Bruno Ferrari passed away on Sunday, February 24, 2013 in Santa Barbara. His long struggle with the effects of multiple debilitating strokes and Alzheimer’s disease was finally over. He was 80 years old.
Bruno was born in Santa Maria, California to Mario and Ida (Fontoni) Ferrari on October 5, 1932. He moved to Santa Barbara in 1934. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1950, despite a traumatic car accident that he survived in 1948. He married his one and only love, Ida Marie Hansen, on May 15, 1954. Bruno was employed in the dairy industry, where he worked hard to support his family until his retirement in 1995. He enjoyed playing golf and cards with friends.
More than anything, Bruno found pleasure and purpose in his wife and seven daughters. He believed that family came first, and he lived by that creed. His feelings of love and obligation to his family never faltered. Bruno’s 59 year marriage to his wife, Ida, is a testament to that commitment. He was the lighthouse that guided his girls. He was the rock that gave them security and a place to call home, no matter where their lives took them. Bruno was not big on words. He believed the measure of a man was defined by his actions. He told it like he saw it. He was an honorable man. Yet, this man of high integrity had an often mischievous sense of humor and an easy laugh. Bruno’s life is an inspiring example of a journey toward knowing God through Jesus.
Bruno is survived by his wife, Ida, his seven daughters – Annette, Jeanette, Bernadette, Paulette, Claudette, Yvette and Lynnette, and their spouses, Mike Richardson, Joe Pahler, Marty Dunbar, John Stuelpnagel, Nick Zaccagnino, Steven Little, and Steven Lawson. He left behind 8 grandchildren – David, Brian and Christopher Richardson, Sharon and Alison Pahler, Joel and Jenna Dunbar, and Nathaniel Little. He is also survived by 6 great-grandchildren – Ethan, Lily, Trevor, Lucas, Connor, and Mia. Bruno will be missed by his nephew, Gary Freeman, and his niece, Sandy Kanahele and their families, as well. He was preceded in death by his sister, Elisa Freeman.
Family and friends are invited to attend the Rosary held at Welch-Ryce-Haider in Goleta on Friday, March 1st at 7:00 p.m. and a Mass to celebrate Bruno’s life on Saturday, March 2nd at 10:00 a.m. at St. Raphael’s Church located at 5444 Hollister Ave. in Santa Barbara, to be followed by internment at the Calvary Cemetery.
Bruno would think flowers an extravagance, so if you would like, memorial donations can be made to Saint Raphael School at 160 St. Joseph Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93111; or the Serenity House Hospice Home through Visiting Nurses and Hospice Care at 509 E. Montecito St. Suite 200, Santa Barbara CA 93103. This can also be done at their website -www.vnhcsb.org.
Bruno’s family and friends will have a difficult time filling the void left by this most unpretentious man.
