John Joseph Sabo

11/08/21 – 07/27/2015

John Joseph Sabo, 93, of Sacramento died Monday, July 27, 2015. He was born November 8, 1921, in Three Forks, WV. He was the third of four children of the late John and Francis Sabo of Okemah, OK. His brother Alex, sisters Helen and Francis, and son Allen preceded his passing.

John spent his early years in the coal mining country around Logan, WV. He attended Mann HS and upon graduation enlisted in the Navy in 1938. He was involved in many battles in the South Pacific; the two most noteworthy being the attack on Pearl Harbor while stationed on the destroyer USS Tracy which was in dry dock across from battleship row. The second significant one being the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Sulu Sea where his escort carrier, the USS Ommaney Bay was sunk by Japanese kamikaze planes. John married Mary Genevieve (Jean) in 1944 while on leave in Bremerton, WA , and met her and their son, John, in San Francisco February 20, 1945. He returned to the coal mines in West Virginia where his second son, Allen was born.

Soon they headed for California and he began his career in the scrap metal business as a burner dismantling ships from WWII in Alameda, CA for the Lerner Company. In 1955 the family left the Bay Area and moved to Sacramento where John went to work as a foreman for Associated Metals. In a short period of time, John became general manager and remained in that position until the company was purchased by Levin Metals. He then became Vice President of Operations in 1974.

John had many interests in his lifetime, but nothing pleased him more than being on the water, boating, fishing and water skiing. He was a dedicated husband and father who always attended his sons' sporting events. After retirement his hobby was working with stained glass. Over the years he made some beautiful pieces until losing his eyesight due to macular degeneration. John loved the 49ers, country and bluegrass music, strawberry ice cream, and his dogs and cat. He lost his first wife, Jean, of 45 years in 1988 and soon after met Beverly and they were married in 1989. They had 26 years together sharing a special love and traveling all over the world.

John is survived by his wife, Beverly, of Sacramento, son, John Sabo and his wife Anne of Fayetteville, NC, stepson Michael Marsh of Orangevale and his sons Ryan and Tyler, stepdaughter Mary Phillips of Carmichael, grandsons John Sabo and wife Linda, Robert (Rob) Sabo and wife Ashley, Scott Sabo and wife Michelle all of Sparks, NV, Greg Sabo and wife Candice of San Antonio, TX, granddaughter Shelly Duffy and husband Mike of Woodland, nephew Richard Sabo of Simpsonville, SC and wife Kathi and nieces Joyce Ranson of WVA and husband Jim and Karen Dolan of Castro Valley.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to www.woundedwarriorproject.org