A soft-drink bottler in the state of Oregon for nearly six decades, Pastega was elected to the Beverage World Hall of Fame in 2002.
[1] His parents emigrated from a town in the Italian Alps to the United States in 1907, eventually making their way west to open up a shoe repair shop in Weed.
[2] Pastega grew up in the home speaking Italian as his first language, learning English only after being enrolled in school in Weed.
[1] In 1948 Pastega began his ultimate career path when he purchased a half share in the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant of Klamath Falls, Oregon from his wife's brother.
[4] In 2002 Pastega was honored by election to membership in the Beverage World Hall of Fame for his career efforts in the soft drink bottling industry.
[5] Beginning in 1980 Pastega turned the Corvallis Pepsi bottling plant into a community landmark each winter through its extravagant decoration with Christmas lights.
[2] The display, which included a number of mechanized characters, was created by Ole Brensdal, a career employee at Pastega's Corvallis facility.
[1] Mario Pastega died 20 January 2012 at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Washington following a month-long battle with pneumonia.