Emil Dolce

Emil Salvadore Dolce, 88, of Mattoon, passed from this life at 3:58 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, 2007, at his residence. Funeral services in tribute to his life will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 23rd, at the Schilling Funeral Home with Pastors Lloyd Johnson and Kevin Wolfe officiating. Burial will follow with Military Honors by the V.F.W. Post 4325 in the Dodge Grove Cemetery. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 5:00- 7:00 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home. Emil was born January 5, 1919, in Oil City, Pennsylvania, the son of Anthony and Marana (Giordano) Dolce. Emil worked 16 years in industry in Pennsylvania. He worked 10½ years at Struthers and Wells in Titusville, Pennsylvania, where he was General Foreman. He worked 5½ years at the Joy Manufacturing Company in Franklin, Pa., as the head Tool Design Engineer. In 1955, Emil took the job with Blaw-Knox Company in Pittsburgh, Pa., to help layout and build a plant in Mattoon, Illinois. After the plant was built in Mattoon, Emil became the Chief Plant and Chief Tool Engineer. Emil was also in charge of shutting down the Blaw-Knox Nunda, New York Plant and bringing parts of it and a dozen Key Supervisors to the Mattoon Plant. Emil left the Blaw-Knox Company in 1962 and was hired as the Chief Engineer at the Mattoon Memorial Hospital and later the Douglas Nursing Center. Emil helped set up the moving of the Mattoon Memorial Hospital to the new Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in 1977. Emil left the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center and returned to the Blaw-Knox Company as the Chief Tool Engineer and Tool Room Supervisor. He retired from Blaw-Knox on January 15, 1986. Following retirement, Emil and Virginia spent the next three winters in Bradenton, Florida and traveled all over the United States and Canada. Emil was an avid fisherman and an all-around sports enthusiast. Emil always put his family and church first. He enjoyed camping, cooking, boating and skiing. Emil was a licensed State Official in football, basketball and baseball for twenty seven years. He was also a Scout Master and he coached and managed many Little and large league teams in all sports. Emil divorced in 1962 and met and married the love of his life, Virginia Cisna, on March 21, 1963, at the Broadway Christian Church by the Reverend Howard McFadden. Survivors include his loving and devoted wife of forty-four years, Virginia Dolce of Mattoon; his children, Rose Nale and husband Clifford of Mattoon and Dennis L. Dolce and wife Barbara of Corpus Christi, Texas; his stepdaughter, Shirley Abbott and husband James of Mattoon; his stepson, Dennis Cisna and wife Susan of Villa Grove. Emil and Virginia have been blessed with fourteen grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Michael Dolce of Cleveland, Ohio; and his two sisters, Mary Thompson and husband Robert of Longview, Texas and Anna Wagner of Erie, Pennsylvania. Emil was preceded in death by his parents, Anthony and Marana Dolce; a brother, Benjamin Dolce, formerly of Oil City, Pennsylvania; his sister, Frances Painter, formerly of Cleveland, Ohio; his half-brother, Anthony Ettare, formerly of Stanley, Virginia; and grandson Mark Cisna. Emil joined the National Guard's 112th Howitzer Company in Oil City, Pennsylvania in 1937. After three years he received his honorable discharge as a Sergeant. In the fall of 1940, there was talk of the draft. My captain called me and asked me to re-enlist rather than get drafted. I enlisted and became Supply Sgt. and we were soon mustered into the regular army and shipped to Fort Meade, Maryland, where we were the first to train the first draftees. In the fall of 1941, we were shipped to Fort Bragg, N.C., to join forces with 700,000 other enlisted men for the Carolina Maneuvers to prepare for World War II, which happened right after Pearl Harbor. During the Maneuvers, my platoon was ordered to dig fox holes in the designated area where tanks were to come through. When tanks came through and ran over us while we were in the fox holes, the ground gave in on us and six of my men were crushed to death. I was hospitalized with a broken neck and a broken back, plus cut and bruised badly. I was later released to my unit and weeks later given an honorable discharge. I returned home to my wife and daughter in Oil City, Pa. and soon went to work in a war plant, Struthers and Wells Company in Titus, Pa. In late 1944, I got a draft notice that I had to go back into the service for the third time. I went to Fort McEveland, Alabama for three more months of rugged basic training. I was then sent for six weeks of radio school training. I was shipped to Italy and assigned to the 88th Blue Devil Division and again to six more weeks of advanced training. After completion I was assigned to the Division Radio Station. We were stationed there to protect the border between Northern Italy and Yugoslavia. It was there when I was hit with shrapnel in my left knee and later was given a complete knee replacement. I was discharged in 1946 with an honorable disability. Emil was awarded the following medals: American Defense Campaign, Army of Occupation, Good Conduct, World War II Victory Pin, European E.A.M.E. Campaign Disabled Veterans Pin, Overseas Eagle Pin, Expert Infantry Badge, D.A.V. Lifetime Member Pin, and was considered Expert on the following weapons: 45 pistol, M.I. Rifle, Thirty and Caliber Machine Gun. Emil never met a stranger. He was a member of the Broadway Christian Church, the V.F.W. Post 4325 and the Loyal Order of the Moose. Memorial gifts in his honor are suggested to Broadway Christian Church.