Quintino Biondi, age 88, of Fort Mohave, Arizona, passed away peacefully at home on August 26, 2010.
He was born in Castelpetroso, Campobasso, Italy in 1922, one of 10 children of Domenico and Immacolata Biondi. He fought with the Italian Army on the Russian Front, where his entire regiment was killed. He was spared by being sent home to attend his father's funeral.
He immigrated to the United States in 1949, and worked in the shoe department of Bamberger's department store in Newark, N.J. He marched in the store's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which moved across the river to Manhattan when parent company, Macy's, consolidated its northeastern operations.
In 1959, he paid $300 to purchase a shoe repair shop on South Essex Avenue in Orange, N.J., from Pasquale Di Fabrizio, who moved to Los Angeles and became known as the "Shoemaker to the Stars."
At Di Fabrizio's suggestion, Quintino moved his family and business to California in 1960, opening Biondi Shoe Clinic on Highway 111 in Cathedral City. He specialized in orthopedic corrections and custom dyes. Among his customers were Frank Sinatra and his mother, Dolly, President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Phil Harris and Alice Faye, and Ginger Rogers. He sold the business in 1977, but was not content to retire.
In 1981, he went to work at La Quinta Country Club, where he became Cart Shop Manager. Upon his second retirement, he said, "I would like to thank everyone for being patient with my English. And after 18 years, I have to say, I still don't understand why people get such a kick out of chasing a little ball around with a metal stick."
Quintino is survived by his wife of 28 years, Isabel, of Fort Mohave, AZ; two daughters, Doris Close, of Golden Shores, AZ, and Diane Dobbins, of Palm Desert, CA; and son, Tom Biondi of La Quinta, CA.
A viewing will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2010, at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens, 9250 S. Ranchero Lane, Mohave Valley, Ariz.
A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 27 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, 218 D Street, Needles, Calif., followed by entombment at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Published in Mohave Daily News Online from August 25 to September 1, 2010
He was born in Castelpetroso, Campobasso, Italy in 1922, one of 10 children of Domenico and Immacolata Biondi. He fought with the Italian Army on the Russian Front, where his entire regiment was killed. He was spared by being sent home to attend his father's funeral.
He immigrated to the United States in 1949, and worked in the shoe department of Bamberger's department store in Newark, N.J. He marched in the store's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which moved across the river to Manhattan when parent company, Macy's, consolidated its northeastern operations.
In 1959, he paid $300 to purchase a shoe repair shop on South Essex Avenue in Orange, N.J., from Pasquale Di Fabrizio, who moved to Los Angeles and became known as the "Shoemaker to the Stars."
At Di Fabrizio's suggestion, Quintino moved his family and business to California in 1960, opening Biondi Shoe Clinic on Highway 111 in Cathedral City. He specialized in orthopedic corrections and custom dyes. Among his customers were Frank Sinatra and his mother, Dolly, President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Phil Harris and Alice Faye, and Ginger Rogers. He sold the business in 1977, but was not content to retire.
In 1981, he went to work at La Quinta Country Club, where he became Cart Shop Manager. Upon his second retirement, he said, "I would like to thank everyone for being patient with my English. And after 18 years, I have to say, I still don't understand why people get such a kick out of chasing a little ball around with a metal stick."
Quintino is survived by his wife of 28 years, Isabel, of Fort Mohave, AZ; two daughters, Doris Close, of Golden Shores, AZ, and Diane Dobbins, of Palm Desert, CA; and son, Tom Biondi of La Quinta, CA.
A viewing will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2010, at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens, 9250 S. Ranchero Lane, Mohave Valley, Ariz.
A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 27 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, 218 D Street, Needles, Calif., followed by entombment at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Published in Mohave Daily News Online from August 25 to September 1, 2010
Quintino Biondi, age 88, of Fort Mohave, Arizona, passed away peacefully at home on August 26, 2010.
He was born in Castelpetroso, Campobasso, Italy in 1922, one of 10 children of Domenico and Immacolata Biondi. He fought with the Italian Army on the Russian Front, where his entire regiment was killed. He was spared by being sent home to attend his father's funeral.
He immigrated to the United States in 1949, and worked in the shoe department of Bamberger's department store in Newark, N.J. He marched in the store's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which moved across the river to Manhattan when parent company, Macy's, consolidated its northeastern operations.
In 1959, he paid $300 to purchase a shoe repair shop on South Essex Avenue in Orange, N.J., from Pasquale Di Fabrizio, who moved to Los Angeles and became known as the "Shoemaker to the Stars."
At Di Fabrizio's suggestion, Quintino moved his family and business to California in 1960, opening Biondi Shoe Clinic on Highway 111 in Cathedral City. He specialized in orthopedic corrections and custom dyes. Among his customers were Frank Sinatra and his mother, Dolly, President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Phil Harris and Alice Faye, and Ginger Rogers. He sold the business in 1977, but was not content to retire.
In 1981, he went to work at La Quinta Country Club, where he became Cart Shop Manager. Upon his second retirement, he said, "I would like to thank everyone for being patient with my English. And after 18 years, I have to say, I still don't understand why people get such a kick out of chasing a little ball around with a metal stick."
Quintino is survived by his wife of 28 years, Isabel, of Fort Mohave, AZ; two daughters, Doris Close, of Golden Shores, AZ, and Diane Dobbins, of Palm Desert, CA; and son, Tom Biondi of La Quinta, CA.
A viewing will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2010, at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens, 9250 S. Ranchero Lane, Mohave Valley, Ariz.
A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 27 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, 218 D Street, Needles, Calif., followed by entombment at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Published in Mohave Daily News Online from August 25 to September 1, 2010
He was born in Castelpetroso, Campobasso, Italy in 1922, one of 10 children of Domenico and Immacolata Biondi. He fought with the Italian Army on the Russian Front, where his entire regiment was killed. He was spared by being sent home to attend his father's funeral.
He immigrated to the United States in 1949, and worked in the shoe department of Bamberger's department store in Newark, N.J. He marched in the store's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which moved across the river to Manhattan when parent company, Macy's, consolidated its northeastern operations.
In 1959, he paid $300 to purchase a shoe repair shop on South Essex Avenue in Orange, N.J., from Pasquale Di Fabrizio, who moved to Los Angeles and became known as the "Shoemaker to the Stars."
At Di Fabrizio's suggestion, Quintino moved his family and business to California in 1960, opening Biondi Shoe Clinic on Highway 111 in Cathedral City. He specialized in orthopedic corrections and custom dyes. Among his customers were Frank Sinatra and his mother, Dolly, President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Phil Harris and Alice Faye, and Ginger Rogers. He sold the business in 1977, but was not content to retire.
In 1981, he went to work at La Quinta Country Club, where he became Cart Shop Manager. Upon his second retirement, he said, "I would like to thank everyone for being patient with my English. And after 18 years, I have to say, I still don't understand why people get such a kick out of chasing a little ball around with a metal stick."
Quintino is survived by his wife of 28 years, Isabel, of Fort Mohave, AZ; two daughters, Doris Close, of Golden Shores, AZ, and Diane Dobbins, of Palm Desert, CA; and son, Tom Biondi of La Quinta, CA.
A viewing will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2010, at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens, 9250 S. Ranchero Lane, Mohave Valley, Ariz.
A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 27 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, 218 D Street, Needles, Calif., followed by entombment at Desert Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Published in Mohave Daily News Online from August 25 to September 1, 2010
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