in the neighborhood and my famiy. Last year I was very fortunate to have been invited to the Itailian picnic. It was there that I experienced a a truly devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. I got to see first hand what warm and loving person he was. May he rest in peace.
I have many fond memories of Tino’s humor and intellect from my times in Seattle. He certainly touched the lives of everyone he met.
My deepest condolences to the Lazzaretti family.
Kristin
I had the great honor and privilege to serve with “Tino” in the COMITES Committee of Italian Abroadin San Francisco. I admired him from the first encounter and treasured his opinions, always dictated by great old fashioned good sense and a love for justice and equity. He was indeed a champion for the Italian cause and loved the Italian-American community of Seattle. Many times he told me about his family, his children and grandchildren whom he literally adored.
To the entire family my sincere condolences. I will treasure his memory forever..
Arrivederci, Tino!
I am so glad my last memory was sitting in Uncle Tino’s kitchen with Joanne eating a lot! and talking with my mom and dad and Haley. My thoughts are with your family and I wish I was at home in Seattle so I could attend the service. Sending my thoughts and prayers. – Erika
Tino, I will never forget you, your great kindness, wonderful smile and the charming stories you told me about our Italia! The Kelsoe, Farina and Sarzotti families send their deepest sympathy to all of the Lazzaretti family.
Lazz…
We are a loss for words! So sad to learn of the passing of your father, you are a lucky man to have such a wonderful father. The memories you have of Tino will fill the voids for many years to come…remember them and honor Tino by trying to live up to his expections. Continue to care for your mother…
You are a wonderful friend!!!
Rod and Anne Dreyer
To the family of Tino.
Tino will truly be missed, there are some people that come into your life that are very important and do make a lasting impression Tino was one of them he will be missed.
We love you Tino rest in peace.
Dick and Dorothy Whitney
To Joanne and the Lazzaretti family, children and grandchildren of Tino, we send our condonlences. Tino was a wonderful neighbor to us, and generously included us in his family as we did not have any in the area when we moved here. We felt he became our Italian Father. We will always remember his intellectual curiosity and knowledge of all things Italian, and his love of religious history and doctrine. He always could make sense of problems that otherwise seemed impossible. We will miss Tino greatly.
Tino was the cousin of my dad Francesco Gastaldelli. They met several years ago and my parents also went to Seattle and spent some time with him and JoAnne. My mom and my dad had a wonderful time in Seattle and then in Canada where they all went to visit my aunt and always remembered those days.
I met Tino and his son when they came to Italy in Tuscany about ten years ago. We had a very good time going to the Palio race in Siena and also watching the final of European soccer final that Italy lost with France. It was the beginning of July like in these days.
After that we kept in touch by email and phone especially for holidays.
Tino was a great person and my family and I want to express our condolence to JoAnne and her family for their loss.
Amalia, Simone, Silvia Gastaldelli and family
To the family of Tino. Regretfully, I cannot be in Seattle on 7/8/2010. But from my heart, I want you to know what a good man Tino was and that I will miss him. I am crying because he helped me so much in my life. I worked beside him for 35 years. He was a true honest, no matter what friend. He never complained about work and always promtly did what was in front of him. He loved his job. When I had work issues, he was someone whom I could rely on & confide in. When I had off work issues he was like a father who always wanted to know how I was doing and always offered his help. He was loyal & always there and reliable. He was a true patriot and loved this country and what it stands for. He never missed acknowledging key milestones in my life and always let me know about mutual interest events even after our 1700 mile separation in our retirement years. I will miss my friend and his caring ways. May we all celebrate the remembrances of this good man.
I will miss my old friend Tino. We worked shoulder to shoulder for most of our careers at the Boeing Company, and Tino was a loyal and dedicated friend to me and those who worked with us. His memory lives with me, and his family, especially JoAnne, will always share a corner of my heart.
I see him riding off into eternity in his beloved black Mercedes that we called his Mafia Staff Car.
Fare well my friend,and God bless you on your final Journey. John
I was blessed with knowing Tino through the Italian Club for many years and will always remember how welcoming he was to me. He always gave generously of his time and valued good times together. I miss our times together and know he is in God’s hands.
I am grateful to have known Tino and to have witnessed his common sense and dedicated spirit in action. I will always remember his temperance in dealing with the difficult issues facing the Casa Italiana Board.
May God bless you always Tino. Your life was filled with achievement and success. Thanks for all you did for the Italian community with your hard work and shining example. Rest in Peace
I am so very sorry to hear of Tino’s passing. I always enjoyed meeting, talking and laughing with him at events and I, like so many others, am very thankful for all he has done for the Italian-American community here in Seattle. My deepest condolences to you JoAnne and to your family. I have to teach on Thursday but Tino will be in my thoughts and prayers as I help impart to a new generation the language and culture he loved so much.
With deepest sympathy,
Albert Sbragia
I am really saddened by this. I had the pleasure to meet Tino at the Festa Italiana board. I really admired him for the passion and love for Italy. He devoted himself to the Italian Community, he was always there to help. He was a good man, a man you could count on, a man with strong values. He set the example and I hope his legacy will not be forgotten.
I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Goodbye Tino, we will miss you.
I share the grief of all members of the Lazzaretti family. He was a wondeerful friend and a marvelous leader of the Italian community. We will miss him so very much. I know he will occupy a special place in Heaven. Arrivederci, Paisano Tino. God bless you. I know I will soon be with you.
—Lou
Michael, I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your father. He was a wonderful man and I am glad that I got the chance to meet him at one of those italian dinners. You know, I really consider myself italian because of the close friends that I have in Italy. May God bless your family at this time and you are in my thoughts and prayers. Tony Spivey