Obituary of Santina Caterina Locatelli

SANTINA "Tina" CATERINA LOCATELLI Services will be Friday, Nov. 1 for Santina "Tina" Caterina Locatelli, a longtime resident of Santa Cruz County who died Oct. 22, five weeks after suffering a severe brain aneurysm in her Capitola home. She was 79. A native of the village of Berbenno in nothern Italy, Tina was one of 12 children born to restauranteur parents Battista and Angela Locatelli. Life was not always easy for the Locatelli family, especially during World War II, and the experience left Tina with a strong will, hardy work ethic and an abiding love of family. She relished telling stories about growing up with 11 brothers and sisters in Italy: sleeping three kids to a bed; helping out in the family restaurant; hand-washing laundry; and tending to stubborn livestock. Although she was only slightly taller than 5 feet, Tina had a big personality and a booming voice that could be easily heard over the din of Italians eating, drinking and talking. When you're one of 12 children, you learn how to eat fast and make yourself heard, Tina would say. Tina's family first started settling in Santa Cruz County in the 1890s. She came to the United States from Italy in 1952 at age 18. Though she lived and worked in the U.S. for more than 60 years - serving as a cosmetologist-hairdresser, barista and most importantly homemaker-mom - Tina never forgot where she came from, never lost her trademark Italian accent and never stopped loving her family. Tina met her former husband Ralph Vairo in 1958 in Santa Cruz. Their marriage in 1959 united a woman from northern Italy with a man with deep roots in southern Italy. The relationship produced three children. Tina was a proud grandmother who always attended recitals, graduations and school events. She was actively involved in the lives of her grandchildren Kaitlin and Nicole Vairo of Carson City, with whom she shared a special bond, and her step-granddaughter Alyson Beebe of Phoenix, AZ., with whom she shared many laughs, stories and restaurant meals. Tina is survived by her daughters Monique Vairo of Rio del Mar and Sylvia Vairo of Live Oak; her son, Anthony Vairo of Carson City, Nev.; her sisters Giovanna Masnada of San Francisco, Marcella Locatelli of Las Vegas, Irene Walden of San Diego, Maria Rolfe of San Mateo, Benita Manzoni, Ornella Barachetti and Silvia Locatelli, all of Bergamo, Italy; her brothers, Battista Locatelli of Parowan, UT, Mario Locatelli of Montana, Pete Locatelli of Corralitos, and Vittorio Locatelli of Parowan; her granddaughters Kaitlin and Nicole Vairo of Carson City, Nev,; her step-granddaughter Alyson Beebe of Phoenix, AZ; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Memorial services for Tina Locatelli will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga St., Santa Cruz. A reception will follow at Pacific Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers a gift to a favorite charity. Pacific Gardens Chapel, www.pacificgardenschapel.com is in charge of arrangements. According to her wishes, Tina will be cremated.