On April 6th our Dad celebrated his 85th Birthday and on April 10th Palm Sunday our Heavenly Father called him home to rest.  Our Dad enjoyed life in the nature to the fullest.  He loved hunting, fishing, and sharing life stories. His true love was his garden.  Our Dad could simply look at something and it would turn green.
Our hearts are broken, and we will miss him dearly, but today he tends to a heavenly garden beyond beauty we could ever imagine.  We are so grateful and blessed for the time we had.  
Suzan, Jennifer, Marian & Benjamin.

Eulogy on behalf of Bennie’s children, who would like to first thank you all for being here to celebrate and remember their father.
Benjamin Antone Fiscalini to us known as Dad and to his 10 grandchildren and 8 grandchildren he was Papa.  Many called him Ben or Bennie.  
Our Dad was born to Benjamin & Virginia Fiscalini on April 6th, 1937 in Paso Robles California.
Dad was the oldest of three children, brother Robert and deceased sister Palmarie.
Our Dad married our mother, Nancy Mezzanotte on June 8th, 1958.  They purchased their first home in the East hills of San Jose and together they had 4 Children.  Suzan, Jennifer, Marian, and 9 years after their 3rd daughter were blessed with a son Benjamin.  Shortly after their marriage they relocated to Arkansas while our Father completed his Army National Guard training.  Dad served the Army national guards as a cook.  It’s no wonder he was such an awesome cook.  
On October 9th, 1981 Dad married Faith Ruth Ervin.  In 1982 he opened Les Fish Market and a few years later dad started his own business BFC (Ben Fiscalini Construction).  In 2003 dad semi-retired and relocated to Cottonwood California where this custom home was built on the 3 acers, we celebrate him at today.  During these years Dad traveled and grew the garden we see today.
On June 17th, 2006 Dad married Edna Boban of Cottonwood and remained in the home we see today. Together they created a yard filled with beautiful flowers and perfect tomatoes.  Edna would Love and care for Dad, taking him through many illnesses till the time of his death.
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Our Dad grew up on a Dairy and Alfalfa ranch in Paso Robles California and often spoke of his time helping his father work the ranch.  At about age 13 the family relocated to San Jose California.  Dad graduated in 1955 from James Lick High School in San Jose.  During Dads high school years, he was on the wrestling team and worked in the Cement business with his father.  Our dad alongside his brother and Father built some of the most spectacular pools and impressive concrete work.  Our brother will tell you he often comes across some of Dads work done 40 plus years ago still looking as good as the day the job was done.  Our family home still has cement patio’s and brick boarder that are over 60 years old still flawless.
This was our Dad he always told us “if you’re going to do something, do it right”
Although we grew up in a in a neighborhood track home it often felt like a little ranch.  You never knew what dad was going to bring home.  We had chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and peacocks.  The chicken’s turkeys and peacocks where hatched from eggs and we raised them in the back yard. Most neighbors had the family dog scratch at the back door but not us, Turkeys pecked at the back door, rabbits scratched to get in and peacocks cooed as the roosters sang.  Dad taught us not only how to care for these animals but how to do it with pride and respect for the animals.  Many years our rabbits and chickens took 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in the Santa Clara county Fair.  Our Dad also raised a steer or two each year to provide meat for the winter months when work was slow.  Fiscalini’s love their red meat.  Dad’s favorite steak was a good New York Steak.
Our Dad was truly and outdoors man.  He worked all day outside and came home every night and tended to his yard and vegetable garden, ate dinner and headed to our grandmothers where he had a much larger garden and then to feed and water the steer before he would rest.  Of course, he would bring at least one of us with him to help.
Dad loved to camp, fish, hunt, and garden.  He hunted with his father at a young age and through his first marriage.  After taking a break during his second marriage he returned to hunting.
Dad taught all of us at a very young age how to handle a gun, clean a gun, load a gun, and shoot a gun.  Most importantly taught us how to respect the power of a gun.  The guns where kept low where we could get them, the shells were also within our reach and he was very clear that if we were ever in danger in our home we should use them.  But we respected those guns as we were taught.  We never showed any one those guns and we never touched them without Dad.  If only this could be true to all people today.
We would go hunting rain, snow, or sunshine.  We boiled water if we wanted it warm and brushed our teeth where the animals drank.  We played in the dirt and climbed trees and used our imagination.  
Dad taught us to catch fish, gut fish and cook a fish.  He taught us how to properly kill, gut and pluck the chickens, turkey and pheasants feathers.  And we definitely know how to shoot, gut and skin a buck.
You will find many trophies of our dad for tote goat racing.  Many of these races where won with one of us mounted in front of him.
Dad would clam along the central coast as we enjoyed the beach.
Our Dad was not perfect, and our childhood was not typical by any means.  Dad had a very different way of showing love or praise.  If you heard him say “it’s about dam time you did something right” you knew he was proud of you.  If he rubbed the top of your head that was a hug, and if he called you squirt it was a sweet hello.
He was a fierce defender of his children when we were younger.  He taught us to speak up, fight back and not put up with any bullies.  He was very clear if you came home with a black eye the other person better have 2 black eyes or don’t come home till they do.
I think today you can see that bit of fight in all of us.
Dad would let us fight it out, he would watch us like he was at a boxing match.  When he had enough, he would pick us up and toss us in a room together with instruction to not come out until we could get along. So, if you have ever been amazed at how we can fight with a passion and be sitting together talking within the same minute this would be why.
His son was born in the years that most are slowing down, but Dad was so happy to finally have a son it gave him such a new energy for all the things he loved making sure he instilled all those things he taught us girls he would now teach his son.  Dad camped, hunted, fished, and gardened till his last breath.
Our dad had many friends in his younger years and was very close to his brother-in-laws.  They would spend many hours together playing cards, vacationing together, helping maintain our Noni’s home, selling Christmas trees and fireworks to help with her property taxes.
We had 17 cousins followed by many 2nd and 3rd cousins.  We have been flooded with the memories they have of their Uncle Bennie.  You see not only did Dad teach us these things he shared those teachings with his many nieces and nephews.  Most remember his teaching them to play poker, ride a bike, or give them their first sip of a beer, ride on the tote goat or get down and show them some wrestling moves.  We have received messages such as “I learned so much form Uncle Bennie” “Uncle Bennie was always the fun Uncle” “Uncle Bennie could sure put on a beautiful buffet” and “Uncle Bennie was one of a Kind”  

