Geno A. Dezzutti

Geno Dezzutti Obituary (1927 - 2022) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times December 31, 1927 - January 31, 2022 We do not get to choose our family, but for us - the son and daughters of Geno Dezzutti - Dad was a perfect fit.Geno Ario Dezzutti came into this world on New Year's Eve in 1927, and left us at age ninety-four after a mercifully short struggle with COVID. Dad died in our arms at our family home in West Covina surrounded by love and an abundance of grace. He lived a good life, and he was able to leave it exactly the way he hoped he might.Dad was an only child - a first generation Italian-American. His parents, Cesare and Emilia Dezzutti, loved him completely, and Dad returned it in equal dose. They were born and raised in the small town of Bosconero in the Piedmont region of Italy. The stories of the family and life his parents left behind in the "Old Country" kindled a yearning in Dad to know his Italian relatives and roots. He traveled to Italy many times, initially with his beloved wife Kay until her death, and then alongside us to nurture the heart connections so important to him. They endure.Our handsome father was kind, gracious, funny, tolerant, wise and unconditionally loving. He was also a man of deep faith for whom prayer was a source of connection and, ultimately, assurance.Los Angeles was Dad's home turf. His experience as a Cathedral High School "Phantom" was the foundation for close friendships that Dad nurtured throughout his life. Dad cultivated a garden of friends along with his famous lettuce and the "Dezzutti" string beans grown from the seeds passed down to him by his father.Dad was drafted after high school and served in the Army in Korea. Upon his return to civilian life, he entered USC and earned a BA in Life Science. He was a proud Trojan football fan throughout his life - reserving any profanities for his seat in front of the TV watching them play. Dad returned to USC to earn his MA in Education while working and raising his young family.Dad worked for the Hacienda-La Puente School District his entire career, beginning as a Chemistry teacher at La Puente High School followed by a decade as Principal of Los Altos High School during the tumult of the 60's. Dad moved to the district office as an Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, and he retired as Deputy Superintendent. The experiences he shared, but most of all, the relationships he sustained with his colleagues brought him joy.We wish we could have kept him beside us forever, but we know that the terms of the contract under which he came into this world included a non-negotiable return clause. We loved him up, as he did us.Dad shared fifty-six years of marriage with his love and our dear mother Kathryn (Kay) before losing her in 2009. He was a rock solid best friend to his four kids - Gina King (Rick), Linda Brown (Carl), Claire Bianchi (Larry), and Robert Dezzutti (Tracee). Dad was a favorite, funny, quixotic playmate to his eight grandchildren - Teresa Beecham, Alissa Sacksteder (Joe), Brent Fraker, Nick Bianchi, Julianne Nuñez (Brent), Laura Bianchi, Nicole Dezzutti, and Jonathan Dezzutti as well as his four great-grandchildren - Cameron Beecham and the three Sacksteder graces, Reese, Kathryn (Kate), and Juliet.We want to recognize the loving companionship that Dad shared with Roberta Price during the last decade of his life. Roberta added happiness to Dad's later years, and we are grateful.Equanimity and gratitude have visited us since Dad's death, and with any luck, they might pull up a chair and stay awhile. We will think of our Dad and feel his presence beside us in all the moments to come.There will be no memorial service due to the times in which we live.

Geno A. Dezzutti

December 31, 1927 - January 13, 2022