Evonne M. Vernola

Evonne Marcia Vernola was born in San Francisco, California on March 11, 1933 to Dora and Henry Goobich. She enjoyed a vibrant youth with her brother Stan, surrounded by grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, and the local community. Here she met Ann Abitsch (Fuselier), whom she shared a friendship with that surpassed 70 years. Evonne experienced the premature loss of her father Henry at age 8, impacting her childhood years and requiring adult responsibilities as a youth to help support her family. As a young woman Evonne worked in medical research, followed by many jobs throughout her life requiring her skills in shorthand; writing; communication; and typing. Although leaving the Bay Area to relocate to Southern California in the early 1970s, San Francisco always remained Evonne’s favorite place. Throughout Evonne’s life she excelled in human connections; she focused on giving, not receiving, and lived to love. Her nickname was “Sunshine” because of her vivacious personality and beaming smile. Evonne met Sam Vernola, the love of her life, in Anaheim, Ca in 1972. They were married in 1974 in a union that would span more than 46 years, bearing one daughter, Holly-Ann Rosa-Lee Vernola. Evonne’s life was devoted to her family; she supported everyone around her, unfaltering and genuine. She would provide small (or sometimes significant) gifts to almost anyone who crossed her path in a symbol of gratitude to family, friends, and community. These gifts were always accompanied by heartfelt, handwritten notes. She was also a strong-believer in supporting charities throughout her life for causes she believed in, such as animal protection and Jewish foundations. One of Evonne’s greatest joys later in life was becoming a grandmother to Holly’s & Dion’s two children, Capri and Nico. Evonne was taken from us by Parkinson’s disease, which she struggled with for more than a decade, on the afternoon of Friday July 17, 2020, age 87. Evonne is survived by her younger brother Stan Goodrich; her loving husband Sam Vernola; her loving daughter, Holly Vernola Angelopoulos; her Son-in-Law Dion Angelopoulos; her granddaughter Capri Penelope Angelopoulos (age 10); and her grandson Nico Julian Angelopoulos (age 9).