Obituary of John Dominick Mercurio

John Dominic Mercurio 1916- 2010 John Dominic Mercurio passed quietly in his sleep Saturday morning with his wife Rose beside him. John was born in Pittsburg, CA in 1916. His father was a fisherman so during his youth his family traveled between Pittsburg, California and Monterey, following the fishing seasons. When he was 13 his father bought a purse seiner so they stayed in Monterey permanently. John became a fisherman and would rotate between market fishing, sardine fishing and being a caddie on Del Monte Golf Course. He spent time fishing on Joe Dimaggio?s boat the ?Ranger? and the ?San Vito.? He spent many seasons in Coos Bay on the Ranger with several other local Italian men. He met and married his wife Rose Cardinalli in 1938. In 1939 his father built ?the Mercury? fishing boat. John was the engineer on the boat and fished along side his father, brothers, cousins and uncles. In 1941 war broke out and the government took 6 boats. The Mercury was one of the 6 boats taken. The government used the Mercury as the net tender in the Bay. They kept the boat for about 6 years and his family had to fish on other boats. They eventually got the boat back spent several months fixing the boat so they could fish again. John also spent time working at a new cannery in Oxnard, fishing in Alaska and owning a bait and tackle shop on the wharf in Monterey. He also worked for Mission Linens and for the school district. His wife Rose passed away in 1972. John was a member of the Monterey Elks club. It was here that he met Rose Catania. Rose and John married in 1973. Rose and John loved to travel and fish. They traveled throughout Europe on tours or on cruise ships. They especially loved going to Sicily to visit cousins and friends. They also traveled throughout the United States in their motor-home with John?s brother Merc and Chutti. They visited all 50 states except 4. They also loved Lake Tahoe. They bought a house there and lived in Tahoe for several years. John loved life in Tahoe. He and Rose would fish daily, see shows and spent many hours on their deck overlooking Lake Tahoe. He loved his life of travel with his wife Rose beside him. He always commented on how wonderful his life was. When his days of travel were over, his pleasure was just as great spending time with his wife Rose and his family. His love of life, his sense of humor his kindness was felt by all. We love you Nano John. He is survived by his wife Rose, his son Donnie (Karen) Mercurio. step daughters MaryLynn (John), Kathleen, Sally (bob), Vince (Valerie), 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. We want to thank Dr. Gerald Carnazzo for his compassionate care throughout the years. He was always able to make John smile at each appointment. Also the kind and attentive care provided by the staff at Sunrise Residential Care staff. A special thank you to Wanda Spatero for her care and support . Vigil service will be at Mission Mortuary, Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm. Mass will be at San Carlos Cathedral, Wednesday morning, 9:30. Donations may be sent to San Carlos Restoration Fund or your favorite charity.