Augustino "Augie" Lombardo

Augustino "Augie" Lombardo, age 89 and longtime resident of Warren, Michigan, died Thursday, November 20, 2014 at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township, Michigan. Augustino was born May 10, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, son of the late Pietro Lombardo and the late Leonarda (nee: Calabro) Lombardo. With thanks and praise from a grateful nation, we pay homage to Augie for his service to our country during World War II as a soldier in the U.S. Army. With over 3 years served, the latter half of his assignment was spent in Austria as part of the 42nd Infantry Rainbow Division whose proudest moment was helping to liberate the Dachau Concentration Camp where countless lives were lost to the torment of the Nazi movement. Augie was merely one of the souls God used save so many whose fate could have been very different,…if not for the bravery and sacrifices made for the lives of others, and that's exactly what a soldier does. For the call to duty he so proudly served, we honor Augie's memory and valiance for standing in harm's way for the preservation of everything holy and human. For this proud young man of Italian heritage, specifically Sicilian, Augustino held precious all of the traditions that were passed down to him by his loving parents. He was a child of the great depression, yet you'd never know the heartache by looking into Augie's face. His mother did all she could to make lemonade from lemons, and his memories were filled more with the good rather than the bad. Some of that good took place out in the alleys by his home on Benson Street in Detroit where he and his mates would wile away the hours playing Alley Baseball. Another great memory of Augie's childhood years were those entertained of the many dances and parties enjoyed in the basement of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Detroit. On one fateful night, it was there that he met Mary Giacona,…the girl that set the spark ablaze. It would take quite a few more dances and eventual dating that would lead Augie to the wisest and most loving decision he ever made,…asking Mary to become his wife. And so it was that on October 10, 1953, (and fittingly in the place they met, Our Lady of Sorrows) Augie watched his bride take her walk down the aisle to the altar where the two became one and began their lives together in the eyes of family and friends alike. In his early years, Augie worked as a clerk for the Detroit Stove Company. Ultimately, his career path changed when he decided to seek employment with the U.S. Postal Service, and landed the job. It is there that he spent the bulk of his working years and exuded the utmost in dedicated service until his retirement in 1984. For most people, retirement involves a lot of freedom and release from the daily grind, but Augie just wasn't content by sitting around. So with the invitation of his brother-in-law, Charlie, Augie took a position with Charlie's place of business, the Metro Vending Company.Yet for all the strong work ethics Augie possessed, life wasn't all about working either. After the kids were all grown and on their own, Augie & Mary made the decision to become world travelers and set their sights on points eastward with Spain being the first on a list that included the Caribbean, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales,…and with extreme sentiment, the island of Sicily where they returned numerous times in their travels. Together, Augie & Mary experienced a plethora of beautiful sights, wonderful cultures, and enjoyed a storehouse of treasured memories from the places and people they met along the way. Yet of all the places they visited, it was their 1994 pilgrimage to Medjugorje (in the former Yugoslavia) that absolutely changed their hearts and lives. Following a guided hiking tour to the crest of a specific mountain there, Augie came upon a 40 foot cement cross that would ultimately become an inspiration that would draw him back to that mountaintop many times over. Purported to have been blessed by the Holy Mother, it stood for so much of what Augie's journey of faith was all about,…and he simply couldn't get enough of the blessing it was in his life.And yes, this man of Sicilian heritage and old world traditions was truly a man of faith and devout in his beliefs. A longtime parishioner of St. Sylvester Catholic Church in Warren, Augie also served in many capacities within the church and touched a multitude of hearts and lives through his ministerial gifts. Faith and Family,…that's what it was all about for this inspiring man. A loving husband, father and grandfather, Augie leaves a legacy of love that will never be forgotten and will forever be cherished. He will be missed immensely and loved eternally.Augustino was the beloved husband of the late Mary (nee: Giacona), and is the dear father of Marian (Mario) Giacona, Linda Lombardo, and David Lombardo. He was the cherished grandfather of Charlie, Matthew, Mariesa, Natalie, and Jesse. Augie is also survived by six great-grandchildren and many loving friends. Visitation for Mr. Lombardo will be held on Friday, November 21st from 5-9pm, with a 7pm Rosary Service, at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Rd. at Common (12 1/2 mile) in Warren. Mr. Lombardo will lie In State on Saturday, 11:30am at St. Faustina Catholic Church (formerly St. Edmund) until the time of the Funeral Liturgy at 12 Noon. Please share memories of Augie at his memory book.