Vincent J. Festa

Vincent J. Festa passed away at age 92, after a long battle with prostate cancer.  He was born in Little Italy, New York City, the eldest son of eight children of Emanuele Festa and Annuziata Cristallo.  

Vincent was raised in four out of five boroughs of New York (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx) and carried his passion for stickball to each of them.  He attended Samuel Gompers Vocational High School. Vincent served in the US Army as a Special Services officer entertaining the troops stationed overseas during the Korean War.  

Vincent began his career as a comedian and entertainer in Miami Beach, the Catskills and the Borscht Belt.  It was in Miami Beach that he met the love of his life, Barbara Walsh, whom he was married to for 57 years before she died in 2015.  

Most of Vincent's career was spent in hotel management and as a business owner in South Florida.  He moved to La Jolla in 1983, semi-retired, and during his time there was active for more than 20 years in senior softball leagues (Top Gun and Cadman Park).  He served as an usher at two local Catholic Churches, May Star of the Sea and Our Mother of Confidence.  He volunteered at Meals on Wheels and played Santa at Hilltop Park throughout the years.  

Vincent's hobby was making people smile.  He lit up a room with his charisma and humor.  He was a gifted dancer who could outdance his peers with the swing or cha-cha.  Women lined up at the 1950s dance halls to dance with Vincent, and he was the most requested dancer at his daughter's hospital Christmas parties.  

Vincent loved a bargain ("all you can eat" buffets were created for him) and was nicknamed "the coupon king of La Jolla".  He entertained the neighborhood children by handing out gifts he bought at flea markets and multiple 99 cent stores.  Some of those purchases were lovingly stockpiled in "the dungeon" in his garage.  

Vincent loved all movies except comedies (his bar was high, given his comedic experience) though he did make an exception for Mel Brooks films.  He was a daily listener of Broadway musicals and never tired of his favorite, Les Miserables.  He frequented dozens of San Diego parks and gardens in search of beautiful flowers and trees.  Bougainvillea and magnolias trees were tops for him.  When asked what his greatest achievement was, he said, "no question, my four children."

He is survived by those four children:  Stephen Festa, Dianne Festa, Karen Malossi, Kevin Festa, and his two daughters-in-law Jane and Lisa.  He left behind eight wonderful grandchildren: Kristin, Ryan, Brian, Matthew, Sean, Lucas, Erika and Brandon; his brother Mickey's wife, Camille Festa, Sister-In-law Irene Byrne, and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you support of prostate cancer research at UC San Diego. Go to giveto.ucsd.edu and type in E4166.  

Checks: Please make your check out to the UC San Diego Foundation and indicate on the memo line Fund #E4166 –Prostate Cancer Research Fund.  Please indicate on the check or in an accompanying note that your gift is made in memory of Vincent Festa. Checks can be mailed to:

Vincent Festa Tributes

c/o The Gift Processing Office

UC San Diego Foundation

9500 Gilman Drive #0940

La Jolla, CA 92093-0940

By Credit Card: You can give online with your credit card by going to this UC San Diego Foundation secure giving page that is pre-populated for Fund #E4166:

https://giveto.ucsd.edu/giving/home/gift-referral/cb066b61-f101-4b26-a1a3-8432d1e9d2e2

As you complete the first online page of the donation form, please click the “My gift is made in honor/memory” option at the bottom. Select the Tribute Type “In honor of” and type in “Vincent Festa.” 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Vincent J. Festa, please visit our floral store.