A dedicated community volunteer — who was perhaps Canada's oldest active Knights of Columbus member — passed away Aug. 23, just weeks away from his 105th birthday.
Tommaso (Thomas) Bubba was born Sept. 15, 1911, in Caraffa, Italy, and emigrated to Sudbury in 1932.
During the Depression, Bubba worked as a tap man at the Whitefish Hotel, and just before the start of the Second World War, he joined Inco, where he was employed for 38 years as a mechanic at the Copper Cliff Smelter.
He also owned and operated the Naughton General Store for 23 years.
Bubba married Elmira (Alma) Grassi in 1940. The couple, who were married for 67 years, had four children — Lydia, Robert, James and Gloria Jean. They also have two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
His obituary notes his dedication to public service and volunteerism, a fact reflected by his commitment to the Knights of Columbus, in which he served for more than 50 years as a Fourth Degree Knight and then as Faithful Navigator and, finally, as Grand Knight.
He received two exemplifications by the Knights in recognition of his lengthy service and devotion.
Closer to home, he acted as the unofficial and unpaid custodian of the St. Philip Neri mission church in Naughton, shoveling coal on cold Saturday evenings to ensure the church furnace was in good working order to warm the congregation for two Sunday masses.
He cared for the church, and every summer painted the steeple and cross until the church was torn down to make way for the construction of Our Lady of Fatima School.
He was a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks in Naughton and was well-known for his volunteer work with the CNIB, Kidney Foundation, Arthritis and Heart Associations and with the Cancer Centre at Laurentian Hospital.
In 1998, in recognition of his volunteer service, he was one of the recipients of the first Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for volunteerism.
Sudbury.com (then NorthernLife.ca) wrote a story about Bubba on the occasion of his 100th birthday back in September 2011.
He told us he never thought he'd live to be a centenarian, and gave us some advice on how to live life.
“Just take it one day at a time,” Bubba said. “Have three meals a day, and take a walk every day. Just be what you are.”
Visitation will take place at the Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Aug. 26. A funeral mass will be celebrated at Christ the King Church at 10 a.m. Aug. 27.
