Willow Glen Resident
Community
Cimarusti was considered the Fonz of the neighborhood
By Moryt Milo
Vince Cimarusti of Willow Glen died on Sept. 17 at age 72.
Cimarusti, who graduated from Willow Glen High School in 1952, was a member of the second class to graduate from the newly constructed school. He also attended Woodrow Wilson Junior High and Washington Elementary.
Cimarusti founded the first authorized car club in the valley, the Axle Busters. Back in the 1950s, gang behavior was heavily monitored by law enforcement. Since Cimarusti's car club members all wore jackets with the emblems that could be misconstrued as gangs, he hired a San Jose police officer to attend all meetings, which took place in Cimarusti's garage.
Marjorie Christiansen, who lived next door to Cimarusti during her youth, says, "In my back yard, hidden on an old mattress with a blanket hanging from the clothesline, we had a perfect view of his weekly meetings, complete with beautiful, customized cars, handsome boys and our first introduction to James Brown and rhythm and blues music coming from the garage meeting."
At the 50-year Axle Buster reunion, Christiansen says, Cimarusti told her he had always known "we were peeking from behind the fence and made us honorary members."
Christiansen says Cimarusti was known as the "Willow Glen Fonz" and "Leader of the pack."
"Vince was as cool as they come," she says.
In addition to his love of cars, he had a passion for collecting Disney memorabilia and also had a collection of Tweety Birds. And, according to Christiansen, he was an artist who created charcoal drawings that hung in his home.
Christiansen says one memory that stays with her was he took her and Barbara Serrano Falcone, whom Cimarusti treated like sisters, along with his sister Lucy Cimarusti-Rinauro, for a drive after the girls graduated from junior high school.
"We asked him if he'd drive us to all the high spots or cool drive-ins to celebrate," she says. " He agreed as long as we each paid him the usual 50 cents for gas. He would to take us to these places, driving in one driveway and out the other, then saying, 'Now you hit all the cool spots in town.' "
Vince Cimarusti is survived by his sister Lucy Cimarusti-Rinauro and brother-in-law Dominic Rinauro.
Memorial services will take place Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, 219 Bean Ave., in Los Gatos followed by a gathering at the Sherwood Inn, 2988 Almaden Expressway, at 11:30 a.m.
Michelle Battel Wilson
After a five-year battle with melanoma cancer, Michelle Battel Wilson of Willow Glen died surrounded by her family and friends on Oct. 9. She was 53.
Wilson was a San Jose native who attended St. Martin of Tours, Mother Butler and Archbishop Mitty schools. She graduated from San Jose State University in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in interior design.
She worked for Daymo Company, where she designed restaurants and commercial establishments and collaborated with Pat O'Day for nearly 30 years.
Wilson left her imprint throughout the valley, designing such familiar restaurants as Harry's Hofbrau, Armadillo Willies, Race Street Fish and Poultry, Caffe La Pastaia, Testarossa Vineyards and Florentine Restaurants. Closer to home, Wilson designed Jake's Pizza, Vin Santo Restaurant, The Garret and Cosentino's Market.
Her proudest accomplishment was Bella Mia Restaurant on First Street in San Jose. She redesigned two separate run-down units so they matched the old-fashioned, yet elegant style of downtown San Jose.
After discovering she had melanoma, Wilson felt blessed to see her children finish high school and nearly complete college. She also watched her son, Chaz, return to health after a kidney transplant.
Wilson is survived by her husband, Charlie, son Chaz and daughter Valerie Wilson, sister-in-law Nancy Battel and nephew AJ Battel. Her brother Jon, mother Roberta , and father Leo Battel all died previously.
Services have been held. The family asks that donations be made in Michelle Battel Wilson's name to the American Cancer Society.
