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Joseph Edward Giacomini

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Birth	:	27 Jun 1922 Eureka, Humboldt County, California, USA
Death	:	24 Dec 2011 San Rafael, Marin County, California, USA
Burial	:	Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery, San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.0024986, -122.5397034
Inscription	:	US NAVY WORLD WAR II
Description	:	Joseph Giacomini, former Humboldt dairyman, dies at 89; Eureka native with varied career leaves local legacy By Jessica Bernstein-Wax/Marin Independent Journal The loved ones of Joseph Edward Giacomini, a former Humboldt County dairyman who became a lawyer in his 50s, are gathering next week to remember the life of the longtime Marin County resident. Giacomini died at his home in San Rafael on Dec. 24. He was 89. Giacomini died of complications from myeloma, his daughter, Susan Giacomini Allan, said. Born June 27, 1922, in Eureka, Giacomini was the only one of his parents' 11 children to be delivered in a hospital. "The family joke was,... Read More	Joseph Giacomini, former Humboldt dairyman, dies at 89; Eureka native with varied career leaves local legacy By Jessica Bernstein-Wax/Marin Independent Journal The loved ones of Joseph Edward Giacomini, a former Humboldt County dairyman who became a lawyer in his 50s, are gathering next week to remember the life of the longtime Marin County resident. Giacomini died at his home in San Rafael on Dec. 24. He was 89. Giacomini died of complications from myeloma, his daughter, Susan Giacomini Allan, said. Born June 27, 1922, in Eureka, Giacomini was the only one of his parents' 11 children to be delivered in a hospital. "The family joke was, 'Oh, Joe, he was the only one born in the hospital,'" Giacomini Allan said. "But it was only because grandma was there for something else." Giacomini was raised on a farm near Ferndale and attended Fortuna High School. He is the namesake for the Giacomini Future Farmers of America Field Day, an annual event in which hundreds of FFA members compete. According to a 1958 article in the FFA magazine The National Future Farmer, the Giacomini family was known for their involvement in farming. The FFA field day started as an event on Giacomini's farm in Alton, Gypsy Guernsey Farms. "There were competitions for judging and showing of cattle, a big lunch and a tug of war," Giacomini Allan recalled in an email to the Times-Standard. The field day is now held annually at the Ferndale fair grounds. Giacomini had a varied career. In 1942, Giacomini enlisted in the U.S. Navy, hoping that the move would enable his brothers to stay home and work at the family dairy farm in Humboldt County. The family isn't related to the Marin Giacominis, also known for their dairy farms. While stationed at a naval airbase in Alameda in 1943, Giacomini would hitch rides on the San Francisco Chronicle delivery truck to visit his high school sweetheart, Helen Bertocchini. He even hitched a ride Aug. 14, 1943, on the couple's wedding day, his daughter said. The couple remained married more than 65 years until her death in 2009. "He was as in love with her the day she died as the day they fell love in the high school library," Giacomini Allen wrote. After serving in the Pacific Theater on the USS Natoma Bay, Giacomini received an honorable discharge in October 1945. That same year, Giacomini and his brother, Eugene, launched Gypsy Guernsey Farms near Fortuna. The operation grew significantly over the years and won prizes at state and county fairs. Giacomini and his wife didn't have the chance to attend college as young adults, but in 1967, they decided to sell the dairy business and move to Marin County with their children to pursue higher education. The family settled in Lucas Valley, and Helen Giacomini attended Dominican University while her husband attended San Francisco Law School and John F. Kennedy University College of Law, Giacomini Allan said. While a law student, Giacomini took a job as a maintenance worker at Paradise Beach County Park in Tiburon to make ends meet. He also got his real estate license and worked at Frank Howard Allen, where he managed the company's Tiburon office for several years. Giacomini was sworn into the State Bar of California on his 53rd birthday. For three decades he worked as a trust and estate attorney out of a little office in Tiburon, where the only other worker was a part-time secretary. Giacomini often performed pro bono work and always encouraged his friends and members of his large, Italian-Swiss family to follow their dreams, his daughter said. He also believed strongly in education. "When he worked with people with their will and trust, he would say, 'I want you to buy a life insurance policy that will provide for the education of your children and grandchildren,'" Giacomini Allan said, adding, "My dad thought the best of everyone." She remembers her father for his hobbies as well as his achievements. He was a man who climbed Half Dome, made wine with his friends and was an avid gardener. At 88 years of age, he began serving as a Eucharistic minister at his parish, St. Isabella's in Terra Linda. The week he died, he was writing a series on an adventurous Coke machine. Giacomini had four biological children and adopted a toddler boy not long after his own son's tragic death in a tractor accident at age 14. He founded the Rotary Club of Tiburon-Belvedere in 1977 and attended nearly every weekly meeting until just before his death. Both Giacomini and his eldest daughter survived polio, and he was particularly dedicated to the Rotary's efforts to eradicate the disease. In 1985, he raised more than $100,000 for the PolioPlus campaign, said Barbara Newhouse, president of the Rotary Club of Tiburon-Belvedere. "He was the kindest, most gentle, wonderful man you could know," Newhouse said, describing Giacomini as "inspirational." "He was just very engaged," she added. "He always believed we could do anything." Giacomini is survived by four of his children, Joan Giacomini Helgeson, of San Francisco; Susan Giacomini Allan, of Inverness; Teresa Giacomini, of Oakland; and Mark Giacomini, of Auburn. His wife, Helen Bertocchini Giacomini, and son Stephen Giacomini preceded him in death. Other survivors include five siblings, nine grandchildren and one great-grandson.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Joseph Edward Giacomini's memorial?
Joseph Edward Giacomini's memorial is located at: Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery, San Rafael, Marin County, USA.
When did Joseph Edward Giacomini death?
Joseph Edward Giacomini death on 24 Dec 2011 in San Rafael, Marin County, California, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Joseph Edward Giacomini's memorial?
Latitude: 38.0024986
Longitude: -122.5397034

