John Tornai

Nov. 13, 1930 - Dec. 2, 2018 Sunnyvale

Born in San Francisco, CA, John Tornai passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at his home. John was 88.

A life long resident of the Bay Area, John spent his formative years in San Francisco then settled down in Sunnyvale after marrying the love of his life, Lois Fern Wilson. John is survived by his wife, and three children Robert Tornai, Robin Levi and Shwana Oldham, and grand kids Josh, Shannon, Mitchell and Sarah.

It was on the waterfront of San Francisco that John developed a love for fishing that over his life expanded to other water based pursuits including sailing on San Francisco Bay and along the California coast, freediving for Abalone, SCUBA diving, spearfishing and shell collecting in the tropics. John was an equal opportunity sportsman that saw all bodies of water, fresh or salty, as good places to wet his line or don a facemask and go swimming.

As a young adult, John played the trumpet in a small band on weekends and worked a variety of jobs before starting an entry level position with Westinghouse in Sunnyvale. John went on to make a career of it working 40 years before retiring as a section supervisor with the Marine Division fabricating turbine fans and quiet running drive gears for submarines. After retirement, John stayed busy with home improvement projects, socializing with friends, spending time with his grand kids and as a craftsman working with wood, metal and fabric. And of course, John rarely missed an opportunity to get on the water often with a pole in is hands.

John is preceded in death by his mother, Vincenta and father, John Benito. John was an only child.

A gathering to celebrate his life will be held on January 19, 2019. Please call the family for additional details. 408-245-8485