Eugene Corky Claude Bracisco Jr

Eugene Claude Bracisco, born at St. Joseph Hospital in San Francisco, CA on Sept 19, 1954 to Kathryn & Eugene Bracisco. He has four siblings, two older brothers, Marty and Nick and two younger sisters, Sherry and Kriss. He played little league, football, and basketball. When he was young he was involved in Cub Scouts and 4-H where he raised a reserve champion sheep and a steer. As a child he loved camping. When he got older he became a very good mechanic. He enjoyed working on cars to make them look and sound great. He was an avid motorcycle rider which shows in the number of bikes he owned throughout his life.

Corky is a wonderful son, brother, uncle, grandfather, husband, father, and friend. He is someone that always looks for the good in people. His energy is contagious in all situations spreading the love he has for having a good time. When tackling a problem, he uses initiative, skill, and perseverance. He is able to identify solutions and work through some of the most tedious challenges. Corky has a spontaneous spirit. He lives by the moment doing what comes to him easily; having a good time. He is daring, clever, witty, handsome, good spirited, giving, smart, athletic...I could go on.

His patience when tried is sometimes theatrical to watch; however, those times too are memorable. He loves his family and friends and will do anything for them; although, sometimes he shows it in unusual ways. When someone gets hurt or does something that is not safe Corky would take control. It would seem as if he was mad, all the while making doing everything in his power to make sure everything is okay. He loves to lecture while doing what he could do to show the right way, what we fondly refer to as "Corky's way".

When someone is sick or hurt he is there for them. He loves helping his mother in her yard and taking her to breakfast on Fridays after he would walk in the forest. When his sister-in-law, Jamie would call for help with her pump, away he would go, pulling his nephews along to be his apprentices. Corky took my dad to the Giants baseball games; He flew all the way to Michigan to see my mom and coaxed her out of the nursing center to her hometown parade, ice cream and the casino.

Corky loves the outdoors. He was on a men’s softball league. He enjoyed riding motorcycles with his brother Nick when they were young. He rode snow mobiles with his sister Sherry and brother-in-law Mike. He is a PADI certified scuba diver where he enjoyed diving with his sister Kriss and brother-in-law John. Anything he wanted to do, he could do, and do it well.

He graduated from Middletown High School in 1972. He went to college at College of Redwoods in Arcata, California where he worked on his pilot license and aerodynamics. His dad, Eugene whom he is named after, died during his first year of college. He decided at that time to return home to help his mom. Soon after that he went to Washington to work on the US Geological Survey Company with some good friends, Jamie, Emil, Leonard and Bob. He moved to Mojave where he and his best friend Jamie worked for a short time and decided to return back to Middletown. He worked on the Indian Reservoir off Highway 20. In 1976 Corky started work on Socrates Mine Rd at the Geyser's Geothermal Production. There he worked for a number of companies including Freeport Mc Moran, Amin Oil, and the last company, Calpine.

In 1978 he married me, Zoi Ann Scolaro. He is my high school sweetheart and the love of my life. Together we bought ten acres seven miles from Middletown on Highway 175. We have 2 boys, Jesse James Bracisco, born on July 4th, 1986 and Anthony James Bracisco born on April 6th 1989. He is a wonderful father. As a family we camped, fished, hiked, and lived life. He loves the outdoors and instilled this in his children.

Jesse, our oldest son had an accident when he was 10 years old. It changed our lives; however, Corky continued to show us all that life is met to live. Corky decided after too many days in the hospital Jesse needed a change of scenery. He took Jesse from the hospital without permission wheelchair, ventilator and all. We went a few blocks away to a store. Somebody from the nursing staff saw us and we were called into the doctor’s office. He just smiled and waited until the next moment he had a chance. This time they gave him permission, knowing he would do it anyway.

Corky enjoyed taking Jesse to Raider games. They had long discussions about the team, the upcoming year, Al Davis, and what decisions they would have made it they were owners. To watch them together at a game is as good as watching the game. Touching one another when there is a close play is a way to show their strength together would pull out a win. When they were not watching the game together they would call and yell in the phone at each other, “Did you see that play?”

Corky lives life to the fullest and his support and encouragement shows today in Jesse and Anthony. Corky is so proud of Jesse and his accomplishments in Berkeley. He is proud of Anthony and the way he tackles life and accomplishes anything he tries. He enjoyed taking both Jesse and Anthony to experience their dream to parachute from an airplane. He encouraged them to live life all the while making sure they had the opportunities to do just that: taking them to Disney World, to lakes to pull them behind boats, camping at the ocean, professional games, snow skiing, the memories are endless. He did not want Jesse and Anthony to miss out on any thrill seeking adventures.

