Celebrating the life of Alberto Togneri (1903 – 2007) - un brav’ uomo

Born February 26, 1903 near a Tuscan village called Coreglia, in a stone house that, according to an inscription on one of the stones, was renovated in 1606, Alberto was nearly 5 months old when the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk. That year Bing Crosby and Bob Hope were also born, Henry Ford sold his 1st Model A and the first car trip from San Francisco to New York took 3 months.

With a 3rd grade education, and a strong drive to innovate, Alberto moved to Lucca where he was repairing cars and bringing electric lights and power to homes, factories, theaters, churches, and entire villages by the time he was 18. At 21 he had his first automobile which he turned into a muscle car, and shortly thereafter he had his own business doing automotive repairs and electrical work. In 1940, at 37, married to Annelies and with two children, Annamaria and Mauro, he returned to his native Garfagnana hills near Coreglia to keep his family safe through the dangerous days of WW II.

After the war, one more child, Enrico, was born and Alberto had to rebuild his business from scratch and continued to be recognized as one of the top auto mechanics in Italy.

In 1957 Alberto moved his entire family, including his 70 year old mother Mariuccia from Pisa, Italy to Occidental, California where most of his mother’s family lived since 1907. He started anew and soon was learning a new language and had his own business repairing cars. He and the family lived on a ranch that belonged to his uncle Nisio, Mariuccia’s brother. Beside his automotive work, he helped Nisio grow vegetables and raise a few cows. He worked until the 1980s, and when at 78 he finally retired he moved to Reno where his son Enrico was director of the crime lab. His Reno home was a veritable gardening showcase where Alberto expressed his love for all sort of plants. At this time he also developed a new hobby: Listening to the world with a powerful short wave radio. His wife died in 1998 and his son Enrico died unexpectedly in 2003.

Alberto then moved to Texas near his oldest son Mauro and started anew in an assisted care facility. After a fall in 2005 and surgery he moved into a nursing facility where he was soon known as “Papa” and loved by everyone for his gentle ways and undemanding attitude.

Through his early years, the tribulations of WW II, his moves to California, Nevada and Texas, the loss of his wife of 61 years and the devastating loss of his son Enrico, Alberto remained optimistic and always concerned with making all around him feel loved and wanted. He was never demanding of anyone and grateful for the smallest kindnesses. Few hours before his death he was smiling warmly, conveying with gestures that he was fine and not wanting of anything. Throughout his life Alberto was a devout Catholic, and in his last few years he often talked about reuniting with his wife and son.

Alberto is survived by his daughter Anna Maria Williams, his son Mauro, six grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren who will always remember him as “Nonno”.