Santa Barbara resident, Egidio Natale, passed away peacefully, just before midnight, on March 14, 2020, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Egidio was born in Campobasso, Italy on June 24, 1930. The son of Carmine Natale and Marta Panciera, he was one of 8 children raised in an apartment on the main thoroughfare of a Naples suburb. Like him, his father was a Carabiniere, an officer in the Italian military police, and his mother was a homemaker to their family of 10. His childhood was shaped, in many ways, by the events of the Second World War. His neighborhood was bombed several times, and there were frequent food shortages. He also survived the chaos of living in a country that switched sides during WWII.
By the time he was a teenager, he was working in the American motor pool where he took care of their Jeeps. This may have been where he developed his passion for automobiles, and caring for them.
In his late teens, he became a Carabiniere and was stationed in various parts of Italy before landing in Rome. It was there that he met his wife, Stella Fenenga Murphy, at the foot of the Spanish steps. Their courtship was primarily through lengthy letters, and they were wed on July 6, 1961, in Rome.
Egidio was enamored with America and, thus, following their wedding and a trip to visit his parents in Naples, the couple departed for the U.S., first to St. Louis, MO., to meet Stella’s parents, and then ultimately to California where they would establish their home.
Their first stop in California, San Jose, yielded no job opportunities for Egidio, so the couple headed south, to Santa Barbara, where Stella’s son, Garth, was attending UCSB, and where daughters Patricia Romana (1962) and Nancy Marta (1963) were born. Egidio initially found work at the EMCO manufacturing plant in Goleta, before settling on his ultimate career as a Fuller Brush door-to-door salesman. Egidio joined Fuller Brush in 1964 and was a very successful salesman for them until he retired (reluctantly) in 2016.
The Natale home quickly became known as a center for hospitality and great dinner parties, as the family hosted individuals from around the world. Egidio befriended UCSB graduate students from Europe and beyond, and would frequently invite them to elaborate, multi-course dinners that would last well into the night. Political conversations were a frequent theme, but were not the exclusive topic. Gatherings were always loud, wine was always available, if not cheap, and there was always laughter. A devout Catholic, Sundays were typically devoted to mass, followed by breakfast and work around the yard. Afternoons were spent indulging in his passions, such as playing tennis or watching soccer matches in the early years; flying airplanes; and in his later years, spending time with close friends. He led a long, full life, and was fortunate enough to have fulfilled many of his dreams. Egidio is survived by his brother, Ettore Natale, who still lives in northern Italy; his daughter Patricia Noormand of Santa Barbara, and her sons Nicholas and McLeod; his daughter Nancy De Caro and son-in-law Bruno, who reside in Vicenza, Italy, and their sons JonLuca and Alexander; and many nieces and nephews who are all grieving this loss.
Due to the Covid-19 virus, his memorial service and reception will take place this summer. Kindly email Patricia Noormand at pipajoon@yahoo.com if you would like to be notified of the date.
