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Alberto Talanca

NEWTON FALLS – Alberto Talanca, 92, of Newton Falls, passed away at his home Tuesday, April 29, 2014, of natural causes.

Mr. Talanca was born on Feb. 22, 1922, the son of the late Pietro and Adelina DiMarco Talanca in Silvi, Italy.

Alberto grew up in Italy and served in the Italian Navy during World War II. He was captured in Yugoslavia, and was held captive as a prisoner of war by German soldiers for two years in Leroso, an island in Greece, until the U.S.A. liberated them.

In the years following the war, he was a baker in Pescara, Italy, and then opened and ran his own bakery in Silvi, Italy, where he married his wife, Julia Colangecco, on Nov. 8, 1948. They shared 54 years together before she passed away on July 12, 2002.

Alberto and Julia immigrated to Canada and then to the United States, moving to Warren and working at the Warren Baking Co. as master baker.

He and Julia then moved to Newton Falls in 1959 to start Albert’s Bakery, which they ran for 26 years. For many years there was not a Newton Falls High School student who didn’t race to Albert’s Bakery to get a piece of pizza for lunch.

For Halloween, he had a labor of love making about 37 dozen cookies decorated for the season to give to the children who came to his home for trick or treat.

Alberto also kept busy taking care of his apartments and houses, doing all of his own maintenance. The 1985 tornado took out part of the downtown building with the family name on it.

He kept busy in his garden and grafting trees, combining apple trees and peach trees in to one tree. He was also known for making some great wine that he loved to share with friends and family when they would come to visit.

Memories of Alberto will be cherished by his family, Michael (Pamela) and Peter (Diane) Talanca, all of Newton Falls; his granddaughter and her husband, Rita (Bill) Wright; granddaughter, Bernadetta Talanca; grandsons, Michael, Alberto and Peter Talanca; and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Julia; a sister, Urania Talanca; and two brothers, Stefano and Antonio.

The family will receive friends from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at the James Funeral Home in Newton Falls. A funeral service will follow at 10:30 a.m., and then they will be going to St. Mary and Joseph Church in Newton Falls for the funeral Mass.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the James Funeral Home, 8 E. Broad St., Newton Falls, OH 44444, 330-872-5440. Family and friends may view this obituary online or to send condolences, visit www.james-funeralhomeinc.com.

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