Rodney Louis Gonella

Rodney Louis Gonella was born in Merced, CA to Vivian and Louis B. Gonella on May 1, 1950. He attended Our Lady of Mercy Parochial School there. As a young man he worked with his father in the Gonella Produce Businesses in that area. He later moved to San Jose, attending Westmont High School where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Larson. That marriage brought them two lovely daughters, Jennifer and Monica. He chose marriage over an offer made by a college professor in art who saw such great potential he wanted Rod to join his family by living with them, attending his college and extending this great flair. And although Rod chose not to accept this tremendous offer, he would carry this talent into his future, becoming a precision machinist where he worked more than 40 years with Richard Rossi at Master Precision Machining in Santa Clara. The union developed into a nearly father/son relationship and although Rod developed cancer of the larynx and was unable to continue to work, their relationship continued. Rodney later married Marianne Quinby with whom he shared 20 happy years of marriage, bonding with her two children, Michael and Gina. He is also survived by his mother, Vivian Beebe of Soquel, sisters; Maryann Greenway of San Jose, Kimberly Steger of Louisiana, Lana Wright(Gary) of Merced, Donna Ellis of Merced, Aunt Bea Colombo of Sunnyvale, daughters; Jennifer(Bob Foreman) and Monica(Jack Silapan) and cousins. Memorial Service will be held on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 1:00pm at Lima Family Santa Clara, 466 N. Winchester Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95050.