Corrado Russo

1936 - 2013

Corrado (Conrad) Russo
August 31, 1936 - July 24, 2013
A longtime Resident of San Jose
Corrado Russo was born on August 31, 1936 in Rome, Italy. As a child he lived through the horrors of World War II and in the 1950s immigrated to Montreal, Canada. There he met his wife, Vincenzina (Zina), who had left Italy for Canada at around the same time and after a few years together they were married. Corrado worked as a carpenter in Montreal while attending University. He graduated with a Bachelors of Engineering from Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) and a Master's of Engineering from McGill University.
In 1979 Corrado and his family moved to the United States and in 1980 he obtained a position with FMC where he worked on designs for various defense systems, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. After his retirement in 1995 he continued to be involved with engineering work as a Consultant. In his youth Conrad had been a boxer, and in his spare time he loved watching soccer, especially when A.S. Roma played.
His professional work did not stop him from being extensively involved with the Italian-American community in San Jose. He was a charter Commissioner of the County of Santa Clara/Province of Florence Sister County Commission for 20 years. He was a member of the Italian-American Heritage Foundation for over 25 years and a Board Member for 4 recent years until his declining health forced him to resign. Corrado and Vincenzina were both chairs for several years of the annual Santa Clara County Festival of the Repubblicca, which honors the founding of the Italian Republic, and last year were honorary chairs of the Festival. In 2009, on the occasion of the 63rd Anniversary of the Italian Republic, Corrado wrote an article for the Italian-American Heritage Foundation Newsletter where he wrote about he and Vincenzina living in Italy after the destruction of World War II: "Neither of us ever forgot our experiences in Italy, going through a terrible war that brought death, hunger and destruction all over the world. We pray to God that this will not happen anymore."
Corrado was a beloved husband and father. He is survived by his wife Vincenzina, his sons Stefano and Roberto, and his grandsons Darian and Jonathan.
Family and friends are invited to attend a Vigil Service Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at LIMA-CAMPAGNA-ALAMEDA MISSION CHAPEL, 600 S. Second Street, San Jose, with Visitation beginning at 4:00 p.m. Funeral Mass Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at HOLY FAMILY CHURCH, 4848 Pearl Avenue, San Jose. Interment to follow at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Corrado's name to a Scholarship set up by the Italian-American Heritage Foundation, 425 N. Fourth Street, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 293-7122, iahfsj@sbcglobal.net