Edward Peter Zinola

16 July 1924 - 20 July 2013

Mr. Edward Peter Zinola passed away at home in Chula Vista, California on July 20, 2013. In burial he joins his beloved wife Robin Johnstone Zinola, who pre-deceased him on Feb. 25, 2007. All his children and most grandchildren were with him in his final days. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, July 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Chula Vista. Immediately following the service the family will be receiving friends with refreshments at the Zinola home, 506 Montera Court, Chula Vista.

Ed had a successful 33-year career at Aramco (the Arabian American Oil Company) during which he rose to become a Senior Vice President and Member of the Board of Directors. He had always loved to design and build things - he started exhibiting this skill as a youngster by building crates for the family vegetable business, then as a teenager by building a fish pond complete with fountain, and an outdoor oven in his backyard. Ed's hobbies included painting and producing other art projects, such as a huge pewter frame for a piece of antique artwork and the family's dining room table, which he designed to be expandable and to bear the weight of Italian marble.

After studying to be an engineer, Ed participated in designing and building major industrial projects including Tapline, then the world's largest pipeline, and he later managed the world's largest engineering project, Saudi Arabia's Master Gas Program. This enormous project included construction camps for over 40,000 workers, gas processing plants and thousands of miles of pipelines, offshore platforms and export terminals on both the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea, barge ports, housing, offices, dining halls and recreation facilities. The Company recognized him as a pioneer in establishing centralized project management as the key system that led to Aramco becoming a global leader in effectively managing multi-billion dollar projects. Ed was always vitally interested in creating things, and loved to personally evaluate all aspects of his projects. Recently asked which projects were the most enjoyable, Ed said "Tapline was the most fun, but the Master Gas Program was the most challenging."

Born in Santa Clara, California on July 16, 1924, to Pietro and Ida Magnoli Zinola, who both had immigrated to America from Italy, Ed attended the local public schools and graduated from Santa Clara Union High School in 1942. He enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, to study engineering, but joined the US Navy, where he was assigned to supervise the installation of power plants in aircraft carriers while he was allowed to continue his studies. Ed completed his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1945. In 1946, as a junior officer, he was responsible for operating an aircraft carrier's power plants at sea. He continued studying at Berkeley with specialized courses in petroleum engineering and chemistry through 1947.

In 1947 Ed left the Navy Reserves, married Robin Marie Johnstone, and joined Aramco as a junior engineer at its San Francisco Office. He was transferred two years later to New York, and then in 1953 Ed started the first of many engineering assignments that took him to the Aramco Overseas Office in Holland, then to Saudi Arabia, where he worked in various engineering, construction, and later management positions. He was elected President of the Aramco Overseas Company in The Hague in 1965, in 1968 became Assistant General Manager of Aramco's New York Office, in 1969 was elected Aramco's Vice President of General Services, then of Industrial Relations, followed by Engineering Services. From 1970 until his retirement, Ed served on Aramco's Board of Directors. Ed was promoted to Senior Vice President, Services, in 1975, and then Senior Vice President of Project Management and Engineering, and from 1978 until his retirement in 1980, he was Senior Vice President of Operations Services.

Robin and Ed started their family in Holland, where twin daughters Leslie Ann and Liza Ann, and son Edward Peter, Jr. were born, while their last child Lauren Ann was born in Dhahran. The Zinola's enjoyed living abroad and they travelled extensively. They were active in the Ras Tanura and Dhahran Tennis Clubs and sailing, scouting, social events and hosting parties for their many friends.

In retirement Robin and Ed lived in Dallas, Texas, from 1980 through 1996, and Ed was active as a consultant, businessman and investor. Here they welcomed visits from their six grandchildren, and had many enjoyable times. The Zinola's moved to Chula Vista, California, in 1997, where they spent their last years in close proximity to two of their children and four of their grandchildren. Ed retained his love of building things, keeping an active social life, swing dancing, cooking and hosting family gatherings until his last days.

Ed is survived by his older sister Angie Dawson, his four children Leslie Ann Bosch (David Bosch), Liza Ann Zinola, Edward Peter Zinola, Jr. (Chandra Zinola), and Lauren Ann Zinola, and six grandchildren Aniesa Bosch Brassil (Eric Brassil), Jonathan David Bosch (Katmerka Kurtovic Bosch), Ryan Alden Webb (Stacey Janel Webb), Alyssa Marie Webb, Erica Noddings-Zinola and Kayla Noddings-Zinola. He has been a loving father and doting grandfather, and all of his family, as well as many friends from Aramco and other affiliations, will miss Ed but treasure their memories of him.