"He had a real presence there," Rolla says, referring to Sanfilippo's business, Sanfilippo Realty, which has been located at 1314 Lincoln Ave. for nearly three decades. "You could walk by anytime and see him there."

A member of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, Sanfilippo's business was a mainstay on Lincoln Avenue. And when he died on Feb. 12 at the age of 65, the community felt his loss.

More than a businessman, Sanfilippo was a lifetime San Jose resident whose father, Henry Sr., ran Sanfilippo Wholesale Produce and was considered the potato king of San Jose.

In his adult years, Vincent married his Campbell High School sweetheart, Donna, raised his children, Todd and Stacey, and spoiled three granddaughters.

In the community, he coached the Lincoln Glen Little League, was a member of the Sons of Sicily, past president of the Italian Men's Civic Club of San Jose and regular bocce ball player with friends at Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos.

Bocce ball and golf were regular activities in Vincent's life, as was exercise. Because many of the men in his family, including his father, had died from heart attacks, Vincent exercised every morning to stay healthy.

But when headaches became too much to bear last year, Vincent visited his doctor at Good Samaritan Hospital. Donna had noticed something had changed in Vincent and thought he had a small stroke. Vincent, however, thought the headaches were simply stress-related.

In April 2004, Vincent discovered a 6-centimeter-wide primary brain tumor. His illness was terminal but he underwent brain surgery that month to extend his life.

By August, an MRI showed the tumor was growing back with speed, even after chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He underwent a second surgery in September, and surgeons placed eight Gliadel wafers in his brain. Each wafer, Donna said, was the size of a dime and emitted 1,000 times the force of normal chemotherapy.

Another MRI in January proved the surgery and wafers had not deterred the tumor in Vincent's brain. His headaches returned, and only a week after doctors placed him on liquid morphine, Vincent died quietly in his home, his hands grasping those of both of his children and Donna.

"He pretty much denied he was going to die," Donna said. "He wanted God to give him 10 more years."

Even after his initial diagnosis, Vincent went to work every day at Sanfilippo Realty and continued his business with the help of his assistant, Jodi Giesen. He continued his daily workouts, even when his family had to tie his feet to the pedals because he was weak.

In business, Vincent's reputation preceded him. He received business from loyal customers and their referrals.

"If your house was worth $50,000 or he was selling a house worth $2 million, he treated everyone the same," Donna said, noting he often took commission cuts to make a deal work.

A colleague, Jim Aguar, wrote him a letter in November 2004 after hearing of his illness. "I have looked up to you because of your integrity, honesty and your professionalism in a business we share that, unfortunately, doesn't find many people with those qualities and qualifications," Aguar wrote.

His family and friends, however, remember Vincent as determined, humble and funny. "You didn't know him without remembering him and liking him," Rolla said. "Vince was a soul who didn't take himself too seriously."

In his last years, his favorite moments were digging up sand crabs with his granddaughters near their beach house in Capitola—the city where he met Donna when he was only 17. He never forgot a birthday or their wedding anniversary, Donna said. Each year for Valentine's Day, Vincent would tie a large, heart-shaped balloon that read "I love you" outside their Willow Glen home to greet Donna when she rose.

This year, as Donna accepted condolences from her neighbors, one said, "We missed that heart this year."

A teary-eyed Donna agreed.

A funeral service was held at St. Christopher's Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Hospice of the Valley or the American Cancer Society.