Victor Kezele

Victor Kezele passed away July 23, 2015. Victor was born the youngest of six children to Anton and Patricia (Mance) Kezele in Eveleth, Minnesota, on May 19, 1922. The family moved to Black Diamond, Washington, where Anton found work as a coal miner and Vic attended elementary school. Leaving the coal mines of Washington to work in the gold mines of Alaska, Anton relocated the family to Renton, Washington, where Vic attended Renton High School. Vic recalled his high school years fondly, telling accounts of his days on the basketball court, the pool hall, and on the golf course caddying for the elite of Seattle. In the spring of 1941, Vic entered the Army Air Corps. His one year service lasted for five years when the US declared war on Japan and Germany in December of 1941. Vic qualified for ASTP training and studied electrical engineering in an accelerated program for two years at Washington College (WSU). When that program was disbanded, Vic served in North Africa and Europe till peace was declared. Returning home in 1945, he met, courted and, on May 16, 1946, married Virginia Shaughnessy. Vic and Ginny made their home in Ellensburg, Washington, where they owned and operated an ice cream parlor and where their son, Gordon Bruce, was born in 1947. In 1949, the young family moved to Kennewick where Vic began a successful career in the civil service. The family moved several times following his career; California (Los Angeles and San Rafael), Alabama (Huntsville), Colorado (Colorado Springs), and Washington (Kennewick and Puyallup) were all called home. In 1974, Vic retired and the couple moved to Zillah, Washington, where they restored a 100 year old farm house and operated a small prune and apricot orchard. Vic and Ginny purchased and operated Zillah Rosa Real Estate for several years before deciding to retire once more. From that point on, they spent their summers in Zillah and their winters in Florida where they made several close friends. Vic is preceded in death by his parents and brothers Casmir, Joseph, Anthony, and John Kezele and sister Olga Saylor. He is survived by his wife Virginia Kezele, son Gordon (Patricia) Kezele, grandson Phillip (Kim Vu) Kezele, granddaughter Ellen (Keith) Zink, and 3 great grandchildren. Visitation will be on July 27, 4:00 to 7:00 PM, at Valley Hills Funeral Home in Zillah, Washington. Services will either be at the Zillah Resurrection Catholic Church or Valley Hills Funeral Home on July 28, 10:00 AM. Internment will be at Riverview Heights Cemetery in Kennewick. In lieu of flowers, memorials should be sent to Heartlinks Hospice and Palliative Care. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Victor Kezele, please visit our flower store.