Mr. Delfino "Del" John Battista

Delfino Del John Battista, 90, passed away at home in Whittier, California on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Del was born on Wednesday, November 22, 1922 in Los Angeles, California to Italian immigrants Oreste & Angelina (Marino) Battista. On July 16, 1944, Del was married to Julia Marian Buccola in Chicago, Illinois, and together, they had three daughters, Celeste, Delfine & Terese.



As a young boy, Del attended Our Lady Queen of Angels Elementary School. He graduated from Los Angeles Cathedral High School before studying Business at Loyola Marymount University. Having attended Loyola Marymount - being taught by the Jesuits - was something Del was very proud of. His time at the University proved to be a foundational part of his faith which, as a Roman Catholic, was very important to him. In addition to his education in the classroom, Del also served in the United States Army. He served his country proudly, and gained much from his experiences in the military.



Del was a salesman by trade. He began his career in meat sales for Hormel Foods and later transitioned into the printing industry as an employee for the Kellow-Brown Company. Kellow-Brown filed bankruptcy in 1987, causing Del to take initiative with other partners and become co-owners of the new Group Printing Company.



Del loved classic cars, particularly Ford Thunderbirds and Mustangs. He also loved golfing, cooking and pretty much anything to do with being Italian. Besides spending time on the golf course, he would often meet with fellow Loyola Alumni for lunch, but nothing meant more to him than being at his grandchildrens activities. He loved his family.



Delfino is survived by his daughters, Celeste (Barry) Dowling, Delfine (John) Williams, and Terese (Hatem) Sinnukrot; and his grandchildren, Justin Williams, Keith Dowling, Gwendolyn Williams, Sarah Harper, Saeid Sinnukrot, and Tarek Sinnukrot. He is preceded in death by his wife Julia Marian Battista; and his sisters, Celestine Normandin and Vilma Vergilio.



A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 11:15AM at St. Marys of the Assumption Catholic Church, 7218 Pickering Ave., Whittier, California 90602. A Viewing will be held the night prior, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 from 5:00PM 7:00PM (Vigil Service at 7:00PM) at White Emerson Mortuary, 13304 Philadelphia St., Whittier, California 90601. Interment will take place on Friday, May 31, 2013 at Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California.