Gino Ben Perata

Gino B. Perata Resident of McKinleyville Gino Ben Perata was born on March 21, 1932 and passed away on January 1st, 2011. After emigrating from Italy with his mother at the age of six, Gino arrived in Oakland, CA, where he spent his youth. He attended St. Elizabeth's High School and graduated in 1950. In 1952, Gino served in the United States Army, was deployed to serve in the Korean War, and was honorably discharged in June of 1954. Returning from the war, Gino became a partner in the Oakland Scavenger Company, where he worked until his retirement on July 1st, 1993. In February of 2001, Gino left his residence in Castro Valley, CA and moved to McKinleyville, CA where he happily lived out his post-retirement with his wife of thirty-eight years, Donna. Gino loved the land and the outdoors. He was an avid fisherman for the majority of his life and hunted deer in Utah and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Gino showed tremendous expertise at knife-making and woodworking, and enjoyed the challenge of crafting bookshelves, tables, and dollhouses for his family and friends. He had a strong love for reading and enjoyed watching movies and television. During his later years, he most enjoyed taking care of his five goats and his cat, Squeaky. Gino had a tremendously strong work ethic which epitomized him as a hard worker. Coupled with his emphasis on doing a job well, he had a tremendous sense of humor, a deep love for comedy, and a wonderful laugh. He was notably kind and generous to people, especially those going through hard times. Gino never knew a stranger. Gino was a member of the VFW (McKinleyville), the Alpicella Club of Alameda, and the Italian Catholic Federation. Gino was preceded in death by his parents, Pietro and Gemma Perata. He is survived by his wife, Donna; his sons, Richard, Chris D. (fiancee' of Susan Ayala), Chris J, and Peter (fiancee' of Julie Scott); his daughters Carolyn, Deena Burton (wife of Kurt), and Monica Benham (wife of Jim); his five grandchildren Tony, Gregory, Holly, Adonna, and William; his two great-grandchildren Peyton and Dalton; his sister Marge; his nieces and nephews Sheri Silineri (wife of Wes), Mike, Vickey, Greg, Pat, and Bernie (deceased) Walenter, and many great nephews and great-nieces. There will be a Funeral Mass held at Christ the King Church in McKinleyville on January 15, 2011, at 12:00 PM. All donations may be made to the Sheriff's Animal Shelter, 980 Lycoming, McKinleyville 95501.