Sunny Joan Griffin Barzelogna, daughter of Johnnie Monkey Griffin (b 4-11-1913, d 2-15-1991) and Jewell Violet James Griffin (b 4-19-1914, d 1-19-2002), was the oldest of their 10 children. She was a graduate of Bakersfield High School and lettered in Basketball. Following high school, she traveled to Phoenix, Arizona and worked as a waitress at Upton's Cafe. It was there that she met her husband and love of her life, Robert Barzelogna (b 1-28-1935, d 6-13-2014) who was serving in the US Air Force and was stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona. Dad once commented Mom was a strikingly beautiful woman, immediately set about eliminating the competition and winning her.
They married 6-9-1956, were married for 58 years and subsequently had 2 sons: Robert D. Barzelogna, MSgt, USAF (ret)and Richard S. Barzelogna, LTC, USA (ret). Dad served 21 years in the Marine Corps Reserve and the US Air Force, subsequently retiring as a TSgt in 1974. Her siblings included: Mureal Jean (b 12-13-1936), William Dale (b & d 6-29-1938), Jimmy Anthony (b 7-19-1939, d 4-28-2016), John Ray (b 8-9-1941), Linda Faye (b 5-24-1943) (Raymond Wells, a US Navy Veteran), Joe Rex (b 12-3-1944, d 2-16-2020, a US Army Veteran), Susan Margaret (b 8-4-1948) (Dennis Taylor, a US Army Veteran, b 5-7-1941, d 5-21-2017), Cynthia Jane (b 12-19-1951) (Lewis Leonard), & Pamela (b & d 7-19-1953). While a career military wife, Mom was employed as a supervisor with Frito Lays, a wire bonder with Motorola and a technician with World Color. She also served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a staunch advocate and Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, serving as their State of Florida Commander, 1995-1996. She was fond of Bingo and never missed a chance to play during DAV Chapter 86's bingo nights, and often won. She dearly loved coffee, started drinking it as a child, and could easily kill half a pot before lunch time came. When Dad passed away in 2014, Mom had a serious fall in the pool room, and sustained a closed skull fracture that should have killed her but she survived it. She also contracted colon cancer, rectal cancer and ovarian cancer, all of which stemmed from the colon cancer. She was saved by a wonderfully talented surgeon. Subsequently, she had a series of strokes in which the doctor stated she had 4, possibly as many as 6. However, after her last stint in Medical Rehab following her strokes, Mom was diagnosed with Terminal COPD (resulting from smoking cigarettes) with Hospice being called in. She lasted 2 years, and 2 months under Hospice care within her home and her son, Richard, serving as her home healthcare provider. To have survived as long as she did and have lasted as long as she did, Sunny Barzelogna was one tough individual who must have been thoroughly blessed by God. Like her other siblings, she was a tough product of Ozark County, Missouri country living. Mom and Dad completely demonstrated how Married Life was to be conducted and lived. Very few women could measure up to Sunny Barzelogna. She was her Parents' Daughter in every sense of the word. God bless you, Mom. You are, have been, and will always be my Hero. Rest in Peace, Mom.
CAUSE OF DEATH: Terminal COPD
LENGTH OF LIFE: 86 Years, 1 Month, 29 Days.
