Fumie "Jim" Spinetti

1920 - 2011

Fumie "Jim" Spinetti
July 22, 1920 - Oct. 29, 2011
Resident of Santa Cruz
Fumie Spinetti passed away at Dominican Hospital on Saturday, October 29. Fumie was born on July 22, 1920 in Santa Cruz, California. He was the son of Antonio Spinetti and Adelle Zoccoli.

In his early years the family moved to the Springfield District near Moss Landing where his father farmed. Fumie attended elementary school in Springfield and later graduated from Watsonville High School in 1939. Shortly after graduation he went to work for Farmer's Mercantile and worked there for nineteen years. During this time he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became an aviation machinist mate serving in the Western Theatre.
Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy he married Betty Jordan of Livermore, California and moved to Watsonville, California. From this marriage they had three children: James, Thomas and Claudia. He later went to work for the Granite Construction Company as a heavy equipment mechanic retiring 25 years later as the Master Mechanic. He recently received his fifty-year membership gold watch from the Operating Engineers Union.
In 1980 he married Dorothy Asmussen who was his high school classmate. Fumie was very active in the Italian Catholic Federation having served as the first president of the Watsonville branch for five and a half years. He was then elected to the Italian Catholic Federation's Central Council governing board and subsequently became a Member Emeritus.
Fumie leaves his wife Dorothy and his three children: Jim Spinetti and his wife Lois and Tom Spinetti and his wife Colleen of Hollister and Claudia La Rue of Watsonville. He also leaves his stepson Chris Asmussen and his wife Linda, a sister Grace Hill, six grandchildren, six great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Our Lady Help of Christians Valley Catholic Church, 2401 East Lake Ave., Watsonville, CA on Thursday November 3 at 10:00 am. A vigil and recital of the holy Rosary will be held at Benito Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga St., Santa Cruz on Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm. A visitation will be held at Pacific Gardens Chapel on Wednesday from 3:00 pm until service time. Interment will be in Valley Catholic Cemetery immediately following the funeral mass.
Contributions in his memory can be made to the Santa Cruz Italian Catholic Federation, Branch #21, 125 Toledo Street, Santa Cruz, California, 95060 or you can make a donation to the charity of choice.