Amedio Thomas Ferdinandi

February 14, 1930 - June 23, 2022

Amedio was born February 14, 1930.Fresno, California - Amedio Thomas "Tom" Ferdinandi, Sr. peacefully passed away at his home on June 23, 2022, with his wife by his side.

Tom's parents, John and Natalina (Cicellini) Ferdinandi, immigrated from Pontecorvo, in the Frosinone, Lazio province of Italy, to America in 1920. But after too many harsh Rochester, New York winters, Tom and his younger brother John moved with their parents to Fresno in 1945, where Tom started his sophomore year at the newly built San Joaquin Memorial High School. It was there that he first met Anna Laura "Jane" Ochinero.

Jane was the youngest of nine children to Anthony "Tony" and Anna Marie (Chiafala) Ochinero, both of whom immigrated from Machito, Potenza, Italy to America in 1900 and 1905, respectively. Born in Fresno, Jane was a cheerleader at SJM and Tom was a football player, and the two of them remained best friends with many of their high school classmates for their entire lives.

Tom and Jane married shortly after high school and welcomed four children into their lives, Laura, Tom, John and David. Being a large Italian Catholic Family, you can imagine the high-spirited fun of all the Ferdinandi / Ochinero gatherings. Favorite memories include vacations to Shaver Lake, Pismo and Aptos, as well as many celebrations around the family dinner table featuring, of course, all the Ferdinandi / Ochinero favorite recipes - ricotta pancakes, pasta-la-ta soup, chingalings/gnocchi, Saladino's sausage, meatballs, pizza, spinach calzones, tarelli pretzels and ricotta cheesecake. Tom and Jane celebrated 72 years of marriage, sharing true love for each other, for their family, for their Church and for their community.

Tom's father was a tailor, and he and his dad started Ferdinandi Formal Wear in 1952. Everybody that was somebody went down to the Tower District location to rent tuxedos for all manner of occasion â€" weddings, galas, balls, proms and formals. At its peak, Ferdinandi Formal Wear was providing up to 700 garments a week from Visalia to Modesto. And while styles may have changed from black and white to light blue with velvet cuffs and ruffled shirts - everyone knew that "Ferd's the Wurd" when it came to dressing up in Fresno.

In 1958, Me-n-Ed's was selling pizzas from its original location in Fresno, California, as well as from locations in Hanford and in Orange County, California. Tom, with his partner and high school friend Jim DeMera, slowly grew the pizzerias from the original three locations to over twenty restaurants by the mid 1980's. Headquartered in Fresno and still family operated, the Company now owns, operates and franchises over 60 restaurants under the Me-n-Ed's, Piazza del Pane, and Blast & Brew brands, and is ranked in the top 50 of all US Pizza Chains. The Company has been honored to receive many "Best Pizza" and "Best Business" Awards, as well as multiple Community Service and Philanthropy Awards for its contributions to schools, churches, hospitals, and to so many other Valley non-profits.

Born on February 14, Valentine's Day in 1930, Tom peacefully entered the arms of our Lord on June 23, 2022. Predeceasing him were his parents, John and Natalina, his brother John Ferdinandi and his wife Sally, and their Aunt Filomena Fasolina (who helped raise them while their parents worked). He is survived by his loving wife Jane Ochinero Ferdinandi, along with their children and spouses, John and Laura Mahoney, Tom Jr. and Karen Ferdinandi, John and Christine Ferdinandi, and David and Wendy Ferdinandi, along with twelve grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Tom was an avid supporter of Fresno State Bulldogs, San Joaquin Memorial High School, Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Saint Agnes Hospital, the Serra Club, Catholic Charities, the Catholic Diocese of Fresno and the Poverello House, and was a member of the Young Men's Institute, the Italian Catholic Federation, and was past president of the Serra Club and a past board member of Catholic Charities. He enjoyed tennis and walking, checkers with his grandchildren, and while never a skier, taught his children and their friends how to both water and snow ski.

The family is extremely grateful for the compassionate care provided to their Father and Mother by Nari, Ramona and Theresa and others, as well as by their health care providers Dr. Perkins, Dr. Minor, Dr. Borno, Dr. Silveira and Dr. Kasten, along with their respective teams.

Visitation will be Thursday, July 21, 2022, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua ,5770 N. Maroa Ave., Fresno, CA 93704 followed by Recitation of the Rosary at 6:30 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, July 22, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua in Fresno, California.

Please consider remembrances in lieu of flowers in Tom’s memory to Catholic Charities, the Poverello House, or the Serra Club of Fresno.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whitehurstsullivan.com for the Ferdinandi family.