He was born at home in Clem, Oregon to John C. & Mildred E. (Dunn) Cimmiyotti. He attended a one room grade school at Clem and Condon High school. At the age of 17, he went to work in the shipyards in Seattle, Washington where he then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was a Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class in the 65th Construction Battalion. He served in Casablanca, Africa, Sicily & England. He survived three amphibious landings. Upon his honorable discharge, he married Maxine E. Norris and they returned to Kimberly, Oregon to help run his father’s ranch. They started their family which produced six sons and two daughters and 68 years of marriage.
They moved to Arlington in 1954 where he started Cimmiyotti & Son’s Construction. He was instrumental in the relocation of the town of Arlington due to the John Day Dam. He joined the Operating Engineers Local 701 Union and worked on the freeway construction from Biggs to Ontario, Oregon. In 1966 they moved to Huntington, Oregon then in 1974 to Irrigon and purchased a small farm to raise sheep, cows & goats. He started El Coyote Construction during the construction of the Boardman Coal Fire Plant.
He retired in 1986 and moved to Hermiston but continued to do small backhoe & grader jobs until he was 86. He also raised Dexter cattle & goats. He loved his animals, gardening and all his grandchildren & great-grandchildren’s sports and 4-H activities.
He was preceded in death by his wife Maxine, parents John & Mildred Cimmiyotti, brothers Tom, Jim & Paul, sister Eleanor McClaskey and son Chuck Cimmiyotti.
He is survived by seven children; Judy Robinson (Roger), Scott Cimmiyotti (Renae), Bradley Cimmiyotti (Bonnie), Marcia Anderson (Larry), Phillip Cimmiyotti (Debbie), Blake Cimmiyotti, Pat Cimmiyotti (Becky); sister Teek McClaskey; 23 grandchildren and 43 great grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. at Burns Mortuary Chapel in Hermiston. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Hermiston Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at the First Christian Church, 775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston, OR 97838.
Memorial contributions may be made to Vange John Memorial Hospice Education, 645 W. Orchard Ave., Suite 300, Hermiston, OR 97838.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
