Joseph William Buratto, Sr.

Joseph William Buratto, Sr. passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours of June 12th, 2017, while visiting family friends in Oregon. Joe was born to Italian and Swiss parents Alfred and Francis (Montini) Buratto. He and his sister Sharon were raised on Spain Street in Sonoma at the foot of the dairy owned by their grandparents William Montini, Sr. and Annie Nonella Montini. At an early age the dairy became Joe’s second home, where his love of farming, ranching, and hunting became the life he was born to. He worked his way to adulthood on the dairy while living the Swiss Italian way of life: a steadfast work ethic, family values, sense of community, and a taste for only the best of Sonoma County’s sacred food chain.

The chapters of Joe’s life are filled with love, Joe-Joe, family, friends, school-not so much, sausage room, polenta pot, hunting, fishing, clamming, fast cars, fresh crab, small engine master, beer drinkin’, hell-raising, take the tractor another round, antelope hunting, settling down, babies, T-ball, painter G.G.Bridge, more friends, Waldo Grade, dove hunting, salami smuggler, Bunkee, Vella cheese, Gary Kiser and Son, yellow iron, ripping vineyards, moving dirt, BBQ oysters, Serres Construction, Mad Dog, building roads, ponds, Sonoma Greens, best BBQ chicken ever, Felder Ranch, Miss Carrie, Montana white tail, huge garden, more babies, venison jerky, Santa Rosa, Local 3, bigger iron, faraway places, Ghilotti Brothers, Ghilotti Construction, Alameda, Rio Vista, more friends, Dutra Group, Delta levies, barges, water ways, long reach, 4- H/FFA Dad, Myrtle Creek, more friends, Murray Grey cattle, Newport Beach, Oregon Coast, St. Paul Island-Bering Sea, Crescent City Harbor, loading scows, more friends, roger that screaming eagle, smoked salmon, Willits By Pass, DeSiliva Gates, Valley Fire Clean up. Home.

Joseph is survived by his wife of 31 years, Carrie (Dawson) Buratto; his married daughters: Anne Marie and Tony Falbo, Tessa and Brian Matuszak, Francesca and Dusty Doeding; his sons: Joe Jr. and Stacy Buratto, and Louis Buratto; his faithful dog Ricochet; his sister, Sharon and Bill Fletcher; grandchildren: Kyle, Kaleb, Kole Buratto, Sidney, Dominic, Tucker Falbo; cousins Bill, Fred, Bob Montini, Carolyn Kiser, Luke, Cary Ammann; Chuck, Norine, Gary; beloved extended family; cherished friends who came from old Sonoma families and all those he made along the way.

Please join us in honoring Joe on Saturday, July 8, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., at Duggans Mission Chapel, 525 West Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. 

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