Dominic F. Conte

Dominic was a native of San Jose, who proudly told many stories about the history of San Jose, and how our valley used to be when orchards ruled the land. He attended Sunol Grammar School and Santa Clara High, where he excelled in both Mathematics and English. He was an avid cyclist, riding the famous Velodrome of San Jose.

He married the love of his life, Mary Votano, on March 27, 1943. At the time, he was in basic training in San Antonio, TX, awaiting deployment for action in WWII. Soon after, he was transferred to Townsville, Australia, where he served as a flight mechanic on B-25 bombers. Dom served in the War of the Pacific for 3 ½ years.

Following his return from the war, he and Mary bought a surplus housing barracks in Stockton. Together, they disassembled it by hand, and transported the lumber via the old roads to the lot that would become their family home. Dominic built their beloved home at 1548 Norman Ave. with his own two hands, and the help of family.

Dominic continued his machinist craft at Moffet Field for some time, then decided to pursue an occupation in retail distribution. He distributed retail goods for Golden State Dairy, Foremost Dairy, Coors Beer, Roma Bakery and Bottomly Distribution.

Dominic retired at the age of 57; and he and Mary began their many travels. They traversed the US multiple times, exploring and discovering new routes and new sites on every trip. After seeing much of our country, they ventured abroad, experiencing life in Europe, China, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Of course Italy was where their heart landed; and where they connected with members of both their families. After their first trip to Italy, Dom enrolled in local Italian classes, where he learned to speak and write the proper Toscano Italian language. Dom was also fluent in Spanish and loved to dabble in German.

To replenish their ongoing travel fund, Mary nudged Dominic out of retirement. He spent the next 14 years driving a school bus for Harker Academy in West San Jose. He would often bring his granddaughter Natalie with him on bus rides, where together they would drop off and pick up the school children, making a fun day of work.

Dominic was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed watching baseball, track & field, but his true passion was tennis. His favorite player was Roger Federer, who represented the values that meant most to him: respect, sportsmanship, integrity and class. He looked forward to the US Open and Wimbledon every year.

He and Mary were world class dancers in their day, and they could clear a dance floor wherever they went. Their favorite weekend stomping ground was Villa Felice, listening to their good friend and band leader, Mike Mello.

Dom held integrity, honor and respect as the three mainstays of his being, which he carried with him all of his life. He was a very spiritual and reflective man. In addition to being a member of the St. Christopher parish, Dom enjoyed the Croatian Catholic Church community nearby.

On March 27, 2019, Dominic and Mary celebrated 76 years of marriage. They had an extraordinary relationship, defined by love, respect, compromise, and their common love for having fun. Together, they built a beautiful family and created many wonderful memories that spanned three generations.

Dominic is survived by his wife of 76 years, Mary; sons Richard (Sharron) and Fran (Erin); three devoted grandchildren, Mario (Holly), Anthony (Ana), Natalie (Josh), and a host of loving nieces and nephews. In these last years, Dom also experienced the joy of five beautiful greatgrandchildren; Nicholas, Dominic, Rosie, Violet and Gabriel.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Francis Conte and Pasqua Manghisi, Brothers John, Sal, Frank; and Sisters Lou, Martha and Yolanda.

We wish to express our deepest gratitude and recognition to

Dominic and Mary's caregivers; Esper, Jennifer, Karen and Teff. Together, they have brought great joy and happiness, and added quality years to our parent's lives.

Viewing will be held on Thursday, August 1, 2019 from 4:00pm to 8:00pm, Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, 466 North Winchester Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95050.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, August 2, 2019, at 11:30am, St. Christopher Catholic Church, 1576 Curtner Ave. San Jose, CA.

Internment for family will be at 2pm., following Mass at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery, 490 Lincoln St., Santa Clara, CA 95050.