Alvin Cortopassi

Alvin Cortopassi, aged 82, was born in Stockton, CA on July 5th, 1942 to his proud parents Amerigo and Teresa (Avansino) Cortopassi. After battling Valley Fever for the past five months, Alvin succumbed peacefully to pneumonia among his family in the hospital on April 15th, 2025.

Alvin grew up in Stockton and graduated from St. Mary's high school prior to marrying Doris (Giovannoni) and settling down in Linden to start a family and embark upon his long career as a farmer.

Using the title of "farmer" doesn't adequately describe his true skillset. Alvin was more like a mechanical engineer, a master mechanic, an agronomist, a manager, and an "Ag historian" who happened to grow various annual and permanent crops for over sixty years.

Farming provided Alvin with his livelihood, a strong sense of accomplishment, and many lifelong friendships formed with employees, suppliers, vendors, and his fellow farmers. However later in life, Alvin's other passion came from his hobbies and his "Toys".

His classic car collection of ten vehicles, featured by four pristine 1932 Fords, was both impressive and a source of pride. The only thing that kept this fleet of vehicles from growing larger was that he ran out of storage space!

In addition to classic cars, Alvin enjoyed researching and finding rare antique toy trucks and toy tractors. What started out as a small hobby grew into a rather large collection that now resembles a small museum.

Undoubtedly his favorite kind of vehicles were airplanes. As a pilot for over forty years, and an owner of two airplanes, nothing made him happier than soaring through the sky, on a clear and sunny day, surveying the terrain of the beautiful state of California.

Alvin was preceded in death in 2021 by his wife of 58 years, Doris, his parents, and brother Dino. He is survived by his daughter Terri (married to Jim Stowe), son Tom (married to Maureen), his sister Marianne (Cortopassi) Cogorno, and his grandchildren: Kyle Cortopassi (married to Katie), Joey Cortopassi, Emily Stowe, Allison Stowe, Conner Cortopassi, and his beloved black labrador -- Sadie.

The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to Rosa Teves for her compassionate care during Alvin's illness.

A viewing will be held at Casa Bonita Funeral Home in Stockton (2500 Cemetery Lane) on Monday April 21st from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A Catholic funeral mass will be held at St. Michael's Catholic Church (5882 N. Ashley Lane) on Tuesday April 22nd at 10:00 am followed by a reception/luncheon at the Waterloo Gun and Bocce Club (4343 N. Ashley Lane).

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate remembrances in his honor to a charity of your choice.