Albert P. "Bert" Bezzone Jr.

BEZZONE, Jr., Albert P. ''Bert''


Born on June 22, 1931, in Sacramento, Calif., he passed away peacefully on April 14, 2008, at the age of 76. Bert was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, JoAnn, and brother-in-law Ed Lial. Surviving are his children, Jeffrey and wife Vicki of Sacramento, David and wife Nanette of Nevada, and Judith of Sacramento; grandchildren Jon and Angela of Nevada; sister Margaret Lial of Sacramento; twin brother Lawrence of Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews.

A valued and highly recognized employee for the State of California, retiring in 1993 after 40 years with the California Department of Transportation. As Chief of Structures he oversaw the maintenance of 12,000 state highway bridges and the construction of many unusual and complex projects.

He was in responsible charge for the design of the award-winning Bryte Bend Bridge over the Sacramento River and a suspension bridge over the Klamath River at Orleans. He was sent to France, Germany, Italy, and Austria by the State of California to study the design and construction of "cast in place segmental cantilever" bridges, which are built outwardly from the center. The Pine Valley Creek Bridge in San Diego was the first of its type in the United States. He was a member of the U.S. General Accounting Office's investigation into the structural soundness of the Zilwaukee Bridge in the state of Michigan.

He received the A.P. Greensfelder Construction Prize, awarded by the American Society of Civil Engineers; was awarded Man of the Year by the Professional Engineers in California Government; and was the recipient of the Leadership Award from The American Segmental Bridge Institute. He is proudly listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in Engineering and was a 50-year member of The American Society of Civil Engineers.

After his retirement, Bert consulted from home for the states of Florida and Washington and many private agencies. His hobbies included gardening and working at home in his machine shop. He was known to fix anything or make a replacement part beyond belief. With great pride, he helped his grandson construct an entry for a soap box derby. He was a Scoutmaster for his son's Boy Scout Troop. Beyond the professional accomplishments, Bert's dedication was to his family.

Family and friends are invited to the visitation on Sunday, April 20, 2008, from 12:00 Noon-3:00 p.m., and funeral service on Monday, April 21, 2008, 11:00 a.m., at HARRY A. NAUMAN & SON FUNERAL CHAPEL, 4041 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, Calif.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Asian Community Center, 7375 Park City Dr., Sacramento, CA 95831, or the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, Ill 60601-7663.

The Bezzone Family would like to thank the dedicated staff at Asian Community Nursing Home for the wonderful care our father received.