Edith Roncarati Walker

Edith Roncarati Walker
1916 - 2010
Edith was born in San Francisco on January 12th, 1916. She was christened at St. Peters and Paul in Old North Beach. The party that followed was attended by all the Italian friends of the family and apparently the ‘vino’ had been flowing freely since early in the day as the baptismal certificate was crowded with numerous second names such as Edita, Yolanda, Erina, Clementian and so on and so on.
Edith’s father Luigi immigrated to the states more than a hundred years ago. Her mother emigrated separately intending to be a domestic and teacher, which did not come about. From Ellis Island both settled in the Boston, Massachusetts area and subsequently married. They moved to San Francisco in 1906 to help rebuild the city after the quake and fire where Edith was born in 1916.
At age six Edith suffered a painful bellyache in the middle of the night was treated with hot water bottle applications. Several days later the illness was diagnosed by the family doctor as a ruptured appendix. A successful operation was followed by six weeks confinement in the Stanford Hospital where she was introduced to a non-Italian breakfast called oatmeal mush that she loved and enjoyed to the chagrin of her husband who grew up on it and hated it.
After graduating from San Francisco’s Girls High, Edith worked as a dental assistant. Seeking a better job she attended Heald Business College to brush up on steno work. Later, she was hired by Ames Supply Co., manufacturers of typewriter and adding machine parts.
Edith served this national company as the A-Number One stenographer and billing clerk. Fellow male employees acted as matchmakers by finally introducing this shy and becoming girl to her future husband who was a regular customer of the firm. The romance blossomed with their first kiss that took place on a rare San Francisco sunny afternoon while seated in a Model “A” roadster atop Telegraph Hill – while supposedly enjoying the view of the bay and the center anchorage of the Bay Bridge.
She married her husband Jack in 1939 in the then nearby sleepy little town of Burlingame. They Honeymooned across the Nevada Desert to Salt Lake City in the Model “A” Roadster. They returned to San Francisco to take up housekeeping in a flat on Roosevelt Way where two lovely daughters were produced at the French Hospital.
With the family growing it necessitated a move to larger quarters in San Anselmo, California, – Marin Country. The move also brought her husband closer to his work building fleet oilers for the US Navy in Sausalito. Happy times were had in spite of the trying time of the war.
After the ships were built and the war was won decision time came as to where to live next. Husband Jack, having been lonesome for the sight of snow on the ground for the past ten years and anxious to introduce the fluffy stuff to his wife and kids was able to inveigh a move to his old homestead in Salt Lake City. Goodbyes were made as Edith told her friends she was leaving the West to live in the East. Little did she know that for the next 60 years she would only see her beloved San Francisco during short visits while trying hard to appreciate the beauty of new fallen snow.
However, new friends were soon made as she was whole heartily received by the new community.
With the new setting, she and Jack soon added to their family with the arrival of four sons.
Edith is survived by her children, Judith (Stephen), Pamela, David (Tina), Michael (Michelle), John (Rose), Steven (Laurel), ten grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.
We celebrate Mom's life and gratefully thank First Choice Hospice and all those connected with the Wentworth Draper who were so kind.
(Edith's bio was written by her husband, Jack Walker, on the occasion of her 80th birthday.)
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1700 East 9757 South, Sandy UT. A viewing will be held one hour prior to services at the church. Interment: Holladay Memorial Park.