Obituary of Vince John Catalano

Vincent John Catalano passed away at 5:00 a.m. on Christmas morning at the Rio Del Mar home of his daughter, Nancy Catalano. He was 87 years old. He had battled diabetes and Parkinson's disease for years prior to his death. He was born August 15, 1925 in the "Little Italy" district of Omaha, Nebraska to Sebastian and Josephine (Mangiamele) Catalano, both immigrants from Carlentini, Sicily. Vince, as he was known to his friends, joined the Navy during World War II. He served with distinction as the radioman on the supply ship known as the "Snortin' Morton" with the nickname of "Sparks." He was also the editor for the ship's broadsides, a weekly circular. After the war, he enrolled at Creighton University in Omaha. He was the sports editor for the school newspaper, The Blue Jay. He always spoke warmly of his college years and was a generous alumni supporter up until his death. Vince met and married Harriet Collins in Omaha on June 9, 1951. She was his loving and faithful companion for 61 years up to the morning of his death. Together, they settled in Omaha until business opportunities brought them to Hutchinson, Kansas, San Jose, California, and ultimately, Santa Cruz, California. They had seven children and resided in the same Santa Cruz house for 46 years until 2009. Vince was an avid golfer and supporter of the annual Little Helpers' Golf Tournament. He was also a devout Catholic and supporter of St. Vincent de Paul charities. Those that knew him best could attest to his generosity. He founded Imperial Sales Co., a food-brokerage firm in 1979 that is still in business to this day. Vince is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Harriet, his three sons, Michael, Phillip, and Anthony; his four daughters, Nancy, Mary, Therese, and Lucy (Crafton); his twelve grandchildren, Jonathan Catalano, Suzanne (Williams), and Tammy Catalano; Scott Stiller and Annette (Tull); Zachary Leonard; Matthew and Nicholas Catalano; Isabella and Madeline Crafton; and Jackson and Joshua Catalano, and his four great-grandchildren, Julius Williams; Ethan and Amber Tull; and Emma Leonard. He is also survived by his three sisters, Lucy Larsen, Marie Minkowski, and Terry Coppel. The funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, January 3rd, 2013, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 435 Monterey Avenue, Capitola, CA. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be sent to Hospice of Santa Cruz County, 940 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 or the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph's Church, 435 Monterey Avenue, Capitola, CA 95010.