Sam Salvatore Congi passed away peacefully at the age of 91 at home surrounded by his family.
Sam was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandpapa, brother, uncle and friend.
Born in Castelsilano, Calabria, Italy, he immigrated to Quebec, Canada at the age of 23. A few months after arrival, Sam met Judith, his wife of 66 years, in Quebec, Canada. They married in 1955 and began building a family in 1956. In Quebec they had Paul, Lucie and Roxane. In 1963, Sam and Judith boldly moved their family to Oakland, California. Then in 1966, just three years after their arrival, they grew their family again adding their daughter, Laura.
When Sam arrived in California, he worked hard to build his American Dream. He began his career as a construction worker, doing whatever he could to ensure he kept his family healthy and safe. Sam often told stories of the day he became a truck driver with Kaiser as a concrete transporter, then as a regional truck driver for Sterling Transit. Over the course of his 29-year career, his work travels took him throughout the farming regions and major cities of Northern California where he made many friends. Sam was a proud Teamster’s Union member and enjoyed sharing stories of his days on the road.
In 1969, Sam moved his family to Union City, buying their first home where they further built their family’s foundation, living in their home for 47 years. Sam spent much of his retirement cultivating his garden, growing his favorite fruits and vegetables. He was especially proud of his tomato plants, which reminded him of his home in Italy. Dear to his heart was the tradition of cooking pasta for his family using fresh ingredients from his garden. Anyone who visited the Congi’s left with a full stomach and likely a bag full of fruits and vegetables.
He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Paolo Rosario & Rosina (nee Cortese) Congi, his siblings, Giuseppe (a brother that passed at the age of nine prior to Sam’s birth), Catherina (Saverio Greco), Maria (Salvatore Durante), and Peppino (Giuseppe/Joe), daughter Lucie, and his grandchildren, Anthony and Joanna. He is survived by his wife Judith, son Paul (Ginger), daughter’s Roxane (Steve) and Laura (Al), four grandchildren, Jessica, Julie, Joey and Benny, his four great-grandchildren, along with his much-loved nieces and nephews in Toronto, Canada, as well as his sister-in-law, Enza Congi.
His legacy will be his unwavering passion for family, the love of driving his truck, and the proud knowledge that all he did in life was in support of his family.
A vigil, eulogy and rosary will be held at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on January 31st, 5:30-8:00 PM, in Hayward. A livestream link is provided below for those unable to attend.
A Requiem Mass will be held on February 1st at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church at 10:00 AM in Union City.
Interment will follow mass at Holy Sepulchre.
Due to COVID restrictions, masks are required at all venues. For those unable to wear a mask, the livestream link is available.
Link and password for the livestream:
https://www.cfcsoakland.org/obituary/sam-congi/
PW: Congi123
