Enrico P. Bongio

ENRICO P. BONGIO Enrico Pino Bongio was born in 1922 to Northern Italian immigrants Vincenzo and Maria Bongio, and died on June 15, 2016, of natural causes. He was 94 years old. Enrico possessed a natural curiosity and a contagious joy for life. He had boundless energy and greatly enjoyed company and conversation. He found life's simple pleasures the most satisfying: the taste of rainbow trout after a day of fishing, another clear-blue San Luis Obispo day, sitting in the shade of an oak tree. Enrico grew up in Shively, CA, surrounded by redwood trees in an area he described as ideal for a young boy. He spoke no English when he entered elementary school, but was lucky to have an Italian-speaking teacher in the two-room school house. He graduated from Fortuna Union High School in 1939 and entered Humboldt State College in Arcata later that fall, majoring in Industrial Arts Education. He worked full-time while in school. He obtained his welding certification at age 19 and worked as a welder on floating dry docks for use by the U.S. Navy. The company was Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., located on Humboldt Bay. He worked swing or graveyard while maintaining a full course load at college. By the time he turned 21 he was in charge of one welding crew. Enrico was inducted into the U.S. Army on January 5, 1943 in San Francisco. After completing a battery of tests, he showed a particular aptitude for radio code, and was informed that he would be training in the signal corps - that is, he would become a Morse code operator. He went to Atlantic City, NJ for basic training, and actually found the whole adventure "fun." After six or seven weeks he returned to Camp Pinedale, near Fresno, CA, where he earned the mark of Expert, carbine, on the rifle range. On the train trip back west there was an outbreak of lice, and all of the GIs had to shave each other of ALL hair. Enrico was activated to the 321st Company and sailed to the British Isles on the liberty ship Joseph G Cannon, arriving at Newport, Wales. The Company moved to Blackpool, England for special radio school with instruction in coded messages. The Company prepared for the D-Day invasion and crossed the channel on D plus 3, passing rows of GIs laid out for burial. His primary function was to provide communications between three fighter plane groups as they advanced across France and into Germany. His company was attached to General Patton's 3rd Army and was involved in the Battle of the Bulge. Enrico exited the army as a full sergeant, arrived at New York City, flew to Camp Beale near Sacramento, and was honorably discharged on October 23, 1945. Enrico transferred to Chico State College in 1946, obtaining a BA. He taught briefly at Sonoma Union High School before accepting a job to teach Welding Technology at Cal Poly beginning in 1948. Enrico would later obtain a Master's Degree in Education in the 1960s and earned full Professorship. The very first weekend that he was in town he met Ines Busi at a Portuguese celebration, and the two were married in November 1949. He would go on to teach welding at Cal Poly full-time and as a retired annuitant until 1992. In retirement, he worked part-time as a courier driver for a local car parts store, a role he enjoyed as he was able to be of service and meet many people Enrico loved hunting and fishing throughout his life, and was involved in the San Luis Obispo Sportsmen's Association for decades. He was concerned about range management in the Carrizo Plains, and was involved in building numerous guzzlers in the eastern portion of San Luis Obispo County for the improvement of wildlife. He recounted many fun trips with his hunting buddy and former Cal Poly teacher, Jim Merson, or fishing the high Sierra with Gene Bowls. He played monthly penny-ante poker with an evolving group of Cal Poly teachers until only recently. Enrico enjoyed playing his accordion. He played monthly in Arroyo Grande for decades, and at numerous weddings, parties, community events, and trail rides. Enrico was very dedicated to the Old Mission, and, with Ines, worked on many fundraising events. He painted the entire interior of the convent, welded the barbeque structure that stands there today, and was always available to lend a hand. He was the president of the local chapter of the Italian Catholic Federation for many years, and an active member of the American Legion. He was an extraordinary advocate for San Luis Obispo, telling any and all that he lived in the best town in the world. Husband, father, grandfather, teacher, friend: Enrico relished his relationships and took pride in his family. Enrico and Ines raised three children, Vincent (Syracuse, NY), Domenic (Eureka, CA), and Marie (Corte Madera, CA), all of whom graduated from Cal Poly. He was preceded in death by his mother in 1963, and father in 1968. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ines, children Vincent (Nadine, spouse), Domenic (Elaine, spouse), and Marie (Richard Narlock, spouse), his younger brother, Aldo (Eureka, CA), 7 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, plus nieces and nephews. Special thanks to Steve and Kathy Clifton, Dr. Chris Voge, the excellent caregiver staff at BrightStar, and the many nurses and doctors who provided care over the years. A Rosary will be at 5 pm on Wednesday, June 22, at Wheeler-Smith Mortuary. A Funeral Mass will be at the Old Mission on Thursday, June 23, at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Enrico's memory may be made to Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School. Please sign the guestbook at www.times-standard.com under obituaries.