Wayne L Vigil

With great sadness and heavy hearts, we must bid farewell to our beloved Wayne Vigil. He was invited to join the Lord on February 18, 2022. Wayne was born on October 16, 1947 to parents, Mike and Laly Vigil, and was the youngest of their three sons. Wayne was a Tampa native, with family roots on his mother and father’s side from Asturias, Spain. His older brothers, Michael and Allan loved teasing Wayne that they found him on the front porch, as he didn’t look like them with his blonde hair and green eyes. Wayne adored his parents and brothers. Allan and Wayne spoke every day and loved tailgating together at Florida Gator games with family and friends.

In childhood, Wayne and his brothers spent hours watching their dad and uncles play baseball. At three years of age, he would run onto the field and round the bases after every game. He fell in love with sports at an early age and was a life-long fan of the New York Yankees and the Florida Gators.

Wayne met Geri Giglio in 1970 on a disco dance floor. Geri still remembers how Wayne’s glowing eyes caught her attention. Wayne asked Geri to dance, and after 6 months of dating, they were engaged. They had an instant connection that only grew stronger over the years. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past December. Their partnership was one of love and respect. Wayne and Geri always found a way to have fun together, enjoy one another, and always put family first.

Wayne was a devoted father to two daughters, Dana and Ashley, who were his pride and joy. He was an ideal “girl dad” and an ideal father-in-law, cherished by his daughters, their husbands, and their children. Wayne lived for his grandchildren, Alexandra and Luca. He was their favorite playmate and they were his. You could not have met a more loving or fun grandfather, as Wayne was a big kid at heart.

After graduating from H.B. Plant High School, he played baseball at St. Pete Junior College and TCC. He graduated with a degree in Marketing and Management from the University of South Florida. Wayne was a Vice President at Performance Food Group and retired after a 27-year career in the food industry. Wayne went on to own his own business, Vigil Investments, which he ran successfully for ten years. After he sold his company, he was asked to stay on for two weeks. Fast forward ten years, Wayne was still working there. Wayne truly enjoyed working and did so until the very end.

Wayne began playing fastpitch softball in 1969 and continued playing until 2003. Throughout his fastpitch career, he was a stand-out shortstop, and was known to make diving catches one after the other. He won numerous awards, such as the MVP and Golden Glove Award for the Clearwater Bombers, and was selected as first team All-American for the ASA multiple times. Some of his highlights included going to Cuba with the “Cuscaden Boys Team” to play baseball and fastpitch, as well as being invited to Cuba with the Clearwater Bombers to play the Cuban National Team. Being the only one that spoke Spanglish, he served as the team’s unofficial interpreter. He always wore the number 10 and had an undefeated spirit. He walked onto the field with winning confidence and often motivated his team with encouraging words. Whether he was playing softball, golf, or a game of Tonk, his winning spirit led to many victories.

You could be sure to find Wayne every morning getting coffee at Café Caribe with friends. Wayne cherished his friends as though they were family and was fortunate to have such strong bonds. He will be most remembered for his infectious laugh and playful spirit. Although he was a fierce competitor in the sports arena, he was relaxed and fun-loving in his daily life. He always saw the glass as half-full and always seemed to be in a great mood. He had a zest for life and a confident way of rising above challenges. He had a kind heart and was known for his effervescent personality. Being around Wayne was uplifting; it was hard to walk away from him without a smile.

Those left behind are brokenhearted and include his loving wife, Geri Vigil; daughters, Dana Jacinto, and Dr. Ashley Vigil-Otero; sons-in-law, Dr. Sergio J. Jacinto and Antonio Otero; grandchildren, Alexandra Marie Jacinto and Luca Antonio Otero; Brother, Allan Vigil; Sister-in-law, Bonnie Vigil; nieces, Michelle A. Vigil, Dawn Vigil, Kristy Vigil, Natalie, Molly, Emelia Vigil; nephews, Michael A. Vigil, Matthew Vigil, Jonas Mott, Michael Allan Vigil, and Elliot Vigil; bonus grandchildren, Dr. Frances, Markham and Rocco Acosta, Adrian Jacinto, Dr. Sergio A. Jacinto and Dr. Chelsea O’Berry, and many loving cousins and friends. Wayne was preceded in death by his brother, Michael Angel Vigil, and his parents, Mike Vigil and Laly Fernandez Vigil.

In his final moments, he was just about to play a round of golf dressed in full Gator gear. The family is sure that Wayne is now playing 18 holes with his father and rounding all the bases while cheering us all on. Wayne would definitely think this was way too long and would want us to wrap it up now. So in closing, to celebrate Wayne’s life and spirit, please make more time to laugh, play, enjoy those you love, and always keep your glass half-full. Wayne would love that.

Services: Thursday, March 3rd, 2022

Visitation: 9:30 St. Lawrence Catholic Church Piazza

Funeral Mass: 10:30 St. Lawrence Catholic Church

Celebration of Life Following Funeral Mass: St. Lawrence Higgins Hall

5225 N. Himes Ave. Tampa, FL 33614