Vince Hungerford
An enormous heart. A beautiful soul. Vince was the eldest son of John Hungerford of Calgary, Canada and Sophie Armendariz Hungerford of Los Angeles, California. He was born in Torrance where he and his brothers Grant and Glenn spent their early years. When Vince was 7 years old, the family moved to Fountain Valley where he spent most of his childhood years playing baseball with his brothers. Vince met the love of his life, Sonia, at Orange Coast Community College where Vince used to pack extra snacks for Sonia to share during class. They were married a year later in 1989. Vince and Sonia traveled frequently and enjoyed attending concerts and comedy shows. They shared 32 years together raising their sons Vince Jr (30) and Scott (28) who have made them extremely proud. They are remarkable young men who will carry on Vince’s legacy. There are also the beloved four pawed members of the family: Pepper and Lucky, and the late Maggie and Molly. When Vince was home, the dogs were always either lying next to him or on top of him. Although Vince’s health issues presented challenges to the Hungerford family these past few years, the family provided an abundance of love and dedication to Vince and to each other. Vince dedicated his tremendous talents, people skills, and culinary expertise towards his career in foodservice sales. He was well respected and loved in his industry and made life-long friends throughout the years. After working a number of years with Best Foods he joined Girard’s Dressings where he dedicated 19 years of service and loved every minute of it. Vince was determined to return to work after he recovered from his illness and truly believed he would beat cancer and resume his normal work duties. Outside his professional duties, Vince loved spending time with his family, giving back to his community, and playing and coaching sports. When he was younger, Vince would team up with his brother Glenn and play pickup basketball. His team’s objective was to get the ball to Vince because he was the shooter. About 20 years ago Vince started playing golf - a sport he grew to love in his later years. For the past 5 years, he joined his cousins and friends in a year-round golf tournament, the Gonzo’s Hackers Tour. He was a competitive player but mostly he enjoyed the camaraderie of his golf friends. His favorite teams were the SF Giants, New Orleans Saints, and the LA Clippers and his all-time favorite athlete was Willie Mays. He enjoyed watching games with his sons and his friends, and last year he and his wife participated in Vince Jr.’s first annual Fantasy Football League. In addition to watching and playing sports, Vince was also a dedicated sports coach for the City of Tustin for many years. Coach Vince impacted many young men’s lives through his mentorship. Vince had a huge heart and was always willing to help wherever help was needed. Both Sonia and Vince were active participants in school fundraisers and PTO groups such as the Tustin High School Baseball Booster’s and Football Booster’s Club. Vince enjoyed managing the Beer Booth fundraiser at the Orange Street Fair and helping the athletes deliver Christmas trees during the holidays. Every year during Christmas, Vince carried on his family tradition and prepared tamales for his family and friends. He loved the holidays and dressed up as Santa Claus for family gatherings for many years before passing on the tradition to his sons when they were of age. He hosted annual gingerbread house competitions for his nieces and nephews and would display the gingerbread houses around his house for the holidays. Vince also always had an appreciation for flowers. If there was a special occasion or if he had some free time, he would visit the Los Angeles Flower District. He enjoyed looking through the warehouses full of beautiful blossoms almost as much as he enjoyed selecting flowers to take home to Sonia. When people speak about Vince they mention the same characteristics: generous, caring, loving, devoted, loyal, and faithful. He was all of these things and more. Vince wanted to further his faith and was fully baptized into the Catholic Church in September 2019. Vince passed away on June 13th at his home in Tustin, California. He was surrounded by family members and close friends who shared stories about the magnanimous man he was. He fought a long, courageous fight against cancer and he’s finally at peace now. Family members, friends, and co-workers will miss Vince. They will miss his warm smile, his hearty laugh and most of all, they will miss the generosity of his love. A Mass will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24th at St. Cecilia Church, 1301 Sycamore Avenue in Tustin. If you would like to send flowers please send them on Tuesday, June 23rd to: Saddleback Chapel Mortuary 220 E. Main Street Tustin, CA





Aloha, what a blessing it has been to work with Vince. Did anyone ever love dressings as much as Vince? He is a true gentle soul who shined his passion for food, but not as much as the love he carried for his family. Sonia, you have forever friends on Maui. Much love, Lynne Miller from VIP Foodservice.
Vince was a great man — his obituary is truly beautiful and fully describes the kind of person he was. I worked with Vince for a number of years during my time at Plochman’s/GFF. We talked on the phone almost every day (he was either on the road or in California) and I was in Illinois. I looked forward to his daily calls because Vince was easy to talk to and always interested in me and my family. Plus, he could tell the best stories! I heard so many great snippets of his life with his beloved wife and sons — baseball, cooking, travel, concerts, making tamales, the dogs and so many more. The love Vince felt for his family (and dogs) was clearly evident and something to be admired. He was a caring man that truly loved his family and friends — and wasn’t afraid to show it. Rest in peace, Vince. You will be so dearly missed.
