Sophie J. Tognoli

Sophie J. Tognoli was born on May 10, 1915, to Anna and John Yancigay in New York, NY. A child of Slovenian immigrants, Sophie was instilled with a strong work ethic and left school after completing eighth grade to care for her younger siblings and to work to support her family.

Sewing was always important to Sophie and she spent the years before her marriage working with her mother and sisters in a hat factory in New York City.

She married Joseph Tognoli in Bogota, NJ, on April 22, 1939. They had three sons, Jerome, Steve and Joe, and moved from their home in Ridgewood, NJ, to Hollywood, FL, in 1950.

In 1971, Sophie and Joe moved to southern California to be near their son Joe and his family. Her husband, a building contractor, passed away in 1978.

Among her many interests were growing African violets, volunteering at the Senior Center and Thrift Shop, playing cards (especially Skip-bo) and cooking meals for her family. Her last three and a half years were spent at Sunnyhill Guest Home, where she was visited every day by her loving family and friends.

She passed peacefully away on April 28, 2008. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Tognoli, in 1978; daughter-in-law Lynda Tognoli (wife of Steve) in 1995; and granddaughter Clare Cooper-Tognoli (daughter of Jerome) in 2002.

She is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Jerome Tognoli and Helen Cooper, Port Jefferson, NY, Stephen and Binnie Tognoli, Hollywood, FL, and Joseph and Connie Tognoli, Fallbrook, CA; grandchildren Joseph Tognoli, Jr., Cardiff, CA, Robert Tognoli, Costa Mesa, CA, Gina (Tognoli) Palmerin, Bonita, CA, Leea (Tognoli) Powell, Surprise, AZ, Anthony Tognoli, Sr., Live Oak, FL, Lorenzo Tognoli, Deltona, FL, Dawn Tognoli, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Sarah Cooper-Tognoli, New York, NY; great-grandchildren Crystal Tognoli, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Anthony Tognoli, Jr., Port St. Lucie, FL, Lina and Bianca Palmerin, Bonita, CA, Sophie, Lucy and Alice Powell, Surprise, AZ, Anne St. Marie, Cardiff, CA, Robert L. Tognoli, Long Beach, CA, and Adalina and Aidan Tognoli, Deltona, FL; sisters Ann Lasson, Midland Park, NJ, Mary Diana, New Milford, NJ, and Betty Kupfrian, Paramus, NJ; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 8, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Fallbrook.