Eligio Bomben was born in Bannia, Fiume Veneto, Pordenone Italy. Dad would say, “Bannia,
Piazza delle Erbe, 1000 abitanti con le galine”. He had a great sense of humour. He always had
a smile on his lips, a hearty laugh and a twinkle in his eye. He lit up a room every time he
entered. Dad had a few hobbies. He loved music, hunting, playing cards, and making wine and
its close relative, grappa. He lived from 1928-2020.. but that dash says it all.
As a teen, he was the drummer of a band that performed at bars, peoples homes and the
“Puliner” in Bannia, He continued to perform in his off hours even when he worked in Belgium
He loved to sing and dance…tango, waltz and mazurka, an occasional polka (Lawrence Welk
style) but NOT into rock and roll at all. He married my Mom Fiorina in 1947, and was a young
dad. He emmigrated to Canada, and was later joined by Mom. Although he worked hard all
day, his love of music never waned and Mom and Dad attended many formal functions that
included dancing. Always dressed impeccably, they were often the main attraction on the
dance floor. When my late sister, Marlene and I were growing up, our entertainment was
singing Italian folk songs with Mom and Dad. Often, Dad would play his beloved harmonica or
his kazoo while we sang in harmony and if we were off key, we really heard about it. When we
got married, our husbands Primo and Donato were accepted as sons. It was a bonus that
Primo was a carpenter and Donato loved music and had a good voice. Our home was always
filled with music, laughter and people, and of course food.
Hunting was another one of his hobbies when he was younger. He had excellent aim and
would come home with hare, partridges, ducks, geese, grouse…that was in the day when there
was an abundance of wildlife on the outskirts of Toronto. Often on a drive northbound, he
would point out areas where he hunted with his friends and retell the adventures of their
hunting trips.
He was a good card player. To prove it, he had several trophies lined up in his basement office.
In that same office there is still a world map and until recently, a globe. He loved to learn about
the world around us and was up to date with current events. After he retired, he began reading
more and more. He loved St Anthony Messenger and My Canada for the interesting stories, but
his reading was not limited to those magazines.
The winemaking season also brought him a great deal of joy…searching for the grapes with
friends and family, finally the crushing and all the activities that are part of wine making. Of
course that always included food, family, laughter and music. Naturally, all wines had to be
tested and tasted as they were maturing and there was a great deal of teasing back and forth
with friends while sitting either in the garage, or the kitchen. Our home was the Hub of the
block at that time of year.
It would seem that all was play, but my Dad was a very hard working person. When he was a
young teen, he used to work on the harvesting machines, helping neighbours on their farms to
reap the harvest. When he arrived in Canada, he was a labourer in construction because he
could not speak English. He was paid 20 cents per hour. He worked hard, but on weekends he
would go to Bradford to pick celery so that he could send money home to his family who were
very needy. Eventually, he became a partner in a construction company, Keystone
construction, followed by Elgon Masonry, Ten Brothers and Los Vegas construction.
Again, wherever we drove, he would explain the work he did in each of those towns, or in
Toronto. He was always attentive to detail and was proud of his work.
He lived a life full of adventure, laughter and friendship and was well liked by all. However, he
never forgot his roots. He was giving to all those who needed his help, both in time and
resources. He never held back, even if it meant that his family would do without some things.
However, there was always food and wine on the table, including for any visitor at any time. He
was always ready to listen and was the first to lend a hand. He loved his family, especially his
grand children, (in birth order) Nadine, Steven, Adriano, and Vanessa and his great
grandchildren, Valentina, Julia, Savannah and Rafaella. They would make him laugh, cry and
shake his head in wonder. He taught us honesty, good manners, to be cheerful and grateful, to
be giving and helpful and to pray, especially to St. Anthony. Boy, Boy, Boy Dad, you were
amazing, May you rest always with the Angels.