A Tribute to a Life

This page is a little different from others on my site: it is a tribute to the life of my late father-in-law, Amedeo Vania, whom I had the privilege to come to know over the past 11 years.

Amedeo would have been 73 years young on January 25, 2005. He was an active man who's body age was at least 10 years younger than his physical age: just last September he was wind-surfing on the Columbia River (one of his favorite activities), and in October carving pumpkins with his grandchildren for Halloween. Shortly thereafter he began complaining of joint pain, and in early December he was hospitalized for partial kidney failure. The cause: multiple myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow. On January 16, 2005, he died from complications related to his cancer. We are stunned, saddened and deeply pained by his loss.

Amedeo was an uncommonly handsome man who savored every moment of life. He was a proud father to two children, Mark and Jessica (my wife), and a fun-loving "grandpapapa" to three grandsons: Sterling, Ethan and Roman. He was a brother to Giacomo, AnnaMaria, and Georgio, and a caring companion to his significant other of 10 years, Lori.

Amedeo and Sterling, February 2004. Hasselblad H1, 80mm lens, Kodak E100G
 

During the years I knew him, I was impressed by how much satisfaction he seemed to get out of life, and by how he never lost touch with the child inside him. His water fights during the summer with my son Sterling are already the stuff of family legend.

He took great joy in having fun with the kids: For Easter when Sterling was 4, Amedeo hand-carved a pirate ship for him and began a game: instead of Easter eggs, there would be a hunt for treasure buried in Amedeo's back yard by the "Pirate Bunny."  Each week leading up to the big day, Sterling would receive hand-drawn maps in the mail with cryptic clues, and we when the time came to search for the "treasure" Sterling did so with great pomp and circumstance.

Amedeo was a wonderful grandfather. Sterling is 6 now, Ethan is 2, and my nephew Roman is still an infant. While Sterling will have dim memories of "Grandpapapa," the knowledge that these children will not really come to know him is the hardest part of losing him.

Italy, 1956. From left: Georgio, Giacomo, Amedeo, AnnaMaria, and mother Anna.

Early Years

Amedeo Vania was born in Istria (then a part of Italy) on January 25, 1932. He and his brothers and sister survived incredible hardships as children during WWII when his family's property was confiscated and home occupied by Nazi soldiers. Their mother, Anna, was brought before an execution squad three times, but through quick wit managed to talk herself out of being killed.

After the war, Amedeo earned a degree in electrical engineering and served in the Italian navy. In 1956, following his tour, he came to the United States, and over time his mother, brothers and sister joined him in his new country.

Life and Work

Amedeo began life in the United States in New York City by getting work on "the docks." Despite the fact that he could speak little English, his degree in electrical engineering helped him secure a livelihood. He became disgusted when a coworker was denied a full day's wages because he was injured on the job. The essential unfairness of this action caused Amedeo to leave this job in New York and move to San Francisco. He later became to be a life-long union supporter.

Amedeo enjoyed life to the fullest, and he loved to dance. Handsome and rakish, he was offered a job as a dance instructor for a time in San Francisco. It is said that he was let go after the owner of the dance studio noticed that all the women students began asking only for him! This may have been unfortunate for the ladies, but it was probably good for Amedeo.He joined the the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as a journeyman electrician, and pursued work in this field for the next 43 years. In the last 10 years before he retired in 1996, he worked as an Electrical Technician responsible for crane operation at the Port of Seattle.

In 1963, he married Lois Engebreth. Son Mark was born in 1964, and daughter Jessica in 1966. While Lois and Amedeo later divorced, they were extremely respectful of the kids and would set aside their differences to spend holiday times together as family. As a consequence, their children came to love and respect them both, a great gift that all divorced parents should strive to emulate.

Amedeo was resourceful and skilled at many things. He was a great outdoorsman, he loved to play chess (I spent countless hours locked in battle with him at the chessboard), and he enjoyed the study of history. He was a great admirer of Napoleon; not as a conqueror, but as a leader of men and a creator of his own destiny and that of his country. He loved the water: boating, swimming and windsurfing. A few years ago, while approaching 70, he bought motorized scooters for himself and Lori, and they would spend hours tooling about Alki Beach like a pair of teenagers.

In addition to his girlfriend Lori, his close friends included Bill and Litze Buffington, his neighbors for many years. Bill is a retired Boeing engineer and he and Amedeo would spend hours together working on his computer, which he enjoyed tinkering with very much.

Images from his Life

I hope you enjoy some of these images from Amedeo's life.