John Dal Santo

John Quentin Dal Santo



John Quentin

Dal Santo, age 96, of Albuquerque, N.M., passed away peacefully at home on October 26, 2020. His death was preceded by his wife of 69 years, Helen Dal Santo, and their daughter Ret. Judge Diane Dal Santo.

He is survived by his son John Dal Santo Jr.; his daughter Marlene Hubbard (Roger Hubbard deceased); daughter Paula Dal Santo and husband, Ed Anlian; and son-in-law Fred O'Cheskey. He is also survived by many grandchildren: Sara Hubbard and John Hubbard; Arden Anlian and husband, Patrick Wyman; Kendall Anlian and husband, Matthew Horn; Quentin Anlian; and three great grandchildren, Ames, Ellis and Selma.

He was born April 5, 1924, in a farmhouse in Loomis, Wis. Within his first year of life, his family moved to Chicago, where he spent his formative years. World War II defined our father's life: from his travels and adventures to, most importantly, the fact that he survived the war.

He served in the U.S. Army Engineer Special Brigade as a member of a boat and shore regiment in World War II. He completed his initial training at Camp Edwards, MA in the summer of 1943. In the autumn, he deployed to the Southwest Pacific, served as a member of a gun crew on Australian supply ships and participated in the New Guinea campaign. In late 1944, in preparation for the Allied invasion of Japan, he was assigned to Manila port operations in the Philippines where he worked as a signalman until the end of World War II.

He made his way back to Chicago where he met his lovely wife Helen at Madura's Danceland. They married in 1948 and moved to Albuquerque with their baby daughter Diane in 1950. He bought Universal Carpet in the early 1950s and continued its operations until the late 1980s. During this time, he entertained himself as a private pilot and would fly with his buddies up through Canada, and down through Mexico and Central America.

Our father was the salt of the earth, loved the humble and hardworking people of New Mexico and gladly made Albuquerque his home. He worked hard to educate his four children and was a continual mentor in their education and careers.

He never dwelled on the difficult and made light of the tragic. He appreciated everything he worked for and considered himself a very lucky man; his children considered themselves luckier to have him as their father. He will be missed.

A funeral mass will be held at Queen of Heaven, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, at 10:00 am.

In lieu of flowers please donate to a cause close to your heart.