Bruno Barro

Bruno Donato Barro was born February 17, 1927 in the small town of Roncadelle near the Commune of Ormelle in northern Italy. He was the youngest in the family of twelve having four sisters and five brothers. Born nine years after WWI and a teenager during WWII, with the images and sounds of war always near, Bruno worked and helped his father and brothers with the family business during the difficult years of war. Bruno’s father Luigi owned and ran a successful blacksmithing business making agricultural tools, plows, and ornamental iron works. Running three furnaces at one time, the sounds of hammers pounding away at the red-hot iron by the brothers could be heard from several kilometers away. The heavy and calloused hands of the Barro family reflected the hard labor of their livelihood. It was there with his family where Bruno learned how to work iron and steel and became a blacksmith. He would work at this artistry until 1959.

Encouraged to visit America by his father and a close family friend living in Las Vegas, Bruno made his way to America in early 1959 as a tourist. During this visit he worked and established connections with other Italian American citizens before going back to Italy. Having seen the opportunity in America firsthand, a forward thinker, Bruno felt that coming to America would make it easier for his own children someday to succeed in America. He married Antonietta Battistiol, the love of his life, later that same year after a 10-year courtship on October 17, 1959 and convinced her to start a new life in America. With little money and a hope for prosperity in America, leaving their large families behind, the two embarked on the journey and immigrated to the United States in 1961. The journey took them over the Atlantic Ocean by ship to New York. After a brief stay in New Jersey, they left for Las Vegas, and ultimately to reside in Stockton, California. In 1963, Bruno and Antonietta’s first son Luciano was born with special needs and that forever changed their lives but never altered their dreams. It would be seven years later before their second son Roberto was born. Roberto would later realize his goals on becoming an electrical engineer. Luciano lived with Bruno and Antonietta for 52 years and as of result of their devotion, lived a beautiful life full of friends, family, love, happiness, and memories.

A master mechanic with an incredible memory and the ability to reverse engineer machines, he learned how to repair and overhaul transmissions and engines on the job with no formal training. Having worked for several trucking companies during the early to middle 60’s, Bruno went on to work for Panella Trucking during the late 60’s and thereafter. His final project, which took 3 years and still being used as a show truck today, was the frame-off, complete and perfect restoration of a 1950 Mack truck. He retired from Panella “hanging up his hammer” in 1990. The funny thing is that he removed the ball peen hammer off the award plaque and used it for projects over the remaining 30 years of his life. Bruno enjoyed the company of friends, many of which he met along the way who were also immigrants. He was a fabulous ball room dancer and enjoyed dancing with his wife of nearly 59 years. An avid tinkerer, he enjoyed building things out of wood and steel. He would repurpose anything made of metal and would modify golf clubs to get extra distance from his stroke. He enjoyed making other people happy and was always smiling. He enjoyed his granddaughters and daughter-in-law and loved them dearly. One of his lifelong passions was winemaking. Bruno once stated to a family friend that “wine poured from the faucets in his house and not water.” The passion has passed on to his son Roberto where the legacy will continue.

Bruno passed away peacefully the evening of November 16, 2020 with his son Roberto and daughter-in law Lisa by his side. He is preceded in death by his mother Amelia Sartor (1884-1955), father Luigi Barro (1882-1966), brothers and sisters Attilio (1981), Angelo (1984), Matteo (1992), Sergio (1997), Isolina (1998), Catina (1998), Giovanni (2001), Irma (2004), Maria (2010), son Luciano (2015), and wife Antonietta (2018). Bruno is survived by his son Roberto, daughter-in-law Lisa, his granddaughters Sabrina and Allison, and all his many nieces and nephews in Italy.

Due to current state restrictions, an outside Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday December 9th at 10 am at Presentation Church, 6715 Leesburg Pl, Stockton, CA. Please bring your own chair to sit on. A Celebration of Life service will be announced at a later date. Bruno will be laid to rest at Cherokee Memorial Park, Lodi CA.