Charlie Edward Testa

Charlie E. Testa was born on October 28, 1922 in Merced, California and passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at his home. For nearly a year, Dad had been hospitalized a number of times and was blessed to be cared for by many caregivers, including his three sons, Ken, Steve, and Jim. Everyone who knew Charlie Testa thought the world of him. Charlie is now reunited with his wife of 63 years “Bea” in Heaven and has begun the most successful deer and elk hunting trip ever, where all his tags will be filled out and perfect weather will help drive the game to his favor.

Charlie lived an honorable, fulfilling life and touched so many people in countless ways. He grew up in Merced with his two older brothers, Adolph and Andy under the loving care of his parents Dominic and Celestina Testa, who each emigrated from Italy and met in San Francisco in 1904. Grandpa taught dad how to farm and how to be a man, while ‘Noni’ cared for her boys in countless ways, including a tiny glass of wine for the boys at dinner.

Dad was a consummate builder, using a combination of common sense, ingenuity, and skill. In his day he could weld a strong bead with his eyes closed, planned effective outcomes in his head, and could engineer any structure to last for decades, most on any scrap of paper. But the biggest measure of dad’s ability to build was his gift of building relationships. Everyone knew and respected Charlie Testa for the quality of man and friend he was. He could win just about any pool tournament and usually left part of his second beer at La-Ha II before going home for one of his special power naps.

Dad lived to hunt deer and elk, yet began with his brothers as a youngster along Bear Creek, Spaghetti Acres, and 'oh the stories of fun with his friends and fellow farmers. Beginning in 1957, dad started hunting deer and elk in Utah, then the annual trip with his closest friends to Colorado began in 1960, much on the Pilgrim Ranch with his brother Adolph, Jimmy A., Jesse, Henry, Ernie, Alfred, Jimmy F., Frank, Mike, Jack, and others. Dad had super eyesight to see through “the quakies”, yet always said that brother Adolph was the best shooter but brother Andy was the best with a shotgun.

Dad was known for farming tomatoes with his father, a founder of Central California Tomato Growers, and was a loyal ranch foreman for John Myers on his Flying M Ranch where and beyond UC Merced now grows. Dad modeled for his sons how to work hard and treat people right, and was a devoted husband and father. He always loved and watched out for little ones, and smiled so big when he saw and played with most of his great grandchildren just a few weeks ago at the house.

Charlie is preceded in death by his loving and devoted wife, Bernice “Bea” and is survived by a family who so loved their dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa: son Ken and his wife Diane, their daughters Jennifer (Tony) Bonsell, their children Paige and Brantley, Ashley (Todd) Burk, their children Addison and Carson; son Jim and his wife Kathy, their children Lacy, Kayla and Zack; son Steve, his daughter Amanda and her children Lillian and Madison, son Adam, his wife Erin, and their children Penelope, Jude, and one on the way. Dad always enjoyed visits by his five grandkids and eight great grandkids and typically remarked about how they needed to be closely watched and not played with so rough. He is also survived by his beloved sister-in-law Jerry Testa, married to brother Adolph who passed away in 2012 at age 90, and their devoted daughter and dad’s niece Becky (Bob) Williamson. Becky has always been a guardian angel for us, consistently looking out for our mom and dad, and more of a ‘sister’ to Charlie’s boys. Charlie is also survived by his sister-in-law Stella Testa, married to his late brother Andy who passed away last November at age 98, and the rest of the Rizzonelli family so special to us all. Dad is survived by so many others he knew, hunted with, knew of his farming and ranching history, so many more to list but all so special to dad. You know who you are and he tips his cowboy hat to you all.

Dad is also survived by the memory of all U.S. veterans, especially those he served with during World War II and the European Theatre, whom he bravely joined as a US Army 4th Infantry Division “GI” under George Patton’s Third Army. Dad was the “real deal” in joining the fight for our US freedom from Utah Beach all the way to Bastogne, Belgium. Dad earned a Bronze Star for meritorious service during the Battle of the Bulge, and we honor his sacrifice and will always remember he was the epitome of America’s ‘Greatest Generation.’

A public viewing will take place on Sunday, February 28th between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Stratford Evans Funeral Home, 1490 B Street in Merced. Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 29th at 2 p.m. at Stratford Evans Funeral Home. Following the service, family and friends are invited to the house to celebrate Charlie’s wonderful life. He will be buried alongside his wife Bernice at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery on Tuesday, March 1st at 10 a.m. with full military honors. We tip our hats to you, dad, our “True American Hero.”

The family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to all those who cared for, loved, and looked after Charlie’s best interests until the very end of his truly remarkable life. Special thanks goes to the nurses and staff at Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Charlie Kano and MFA staff, Marchini Home Care, and the amazing staff and services provided by Hinds Hospice who simply were tremendously responsive and caring at every moment of dad’s final climb to the highest ridge he’s now on.

Arrangements under the direction of Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home, Merced, CA.