Louis M. Bini
1926 - 2020 Formerly of San Jose
Louis M. Bini passed away, at 94 years old, on June 13, 2020, in Grass Valley, California, due to a heart attack. On February 28, 1926, Lou was born in the front room of his parents’ newly-built home, in San Jose’s Berryessa district, a neighborhood where many immigrants from Staffoli, Italy, had settled. His parents, Cesare and Anna Bini, with only their wits to guide them, had come to this country in 1913 from Staffoli. Cesare worked on the Quito Ranch in Saratoga and in the fields of Northern San Jose, before deciding to buy a commercial truck and become a vegetable peddler.
As a four-year-old, Lou was introduced to his father’s routine. At 4:00 a.m., they would drive to the market to buy fruits, vegetables, and eggs, and then continue on a route selling the goods throughout Santa Clara Valley neighborhoods, from the mansions on The Alameda to the itinerant camps on Campbell Creek. Lou remembered the bustling old farmers’ market on Market Street in downtown San Jose before it was moved in 1932. On his first day of school, he spoke only Italian. He attended local schools and completed San Jose High School in 1943.
During World War II, Lou served in the Army Air Corps. Afterwards, he returned home and through the GI Bill took mechanical drawing, then drafting courses, and finally the requirements for a degree. With other students from various colleges, he worked for the city of San Jose on the earliest designs for San Jose’s first municipal airport. He graduated from San Jose State in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
He married Marie Laxalt in 1952, and together they raised five children in Santa Clara. He dedicated himself to his family. He provided for his children and grandchildren, who saw him as a steady role model. In the Old Quad of Santa Clara, he restored and maintained the family home, a 1906 Dutch Colonial. Like his father, for most of his successful career, he was self-employed. After working for a few firms, he started his own consulting civil engineering business in 1964 and continued with it until 1995. A licensed civil engineer in California and Nevada, Lou worked on quarries and reservoirs, but focused primarily on subdivisions in the Santa Clara Valley.
In his retirement years, he kept a vegetable garden, cooked family meals, and played golf. He expressed his gratitude for the fortunate life he led and for those who encouraged him to continue with his education and his career. For the past two years, Lou lived at Eskaton Village in Grass Valley, where he enjoyed the company of new friends, playing cards and painting landscapes. He remained independent until the end.
Lou was predeceased by his wife, Marie, and his son, Michael. He leaves behind Suzanne Shehadeh, Robert Bini (Sarah Lindsay), Adrienne Bini, Tosca Bini (Adam Lawrence), eight grandchildren, and a number of nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed by family and friends. His ashes will be buried in Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. Due to the circumstances of the times, no service is planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the charity of your choice.