Lomanto, 61, was killed Monday afternoon when a trailer loaded with a tractor toppled and crushed him.

Virginia Lomanto, his wife of eight years, said in an interview at her home Thursday morning that he will be missed by many people who valued his generous, caring nature. 

"He grounded me," she said. "He was a very special person."

Lomanto was a walnut farmer and enjoyed what he did, she added.

"He really loved Mother Earth, respected nature," she said. "He was a good poppa, he was a very good dad to my children. He had a great opportunity to bond with my grandchild. He enjoyed being with him."

Although it is not known what happened in the accident that caused his death, it is believed that he had been - or was getting ready to - work on the ranch.

Gene Guglielmo, a co-owner of Guglielmo Winery and also a member of an Italian family that has been in the community for generations, said he and Lomanto had been friends since high school.

"I knew him before, he was a few years older than me, but we became close about that time," he said. "His is an old family that's been in the area for a long time, generations of friends. It's like our grandparents were friends, our parents were friends. This is like losing a member of the family."

Guglielmo said Lomanto was outgoing and enjoyed making new friends.

"He always had a good attitude about things, he was very good-natured, always had a smile and talked to everybody," he said. 

Lomanto was the son of Virginia and the late Tony Lomanto. He had two children, two step-children, six grandchildren and one step-grandchild.

Lomanto will be honored during a funeral Mass at 9:30 a.m. today at St. Catherine Church, 17400 Peak Ave., with interment to follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park, 300 Curtner Ave., San Jose. 

Marilyn Dubil Marilyn Dubil covers Morgan Hill education and public safety for South Valley Newspapers. Send her an e-mail.