This is Dianne Funaro, pushing 79 of 2020 on November 5th. Almost 80. She’s a smart one, but has some memory issues which causes her to repeat everything, forget who I am sometimes, and forget most of her more recent years. The repeating works for my memory so I don’t mind, and enjoy playing with her by finishing her sentences- that way I get called the smart one during our banters.
Dianne was born in Massachusetts to her father John Funaro and Helen Funaro, the second of four children. Her father was from Formicola, Italy and enjoyed travel, reading, nature and his work, data processing. She loved her father, and thought very highly of his accomplishments and knowledge of the world. Helen wasn’t so kind, finding Dianne as the odd artistic daughter that didn’t get all of the academic rewards like her sister Elaine, 3 years her senior. Dianne gave up on pleasing her mother, finding interest in sewing, drawing, acrylic and long distance bicycle riding. Riding her bicycle was her escape, being more of an introvert, a need to get away and explore Sacramento.
In her early 20’s of the 1960’s she met Mr. Sugiyama, who she called Sugi. They worked at “Motor V” on Broadway, which is now known as the D.M.V. on 24th and Broadway. Their relationship grew, falling in love and getting pregnant. But they were young, and from her stories it sounds like they enjoyed their nights out at the local bars after work and near his father’s practice on 10th and V. Doctor Sugiyama and his wife, a Japanese family that belonged to the Buddhist Temple on 10th and X, did not care for this playful duo. Sugi and Dianne decided it was best to give their son up for adoption. She has never spoken or looked for him since.
Years later she met Michael James Fitzgerald, an Irish man in the Carmichael area. He was a lush himself, with promiscuous tendencies and an inability to keep it in his pants. Dianne couldn’t resist his Irish green eyes, so they flew to Switzerland where he frequented and attempted to get hitched there. Dianne, a seamstress, created her own gown and brought it with her on her travels.
With a little research I found that she had been evicted from her home in Carmichael at the age of 70 in 2010. Had she been forgetting to pay her bills? Was she forgetting that she had money, a 401K and support? That’s not the point, but those thoughts do cross my mind. Somehow she made her way to Sutter’s Fort and never left. And she loves it. Dianne can tell you about all the trees there, all of the rats and animals that visit. She knows her bugs and will talk to anyone that visits her. Dianne raves about the chinese food here in Sac and shaves her own head to stay cool and not have to maintain her once long dark hair.
Her passion with the state, working in the unemployment department has her surprisingly up to speed with today’s politics and her beliefs. The only thing she doesn’t care about are masks, since she pretty much keeps to herself, with many daily walks around the park.
Dianne is fucking cool and I want everyone to meet her.
-:- 