Vincent C. Sudela

VINCENT C. SUDELA 3/18/25 - 3/17/04 I am home in Heaven, dear ones; Oh, so happy and so bright. There is perfect joy and beauty In this everlasting light. Vincent Sudela, died peacefully in the presence of his family at his home in San Leon, Texas, at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 17, 2004, one day shy of his 79th birthday. He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Joseph John Sudela and Emily Holub Sudela. "Jimmy" attended St. Patrick Catholic church and grade school and graduated from Kirwin High School. He graduated from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, with a degree in Journalism, one of the first such degrees awarded. Vince met his lifetime mate, Virginia Candella of Hartford, Connecticut, through a correspondence club during the Second World War while he was an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, serving with the U.S. occupation forces in Japan. After their marriage and his graduation from college, they returned to Galveston where 4 of their 10 children were born. He worked for the Galveston Daily News and later for the Texas Employment Commission where he found his first job in the maritime trade. He worked for Collin & Gissell, a steamship company as a Boarding Agent and later transferred to Houston to work for J.S. Gissell in 1952. This marked his entry into the barge transportation industry and this became his life's work. His barging career included work with Alamo Barge Lines where he worked for 17 years. He concluded his career with at Hollywood Chemical Transportation where he retired in 1990. Vince enjoyed fishing, gardening and entertaining friends and relatives at The Bay House. He loved writing and published short stories in several journals and magazines. He will be best remembered as a man who enjoyed laughing, eating, and having a drink. His sense of humor made him popular with everyone he met from his co-workers to his doctors and nurses. He provided a beautiful life for his family! There were many mouths to feed, but as he put it, "We never knew we were poor." His life was organized around his children and his wife. He was a devoted Catholic and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the VFW #8566, the Propeller Club and the KJZT. He is survived by: Frank and wife Linda of Houston; Jim and wife Liz of Seabrook; Kathy and husband Tom Proctor of Houston; Tom and wife Casey of Rockwall, Texas; Joe and wife Julia of Pearland; Mark and wife Linda of Houston; Virginia and husband Joe of Friendswood; Susan Samson and husband Charlie of Clear Lake; daughter Mary Ellen Schindler; son Paul and wife Lisa of San Antonio, 24 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. A special thanks is extended to Dr. Brian Tulloch, of Methodist Diagnostic Hospital, Dr. Robert Walmsley of The Texas Heart Institute, and Dr. Bob Fayle of Park Plaza Hospital as well as a host of other physicians who cared for him throughout the years. A special tribute is appropriate for Caroline Opperman and Virginia Toler for their constant care and attention for the past several years. And, finally, thank you to the wonderful staff of VITAS Friendswood, especially Robin, his nurse and Elizabeth, his aid. Visitation will be held at Forest Park East Funeral Home, 45 South at the NASA Road One exit (going south) or League City Exit (going North - U turn) on Friday, March 19 beginning at 4 p.m. with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. There will be a funeral mass on Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in League City with Father Cargil officiating. Internment will be immediately after at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Dickinson. Pallbearers will be his six sons. For more information, please call Forest Park East Funeral Home at 281/332-3111. /kds When the work is all completed, He will gently call you Home; Oh, the rapture of that meeting, Oh, the joy to see you come!