John Ernest Cosso
January 13, 1929 - April 20, 2017
John Cosso passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, April 20, 2017; the same home in which he was born 88 years prior.
John is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 64 years Rosemary (Arecco) and his children Michael Cosso, Karen Aschenwald (Klaus), Nancy Hines (Buster), Susan Cosso (Corey Wilson), and David Cosso (Molly). John was proud Nonno to Sarah (Tony), Kevin (Diana), Casey, Nick (Whitney), Kristen (Will), Angela, Scott, Sydney, Daniel, Abbie and John, and great Nonno to Sophia and Lily Hines. He is also survived by his dear sisters-in-law Gloria Bonora and Joanne Parenti and was Barba Johnny to many loving nieces and nephews.
John was born to Celestina (Camisia) and Nicola Cosso on the family ranch in Lafayette, CA. He was predeceased by siblings Jack Cosso (Florence), Louise Silvano (Louie), Joe Cosso (Rose), Louie Cosso (Millie) and Rena Repetto (Louis).
Graduate of Acalanes High School class of 1947, John served in the Army in Korea and was honorably discharged and awarded the Purple Heart. After a 40 year career, John retired from Oakland Scavenger/ Waste Management in December of 1990.
During retirement, John enjoyed traveling the world, often to Italy visiting relatives. Other interests included golf, Bocce, and following all the local sports, especially the grandchildren’s school teams. Many wonderful vacations were spent at cabins in Loch Lomond and Truckee. An avid vegetable gardener, John enjoyed planting and sharing his abundant garden.
Proud of his Italian heritage, John enjoyed many activities at Bay Area Italian clubs. He was a member of the Alpicella Club, and lifetime member and past president of the Ligure Club. He had a love of Italian cooking and was known for his focaccia and ravioli. Among his favorite activities was his weekly Thursday golf game and trips with the Golfer and Shopper group. John enjoyed life and spending time with family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
A mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 5th at St. Perpetua’s Catholic Church, 3454 Hamlin Road Lafayette, CA at 10:30am.
Donations can be made in John’s memory to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland-NICU, PO Box 45339 San Francisco, CA 94145-0339 or ucsfbenioffchildrens.org (please specify Oakland NICU) and are greatly appreciated.