Obituary of John Joseph Amin

John Joseph Amin left this world to join his heavenly family on Saturday, September 5th.  After spending the evening talking with friends and family he passed peacefully in his sleep.  He was 92 years old.

A lifelong resident of Santa Cruz, John was born to parents Frank and Charlotte Amin on April 23, 1928.  His childhood days were spent living on River Street, roaming the train tracks behind his house and the hills of Pogonip.  He started working as a young child in the horse stables at Pogonip.  He attended Holy Cross Elementary School and was a graduate of Santa Cruz High School.  At the age of 18 he joined the US Navy and served honorably as a store clerk aboard the USS Frank Knox.

On his return to Santa Cruz after his service he agreed to a blind date and was lucky enough to meet the love of his life, Marie Loero.  They were married in 1953 and had one daughter, Charlotte.  John pursued a career in banking and spent many happy years as Vice President and Branch Manager for County Bank of Santa Cruz.  He truly loved banking and was proud of the many people and businesses he was able to help throughout the years.  He retired in 1985 and then enjoyed fishing with his brother-in-law Augie Bassano, having coffee every morning with the guys at Albrights Donuts, getting the “River Street Gang” together for lunch, playing golf with his buddies, playing Pedro at the Elks Club, and traveling when he was able.

John was devoted to family, friends, church and community.  He was a constant loving presence to his wife and cared for her tenderly as she struggled with Lewy Body Dementia.  He doted on his grandsons Chris and Matt and shared with them his love of fishing and golf.  He never missed a baseball, soccer or golf game when they were playing.  He was extremely proud of them as they launched their own business and was always there for them with a nudge to do better or a handshake to say “well done”.  Until recently he rarely missed Sunday Mass at Holy Cross Church where he served as an usher for many years.  He was a lifelong member of the Elks Club and the Lions Club where he made close friends and spent countless hours contributing to charitable activities.  He will be missed by all who knew him.

John spent his last two years as a resident at Brookdale Scotts Valley and more recently as a patient of Hospice of Santa Cruz County.  His family is very grateful for the care and attention he received from the exceptional staff members at Brookdale and Hospice. 

John was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 46 years Marie, his grandson John Moreno, his sister Adeline (Lynne) Tofanelli and his brother Edward Amin.  He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Charlotte and Joseph Moreno and grandsons Christopher and Matthew Moreno.  He also leaves behind loving nieces and nephews Deana Bible, Louis Bassano, Lynne Allegri, Ronald Amin, Jayne Hilbert, Allen Amin and their families. 

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 126 High St, Santa Cruz, CA on Wednesday Sept 16, 2020 at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to Hospice of Santa Cruz or your favorite charity are appreciated. To express your condolences or share a memory with John’s family please visit www.pacificgardenschapel.com.