Family Members:

Parent

Henry E. Giacomini

(1892 - 1968)

Rose Frances Christen Giacomini

(1895 - 1982)

Spouse

Helen Bertocchini Giacomini

(1922 - 2009)

Siblings

John Henry Giacomini

(1919 - 2009)

Francis Giacomini

(1920 - 1920)

Eugene Leonard Giacomini

(1921 - 1950)

Edwin Harold Giacomini

(1924 - 1998)

Donald Francis “Don” Giacomini

(1926 - 2016)

Harold Aloysius Giacomini

(1928 - 2021)

Lucille Helen “Jackie” Giacomini Young

(1934 - 1992)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0024986, -122.5397034

2. Mount Tamalpais Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9861984, -122.5544891

3. Mission San Rafael Arcangel Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9744330, -122.5280570

4. Marin County Farm Cemetery
Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0285500, -122.5652530

5. Saint Vincents Orphanage Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0355800, -122.5334550

6. First Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden
San Anselmo, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9703310, -122.5667860

7. Montgomery Memorial Chapel Crypt
San Anselmo, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9687940, -122.5638630

8. San Quentin Prison Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9436480, -122.4883760

9. Druid Heights Burial Site
Mill Valley, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8892100, -122.5647100

10. Pioneer Memorial Cemetery
Novato, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1132532, -122.5902599

11. Valley Memorial Park
Novato, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1204300, -122.5436300

12. Fernwood Cemetery
Mill Valley, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8767014, -122.5231018

13. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Memorial Garden
Belvedere, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8767515, -122.4712901

14. Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Cemetery
Bolinas, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9212570, -122.6938858

15. Bolinas Cemetery
Bolinas, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9212600, -122.6938900

16. Taylor Cemetery
Lagunitas, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0272580, -122.7346590

17. Saint Pauls Cemetery (Defunct)
San Pablo, Contra Costa County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9563332, -122.3430099

18. Angel Island Cemetery (defunct)
Tiburon, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8621830, -122.4325920

19. Salesian Cemetery
Richmond, Contra Costa County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9532650, -122.3401230

20. Sailors Cemetery
Sausalito, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8442390, -122.4774770

21. Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery
San Pablo, Contra Costa County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9612700, -122.3336600

22. Rolling Hills Memorial Park
Richmond, Contra Costa County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9756012, -122.3146973

23. Olema Cemetery
Olema, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0313988, -122.7789001

24. Presidio of San Francisco Pet Cemetery
San Francisco, San Francisco County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8025490, -122.4671960