They married 6-9-1956, were married for 58 years and subsequently had 2 sons: Robert D. Barzelogna, MSgt, USAF (ret)and Richard S. Barzelogna, LTC, USA (ret). Dad served 21 years in the Marine Corps Reserve and the US Air Force, subsequently retiring as a TSgt in 1974. Her siblings included: Mureal Jean (b 12-13-1936), William Dale (b & d 6-29-1938), Jimmy Anthony (b 7-19-1939, d 4-28-2016), John Ray (b 8-9-1941), Linda Faye (b 5-24-1943) (Raymond Wells, a US Navy Veteran), Joe Rex (b 12-3-1944, d 2-16-2020, a US Army Veteran), Susan Margaret (b 8-4-1948) (Dennis Taylor, a US Army Veteran, b 5-7-1941, d 5-21-2017), Cynthia Jane (b 12-19-1951) (Lewis Leonard), & Pamela (b & d 7-19-1953). While a career military wife, Mom was employed as a supervisor with Frito Lays, a wire bonder with Motorola and a technician with World Color. She also served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a staunch advocate and Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, serving as their State of Florida Commander, 1995-1996. She was fond of Bingo and never missed a chance to play during DAV Chapter 86's bingo nights, and often won. She dearly loved coffee, started drinking it as a child, and could easily kill half a pot before lunch time came. When Dad passed away in 2014, Mom had a serious fall in the pool room, and sustained a closed skull fracture that should have killed her but she survived it. She also contracted colon cancer, rectal cancer and ovarian cancer, all of which stemmed from the colon cancer. She was saved by a wonderfully talented surgeon. Subsequently, she had a series of strokes in which the doctor stated she had 4, possibly as many as 6. However, after her last stint in Medical Rehab following her strokes, Mom was diagnosed with Terminal COPD (resulting from smoking cigarettes) with Hospice being called in. She lasted 2 years, and 2 months under Hospice care within her home and her son, Richard, serving as her home healthcare provider. To have survived as long as she did and have lasted as long as she did, Sunny Barzelogna was one tough individual who must have been thoroughly blessed by God. Like her other siblings, she was a tough product of Ozark County, Missouri country living. Mom and Dad completely demonstrated how Married Life was to be conducted and lived. Very few women could measure up to Sunny Barzelogna. She was her Parents' Daughter in every sense of the word. God bless you, Mom. You are, have been, and will always be my Hero. Rest in Peace, Mom.
CAUSE OF DEATH: Terminal COPD
LENGTH OF LIFE: 86 Years, 1 Month, 29 Days.
Sunny Joan Griffin Barzelogna, daughter of Johnnie Monkey Griffin (b 4-11-1913, d 2-15-1991) and Jewell Violet James Griffin (b 4-19-1914, d 1-19-2002), was the oldest of their 10 children. She was a graduate of Bakersfield High School and lettered in Basketball. Following high school, she traveled to Phoenix, Arizona and worked as a waitress at Upton's Cafe. It was there that she met her husband and love of her life, Robert Barzelogna (b 1-28-1935, d 6-13-2014) who was serving in the US Air Force and was stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona. Dad once commented Mom was a strikingly beautiful woman, immediately set about eliminating the competition and winning her.
They married 6-9-1956, were married for 58 years and subsequently had 2 sons: Robert D. Barzelogna, MSgt, USAF (ret)and Richard S. Barzelogna, LTC, USA (ret). Dad served 21 years in the Marine Corps Reserve and the US Air Force, subsequently retiring as a TSgt in 1974. Her siblings included: Mureal Jean (b 12-13-1936), William Dale (b & d 6-29-1938), Jimmy Anthony (b 7-19-1939, d 4-28-2016), John Ray (b 8-9-1941), Linda Faye (b 5-24-1943) (Raymond Wells, a US Navy Veteran), Joe Rex (b 12-3-1944, d 2-16-2020, a US Army Veteran), Susan Margaret (b 8-4-1948) (Dennis Taylor, a US Army Veteran, b 5-7-1941, d 5-21-2017), Cynthia Jane (b 12-19-1951) (Lewis Leonard), & Pamela (b & d 7-19-1953). While a career military wife, Mom was employed as a supervisor with Frito Lays, a wire bonder with Motorola and a technician with World Color. She also served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a staunch advocate and Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, serving as their State of Florida Commander, 1995-1996. She was fond of Bingo and never missed a chance to play during DAV Chapter 86's bingo nights, and often won. She dearly loved coffee, started drinking it as a child, and could easily kill half a pot before lunch time came. When Dad passed away in 2014, Mom had a serious fall in the pool room, and sustained a closed skull fracture that should have killed her but she survived it. She also contracted colon cancer, rectal cancer and ovarian cancer, all of which stemmed from the colon cancer. She was saved by a wonderfully talented surgeon. Subsequently, she had a series of strokes in which the doctor stated she had 4, possibly as many as 6. However, after her last stint in Medical Rehab following her strokes, Mom was diagnosed with Terminal COPD (resulting from smoking cigarettes) with Hospice being called in. She lasted 2 years, and 2 months under Hospice care within her home and her son, Richard, serving as her home healthcare provider. To have survived as long as she did and have lasted as long as she did, Sunny Barzelogna was one tough individual who must have been thoroughly blessed by God. Like her other siblings, she was a tough product of Ozark County, Missouri country living. Mom and Dad completely demonstrated how Married Life was to be conducted and lived. Very few women could measure up to Sunny Barzelogna. She was her Parents' Daughter in every sense of the word. God bless you, Mom. You are, have been, and will always be my Hero. Rest in Peace, Mom.
