Obituary of Albert Spaducci

Albert Spaducci, a longtime resident of Santa Cruz, passed away at Pacific Coast Manor on September 1. He was born in San Francisco in 1917 to Vincent and Rosa Spaducci and was the last surviving sibling of seven. The family moved to Fresno when Albert was age 2 and he grew up there. From an early age he had a love for dogs and his family remembers him always having his own pet. He attended local Fresno schools and graduated from Edison High School in 1938. He was a competitive, enthusiastic athlete who loved football, boxing and track as is shown in a number of family photographs. Al was a gifted mechanic and designer. He moved back to San Francisco following high school and worked in the machinist trade. During World War II he was involved in manufacturing parts and materials for the American military. In the 1950s Al moved to Santa Cruz where he met the love of his life Matilde "Tillie" Mortara and they married in 1957. They built their own home in the Prospect Heights area and lived there for the rest of their lives. The home is adorned with a number of ornamental iron pieces, chandeliers, railings and fencing elements which Al made by hand. During this time he also designed and built an intricate, mechanical Santa Claus and a clown which delighted children and adults alike. The Santa Claus was displayed at County Bank and later in the home of his sister Mary Jenkins for many years. In 1963 Al took over Santa Cruz Iron Works, which had been founded and operated by his father-in-law Battista Mortara. This was a traditional blacksmithing and welding shop on North Pacific Avenue that specialized in one-of-a-kind architectural and ornamental iron works. It was really a part of the old Santa Cruz and has since been replaced by condominiums. Al kept the business for 30 years, making mostly custom items such as gates, fences, elaborate door handles and other iron creations. He spent long hours making these precise and beautifully crafted pieces. Family members often thought he charged too little for his labors but customers were happy! Al and Tillie lived a mostly quiet life, enjoying their home and their succession of well cared for pet dogs. Sadly, Tillie began to have health problems in 2003 and, after several difficult years, finally passed away in 2005. Al never lost his feeling for dogs and is shown in the photo above with Peaches, one of his cherished favorites. In his later years Al spent many hours at the SPCA and is described by staff there as a memorable character and frequent visitor who loved to engage with the animals. Al is survived by nephews Richard Jenkins of Fresno and David Jenkins of San Carlos, nieces Maryanne Jenkins Brown of Redwood City, Lida Strong and Lana Rough of Santa Cruz and great-nephews and nieces. A service will be held on September 14 at 11:30am at Santa Cruz Memorial Mission Chapel, 1927 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz. Family members request that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Santa Cruz SPCA in memory of Al.