John Traina

Giovanni (John) Traina, age 90 years, passed away peacefully in Escondido, California on December 18, 2024, surrounded by his loving family, following several years of declining health. John was born November 7,1934, in Los Angeles, CA. He was the 4th child born to the late Italian immigrants, Victor, and Santa Dorsa Traina, who came through Ellis Island from Piana del Albanisi, Sicily, Italy.

The early years of John’s upbringing was spent in Boyle Heights, an Italian suburb of Los Angeles. There he enjoyed playing with five siblings and many good cousins. In 1921, John’s parents purchased 60 acres of property in the Verdemont area, just north of San Bernardino and there the family began growing and harvesting muscat grapes. Family, cousins, aunts, and uncles spent much time on weekends on this vineyard, all working, baking, and socializing together. One of the pleasures that the children had was riding burros, yet John and his two brothers were expected to help their father trim the grapes for harvest.

John attended primary schooling in Devore and later rode the bus to high school in San Bernardino where he enjoyed agriculture classes, always wanting to become a farmer. Yet in 1951, John was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War but did service basically in California. After an honorable military discharge, John began working with his father on the family vineyard by driving their produce truck to the Los Angeles and Cucamonga produce markets. As the years passed, John dreamed of being more self-employed, so he and his brother Charlie leased a couple of filling service stations in Cajon Pass and Palm Springs, and they later started employment in the transportation business.

On June 27, 1970, John married Kathleen Brookshire, a schoolteacher in San Bernardino CA. They immediately purchased a home in Montebello, CA where Elisabeth Kathleen and Charles John were born. However, time was short in John’s desire for the calmness of a small rural living, something that both he and Kathy were previously accustomed to.

Subsequently, on one summer weekend in 1973, while John was searching for a campground to park his vacation trailer, he found, as he says, “An all-time Property Deal” in Valley Center, CA. Not long afterwards, the family purchased the 2½ acre property in Valley Center and built their still-standing orange grove home of 54 years.

The completion of the home finally gave John the true reality for his love of farming. In extra-large bib overalls that he purchased from Montgomery Wards, he started to collect a huge assortment of shovels, hoes, rakes and pipes, irrigation equipment, fencing, rooter tillers, and tractors. Homesteading was now in progress and the Traina family was living off the land.

John was born with a natural green thumb. Through the years, John planted and harvested almost every possible variety of fruit tree that he could on his property. He was a champion organic vegetable grower, with the Italian Roma and San Diego Red tomato breeds being his favorite. Thereafter, a dog, a few cats, a horse, a steer, a few hogs, ducks, and chickens arrived at the Valley Center home property.

Valley Center had few inhabitants when John moved into this rural unincorporated area. Adults from all occupations and ethnic groups worked together so that the residents could have many enjoyable events. Annually, John gave the lower grade school students an exposure to a shiny 18-wheeler truck. He would drive to the school football field and let the kids climb all over the truck and blow its horn. Over the years, one could also see an extra-long open platform flatbed company truck carrying a scout group float in the Valley Center Western Days Parade.

During the 1970-1990 growing school years of John’s children, he was always involved in their local activities. John gave much time to his children. Together they enjoyed many small vacations, camping and riding 4-wheel quads trips out at Glamis, CA. John attended most of the children’s sport games, their animal fairs, and their school programs. He sponsored their games by purchasing full-team soccer uniforms and he was helpful with the Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and 4-H organizations

In 1976, siblings John, and Charlotte (Luiseno Giudice) purchased property as a partnership in San Diego to build a general transport terminal which, in the end, ran steady freight for over 40 years. John managed the care of this Auto Fast Freight property by daily driving 35 miles back and forth to work. John poured his heart and soul into his work and all the people John worked with admired him as their equal. John touched everybody’s lives and made it a point to make all those he encountered feel so important and special. He showed his employees that it mattered, he had their back, and he gave to those in need.

John enjoyed outdoor recreation, such as football, baseball, and soccer, but his favorite sport was following the cars from the open wheel oval motor races. Through the years, John attended many local California car races from Riverside, Fontana, and Ontario. John especially remembers a prestigious Labor Day IndyCar race at the Ontario Motor Speedway when Auto Fast Freight was recognized for being a lap sponsor.

John knew and had face-to-face opportunities to meet a few of the notable drivers from both the Indy and Nascar fields. He personally liked A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al and Bobby Unser, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Richard Petty. As the years passed, John collected Indy 500 whiskey decanter cars and bottles, racing magazines, and fascinating historical books related to the Indianapolis 500.

In 1996, John took early retirement, the kids had left the nest, and so he and Kathy began thinking about alleviation from stress by traveling. The first trip out was an extended six-week journey into Mexico. After flying to Guadalajara with backpacks, the chosen passage into the Mexican states was by local buses and trains. Many historical cathedrals, markets, and events were observed. The pre-planned lodging, local foods, and attractions were very acceptable. This trip was a great enjoyment for John.

The following year a two-bedroom mobile home was purchased in Bishop, CA. It was Kathy’s desire that John would experience solitude and serenity from the exhilarating know-how of fishing for trout in the mountains. Here John could combine scenic natural beauty, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with much needed time to unwind and recharge his ageing body. Bishop was fun and John had the pleasure of meeting many new friends there. The laid-back environment in Bishop gave John the opportunity to exercise and his daily morning job was to walk either 2 miles back and forth to the local thrift store or walk 2 miles back and forth to the local Casino. Either way, nothing was gained.

Owning a timeshare in Escondido at Lawrence Welk Resort enhanced John’s vacation experiences more by allowing him to travel the eastern seashores of the United States. Via consecutive timeshare vacations, John toured all 13 original colonies. Several later vacation trips allowed him time to see Canada, central and all western USA states. In 2010, when John broke his hip and had two replacements, his local timeshare pool was used daily for occupational therapy

During John’s life, small investments occupied his interest. Property was acquired along Valley Center Road with his master plan to build a small laundry business, but this idea was shot down when the much-wanted sewer never arrived in town. Later, in 1990, John purchased 7½ acres of high yielding Hass avocadoes. He immediately joined Calavo Growers, a global leader in quality produce. With much enthusiasm John learned avocado caretaking skills from other local shareholders. For 20 years, this investment was annually profitable. However, in the end, with rising water prices, the land was gifted to a family member for other goals.

It seems that it was always in John’s general makeup to somehow have fun as he challenged himself with new ideas. In 2007, this brought John to the concept of becoming a rental home landlord by “flipping middle class homes”. Both John and Kathy enjoyed the game of finding a workable home, fixing it up, and then renting it out. This new adventure gave the couple some value, since the rentals did help to pay for John’s Caretakers this past year.

John is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Charlotte Traina Giudice, Dominica Traina Giudice, and Sara Traina; and his brothers Charles John Traina and Frank Traina.

John is survived by his spouse Kathleen, his daughter Elisabeth Kathleen (Kalmer Jogeva) Traina, his son Charles John (Shannon) Traina, and two grandchildren Sara Nicole Traina and Charles John Traina.

A funeral service in memory of John will be held on Friday, December 27, 2024, at 10 AM at McLeod Mortuary,1919 East Valley Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92027. Interment will follow in the family plot at Valley Center Cemetery, 28953 Miller Road, Valley Center, CA 92082. A reception will follow burial at Portino Restaurant, corner of Miller Road & Valley Center Road.

Those who desire may make a memorial donation in memory of John can send it to their favorite charity or to Vitas Healthcare Hospice, located at 9655 Granite Ridge Drive, Suite 300 in San Diego, CA 92123.