Corky’s love for outdoors is not lost on Anthony. Hours were spent showing Anthony how to handle, shoot and clean guns. They took many fishing trips together. Corky also showed Anthony the way he worked out; cutting wood, dragging brush, digging ditches, and anything else that needed to be done. No matter how athletic, strong or skillful Anthony got, he could never beat his dad even though he tried. He worked hard showing Anthony the importance getting chores done. There were many hours spent in the garage showing Anthony the value of working on his own car. Corky is very knowledgeable and he expected Anthony to be his captured audience. Corky thrived on showing both the boys the importance of hard work, spending time together, his love for live and the time spent enjoying life. They definitely inherited Corky’s love for life; no matter what challenges might be handed to you, life is to live to the fullest.

Corky loves children. I believe it is because he is just a big kid himself. He loves his nieces and nephews and looked forward to their visits, wrestling with them, feeding them candy from his famous candy drawer, and allowing them to do things their parents said no to. He especially enjoyed his visits with his grandson, Josiah. Josiah would follow Corky around mimicking him. I have a picture of Corky sitting on the couch, his feet on the coffee table. Next to him is two and a half year old Josiah stretching his leg as far as they could reach to be just like grandpa. Corky took Josiah on his tractor, taught him how to run the handle of the wood splitter, and took him hiking in the forest. When Josiah got older he would help with any chore that needed to be done. At first Dani, his mom, would send strict instructions of what not to do. Finally, she gave up and knowing grandpa will do what Grandpa wants to do.

Corky has great friends and is loved dearly by them and he loves them back. He loves riding his Harley with Jamie and Larry. Feeling the wind in his face, finding cool bars and setting off car alarms is his all-time favorite pastime. When riding he liked to take his time, stopping at interesting places along the way. He would always say, “It is the journey, not the destination.” We would be riding along and all of a sudden he would stop. There is one time he stopped, pulled up to a bar and said, “I always wanted to know what is behind the green door.” Yes, this bar had a green door.

Corky is always ready for a party. He worked tirelessly to make everything perfect, looking forward to when he could reap the benefits of his hard work. During Middletown Days Corky and I would remove cow paddies, mow the pasture and have a baseball game and a Keg of beer for anyone who came over. He took a week off to help entertain Keiko and her family from Japan when they visited his mom at the ranch. He brought live lobsters back from Maine to have a beach party with his friends. Corky loved working at his mom’s place making it looked like a venue for rent out of a magazine; specially when there was a party to plan.

Oh how he loved to shop. We not only had a full pantry at the house, but our garage had a special shelf for the emergency stash. Our neighbor Jennifer said to come to our house was like going to Safeway.

Corky still lives on in all of us. I see it every day in the people he loves; his mom’s strength, his caring sisters, his brother’s protective nature, his hardworking brother-in-laws, his forgiving sister-in-law, his friends’ laughter, his nieces, nephews, and grandson youthful play, his sons’ determination, and the love we all share for our Corky. We are all blessed by his time with us and every moment that goes by I know how lucky I am to have him for my husband. I will always cherish my memories and our time together.

I love you Corky.

Written by Zoi Bracisco

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Eugene Claude Bracisco Jr. “Corky” was born September 19, 1954 in San Francisco Ca. To Eugene Claude Bracisco and Kathryn Bracisco Foster. Corky and his family moved to Middletown when he was in the third grade, where he graduated from high school in 1972. He attended the college of the Redwoods, worked for Geometric Survey of the Western Coastline. In 1976 Corky went to work on Cobb mountain at the Geysers. He married his high school sweetheart on December 30, 1978 Zoi Ann Scolaro the love of his life. Corky is preceded in death by his father Eugene, his brother Martin, his nephew Jarred Polit and his step dad Lester Foster. He is survived by his wife Zoi, son Jesse and his wife Danielle and grandson Josiah, son Anthony, mother Kathryn Foster, brother Nick Bracisco & Jamie, sister Sherry Polit & Mike, sister Kriss Davis & John, mother-in-law Joan Sutton, father-in-law Jack Scolaro, brother in law Jim Scolaro & Jan. Corky also leaves behind nieces; Nikkol and Nikeedra and nephews; Matt, Jackson, Nathan, Lukas, Dakoda, John -Wesley, Landon, Pierce and many more aunts, uncles, cousins, great nieces and nephews, longtime close friends and his motorcycle buddies. Corky touched many lives with his sparkling eyes, infectious smile and gorgeous dimples. People will remember him most for his continuous quick witted humor. Corky's great loves were going to Raider games with Jesse, fishing with Anthony, taking long motorcycle rides with his wife and having meals with his mother. There will be a visitation on Friday October 28, 2011 from 4P to 8P at Jones and Lewis Clearlake Memorial Chapel, Lower Lake and a memorial celebrating Corky's life this Sunday Oct. 30, 2011 @ 2:30PM at the Rob Roy Golf Course on Cobb Mountain. Corky's favorite charities were the Disabled Veterans, Random Acts of Kindness of Cobb Ca and Shriner's Children Hospital.

Arrangements under the direction of Jones & Lewis Funeral Home, Lower Lake, CA.