L. John Tonti
John Tonti passed away Friday, November 29, 2019, surrounded by Louise, his wife of 63 years, his daughter, Susan C. Tonti and his son, John S. Tonti of Moreno Valley. He is also survived by a grandson, Cameron Gaddy of Portland, Ore.
John was the second youngest of seven brothers, born to Alfred and Assunta Tonti of Canonsburg September 6, 1923. Everyone in Canonsburg knew him by his nickname, Ebo.
John enlisted in the Army Air Force December 1, 1942, and joined three of his brothers serving their country in Europe during World War II. Fortunately, they all returned home safely. After the war he used the GI Bill to attend and graduated from Indiana University. He moved to California, where he pursued his teaching career.
It was then that he met the love of his life, Barbara Louise Scott, of Porterville, Calif. They married in 1956 and moved to Anaheim, Calif., where they taught school. John taught at Anaheim High school for 30 years before he retired. They retired to Palm Desert in 2000.
John’s passion was playing golf. He was able to shoot under his age over 1,000 times during his years in Palm Desert. For many years, John would also hold weekly gatherings at his house with a close group of similar-minded friends to smoke cigars, drink scotch, and tell stories. As John would often say, “I really chose the right place to retire and live.”
Cremation and internment will be at Forest Lawn in Cathedral City, Calif. A celebration of life will be held at a later date in Sun City Palm Desert, Calif.