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Obituary for Michael Edward Massa
Michael E. Massa June 25, 1937 – July 27, 2017
Michael E. Massa, 80, of Brookings, Ore., passed away in Crescent City, Calif. on July 27, 2017.
Michael was born June 25, 1937 to Edward and Grace (Tomley) Massa in Hayward, Calif. at Hayward General Hospital which was owned and operated by Michael’s grandmother, Lucille S. Tomley. Michael attended primary and high school at public and private schools in Hayward and Oakland. He attended college at City College of San Francisco and, later, San Mateo Junior College. He married Joanne Swenson on June 20, 1959 in San Jose, Calif. Michael spent his career in real estate development and merchant homebuilding. Working first for Ganiats Construction, Edward C. Massa, Inc., Oliver Rousseau Homes, Challenge Development, Von-Jac Developments and Morrison Homes, Inc. before starting his own business in the same industry: M. Massa Developments. Michael’s memberships included the Urban Land Institute, Sacramento Building Industry Assn., Hayward Optimists Club, life member of the Grass Valley Elks Lodge #538, Native Sons of the Golden West, Hayward Boys’ Club and the Hayward YMCA. Follow their move to Brookings, Michael and Joanne were members of Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Michael enjoyed traveling to Montana, Wales and England and was proud to be a first generation American on his mother’s side. He also enjoyed fishing, hunting and raising red and black Angus cattle.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Joanne of Brookings; sons, Geoffrey S. Massa of San Ramon, Calif., Willard E. Massa of Pleasant Hill, Calif., daughter, Elizabeth M. Bonham of Portola Valley, Calif.; grandchildren, Brittany Nixon, Michael Massa, William Massa, Andrew Massa, Kristina Massa and Luke Massa; two great grandchildren: Jordan Rob Massa and Hannah Hadassah Nixon; sister, Valerie Lozowicki and her husband, Edward of Los Gatos, Calif. and their children, Christina Sims, Natalie Eldridge and Peter Lozowicki; and brother-in-law, Carl Swenson of Los Gatos, Calif. Michael was preceded in death by his son, William C. Massa, who was killed by a drunk driver on Jan. 30, 1987.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be at 10:30am on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017 at Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 820 Old County Rd. in Brookings. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00am. A luncheon will follow the service in the Parish Hall. A committal service will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017 at Greenwood Memorial Gardens, Rough and Ready Rd. in Grass Valley, Calif.
Redwood Memorial Chapel is assisting the family. Condolences may be expressed online at www.redwoodmemorial.net.
