Verzani, Alphonse J. 1917-2001

VERZANI, KNEIFL, BORNHORST

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 7/22/2009 at 17:05:25

Alphonse "Al" J. Verzani, 84, of Sioux City died Sunday, Oct. 21, 2001, at a Sioux City retirement home.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with the Rev. Paul-Louis Arts and the Rev. Joe Finn, his great-nephew, officiating. Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Friday at St. Mary's Cemetery in Remsen, Iowa, with military rites conducted by the American Legion. Visitation will be 1 to 9 p.m. Thursday, with family present 6 to 8:30 p.m., and a parish vigil at 7 p.m., with a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Chalice Service immediately following, at Larkin Morningside Funeral Home. The 4th Degree Knights of Columbus will provide an honor guard during the services.

Mr. Verzani was born March 19, 1917, in Newcastle, Neb., the son of William and Clara (Kneifl) Verzani. He graduated from Central High School in Sioux City in 1936. He attended Trinity College and was class president in 1940. He served as chairman for the 65th class reunion of 1936 Central High School. He married Glaydella M. Bornhorst on June 1, 1943, in Hollywood, Calif.

He lived in Newcastle from 1917 until 1925. He moved to Sioux City in 1925. He lived in Sioux City until 1936, and lived in Los Angeles for one year before returning to Sioux City. In 1941 he moved back to California to work in the naval ship yards. In January 1944, he was inducted into the U.S. Army. In 1946 he returned to Sioux City.

He served as executive director for the City Planning and Zoning Commission Board from 1950 to 1958. In 1958 he started Verzani Printing Company, which he operated until his retirement in 1990. He served on the board of directors for the Better Business Bureau. He also served on the board of directors for the Engineers Club. He was the past president of ARMS.

He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. He was a member of the Epiphany Council 743 Third Degree Knights of Columbus, and a member of the Garrigan Assembly 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. He was a member of American Legion Morningside Post 697. He was a charter member of the 185th Iowa Air National Guard, serving from 1946 to 1950. He was a former vice president of the Iowa Planning Association. He was a former member of the Sioux City Press Club.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 through 1945, serving on a V.R. 11 Naval Transport, evacuating wounded personnel from all areas of the Pacific Theater from Guadalcanal to Japan. He was also selected to fly congressional fact finding committees from Washington, D.C., around the world.

Survivors include his wife of Sioux City; three sons and their wives, Philip J. and Susan Verzani of Villa Park, Calif., Frederick P. and Patricia Verzani of Helena, Mont., and James A. and Sue Verzani of Largo, Fla.; three daughters, Mary Catherine and her husband, Edward Mc Guinness of Arcadia, Calif., Carol Jean and her husband, Bill Hegstrom of Brooks, Maine, and Julie Ann Marr of Sioux City; 17 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Philip, William and Lawrence Verzani; four sisters, Frances Finn Kelly, Clara Davis, Sr. Jaletta (Margaret) Verzani O.S.B., and Sr. Grace (Celeste) Verzani O.S.B.

Pallbearers will be Don Verzani, Liam Mc Guinness, Willie and Taylor Marr, Mark Verzani and Steve Fritz.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal, Oct. 24, 2001; part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection