The Vista Historical Society Annual Meeting and Hall of Fame induction will be held at the Shadowridge Country Club at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Members of the board of directors will be installed and 2024 Vista Hall of Fame members will be honored.
Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2024 are: Neva Lillian Clement, Dr. J.H. Coit, Jean Cole, Jaques Jules “Jack” Delpy, Paul E. Dorey, Rita Geldert, Barbara Mannino Harris, and Janet Sucro, Neva Lillian Clement and her family move to Vista from Los Angeles in 1931. She was known for her flowers, avocados, and especially her passion fruit. She remained A Vista resident until her death in 1979. Dr. J.H. Coit had a doctorate in agriculture and was for a time a professor at Berkeley and the University of Arizona, He was an expert in avocados as well as many other crops and was one of the founders of Calavo, the main organization that helped avocado growers. He had a worldwide reputation and lived in Vista for 30 years, assisting the agricultural community until his death in 1976. Jean Cole worked for many years for the City of Vista Department of Parks and Community Services. She was well known for the many things she did there. Most importantly she founded Operation Hope and for many years was its volunteer CEO. Jacques Jules “Jack” Delpy was a member of the pioneer Delpy family that owned a large vineyard in town. After his service in World War 1, he was a local businessman. the owner of a Chrysler Plymouth dealership located downtown. He remained active in local affairs until his death in 1980. Paul E. Dorey worked for the Vista Irrigation District first as an employee and then as a board member for 49 years. He worked hard for the Vista Irrigation District customer at many jobs including serving on many water related boards and other organizations. He served on the district board until his death in 2022. Rita Geldert served in municipal government for 35 years, the last seventeen of which were with the City of Vista. During her time with the City of Vista as Assistant City Manager and City manager she was responsible for many projects being completed the most noted of which was the passage of proposition L in 2006 that led to many community projects. She also led the city as it became a charter city. Barbara Mannino Harris Became the chief executive officer of the Vista community clinic in 1983 at that time it had one location and 30 employees. Under her leadership for the next 30 years the organization grew to a staff of 530 in several locations. It is safe to say that without her this would not have happened. Janet Sucro was a tireless advocate for the homeless and through her leadership, Faith and Love Ministries served 50,000 meals a year to the homeless at churches and parks. She won many awards for her selfless devotion to her organization and its cause.
The annual meeting is open to Vista Historical Society & Museum members, and all interested area residents.
The menu for the luncheon includes:
1. CLASSIC COBB SALAD
Chopped Romaine + Apple Smoked Bacon
Tomatoes + Hard Boiled Egg + Avocado +
Grilled Chicken Breast + Ranch on the side
2. ARTICHOKE CHICKEN
Creamy Artichoke Sauce + Mushrooms
Rice pilaf and Seasonal Veggies
3. GRILLED ATLANTIC SALMON
Mango-Papaya Relish
Rice pilaf and Seasonal Veggies
DESSERT
Cookies
Reservations for the luncheon and meeting are required, at a cost of $60 per person, and may be obtained by phoning the Vista Historical Society office at (760) 630-0444, by e-mail at vistahistorical@gmail.com, from our Web Site, Vistahistoricalsociety.com, or by letter to P.O. Box 1032, Vista, CA 92085-1032. The deadline for reservations is Friday May 3, 2024
