Vance A. Gustafson
OBITUARY
Vance Gustafson passed away peacefully in his home on Christmas Eve at age 94. A rare San Diego native, Vance was the second of six children born to Earl and Florence Gustafson. A lifelong Point Loman, he spent his youth growing up in and around San Diego Bay at an idyllic time when Shelter Island was just a sand bar and there were horse stables on the beach. He learned to sail, fish, and hunt at an early age and he pursued those passions into his later years. After graduating from Point Loma High School in 1949, Vance enlisted in the Air Force just ahead of the Korean War. Upon leaving the service, he enrolled at Claremont Men’s College. Shortly after graduation, Vance crewed on the Novia del Mar in the Transpacific Yacht race from Los Angeles to Honolulu, where he met his soon to be wife Marilyn, who was vacationing there. Around this same time, Vance began his lifelong career as a stockbroker, a career he proudly continued into his nineties.
Vance was a devoted husband and father, who tirelessly supported his kids’ various sporting activities and taught them to sail, hunt, fish, golf, ski, and camp – activities they shared together for years. Social by nature, Vance was everybody’s friend, and he could often be found sitting at his favorite table at the San Diego Yacht Club, sharing a story, enjoying lunch, and sipping a Chardonnay.
Vance was preceded in death by his first wife Marilyn and second wife Lois, as well as his siblings Earl Jr, Reid, Jan, and Ingrid. He leaves behind his sons Steve (Cathy) and Rich (Camille), along with six grandchildren, a great- granddaughter, and sister Nina.