May 16, 1933 – January 10, 2025
Joseph Donesio Lombardi entered the presence of his Lord on January 10, 2025. He was 91 years old.
Joe was born in Visalia, California on May 16, 1933. After graduating from Visalia Union High School in 1951, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served on board the Dixie-class destroyer tender ship USS Prairie (AD-15) in the Far East during the Korean War. He worked in Division B of the Engineering Department, which was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Prairie’s boilers, fuel and ballasting systems, and the oil and water testing laboratory. At the end of his four-year service, he returned to Visalia and later intended on re-enlisting with the US Navy. At his send-off celebration with friends at a local bar, he spied a pretty woman and announced to his mates, “I’m going to marry that woman!” That woman was Gloria Silva, and she ended Joe’s naval plans. They married in Visalia on October 7, 1956. After their honeymoon, Joe was informed that he was laid-off from his job. He could not find work in the San Joaquin Valley, but six months later, Pacific Gas and Electric Company hired him in San Jose, CA. He and Gloria relocated there and stayed until 1961 when Joe was given a transfer with the company to Fresno, CA. Joe spent 34 years working at PG&E, serving much of that time as a line foreman. Both he and Gloria lived in the same house in Fresno from 1961 until 2024. Joe passed away at the Pacific Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Fresno.
Joe was preceded in death by his father and mother, Joseph John Lombardi and Paolina Lombardi (Lazzarini); brother and sister-in-law, Guido Cosmo Lombardi and Frances M. Lombardi (Giannini); and nephew, Leonard J. Lombardi.
Joe is survived by his wife, Gloria Angeline Lombardi (Silva); children: Dan Joseph Lombardi (wife: Kerri Nikka Lombardi (Bye)), Steve Michael Lombardi, Janice Marie Lombardi, and Kevin Michael Lombardi; grandchildren: Austin Daniel Lombardi (wife: Vanessa Leann Lombardi (Moreno)), April Nicole Lombardi, Katrina Angeline Lombardi, and Vivian Lorraine Lombardi; great-grandchild, Araya Dani Lombardi; nieces and nephews: Marlene Wells (Lombardi), Richard Lombardi and wife Karen Lombardi, Marie Farver (Lombardi) and husband Larry Farver, and Robert Lombardi and wife Robin Lombardi.
Joe’s relationship with his God was the foundation of the last 45 years of his life. He and Gloria both accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior on December 11, 1980. He later gave his testimony before hundreds of people at church and became a new man in the process. Both Joe and Gloria become devout readers and doers of The Word. They hosted Bible studies and fellowship dinners in their home and served in various capacities in their church. Their relationship grew stronger, and their love and support extended to their children.
There wasn’t anything that Joe wouldn’t do for his family. He took second jobs in the evenings to bolster the family finances and allow Gloria to stay home with the children. He was a parent volunteer for the Cub Scouts, the Boy Scouts, and the Indian Guides. He bought and managed his own apartment complexes for many years, an enormous day-to-day endeavor. One of Joe’s great sources of pride is that he and Gloria financed their children’s college education, all four having obtained at least a baccalaureate degree. Joe loved and respected Gloria deeply. She could expect a birthday or anniversary card that he himself had hand-painted with watercolors. He also carved miniature flowers and figurines from block wood just for those occasions.
In fact, Joe possessed innate artistic ability and vision. A high school teacher offered to pay his tuition for art school, which he declined. Joe often found time to sketch and doodle, eventually refining his technique from his study of the great European masters, U.S. Western artists, and even traditional Japanese scroll painters. He created cherished artworks using acrylic oil paints, watercolors, charcoal, pencils, ink pens, and even crayons. He poured over numerous art books and magazines and could talk at length about perspective, color theory, values, and composition. While much of his still-life and landscape art originated from photographs and pictures, his main interest was to transform that media with his imagination. However, Joe was able to produce exact representations: his pen-and-ink pointillism works are like photographs. Joe studied with established artists in workshops and classes, the last being with Mr. Dean Dallin. He spent many hours in his sunroom, stating that during the process of creating he felt that he was in another world. His entire family considers his artistic output as a treasure and emblematic of his legacy.
After his passing, Gloria stated that Joe was faithful in everything he did. And that is certainly true. He had looked forward to the day when he would hear those very words from his God and Creator.
In keeping with the agreed-upon wishes of Joe and Gloria, a funeral service will not be held. The family welcomes reading your condolences and memories of Joe.
