John Sesto

John Sesto, Jr. Jul. 10, 1928 ~ Jul. 19, 2013 Resident of Pleasanton This odd custom of summing up the worth of a man's life in two hundred or two thousand words lends itself to clich‚s like devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, dedicated son and brother, committed Catholic, a man of integrity. But these words do not do justice to this man, who stood strong and firm, who took no shortcuts and told no lies. John lived to 85. He went from leaving high school early to join the Navy in 1945, to eventually earning his M.B.A. from Golden Gate University. He began studying dentistry at Creighton University, but was called back to active duty during the Korean War. He went on to serve his country for over 20 years, traveling extensively and making history in 1949 as part of the crew of the U.S.S. Burton Island icebreaker, the first known vessel to reach Nome, Alaska in midwinter. While all these "facts" are true help define the man, we, his family, will best remember John, our dad, our mom's husband, his grand-daughters' papa, for his unwavering strength, his unshakeable faith, his honesty, his lighthearted jokes, his BBQ, his readiness to give, his undeniable love, his shining eyes and always his smile. He is survived by his wife, Gerda, his daughters, Michelle and Melinda, and his grand-daughters, Danielle and Kristen. On July 25th, there will be a vigil at St. Augustines in Pleasanton at 7pm and on July 26th, a memorial mass at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John's memory to Hope Hospice in Dublin.