Kern County CA Archives Obituaries.....[Baldasarre] Parks , Giovina Mary December 20, 2005 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K T bluewolf@onemain.com December 23, 2005, 6:58 pm The Bakersfield Californian Parks, Giovina Mary 1922 - 2005 Giovina Mary Parks October 22, 1922 - December 20, 2005 Visitation for Giovina Mary Parks will be held at Basham Funeral Care (3312 Niles Street) on Monday, December 26, 2005 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. with the Rosary recited at 7:00 p.m. Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on Tuesday morning, December 27, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery. Divine intervention released our mother, Giovina Parks, from illness on December 20, 2005, she was 83. Her life journey began October 22, 1922 in Rochester, New York and ended as the only remaining 'Baldasarre' of six siblings; Celia, Julia, Eddie, Joseph and Eugene. While in Rochester, she began a career during WWII at Bausch and Lomb involved in her known quality work with battlefield optics used by our U.S. Military for the war effort. She later at the young age of 23, moved to Vallejo, California accompanied by her brother Joseph Baldasarre and his wife Mary for a new beginning. While living in Vallejo, mom began a new career at Napa State Hospital in 1945. Over the years she would remark many times that enough is not done to recognize the need and caring of the mentally handicapped; she witnessed first hand that all is not lost because of an obstacle in life. It was at the Coronado Inn in Vallejo that mom would join her friends to socialize. Entering one day, mom heard a 'whistle'; she looked and there was a man dressed in suit and tie smiling at her. He asked her to dance and her reply was, "I'll think about it" and took a seat. The man that returned and asked mom for a dance, were married on August 6, 1949; our father Nolan Parks, who preceded her in passing on July 12, 1993. As wife and soul mate of our father's long WWII Army/Air Force career, mom was a 'VA' nurse during our father's declining years. She definitely earned and deserved a medal for her promise of in sickness and in health. Mom would become a member of the Elks 'Emblem Club' in 1960 where she met many couples that became dear friends until their passing, including Jake and Ellen Stevenson, Helen and Bruce Hoagland, Juanita and Russell Pettis, Charles Wickersham, Judy Scotney of Rochester, New York, Patty Gomez, niece, her neighbor and Composer/Orchestra leader Mitch and Fannie Miller of Rochester, New York and many others. Our mother was a beautiful and caring soul, always there for her family and teaching the values of life. She fought a battle against an enemy that she did not see coming, for it snuck up on her. Her strong constitution was amazing and not of weariness to give up. Giovina is survived by her children, Rosanne Parks and Thomas Parks; daughter-in-law, Rita Parks; grandchildren, Andrea and Bryon Parks, Michael and Jenine Christy; great- grandchildren, Byron McCormick, Amber Christy and baby Michael Christy; nephews, Gary Baldasarre and wife Sandra of Apollo Beach, Florida and Richard Baldasarre and wife Beth of Maryland. "We love you and miss you very much Mother and we will always cherish your memory now and for all time immemorial." For additional service or floral delivery information, please contact Basham Funeral Care at 873-8200. Basham Funeral Care Legacy.com Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 12/23/2005. Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased No other information available from submitter. Obituaries http://www.legacy.com/bakersfield/LegacyHome.asp File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/b/baldasar1087gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb