A pillar of the Cloverdale community has passed away.
Bruno Zappone鈥攍ongtime volunteer, past Chamber president, volunteer firefighter, heritage supporter, and champion of all things Cloverdale鈥攄ied June 22. He was 95.
Zappone was and lived in Cloverdale his entire life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge loss,鈥� said Paul Orazietti, executive director for the Cloverdale BIA. 鈥淣ow we look back and start to appreciate, fully, what this individual has done. Because it was done for love of community, not for ego.鈥�
Orazietti, who worked alongside Zappone for years, said Zappone shunned the limelight, never looking for credit or accolades. He only wanted to help people and to give his time.
鈥淗e just wanted to fit in; he loved people a lot.鈥�
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Orazietti said Zappone was involved in the community in a variety of ways, noting Zappone and his 鈥渟ervice club鈥� provided a lot of fundraising activities for Cloverdale over the years.
鈥淭hey were a sort of precursor to what the Cloverdale Community Kitchen is all about.鈥�
Orazietti said since the day he came to town, Zappone was involved in the business community, helping at every event. 鈥淲e got dragged into a lot of things, willingly.鈥�
He added Zappone鈥檚 love for heritage and history drove him and he went to great lengths, alongside others, to ensure heritage was preserved. One such example was his campaign to keep the Museum of Surrey in Cloverdale.
鈥淭raditional planning basically puts all civic infrastructure in the downtown,鈥� explained Orazietti. 鈥淏runo broke the mould with that and protected our heritage in keeping the museum in Cloverdale.鈥�
Orazietti said Zappone was also active as the president of the CloverdaleDistrict Chamber of Commerce; he created the Surrey Heritage Society and was the group鈥檚 first president. He said together, they created the B.C. Vintage Truck Museum. Zappone also owned Zappone Trucking, which operated for 73 years from 1946 to 2019.
A very sad day for Cloverdale but heaven is getting one of our all stars Bruno Zappone. It was an honour to work with this amazing citizen of Surrey and we were all truly blessed by his service above self. Gone but not forgotten, say hi to Bill when u get there!
鈥� Paul Orazietti (@Paradeguy)
Local resident Alan Clegg said Zappone alway put Cloverdale first.
Clegg noted Zappone was a fire chief for the Cloverdale Volunteer Fire Brigade.
鈥淏runo was the third fire chief and he was elected in 1950,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e joined the brigade in 1943 when he was 18 years old.鈥�
Clegg said Zappone was elected chief three times鈥�1950, 1951, and 1952. He added Zappone served the Cloverdale Volunteer Fire Brigade for more than 40 years.
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鈥淚n those days you were fire chief for most of Surrey,鈥� explained Clegg. 鈥淐loverdale would take their trucks all over the Surrey area. And Bruno was a reliable person to have at the Brigade, of course. He knew trucks and in those days they had to monkey-wrench their own trucks.鈥�
Clegg said Zappone was also a founding member of the Cloverdale chapter of the Lions Club when that group got going in the 鈥�70s.
鈥淗e was involved in organizations that made Cloverdale better.鈥�
Orazietti explained that Zappone was always willing to help in any way he could, but he was really keen to preserve heritage stuff.
鈥淏runo had a real love affair with protecting and enshrining our history,鈥� said Orazietti. 鈥淏runo was an integral part of our community and he was a mentor.鈥�
He said to an outsider, Zappone could come off as gruff and unhappy, but that was not Zappone; he was just unassuming and quiet and no nonsense.
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鈥淗e had the biggest heart out of anyone I鈥檝e ever met in this town.鈥�
When Orazietti needed help for a parade one time, there was Zappone champing at the bit.
鈥淲e put money together for a small marching band, you know, it鈥檚 just one thing after another after another, just amazing, charity and humbleness. He was really what you鈥檇 call the salt of the earth鈥攔eally a person that makes the community. I was blessed to have Bruno and his group with us everywhere.鈥�
Orazietti explained that Zappone was a fundamental building block in Cloverdale鈥檚 community structure. And because of his tireless efforts for Cloverdale, Orazietti wants to honour Zappone鈥檚 legacy in some way.
鈥淧eople like Bruno should be honoured, because he made a profound difference. Not just above average, but his work was profound,鈥� said Orazietti. 鈥淲hat he did was incredible. And you have to honour their memory, because you want the young people to learn from somebody like him.鈥�
One of those profound differences, Orazietti reiterated, was Zappone鈥檚 instrumental hand in helping to establish the truck museum. Orazietti said part of Zappone鈥檚 legacy rests with that museum.
鈥淚 think, visually, that might be the best way to see what he鈥檚 done. It鈥檚 very educational and a real asset for the province and for the country,鈥� said Orazietti.
鈥淥f all the people that I鈥檝e run into, Bruno鈥檚 one of the few that went beyond the call. There鈥檚 some people, not many, that are in that league.鈥�
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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