Renzo Zoni

A visitation for Renzo will be held Thursday, July 6, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at ST. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, 7710 El Cajon Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942. A funeral mass will occur Friday, July 7, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at ST. Rose of Lima, 293 H Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910. A committal service will occur Friday, July 7, 2023 from 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM at Glen Abbey Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3838 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA 91902.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.glenabbeysandiego.net for the Zoni family.

Good afternoon & thank you for joining us in remembering our Nonno, Renzo. My name is Liana; I am Luigi’s daughter.

My name is Karina; I am Augusta’s eldest daughter. We would like to share a little bit about our Nonno’s life and love for his family.

Our Nonno, Renzo Zoni was born on December 3rd, 1927, in the small town of Grottaferrata in the outskirts of Rome. He was the third of four children to Augusta Fabbri and Luigi Zoni. During his early childhood, Renzo was raised by his Zia Rosa and other aunts and uncles in Molinella, a town in the province of Bologna, Italy. He was educated through the fifth grade and as a small child he began working his first job, selling candy at the cinema. This was the start of his love for work which would lead him into an array of different jobs including delivering meat on his bicycle, cleaning at the local barber shop, training horses in Ciampino, working the vineyards, and at a mechanic shop near the Colosseum in Rome, to name a few. He had an incredible work ethic, something he instilled in all of us.

Later, he would find a love for pasta-making and eventually become the head pasta maker in a factory in the town of Santa Maria Delle Mole where his family settled and still resides. During his time in Italy, he endured many hardships including navigating life and challenges presented by World War II and Mussolini’s rule. Through it all he never let his moral compass waiver; in fact, I remember him telling us a story about how he decided to skip the mandatory fascist rally in Piazza Venezia where Mussolini made his famous speech because he did not believe in the movement.

In the late 50’s Nonno was presented with a unique opportunity to help start PAGASA, a pasta and cookie factory in Tijuana, Mexico. His employer, at the time, purchased a one-way plane ticket with Pan Am Airways from Rome to Tijuana so that Nonno could start a new career. This adventure presented him with new challenges along with learning a new language. He never thought his 5-year contract would lead to such a beautiful life in Mexico and the United States. He ended up working at PAGASA for over 50 years and will always be remembered as a leader and pioneer in the industry.

Nonno met his wife, our Nonna Diana, in Los Angeles through mutual friends and eventually became engaged. They were married at Saint Peter’s Italian Catholic Church in Los Angeles - a special place for our family where we have always come together to celebrate feasts and our Italian heritage. Since Nonno’s job as production manager of PAGASA required long hours, Nonna and Nonno would live on the factory property in Tijuana in a quaint, single-story home.

They soon started a family of their own and had three children: Luigi, Augusta, and Vincenzo. Eventually Nonno and Nonna decided to purchase a home in Chula Vista; the same home Nonno lived in even in his last days. He always said that there are two perfect places to be - heaven and San Diego, California.

Nonno enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his three children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren. He baked fresh, homemade bread and focaccia on a weekly basis - never missing a beat, made the most delectable pasta sauces and authentic Roman cuisine, tended to his thriving garden, listened to Italian music and opera while driving his legendary Mercedes, and loved treating his family to a dinner at his favorite restaurant, Il Fornaio, in Coronado.

He also loved keeping up with Italian politics and news by watching RAI - the Italian news station. Another thing you could expect to be on the TV when you walked into his house were his favorite sports teams. You knew Nonno would have a good day when the Padres won and an even better day when Lazio, his favorite Italian soccer team, celebrated a victory.

He was a very giving, resilient, and strong man never giving up, even in his last days. Those who knew him loved him for his rich knowledge of history, his Roman wittiness and welcoming & charismatic demeanor. He will be greatly missed, but we will be sure to relive the memories and practice the traditions that he instilled in all of us. We love you, Nonno. Grazie per tutto.