Adeline Esther Tomberg

OBITUARY FOR ADELINE ESTHER TOMBERG The poet Emily Dickinson wrote “Because I had no time to stop for death, he kindly stopped for me.” Because she would not ever stop or slow down, death stopped for Adeline Esther Tomberg on April 27 when she passed away peacefully at 97 years of age. Adeline was born in the family home on Canal Street (later Olive Street) on March 5, 1918, in Santa Barbara, the fourth child of Teresa Corsiglia Taverna and Joseph Taverna. While in school, Adeline was a multi-sport athlete who considered herself a tomboy. She attended Dolores School, Santa Barbara Junior High School, and Santa Barbara High School where she lettered in baseball, basketball, lawn hockey, and volleyball. It was at school that she met future husband Bond Duane Tomberg after his family moved to Santa Barbara from Montana. After high school, she worked at Johnson’s Cafeteria and Hoff Hospital and from 1936, and for many years thereafter, played on the Jack Rose Dress Shop, Victoria Motors, and 7-Up women’s softball teams. Bond presented Adeline an engagement ring at the old Blue Onion Drive-In on State and Valerio, and on October 15, 1939 they were married at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. Bond worked for the Golden State Dairy until joining the Navy during World War II. They spent 1944 in San Diego where Adeline worked at the Rohr Aircraft Corporation. After the war, they joined Adeline’s sister Irene and brother-in-law Arthur Figone in operating the Olive Cafe at the corner of Olive and Canon Perdido Streets, a neighborhood bar serving the men who worked in the trades that built the city. They raised two sons at their home across the street from the cafe. In 1960 they sold their interest and Bond worked for Bohemian Distributing Company until his death in 1966. From 1960 to 1973, Adeline and Irene operated the Rummage Sale Hall at 835 Olive Street. Adeline worked alongside volunteers from the various civic groups, churches, lodges, and PTAs taking great pride in guiding them in setting the value of their merchandise to meet their organization’s goals. Known as the “Rummage Sale Lady,” the New-Press devoted a story to her unique occupation in the July 12, 1964 edition. Adeline was a lifetime member of the Italian Catholic Federation, active in PTA, cub scouts and boy scouts, and supported her sons’ participation on various athletic teams. In later years, she enjoyed attending the Santa Barbara Athletic Roundtable Hall of Fame Banquets sitting at the “Recycled Teenagers” table. In 2001, the 1940 Seven-Up Bottling Company Softball Team received the Louise Lowery Davis Award in recognition of their accomplishments on the softball field before and after World War II. It was common in those years to draw large crowds to old Pershing Park for a game. A life-long rental property owner, she kept rents moderate and made many enduring friendships among her tenants and their children. After high school, she was one of 15 friends that started the “Variety Club.” Rotating hostess duties, they met faithfully in homes and restaurants over the decades sharing together their active, family-centered lives (See August 16, 1988 News-Press article). Adeline was Old Santa Barbara. Except for spending 1944 in San Diego, one year living in the 900 block, and her final years at Casa Rhoda, she spent her entire life on the 800 block of Olive Street. For most of those years, she lived in or next door to the house she was born in. She had tremendous energy and enthusiasm, was unrelentingly optimistic, and generous with her time. She was friendly, outgoing, and adapted to life as it came, always smiling. She had signs in her car window and on her kitchen table that read in Italian “Corragio, Sempre Avanti!” She captured life in photos, marking every event with candid pictures of family and friends. She was a great cook and her kitchen was the center of home life. She spoke glowingly about the 1973 trip to the ancestral family village of Urnu, outside Genoa, Italy with her mother, sister and nephew Edward Figone. Called “Noni” or “Lala” by her family and friends, she loved God, her family, her Italian heritage, Olive Street, being a member of the SBHS class of 1936, the Variety Club, women’s softball, the Dodgers, the IHOP on State and the old Sizzler in Goleta. She loved handing out Lotto scratchers, taking pictures of everyone for her too numerous to count photo albums, and sending Catholic Masses to family and friends. She prayed every day, attending Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Guadalupe churches on a daily basis. She babysat, drove friends to medical appointments, and brought encouragement to shut-ins and those in care facilities and the hospital. Until slowed by age, she worked the phone furiously, communicating with family and friends, planning, organizing and updating. Adeline was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers George and Louis, sister Irene, and nephews Dennis Tomberg, Robert Figone, and David Cumming, and niece Laura Nicholas Figone. In 2007, she lost her life-long friend Virginia Sacconaghi. Born across the street from one another, they shared many interesting adventures over the decades. Adeline is survived by her sons Thomas (Julene), and Louis (Susan); grandchildren Genevieve, Jonathan, Chris (Amanda), Joseph (Annette), Geoffrey, Katie (Ian), and Matthew; and great grandchildren Ryan, Alicia, Julia, Kailey, Trenton, Nicholas, Cole, Mollee, Taylor and Sam; nephew Edward Figone, nieces Shari Burton, Arlene Ruiz, and Janice Caesar, and many other family members. Close friends include Mike Ruggiero and the Gomez Family who looked in on her over the years. She was a strong woman, confident in her decisions and actions. She saw every glass as not only half full but overflowing. Every day was a new opportunity, and the sun shone in Santa Barbara 24 hours a day. At the end of her life, she would conclude conversations with these words: “Thank you for being in my life.” Adeline/Mom/Noni/Lala, we would like to say this to you: Thank you for being in ours. The family wishes to express special thanks to the Demonteverde family and the Casa Rhoda staff, and to Hospice caregivers for their faithful attendance to Mom during the last years of her life. Visitation is from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 14 at Welch-Ryce-Haider Downtown Funeral Chapel, A mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on May 15 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church followed by internment at Calvary Cemetery. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of Santa Barbara.

Adeline Esther Tomberg

March 5, 1918 - April 27, 2015