CVSN Insider : December 2009
CVSN - A Memoriam
13 CVSN iNSiDER December 2009 CVSN iN MEMORiAM To honor Those in our inDusTry who have passeD away GARy J. DiSANO Gary J. DiSano, President of the Tournament of Roses Association for the 121st Tournament of Roses Parade and 96th Rose Bowl Game who chose the theme, 2010: A Cut Above the Rest for the January 1, 2010 Rose Parade, died Sunday, Sept. 20. The San Juan Capist-rano resident was 62. DiSano said about his theme, the Tournament strives to put a Parade and Game together ev-ery year, which are better than the last, we look forward to exciting Pasadena and the world once again with our spectacle. Gary DiSano was an enthusiastic and fun-loving individual, said Jeffrey Throop, Ex-ecutive Vice President of the Tournament of Roses. He was passionate about the Parade and Game and never let any setbacks inhibit his dedication to the organization. He will be greatly missed. The 2010 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game will be held on January 1 in his honor. DiSano was born in Los Angeles and attended La Salle High School in Pasadena. He earned a degree in marketing from the University of Southern California and completed the Pro-gram for Management Development at Har-vard Business School. Professionally he was the Director of Heavy Duty Purchasing for Century Wheel and Rim in Montebello, Calif., and RGGL Corporation in Newport Beach. He is survived by his wife, Sabina, and his three children, Christina, Stephanie and Dominic. Gary DiSano had been a volunteer member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Associa-tion since 1972. The Tournament of Roses was a great love of his life. Through his more than 35 years of service, he served on and chaired various committees, including Community Relations, Formation Area, Football, Float En-tries, Special Events and Tournament Entries, among others. He was elected to the Tourna-ment's Executive Committee in 2002. DiSano had also been actively involved with numerous community organizations. He served as the Planning Commissioner for the city of Newport Beach, and was a member of the Environmental Quality Affairs Committee. He also participated as a member of the Eco-nomic Development Committee of Newport Beach, a Trojan Club Commerce Associate and a USC Cardinal and Gold. JOSEPH R. PARDO Joseph R. of Deptford, NJ, passed away sud-denly on October 24, 2009. Aged 68 years. A successful businessman and community leader, being a good and dedicated family man was paramount to Joe. Born in Philadelphia, Joe grew up in South Philadelphia at 18th and McKean and was a 1959 graduate of Bishop Neumann High School. In 1970, Joe moved across the river to New Jersey. He settled in the Greenfields section of West Deptford and moved to Deptford in 1978. Trucking was a continuous thread through Joe's life. Joe joined his father, Dom, in the family business of Med-way Trucking in 1958. Starting in the sales de-partment, the company quickly grew with Joe eventually moving into corporate secretary. His success as a partner with Pioneer Truck Rentals in 1961, which eventually became Pio-neer Truck Sales, Inc., lead to the founding of Pardo's Truck Service Parts Warehouse, Inc. in 1981. Based in Deptford, NJ, Pardo's has grown to 11 stores serving many states along the East-ern Seaboard. Joe retired in 2007, but remained active in his beloved company. Joe believed in community. One of the found-ers of Deptford Day, he was also active in the M.U.A. and Planning Commission of Deptford.