Union Hotel co-owner dies at 51

Mark R. Gonnella, co-owner of Occidental's landmark Union Hotel and member of the prominent west county family dedicated to enhancing community life, has died at the age of 51.

Several flags in Occidental fluttered at half-staff Monday as word spread of Gonnella's passing Saturday. Family members said he had suffered from cancer in recent months and died at his Occidental home.

Along with his brothers, Frank and Daniel, the Gonnellas have made their Union Hotel a center of community and caring in Occidential. In 1997, they opened one on West College Avenue and in October, they opened another on Mission Boulevard.

"We all had a dream of opening that one on Mission and the family is so happy that Mark lived to see that dream," said brother Daniel. "He was a pleasure to have as a brother; he was the one who taught us to, always, have fun."

Family members said he successfully fought off colon cancer after being diagnosed more than a year ago. However, they said that just a few months ago, bone cancer was discovered.

Since 1925, the family has operated the Union Hotel, dating back to the days when Italian immigrants flocked to the wooded hills in search of jobs with logging companies.

In 2001, Mark Gonnella proudly told a Press Democrat reporter: "We still have a sense of community. Even with all the changes, the small-town atmosphere is still here. If you go to the community center and ask anybody where your child is, everybody knows your child."

Mark Gonnella and his brothers have been, in large measure, responsible for cultivating that atmosphere. They sponsored fund-raisers for numerous efforts, from Bob Burke's Kids Program to paying medical expenses of a little girl who had fallen into a cistern.

While staying true to their grandparents' practice of dishing up traditional Italian meals, they modernized their menus and kept up with refining tastes and with the gastronomical times. Several years ago, they added a Union Hotel restaurant on West College Avenue and recently opened another on Mission Boulevard.

"Mark Gonnella took great pride in his family's heritage and deep roots in Occidental. A big guy with a heart to match, Mark loved people and, like his parents and grandparents before him, easily fit into the role of genial host at the Union Hotel," said Tim Tesconi, a longtime friend and community relations coordinator at Sonoma County Farm Bureau.

A Christmas tradition of caroling at the hotel bar, started a quarter-century ago, outgrew its modest origins and has been a high point of Occidental's holiday festivities ever since.

Tesconi said Gonnella, a stalwart member of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, found strength and inspiration in the beauty of western Sonoma County. He will be remembered as a devoted steward of the family's farmland around the historic hotel in Occidental, he said.

He was a member of the Bodega Harbour Golf and Men's Club and the Druids Grove 94 of Occidental.

He is survived by his mother, Lucille M. Gonnella; his wife, Tracy T. Gonnella; his sister, Mary Theresa Gonnella; his brothers and restaurant business partners, Daniel Gonnella and Frank Gonnella, all of Occidental; and another brother, Michael Gonnella, who lives in Utah. He also leaves two children, Francesca R. Gonnella and Theordore M. Gonnella, as well as two stepchildren, Shane Christiansen and Morgan Christiansen, all of Occidental; and a granddaughter.

Friends may call for visitation after 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Parent-Sorensen Mortuary, 301 S. Main St., Sebastopol. A vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Philip Catholic Church in Occidental. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at the church at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Druids Cemetery, Occidental.

The family restaurants will be closed until 4 p.m. on the day of the funeral.

The family suggests contributions to Memorial Hospice, 821 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa 95401.