In Memory of Our Friend 

Luigi Traverso

Recipient  of  the TCSRA Life Member Award

                                      Luigi Traverso, 84, of Ontario died Jan. 9, 2004, at Kaiser

                                      Permanente Medical Center, Fontana. He was born April 14, 1919, in

                                      Castelletto d'Orba Province of Alessandria, Italy and was a resident of

                                      Ontario for 56 years. He was an electrician with the Sante Fe Railroad for

                                     21 years, and was a veteran of the Italian Air Force. He was a lifetime

                                     member of Tri-County Soccer Referee Association. All of Luigi's schooling

                                      took place in Italy. After school he went to work for Ansaldo Corporation

                                      (shipbuilders) in Genoa, Italy for 2 years. At the age of 19 Luigi entered the

                                      Italian Air Force. Luigi became a prisoner of war in 1943, when he was

                                      captured in Sicily by the Americans while returning from bombing raids on

                                     the Greek Island of Rhodes. After 9 months he was evacuated with several

                                     thousand other Italians from North Africa to the U.S.A. and remained in captivity until 1945 after he signed an agreement to cooperate with America and its allies, he was Repatriated to Italy in 1945. Back in Italy he was employed at the American Consulate in Genoa, Italy. In 1947, Luigi married Olga Grossi in Italy. Olga is from Ontario, Calif., and in 1948 Luigi returned to the USA with Olga. Luigi's soccer experience goes back to his days in school. At the age of 16 he signed to play for a semi-pro organization in the City of Vigevano in the Province of Pavia. He continued to play with them until he enlisted in the Italian Air Force. Luigi played on a prisoner of war team in San Francisco, Oakland and San

Bernardino. After returning to the USA in 1950 he and others formed a team

of ex-Italian prisoners of war and played league ball with Mexican and

European teams. Luigi was one of the principal founders of AYSO in this

area. He and Frits Rosenveldt were "Pioneers" in formulating interest and

teams in the early years of soccer in Ontario. Luigi was the Girls Junior

Varsity Coach at Alta Loma High School. In the past Luigi also coached the

Alta Loma Boys Varsity and Girls Varsity soccer teams. Luigi has been a

referee since 1960 when he started in AYSO. He was also USSF Emeritus

State referee. He is survived by his wife, Olga; nieces in Italy, Ada Gastaldo

and Vittoria Amerio; many grandnieces and nephews in Italy and California.