Saturday Obituaries

11/26/05

ELISEO, John Carl

1933 - 2005

John Carl Eliseo, beloved husband, father and grandfather, departed this world November 21st, 2005, with the quiet dignity and resolve that exemplified his life. Surrounded by his family, he drew his last breath at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara as a brilliant pink sunset ignited the sky over the ocean and mesa outside his window.

John was born March 29th 1933, in Youngstown, Ohio. After completing school, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1950 and had a long and distinguished career in the firefighting and missile safety fields until his retirement in 1971. His military career included service at March Air Force Base, Greenham Common Air Force Base and Upper Hayford Air Force Base in England, and Vandenberg Air Force Base.

He continued in the field of safety engineering with Guy F. Atkinson Construction between 1972 and 1974, followed by 21 years with the Federal Civil Service, during which time he served as a Complex Safety Officer and worked on Titan Satellite program, among many other projects. Between 1987 and 1989, he was an engineer and ground safety manager refurbishing C-130 aircrafts at Detachment 36 of the Italian Air Force Base located in Brindisi. After his retirement from Civil Service, he worked for SRS and Hernandez Engineering. During his long and distinguished career as a systems safety engineer, he received numerous awards and honors, including an Air Force Commendation Medal.

John loved his work. He knew his business, aimed for the highest standards and expected the same commitment in others. But work was not his life. He and his wife, Pat, enjoyed many memorable vacations, traveling extensively and visiting friends and family throughout Europe and the United States. One of his favorite accomplishments was taking a road trip to Alaska in his motor home.

As a young man, John had raced cars while stationed in England, and he spent years as mechanic for Robert Purgarich's Car #5 at the Santa Maria Speedway. He also loved working on his 1955 Thunderbird, 1967 Jaguar and 1970 Bronco.

John was a longtime member of the Santa Maria Elks Lodge #1538 and a founding member of the Vandenberg Safety Society. Throughout his life, he remained a firefighter at heart, proudly founding in 1997 the Strategic Air Command Senior Firefighters group, which got together once a year to tell tall tales on each other.

Though most often characterized by his professional affiliations and accomplishments, John also had a poetic side; for years he was a member of the Robert Burns Association. John also dedicated himself to tracing his genealogy back to his father's family home in Tornimparte, Italy and his mother's family in Maropati, Italy.

John was dedicated to those he cared about, and his quiet devotion will be keenly missed by his family and friends. Although no one can fill his shoes, John's strength of spirit, courage and determination will continue to serve as an inspiration to all who knew him.

John is survived by his wife, Patsy Eliseo; daughters, Renae Spanne and her husband, Laurence, of Lompoc, Shirley Shellenberger and her husband, Mark, of Sacramento, Shavon Ditty and her husband, Roger, of Florida, and Valerie Parks and her husband, Kevin, of Germany; brothers, George Eliseo of Manifee, Carl Eliseo and his wife, Jennifer, of Lake Elsenore, and Ben Eliseo and his wife, Paula of Illinois; sisters, Irene Eliseo of Texas, Virginia Eliseo of Montana, and Mary Eliseo of Moreno Valley; grandchildren, Autumn Spanne, Laurel Spanne, Jennifer Shellenberger, Michael Shellenberger, Tim Ditty, and Eric Parks; great grandchildren, Joseph Spanne and Dominic Spanne; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, November 28, 2005 in the Chapel of Magner-Maloney Funeral Home. A Scripture Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 in the Chapel of Magner-Maloney Funeral Home, with Rev. Mark Newman, C.J. from St. Louis de Montfort Church officiating. Interment will follow in the Santa Maria Cemetery.

"Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!

Ae farewell, and then forever!......

Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest!

Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest!......

Thine be ilka joy and treasure.

Deep in heart wrung tears I'll pledge thee."

Robert Burns

Arrangements are in the care of Magner-Maloney Funeral Home and Cremation Services.