Boniface Salu Gamino

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Boniface Salu Gamino on February 13, 2023. He was 90 years old.

Born in Kersey Colorado on May 14th, 1932, to Domingo and Jenny Gamino, Salu (as he was known to his family and friends) remained in Colorado throughout his life. Salu met Maxine Ramona Sandoval in 1952 and after a whirlwind romance, they were married one month later in Denver Colorado. They spent the next 60 years together until Maxine's passing in 2015.

Salu, being raised in the Depression era, began working as a young boy, picking crops with his parents during the summer and doing odd jobs during the school year. After graduating from West High School in 1950, he began working at Mutual Furniture Company. He was then offered a job with the Oil Chemical and Atomic Worker's International Union (OCAW), starting at entry level and moving up to become a journeyman offset printer, retiring after 38 years of service. While still employed at OCAW, in 1976 he followed his dream of starting his own print shop, and Gamino Printing Company opened the doors. Although he stopped running the presses in 1999, Gamino Printing continued on and is now in its 47th year, three generations strong. Salu was not a man to just sit around and do nothing, so after retirement from OCAW and Gamino Printing, he joined the Walmart team and worked another 22 years until his final retirement at age 88. He was hard-working, yet never complained about the long hours he worked. Everyone at Walmart knew Salu and if you brought his name up to co-workers, they always smiled and said, "we love Salu"!! He made friends wherever he went, and everyone knew his jovial personality and hard work ethic.

Family was the most important thing to Salu, and that remained the focus of his life. Although he had a sense of humor, when it came to work, that was serious business. Any task or job put in front of him received his total attention and he was not happy until the job was completed to his standard. He did not do anything half-way, and he could beat anyone at checkers!

Salu will be remembered by his family and friends as a warm-hearted, intelligent, loving and patient man. His greatest joy in life was taking care of his wife Maxine. Salu and Maxine raised six children, 15 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and five great great grandchildren. Salu will leave a legacy of love, hard-work, optimism, and being the best husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend.

Salu is survived by his children Anthony Gamino, Ron Gamino, Frank Gamino, Yolanda Gamino, Roberta Keller (Brian), and Carla Avila (Greg), sister Dolores Batter (Clay), brother Dimitrio Gamino, all of his grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Domingo and Jenny Gamino, wife Maxine Gamino, great grandson Liam Scanlon, granddaughter Rebecca LaFond, brothers John Gamino, Lupe Gamino, Joseph Gamino, and sister Pilar Renteria.

To say Salu will be missed does not begin to describe the hole he will leave behind to those who knew and loved him. Services will be held at Saint Jude Catholic Church, 9405 W. Florida Ave. in Lakewood Colorado. Recitation of the Rosary will be held Thursday February 23rd at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, February 24th at 11:00 a.m. followed by a catered reception at Saint Jude's.