CAUSE OF DEATH: Terminal COPD
LENGTH OF LIFE: 86 Years, 1 Month, 29 Days.
They married 6-9-1956, were married for 58 years and subsequently had 2 sons: Robert D. Barzelogna, MSgt, USAF (ret)and Richard S. Barzelogna, LTC, USA (ret). Dad served 21 years in the Marine Corps Reserve and the US Air Force, subsequently retiring as a TSgt in 1974. Her siblings included: Mureal Jean (b 12-13-1936), William Dale (b & d 6-29-1938), Jimmy Anthony (b 7-19-1939, d 4-28-2016), John Ray (b 8-9-1941), Linda Faye (b 5-24-1943) (Raymond Wells, a US Navy Veteran), Joe Rex (b 12-3-1944, d 2-16-2020, a US Army Veteran), Susan Margaret (b 8-4-1948) (Dennis Taylor, a US Army Veteran, b 5-7-1941, d 5-21-2017), Cynthia Jane (b 12-19-1951) (Lewis Leonard), & Pamela (b & d 7-19-1953). While a career military wife, Mom was employed as a supervisor with Frito Lays, a wire bonder with Motorola and a technician with World Color. She also served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a staunch advocate and Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, serving as their State of Florida Commander, 1995-1996. She was fond of Bingo and never missed a chance to play during DAV Chapter 86's bingo nights, and often won. She dearly loved coffee, started drinking it as a child, and could easily kill half a pot before lunch time came. When Dad passed away in 2014, Mom had a serious fall in the pool room, and sustained a closed skull fracture that should have killed her but she survived it. She also contracted colon cancer, rectal cancer and ovarian cancer, all of which stemmed from the colon cancer. She was saved by a wonderfully talented surgeon. Subsequently, she had a series of strokes in which the doctor stated she had 4, possibly as many as 6. However, after her last stint in Medical Rehab following her strokes, Mom was diagnosed with Terminal COPD (resulting from smoking cigarettes) with Hospice being called in. She lasted 2 years, and 2 months under Hospice care within her home and her son, Richard, serving as her home healthcare provider. To have survived as long as she did and have lasted as long as she did, Sunny Barzelogna was one tough individual who must have been thoroughly blessed by God. Like her other siblings, she was a tough product of Ozark County, Missouri country living. Mom and Dad completely demonstrated how Married Life was to be conducted and lived. Very few women could measure up to Sunny Barzelogna. She was her Parents' Daughter in every sense of the word. God bless you, Mom. You are, have been, and will always be my Hero. Rest in Peace, Mom.
CAUSE OF DEATH: Terminal COPD
LENGTH OF LIFE: 86 Years, 1 Month, 29 Days.
Family Members
See more Barzelogna or Griffin memorials in:
- Marshall Cemetery Barzelogna or Griffin
- Elijah Barzelogna or Griffin
- Ozark County Barzelogna or Griffin
- Missouri Barzelogna or Griffin
- USA Barzelogna or Griffin
- Find a Grave Barzelogna or Griffin
