Phil John Bertanzoni, 79, of Susanville, passed away on January 18, 2023 in Chandler, AZ.
Phil was born to Phillip and Delores Bertanzoni on December 30, 1943 in Susanville, CA. After Phil graduated from Lassen High School in 1961, he enlisted in the Air Force and served his country for four years at Lackland Air Force base, then spent time in Korea.
After hitchhiking home from Stead, NV he attended Lassen College where he shined as a member of the Debate team.
Phil had multiple careers and was a proud owner of the State Saloon. There are endless stories that have come out of this historic bar, none of them fit for printing. He eventually settled on a career with the Operating Engineers and enjoyed working outdoors. Phil could operate intricate pieces of heavy equipment, but was unable to operate the TV remote or his outdated Samsung cell phone.
In his younger years Phil enjoyed spending time at the Satica and Barron Ranches every summer where he would haul hay and work for his uncles. He was a proud member of the Susanville Basque club and could be seen enjoying dancing and mingling at the annual Basque Fiasco.
He was also a member of the Elks Lodge and coached Little League for many years. Many of Susanville’s youth, including son Paul, benefited from Coach Bertanzoni’s direct coaching style and have fond memories of being part of his team.
On April 3, 1971 his daughter Rachelle Marie was born and she quickly became the apple of Phil’s eye. She was the center of his world and a great source of pride.
Phil never stopped talking about hunting with the boys. He took his grandson out on multiple occasions and became a hero in his eyes when they went coyote hunting at Espil’s. It also greatly impressed his grandson’s friends. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed marking lambs.
You may have seen Phil and his faithful companion Pete, a German Shorthair Pointer, out and about. Pete having a human name led to many hilarious misunderstandings over the years. As in “Pete’s missing”, “Pete hasn’t come home”, and the ultimate “Someone thought they saw Pete dead on the side of the road.” (Luckily it wasn’t him.) Rachelle was also teased about having another sibling to compete with as Pete was like a son to Phil.
In 2015, Phil married Patty Mulroney and they spent the last eight years enjoying their life on the ranch. Every morning, regardless of the temperature, Phil would go outside and enjoy his coffee while he admired the beautiful surroundings. He liked to plow fields, dig things up, irrigate, and start some fires, much to Patty’s dismay.
One day Phil and Patty were at Waste Management looking at a backhoe called “Big Patty” that he hoped to acquire for the ranch. They were approached by law enforcement who wrote down their names. It was the first time for Patty, but Phil? Not so much.
Phil loved the game of golf. In 2012 Phil was instrumental in coordinating the Northern California Cancer Advocates’ first annual golf tournament. He was an active committee member, specializing in gathering golfers to make teams. Last year NCCA held their 10th annual “Swing for Cancer” tournament. Phil gave a heartfelt welcome speech and enjoyed a great day of golf.
Phil is survived by his wife Patty, son Paul (Jennifer), daughter Rachelle, stepson Ross (Kristen), sister Lorraine (Bill), grandchildren Devon, Colten, Grace, Jake, Tessa, Cheney, and Georgia. He was also a beloved Tio to Amy, Jennifer, and Charly and multiple great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father Phillip, mother Delores, and grandson Travis.
Phil was a very generous man, devoted husband, father, and grandfather and was loved by many. He was also stubborn, ornery, and opinionated, but that made us love him even more. It may surprise some of his friends that he was actually an altar boy.
A celebration of life will be held on May 28, 2023, at the old clubhouse of Diamond Mountain Golf Course, 470-895 Wingfield Road Susanville, CA at 11:00. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Northern California Cancer Advocates, P.O. Box 270938 Susanville, CA 96127 in memory of Phil Bertanzoni.
