Clarence Ivan Cordoza

Clarence "Corky" Cordoza passed away peacefully on Monday, March 14th at home in Petaluma with his children and grandchildren at his side. He would have turned 101 in May. Born to Thomas (of Pico, Azores) and Virginia Cordoza in Sebastopol in 1915, and brother to his big sister Gladys, Corky left the family apple ranch and dryer in the late 1930's to work at McDonnel Douglas Aircraft in Los Angeles until he entered the Army Air Corps in 1943. "Shorty" served as nose gunner on a B-24 "Liberator" out of Italy, completing 30 missions over Austria and Germany in WWII. After the war he returned home and entered college where he got his Public Accountant license. He met the lovely Dolores Christensen of Sebastopol at a church picnic on the Russian River when she impressed him with her rowing prowess on a canoe ride down the river, and they married in 1948. He worked at Begley and Deaton Accounting Firm in Petaluma, eventually moving his family there in 1955. In 1959 he purchased "Corky's" Old Fashioned Foster's Freeze and operated that for 6 years, his wife and sons working by his side. After that he worked many years as an accountant for Petaluma City Schools, walking or riding his bike to work. When Dolores died in 1972 with three young children still in school and one starting college, he continued work as a custodian at Petaluma Senior High School until retiring at 65. He used discarded tennis balls and rackets to take up tennis, winning Trophies in the Senior League as late as age 87. He was always a very active person. On one family trip to Yosemite he hiked alone from the Vally floor to the top of Half Dome and back in one day with hardly more than a few Gravenstein apples in his pockets. Corky had a beautiful singing voice, though it could be hard to understand him when he talked so fast. He and Mom sang in both the St. Vincent's Choir and in the Harmoneers and Harmonettes. Later on he also sang at St. James' Church and enjoyed dancing at local Tea Dances. He performed with the "Kitchen Kut-Ups", singing his favorite Irish ballads. In retirement he took a college course in The World's Religions to explore his faith and self-knowledge, which he loved to discuss vigorously, playing Devil's advocate to anyone who offered a different point of view, just to keep the argument going. In later years you may have seen him walking the family dog up and down the hills of his south Petaluma neighborhood. Dad showed us how to live, he was our hero, generous to charities and family alike. He lived a full life with passion and style and left us with such grace. We will miss his long walks on the beach, napping in the sand dunes, his hearty "hello!" with big smile and hardy hand shake, his vivid family stories, innumerable jokes, and both his philosophical and practical advice. Corky was also preceded in death by his son Tony Cordoza and long-time companion Alma Barber, and late in life friend Mary Murdoch. His children: Les (Suesta), Roxane Bacher (Chris), Mike, Virginia, and Karl "KC" (Rhoda), grandchildren: Jesse, Michelle (Michael), Matthew, Nate Bacher (Kerri-Ann), Isaac Bacher (Kelly), Hannah (Casey Moll), and great grandchild Giovanna Bacher, plus countless loving family members and friends, will remember him always. Our family extends special thanks to all the wonderful caregivers and staff of Sequoia Senior Solutions, especially Judy and Shawn, as well as the kind nurses of Hospice of Petaluma for all their help. A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, April 9th, at 1:00 P.M. at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Petaluma, CA, 94952. Memorial reception 2:30 to 5:30 P.M. at Graffiti Restaurant in Petaluma. Burial to be private. Donations in Corky's memory would be appreciated to Hospice of Petaluma, Petaluma COTS, and Catholic Charities Homeless Shelter. Memorial Mass

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church

Saturday, April 09, 2016 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM 35 Liberty Street Petaluma, CA 94952 Directions