Dominic Joseph Simonetti
Marriages
Virginia Campobello - 1962
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 6B - December 17, 2023
Dominic Joseph
Simonetti, age 96, died
Sunday, December 10, 2023,
at HopeWest Hospice Care
in Grand Junction, CO.
Dominic graduated
from Grand Junction High
School, where he excelled
in academics, wrestling
and football. After graduating early from high school,
Dominic enlisted in the
U.S. Army, serving in the
Alaskan Territory before
it became the 49th state.
After his service, Dominic
returned home to attend
Mesa Junior College for two
years before transferring to
Woodbury College in Los
Angeles where he received
his B.A. in fine arts. He did
post graduate study at the
American Academy of Art in Chicago.
After working various jobs as an art director in Los
Angeles and Chicago, he was recruited by the Central
Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C., where he spent
29 years as a commercial and graphic artist.
Before moving to Washington, Dominic was introduced
to the love of his life by Dr. Geno Saccomano. The doctor introduced them so that his lung cancer research nurse
wouldn’t have to go skiing alone. Virginia Campobello and
Dominic were married in 1962.
After retiring in 1992, Dominic and Virginia moved
back to Grand Junction. He was a member of the Elks Club
of Grand Junction and a life-long member of St. Joseph
Catholic Church. Some of his hobbies included skiing,
drawing and gardening.
To know Dominic was to have a friend immediately and
forever. A humble and hard-working man, he taught those
who knew him about faith, kindness, living with integrity,
being a friend, being civic minded, and being charitable -
all by his demonstrated example.
Dominic was a husband, son, father, gifted artist and
devout Catholic who always put family and others before
himself.
In 2008, he received Holy Family Catholic School
Distinguished Alumnus Hall of Fame award.
Dominic joins his mother and father, Teresa Paonessa
Simonetti and Dominic Joseph Simonetti; and four siblings
who as children succumbed to various illnesses in Italy.
He is survived by his loving wife and life partner of 61
years - Virginia Campobello Simonetti; daughter Teresa of
Grand Junction, sons Dominic Leo (Nan) St. Louis Park,
MN, and Paul, Grand Junction; three grandsons - Nick
Simonetti (Jessie) Grand Junction, Murphy Simonetti
(Annika) Hermantown, MN, Riley Simonetti of Golden
Valley, MN; and great grandchildren Tayven Simonetti and
Ivory Simonetti of Grand Junction.
Memorial Services will be held in April of 2024 at a date
and time to be determined.
Please consider making a memorial contribution in
Dominic’s name to: HopeWest Hospice, 3090 N. 12th
Street, Grand Junction, CO 81506; or St. Joseph Catholic
Church Building Fund, 330 White Avenue, Grand Junction,
CO, 81501.
Services have been entrusted to Brown’s Cremation and
Funeral Services.
