Samuel Giovenazzo

Samuel George Giovenazzo, 85, of Moline, died Saturday, July 18, 2009, at Trinity Medical Center West Campus in Rock Island. He was born June 30, 1924, in Silvis, Ill., the son of George and Concetta Pollicino Giovenazzo. He married Lavonne I. Christie on September 14, 1946, in East Moline. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII having served as Storekeeper First Class aboard the U.S.S. Shamrock and in a land-based commissary at Pearl Harbor. He was a graduate of United Township and a 1947 graduate of the Plastics Industries Technical Institute in Los Angeles, Ca. He enjoyed fishing in Minnesota and photography. He was an amateur radio operator with call letters, KN9BIL. He and his wife were former members of the Friendly Squares Square Dancing Club. He also enjoyed a variety of sports and was a NASCAR fan in his later years. He was a member of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers (A.I.I.E.), the American Management Association (A.M.A), a Pearl Harbor Reunion Association, and over fifty year certified Master Mason and member of the Blue Lodge #898. In his early John Deere years he led a Junior Achievement company for which he received a citation. He was most recently an honoree of the second Honor Flight to Washington D.C. for World War II veterans. He had 35 years of combined service with Deere and Company. His early work was at Deere Harvester Works in East Moline. He was transferred and promoted to chief industrial engineer for John Deere Industrial Equipment when it was located in downtown Moline. When he was offered a chance to relocate to France he preferred to return to John Deere Harvester in East Moline as one of two division industrial engineers. After retirement he worked a number of years as an independent sales agent for Southwestern Petroleum Products. Survivors include his son, Michael Alan of Moline; sisters, Dorothy Mann of Silvis, Janette (James) Kelley of Kewanee and Angela Schold of East Moline. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Lavonne in 2002, brothers Michael James Giovenazzo, Joseph R. (Giovenazzo) Givens I, and James Michael Giovenazzo, sisters Mary Smith, Ann Giovenazzo, Teresa Ickes, Rose Orendorff and Baby Catherine. © 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This obituary is a work protected under international and federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this compiled work may be reproduced, altered or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.