February 22, 1921 – April 20, 2012
Eugene (Gene) Acossano, 91, long time resident of Rancho Cucamonga passed away on Friday, April 20, 2012 at his home surrounded by his loving family. Eugene was born in Bloomington, California to parents who immigrated to the United States from Asti, Italy. He grew up on his family’s ranch on Fourth Street in Ontario where they grew citrus and farmed vineyards for the local wineries. He later moved to Rancho Cucamonga where he met the love of his life, Martha Barsica, and they were married in 1954.
During his younger years he worked at Padre Vineyards and Winery in Rancho Cucamonga. Gene served in WW II as a tank gunner in France and Germany. He was the first U.S. Post Office letter carrier for Cucamonga beginning in 1956. During his Post Office career, he was twice cited for heroism, once for rescuing a small boy in a runaway car and the second for alerting a family to a house fire. Gene retired after 37 years with the Post Office. Gene loved to play baseball and was a star pitcher on his U.S. Army’s baseball team. He was a little league coach in Rancho Cucamonga and taught his daughter and granddaughter how to pitch. He enjoyed watching his daughters and grandchildren play sports. During his retirement years, Gene enjoyed league bowling, hand curing olives from his olive trees, gardening his tomatoes and fruit trees and spending precious time with his family and wide circle of friends. In his later years, Gene would be seen daily around Rancho Cucamonga driving in his truck with his beloved dog Rocky.
Eugene is survived by his wife of 58 years, Martha, daughters Silvana Brazell, Marisa Dawson, and Theresa Acossano, sons-in-law Richard Brazell and Timothy Dawson, granddaughters Lisa Kidd, Christie Dawson and Courtney Dawson, great-grandchildren Sam Kidd, Mia Kidd and Tyson Bobo, brother Dominic Acossano and many nieces and nephews. There will be a visitation at Draper Mortuary, 811 N. Mountain Ave., Ontario, on Sunday, April 29th from 2 – 4 PM and Rosary at 4 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, April 30th at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 877 North Campus Ave., Upland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Visiting Nurses Hospice, Claremont, California, www.vnasocal.org, 909-624-3574.
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