 | WAYNE
CARDELLI 10/1/47-1/8/26 |  |
Residence: Citrus Heights, CA
Life since high school:
SUBSEQUENT
MESSAGES:
(DECEMBER,
2004) Sorry I missed the picnic this year but I had
a good excuse. My wife, daughter and I were in Italy visiting my son who was
playing baseball on an Italian team. He's been there since April. He's coming
home in mid Sept. We spent two weeks in Northern Italy visiting sites and
watching some baseball. Food was great and the people were great. It was tough
to come back and get into the routine. Looking forward to the next contact, keep
in touch. Wayne Cardelli
More from Wayne: Kids are 25 & 21, Michelle is a junior at UCD with a double major in Comm & Poly Science. As to my son - no, he's not fluent yet but he can get by. He got contacted after he graduated college. He played for four years. He just thought it would be a great experience. Hard to believe that next year is 40 years since we graduated. The pitching coach on the baseball team was from San Mateo and coached high school. He knows Marty Coyle and we're going to play golf up in Chico in the middle of the month. I haven't seen Marty since high school. If you get a chance give me Jack's (Bresnahan) e-mail address or regular address. I would like to contact him.
OBITUARY:Wayne Michael Cardelli peacefully passed away on January 8, 2026, in Carmichael, California at the age of 78. Born in San Francisco on October 1, 1947, the only child of June Dolores Stamatis and Frank Leo Cardelli. He grew up in Pacifica, California and graduated from Terra Nova High School in 1965 Wayne faithfully served his country in the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1971, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He continued his education at California State University, Sacramento and competed on the golf team He graduated in 1974 with a B.S. in Business Administration.
Wayne married his beloved wife Jeanine Fornaciari in 1976 and settled in Citrus Heights, California where they raised two children, Paul and Michelle. Always the involved dad, Wayne took great joy coaching his children in baseball and softball. Weekends were always full of tournaments, games and activities up and down the Sacramento Valley.
Wayne was the consummate salesman, meeting people and making friends wherever he went. For nearly 20 years, Wayne was involved with sales at Markstein Beverage Company in Sacramento. In 1997, he began a new career when he joined National Write Your Congressman as an area representative. He trained and mentored many colleagues, received multiple awards and recognitions and rose to the position of Division Manager. Wayne’s exceptional work ethic, that he exhibited daily and also instilled in his children, led him to become a great ambassador for the work he loved until his retirement in 2024.
Golf was always his idea of an ideal day, and he rarely missed a chance to get out on the course with his buddies. Baseball, especially the San Francisco Giants, was his passion. Whether on T.V. or in person, he never left before the last out was made.
Wayne is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jeanine; son Paul Cardelli, his wife Elaine; grandchildren Luca, Cecelia, Nora and Quinn; and daughter Michelle Ballard and her husband A.J.; innumerable lifelong friends and associates; and, of course, his four-legged companion, Mr. Bently.
Wayne will be remembered for his humor, loyalty and loving and kind nature. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.