Perhaps there are things you didn’t know about our dad…….
• In 1 swift move with one hand he could pick up 3 little girls placing one on his back, one on his neck and holding one in his arm.
• There was never a repair or installation man in our home.  Dad did everything himself from laying linoleum and tile to replacing wall heaters with central air and heating system, carpet laying, a variety of wall papers and so much more
• He was creative he could take a request from our mom and turn it into a work of art.  Mirror, cork, brick walls.  Unique shelves with rustic edges tile work, his work remains flawless in our mother’s home.
• He could cook the best steak to perfection.
• If you woke before the sunrise you could find him warming his boots in the oven while drinking his coffee with the family cat Penny, in his lap.
• When him and his best friend Vern got together, they acted like teenagers, blowing up mailboxes along Delia street with M80’s, dumping sand in their brother in laws yard and racing up and down the street.
• He designed and made award winning Halloween costumes for his children.
• He would flock colored Christmas trees in our garage for family and friends with a system he designed.
• At his death he was only 6 days away from being the longest living Fiscalini.
• Our Noni would cook polenta with the pheasant meat dad killed.
• Jennifer and Dad shared a birthday.
• He loved his Australian shepards.
Our Dad is a survivor of many heart complications and surgeries.  He suffered his first heart attack at age 50.  He once had a 8x4” tumor removed that was wrapped around his lungs and   Dad called it his tri-tip.  He suffered from CPOD and Diabetes, kidney failure. He had arthritis throughout his body, nerve damage in his feet and esophagus cancer.  When Dad was diagnosed with the cancer and it did not appear it would have a good outcome it really shook him that this might be the reason for his death.  
Dad always knew it would be his heart that would take him from this earth as was with his father and so many Fiscalini’s before him.  This never seemed to unsettle him he was very resolved to this.  
Dad Always told us he was going to live how he wanted, eat what he wanted and do what he wanted no matter what a doctor, wife or child told him.  And he did exactly that.
On April 2nd we celebrated our Dad’s 85th birthday.  It was a beautiful day all four of his children and many grandchildren where there.  We enjoyed him and he enjoyed us.  We toasted our dad and we saw peace within him.  We all left cottonwood knowing it was well with his soul.  On April 6th 2022 he reached 85 years of age, this was a goal of his and on April 8th 2022 while planting his first tomato plant for the season he suffered heart complications and on April 10th while with his wife he took his last breath and his tired heart beat for the last time.  This is just how our dad wanted it.
It was well with soul.


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Yesterday 10-1-2022  it was an honor to spread our fathers ashes in the place he loved to be, Plumas National Forest.  The place he hunted with his father, the place he taught his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to hunt and enjoy the beatiful outdoors.  Rest in peace Dad.  Till we meet again.