Virgil Eugene Criscola

Longtime area resident, Virgil Criscola, age 88, passed away December 21, 2012 at St. Mary Medical Center. He was born November 4, 1924 in Walla Walla to William & Carrie Locati Criscola.

Virgil was educated at local schools and graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1942. He served with the 37th Infantry division in the South Pacific. Upon returning home, he entered vegetable farming with his father raising sweet onions, carrots, spinach, head lettuce & cucumbers. After the closing of local processing plants, his farm was devoted entirely to sweet onions. Along with his wife, children & grandchildren, he established a roadside market at the farm, packing & selling sweet onions under the “Fan-C-Pak” label. Over a span of 50 years, Virgil provided summer jobs for many area youngsters. As a progressive farmer, he will be remembered, along with his uncles, Ambrose & Pete Locati, for shipping the first railcar of warehouse packed sweet onions out of the valley which revolutionized the sweet onion industry in Walla Walla.

On February 4, 1947, he married Dorothy Fazzari at St. Francis Catholic Church in Walla Walla. She passed away November 8, 2010. Music was Virgil’s passion. He played the trumpet & performed with local musicians from symphonic to jazz. He especially liked the Big Band music of the Forties and playing at the Arcadia & Edgewater Ballrooms. His most satisfying accomplishment was organizing the first pep band at DeSales Catholic High School. After his playing days were over, he sang for many years in the St. Francis Catholic Church Choir.

He spent 25 years as secretary of the Blalock irrigation district. He enjoyed watching his children, grandchildren & great grandsons in their school & sport activities, his favorite being baseball. In addition, he enjoyed playing duplicate bridge & volunteering at St. Vincent de Paul. Virgil was a member of VFW, Knights of Columbus, DeSales Booster Club & St. Francis Catholic Church.

He is survived by his 4 children, daughter & son-in-law, Jeane & Craig Chase of Walla Walla; daughter, Janet Criscola-Poua of Seattle; son, Ken Criscola of Chehalis; son & daughter-in-law,. Dean & Jennifer Criscola of Sherwood, OR; 10 grandchildren & 3 great grandsons. He was preceded in death by an infant son, Ron William & his wife, Dorothy Fazzari Criscola.

Viewing & visitation will be held on Sunday, December 30, 2012 from 1:00 PM until after the rosary at the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA. The Rosary will be recited on Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 6:00 PM also at Herring Groseclose Funeral Home with Father Tyler Smedley officiating. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, December 31, 2012 at 10:00 AM at St. Francis Catholic Church with Father Jeff Core, Celebrant. Burial will follow in the catholic section of Mountain View Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Walla Walla Catholic Schools—Dorothy Fazzari Criscola Scholarship Fund or St. Francis Catholic Church through the funeral home.