Albert Valentine Brutto

HAMILTON - Albert Valentine Brutto was born 27 March 1915 to Italian immigrants, Luigi Brutto and Angelina Piane Brutto, in Cicero, Illinois. He joined his siblings, Rose, Helen, Frank and Theresa as the youngest member of the family.

Due to his mother's health problems, the family was encouraged to move to a more favorable climate in the West, and they relocated in Basin, Montana, where Luigi took a job with the Post Office. Later the family moved to Missoula where Luigi was a mail carrier for 44 years.

Albert began his education as a first grader in the Roosevelt school in Missoula. When St. Anthony Catholic school opened in 1922, he was enrolled there through the 8th grade. His first two years of high school were at Loyola High School, which closed in 1932. He finished his last two high school years at Missoula County High School, graduating in 1934.

School days were filled with Cub and Boy Scout activities and he attained the rank of Life Scout but did not make Eagle, because he could not swim well enough. Roaming the fields and streams around Missoula and hunting gophers with his .22 rifle and fishing were among his boyhood activities.

Out of high school during the depression, jobs were scarce. He worked at the D'Orazi grocery store and bar on Alder street in Missoula for a few years before taking a job as an underground miner in Saltese, in 1940. That year, he attempted enlistment in the Navy, but the clerk mistyped his application with the word, Army. He was assigned to"C"Company of the 4th Infantry on 19 November 1940, and spent the first day of his enlistment at Fort Missoula. The following day he was on a train bound for Fort Lewis, Washington for basic training.

His military service included survey work for what would become the Alcan Highway in Alaska, and he froze his feet during that assignment. Returning to Missoula on military leave, Uncle Al would entertain the Brutto family with his stories of the Yukon and it's cold. And especially was his poetic tale of the "Cremation of Sam McGee". The youngsters all assumed it was an experience of Al, himself, but many years later, nephew, Robert found the poem by Robert W. Service that was very familiar to Uncle Al's narration. Seriously, this cold would be a lifelong physical torment for Uncle Al. The poem reads:

"And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm,

In the heat of the furnace roar,

And he wore a smile you could see for a mile, and he said:

'Please close that door, it's fine in here,

But I greatly fear you'll let in the cold and storm:

Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee,

It's the first time I've been warm."

His unit was later transferred to the Philippines for the planned invasion of Japan. The dropping of the Atomic bomb resulted in the Japanese surrender and on Thanksgiving Day 1945 he boarded a ship and returned safely to the U.S.

Upon discharge from 5 years of active duty, he joined the Army Reserve and spent a total of 23 years in the service of his country, rising from the rank of Private First Class to Master Sergeant.

His parents had retired and relocated to SanJoseCalifornia, and he joined them there, taking a job with Pacific Gas and Electric. In 1962 he purchased 80 acres with a small cabin on the mountain west of Hamilton. After his parents died, he retired from PG&E in 1970 and moved to the Hamilton property, where he lived for the next 41 years.

Al never married, but was always a favorite uncle to all of his numerous nieces, nephews and later, great nieces and nephews and more recently great,great,great additions. Always affectionately known as, Uncle Al, and his personalized car license was well known around Hamilton with that name on it.

He took great interest in his family and was especially close to his beloved sister, Theresa. For many years he would come down from the mountain to drive her to work, or to attend church with her and spent many happy hours visiting with her in her home or at her doll shop. He was proud of all his nieces and nephews and of their athletic, academic abilities and accomplishments in music and art. He was always there with words of encouragement or a helping hand in some manner.

Having qualified as an Expert in military shooting, Al entered many Camp Perry competitive matches and brought home numerous trophies during the years he competed. Being a gun and shooting enthusiast and hunter he enjoyed loading his own ammunition.

Another of his interests was reading and he had an extensive library. He had a complete set of over 100 Western novels by the author, Louis L'amour, but his literary taste went deeper than novels and he could quote from such authors as Plato, Homer, Omar Khayyam, Robert W. Service, James Fenimore Cooper, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Tennyson, and others.

A devout, lifetime, practicing Roman Catholic, he was in his regular pew every Saturday mass, weather and health, permitting.

At age 90 he undertook a literary work of his own, which was his life story, up to that point, entitled. "90 Years and Counting." In that 53 page manuscript, are several quotes from various famous authors. When his beloved sister, Theresa died, he lamented that he was now, "The Last of The Mohegans" and referenced that in his manuscript.

In 2011 he moved down from his house on the mountain, to The Remington, along with his cat, Termite, and the two of them took up a comfortable residence there. His special niece, Rita, and her brothers, David and Rob, were an exceptional part of the life of their Uncle Al, and were there many times during medical crises as he aged, with Rita and David being at his hospital bedside as he slipped away.

Survivors include nieces, Elizabeth (Nick) Hallett, Marta Cramer, Donna Burney, Joyce (Carl) Middleton, Robert Neaves, Bill (Diana) Neaves, Dolores (Dave) Hurtt, with numerous great, great-great and great-great-great nieces and nephews.

Perhaps Al might have written the following, although he is not credited as doing so, yet it reflects his philosophy.

Life means all that it ever meant. I hope the lessons I've left will make yours more bounteous. Go to church. Don't swear. Be honest. Pay cash. Treat your children well. Respect Mother Nature. Be ever mindful of His commandments. I'm counting on being with all of you down the road, so do what it takes to get there. I'll be waiting.

The final lines of his "90 Years and Counting" were these:


ARRIVEDERCI

Turn off the Lights

Turn down the Heat

Close the Curtains

The Fat Lady is about to Sing