Augustine Joseph “Joe” Saragosa passed away on September 14 at the age of 92. A kind man who was unwavering in his faith, he loved spending time with his family. Joe was born in Carpinteria in 1930 to Julio and Teodora Saragosa. He was the ninth of ten children in his family. He graduated from Santa Barbara Catholic High School in 1949. He was inducted into the United States Army on May 23, 1951 and served as a rifleman on the front line in Korea.
Joe is survived by his wife of 67 years, Caroline Saragosa, and five children: Belinda Burns of Solvang, Susie and Dan Freese of Eureka, Elena and Edwin Warnock of Ventura, Angelo and Mary Saragosa of Carpinteria, and Leticia Saragosa and Evan Dalke of Santa Barbara. He also leaves behind 6 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.
Working at Omwegs Hardware in Carpinteria for many years, he also worked nights packaging tortillas at his in-laws’ factory. He and his wife later opened a restaurant, Pepe Delgado’s on State Street in Santa Barbara. They moved to Atascadero in 1994.
Joe is predeceased by his parents and 8 siblings. He is survived by his younger sister Rita Ledesma of Oxnard. Rita has fond memories of many family gatherings and enjoying music together. Rita recalls that visitors would come to the house and say they didn’t realize there was already company. Rita says, “We would tell them, ‘Oh no. We don’t have company — we all live here!’ “
Joe loved photography. He told many stories of flying over Carpinteria taking pictures with his cousins. He was almost always behind the camera at family gatherings and on trips. He also loved music and had a large mariachi music collection. An avid gardener, he could fix anything. If he wasn’t behind the camera, he was taking charge of the barbecue, often with a glass of wine on ice.
A rosary, and mass will be held on November 5, 2022 starting at 11:30am at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church: 1500 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria, CA. A reception will be held at St. Joseph School adjacent to the church immediately following the mass.
