Gino Domenico Ceccato, born in the family home on the January 4, 1925, but family lore suggests that date isn't clear cut.
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Gino's birthday is usually celebrated by his family on February 4. He was the third son of Antonio and Pasqua Ceccato.
Most of his early life was spent on Farm 233 in Yoogali. Gino's father and uncle Valentino worked to grow apricots, prunes and peaches. Gino often worked the farm while his father also worked as a builder.
Gino began schooling at Yoogali Public School and dreamed of becoming an architect, however he left school at 14 years old to work in his father's building business.
Among the projects they worked on was the Yoogali church.
Gino drew many of the detailed drawings to build the church, which was one of the first built in Australia entirely by Italians.
It was dedicated to Our Lady of Pompeii, the patroness of Italians in foreign lands.
It was completed in six months and was a tribute to the Italian tradesmen and workers who helped - many voluntarily as they knew Gino's father would be paying the costs from his own pocket.
Gino also travelled to far north Queensland cutting cane for a season stating that it was the hardest work he had ever done.
Gino continued work with his father until the onset of World War II.
Life was difficult during the war years, many Italians would not venture into town in fear of being threatened or harmed, and some were even interned into detention camps.
As Gino's father emigrated before World War I, the family were asked to focus on growing food for the war effort.
After the end of the war, Gino kept working with his father until 1951 when he partnered with Frank Rinaldo in building and construction work around town.
While he enjoyed movies, especially Flash Gordon, one of Gino's passions was music.
He learned guitar and violin by himself and could often be found playing at dances and weddings during his youth.
He also loved to dance himself, helping to organise social dances and was known for his skill on the dance floor.
Gino was also a pilot, training on a Tiger Moth bi-plane and received his solo flying licence in 1948.
Italian immigration to Griffith following the end of the Second World War saw the Continental Music Club formed in 1948.
He could never understand it when people would leave and move to another town, he'd say "why would you live anywhere else when we have everything here."
Gino was a founding member of the club and served as its first president, helping provide some familiar entertainment to Griffith's new residents with the popular music program being broadcast on 2RG.
The Continental Music Club wasn't the only community organisation Gino was a part of, he was well known as a community minded person, and worked several other groups including the Griffith Aero Club, the Waterwheel Festival Committee and the Griffith Lapidary Club.
Gino also supported the Yoogali Public P&C, the Yoogali Progress Association and Yoogali Catholic Club where he was made an honourary life member.
He spent hours handing out how to vote cards for the Labor Party at the Yoogali School and Yoogali Catholic Club.
It was in May 1951 that Rita Pisan and her family and friends boarded a ship bound for Australia to escape war-ravaged Italy.
Rita was handed a photo of Gino on the boat and was heard to have said "this is the man for me".
They met at Gino's cousin's wedding on July 14, 1951 and Gino was smitten. Their romance blossomed and they were married on July 23, 1955 in the very church that Gino and his father Antonio had helped build.
Gino's love for Rita never dwindled but only grew and they were inseparable until the end.
After he was married, Gino got a job with the NSW Public Works department and helped manage the construction of schools, police stations and courthouses.
Among his proudest achievements was rebuilding Yoogali Public School and construction of the Coleambally Central School.
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With help from his father, Gino built a three bedroom house on the family farm so that he could be close to his mother. Rita and Gino were joined by their children Helen, James and Glen.
A family tradition was for Sunday afternoon tea at Nonna's, where the adults talked and the children played.
They later bought a home in East Street in Yoogali where Gino and Rita lived until 2016 when Gino entered a nursing home at the age of 91.
One of the big attractions of the East Street house for Gino was the large yard where he grew fruit and veggies and a shed for his hobbies.
He would share his harvest, which was usually tomatoes and radicci. Gino enjoyed wood working, coin, stamp and bottle collecting.
When working in the shed Gino always had his music playing, whether it was the large radiogram or the transistor radio in his pocket. You always knew where Gino was working.
He enjoyed his retirement in Yoogali and loved his hometown.
He could never understand it when people would leave and move to another town, he'd say "why would you live anywhere else when we have everything here."
Above everything, Gino loved his family, he liked nothing better than to have all is family around him, sitting at the table sharing food and sometimes, a wicked sense of humour.
Gino passed away on May 23, 2021.
He will be dearly missed by his family.
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