Robert Dan Dagostino

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Robert Dan Dagostino. Robert was born on February 19, 1935, in Washington, D. C., and passed away peacefully in the company of his loved ones in Carson, CA on October 24, 2024.

When Robert was just sixteen years old, he enlisted in the military. At 17 he joined the US Navy, where he served honorably from 1952-1956, during the height of the Korean War. He served in combat zones with distinction aboard the light cruiser USS Manchester, the USS Thomas Jefferson, and the destroyer escort USS Walton. While in the Navy, he earned a number of awards and military decorations, including the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Medal, and the National Defence Service Medal before being honorably discharged in 1956.

That same year, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Robert married the love of his life, Olivia Leialoha. Robert and Olivia were happily married for fifty-eight wonderful years, during which time they were blessed to raise nine children together: Christine, Danny, Cecilia, Dino, Iona, Roberto, John, Alphonso Duke, and Olivia. They were equally blessed with loving grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, and remained deeply devoted to their extended family their entire lives.

In the years after his military service, and while raising and caring for his family, Robert worked for many years as an automotive mechanic, including in his own automotive shop. He also worked for years as a longshoreman on the waterfront at the Los Angeles Container Terminal. In his free time, he loved to work on old cars; build model trains; and listen to country music, Hawaiian music, and classic oldies. He was a talented musician himself, and knew how to play both the violin and the accordion. One of his favorite ways to relax at home was to watch NASCAR and stock car racing on TV while enjoying time with his family. He and Olivia also loved to drive out to Las Vegas and sit themselves down at the keno lounge or slot machines at the Gold Strike or the Golden Nugget, relaxing, gambling, meeting other people, listening to music, eating good food, and enjoying their time together.

In addition to all of these interests, Robert was also an avid camper and hunter. He loved to go camping all throughout the various regions of California with his wife and children, and during hunting season he loved to hunt deer and pheasant most of all. He and Olivia also loved to go prospecting for gold in Keyesville. On many occasions his favorite thing to do with his family was to load up the car with snacks and supplies and just cruise: sometimes up into the snowy mountains, sometimes out to the coast, and other times out into the vast deserts or the rural byways leading to old ghost towns, far off the beaten path. He loved good food, especially Italian food, Mexican food, as well as all kinds of assorted sweets. Not only did he love to eat good food; he was himself an excellent cook, who loved to make chili colorado, pizza, chile verde, and many other specialties for his family, friends, and loved ones.

Most of all, Robert was a family man, a provider, and a person who, along with his beloved wife, always opened their doors to everyone. They always made everyone – family, friends, neighbors, future in-laws, strangers – feel completely comfortable and welcome in their home. Anyone who walked through their door was treated with warmth, kindness, and love, and they became instant family. Robert and Olivia were warm, open, giving, and generous to everyone they knew, and went out of their way to always make everyone feel like they belonged there. Through the warmth and love and hospitality that Robert and Olivia provided to one and all, they let everyone who loved them, and everyone who mourned their passing, know that they would always have a place to call home, a place where they were cared for, and a place where they were loved.