Celeste Tomasini and Gianna Trevisan

Celeste Tomasini was born on December 8, 1931 in San Giovanni di Casarsa, Udine, Friuili-Venizia to parents, Giovanni and Maria.  He was brother to Giovanni, Angelo, Teresa, Regina, Umberto, Gemma and Pietro.  Gianna Trevisan was born on August 27, 1935 in Prodenone, Udine, Friuli-Venizia to parents, Giuseppe Trevisan and Carolina Pazutto. She is sister to Giovanni, Maria, Giuseppe, Lydia, Aldo, Adelchi, Ada and Rosanna.  They have two daughters: Loretta (Don Sumanik) and Liana (Fred Hunsche).

Since there was little opportunity in Italy, Celeste immigrated to Canada in 1954 and Gianna in 1956.  They followed on the foot steps of Celeste’s brother, Angelo, sister Regina and brother-in-law Luigi (Louie) Bazzana.  Celeste arrived by passenger ship at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he boarded a train, across Canada, to Prince Rupert, BC.  His family had arranged a job for him with the Canadian National  Railway.  Celeste and Luigi Bazzana took advantage of free train fare to go to Kelowna, BC, where they visited Louie’s uncle, Gino Bazzana.  Gino worked at the Kelowna Sawmill where there were jobs available.  Celeste and Luigi fell in love with Kelowna and they soon made plans to move there.  In 1956, Gianna and Loretta arrived in Kamloops, BC, where the family met them and took them to Kelowna.

Celeste had apprenticed in Italy as a carpenter and a bricklayer.  He worked for two years on the railroad near Prince Rupert.  In Kelowna he found work with Douillard Construction.  He worked for them for over thirty years.  Gianna worked in the cannery and packing houses, as well as picking grapes and other fruits and vegetables in harvest season.

Soccer, fishing and building things were a big part of Celeste’s life.  He was one of the twenty-one charter members of the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club.  Both Celeste and Gianna enjoyed taking part in the club and participating in its growth.

Celeste passed away on October 19, 1992 and is interred at Kelowna Memorial Gardens.

Loretta Tomasini Sumanik, daughter