Vince fought a tough one with all his heart. He remained a humble person. We were proud to have met a person of his caliber. Ceci and I send our condolences to all of the family for the loss. He will be missed. God Bless. Phil and Ceci Villa, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
So very sorry to hear of Vince’s passing. He lead a very full life, more than most. He meant a great deal to a lot of people and he will be missed. May he rest in peace and rise with the Lord on the last day. My most sincere condolences to his family. Alfonso Barba, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
I’m sorry for your loss. My sympathy to the family. Vince will be missed. Mario Lovato, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour
I am so sorry to hear about Vince. Our condolences. He will be missed. So sad. Ray Gaitan, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
So sorry to hear about Vince. I had a chance to play with him a few times. My condolences to the family. Javier Sanchez, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
Sorry for your loss. Our prayers go out to the family. Dave Holman, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
So sorry to hear about Vince. Our love and sympathy to all in the family. Be Safe. Art & Veronica Hudson, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
I met Vince back in 2014 at GFF, he was interviewing me for the Sales Administrative position. After our interview, I felt like I could work well with him. He was genuinely nice, and I wanted to be a part of his team. Vince was not just my boss, but a leader, a mentor, a friend, and most of all he was like a father to me. He was always supportive and understanding, and for that, I always wanted to be the best assistant he ever had. Vince was a very busy man, but no matter how busy he was, he always made time for me (even when the plane is taking off, he will answer just to hear what I have to say).
Vince… I miss you so much… my heart is so broken. I wish I can see you one more time before God took you away. I wish I could have told you how thankful I am for having you in my life. You would always look out for me, stood by my side, had my back 100-percent, and never once doubted me. Honestly, never in a million years will I meet a person quite like you. You are in a better place now and your beagle will be there waiting for you with licks of joy. Perhaps one day we will meet again as characters in a different story, maybe we will share a lifetime then…
“God saw you were getting tired, and a cure was not meant to be. So, he put his arms around you,
and whispered come with me. With tearful eyes we watched you, as we saw you pass away. Although we love you deeply, we could not make you stay. Your golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands at rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us… He only takes the best.”
Vince was a special person. He was a great family man and had a successful career. However his kind soul is what I will always remember the most. He continued to play golf on the GHT tour as long as he could physically do so while undergoing treatments and battling the disease. I was lucky enough to play with him on a few monthly outings during the tour. If anyone of you had the pleasure of playing with him you quickly recognized his kindness and love of his family and friends. He traveled a lot for work and we liked to talk about common places we enjoyed to visit for work. I will forever think of Vince when I raise a beer the next time I visit a Honky Tonk in Nashville. One of our favorite places to talk about.
My sincere condolences to Vince’s family during this time.
Fernando Rios, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
Sending my condolences and praying for his family.
Terry Cutter, Gonzo’s Hacker’s Tour (GHT)
My fondest Aloha and deepest sympathy to the Hungerford family. Vince was a wonderful person with a big heart. It was always so nice to see Vince during his Girard’s market visit to Maui. I will always remember his smiling face and laughter. He will be sorely missed but memories will live on in our hearts forever.
Much Love and Aloha,
Ofelia Tagalan – Buyer
VIP Foodservice, Maui, Hawaii
Grief is the price we pay for love. And with a loss so great, we feel a tremendous amount of pain.
My heart physically aches for the loss of Vince Hungerford. I met Mr. Hungerford in 2017 when Scott brought me to his Tustin home before we went on a hike. I stuck my hand out to shake his and he opened his arms up and exclaimed, “Oh come here, I’m a hugger!” His immediate reaction was to physically welcome me and as time passed, I came to realize that it’s who he is – love first and without judgement. And since that day, every time I visited and every time I left, I would look forward to those hugs – not only because hugs are nice, but also because it embodied who he was and reminded me that I was always welcomed and loved.
The time I knew him was relatively short, but has made a huge impact. I will never forget his love for his wife and his sons, his dedication to his work, his strength and determination to fight for his life, and his passion for bringing people together. He left behind a great legacy, not only in his sons but with everyone he’s met. Hearing everyone tell his stories, it is without a doubt that he is a great man. He fought very hard and now he can rest. I love you Mr. Hungerford and I know you will continue watching over each and every one of us.
Mr. Hungerford was a great presence in the lives of all of us young men who were fortunate to be around him. He was a prime example of what strength, resilience, and responsibility looked like. Scotty would tell us stories about Mr. Hungerford and how he was able to climb the corporate ladder and reach success without the typical credentials you see in businessmen. He was a walking inspiration to us all. Mr. Hungerford was also always very supportive of things that we did – I remember whenever I would share any new update in my academic or professional life, he would always express positive sentiments and encourage me to keep going. It meant a lot to me. Mr. Hungerford was a fun presence in our lives too – 3 years ago he began playing pick-up basketball with us 25 year-olds and I fondly remember our banter as he continuously trashed my beloved Lakers. Mr. Hungerford I am sorry we weren’t able to grab deep dish pizza in Chicago as we had planned, but I will always remember the times we did spend together. Thank you for everything – especially for raising two amazing sons that many of us are lucky enough to call friends.
I was blessed to meet Vince as he began his Catholic faith journey at St. Cecilia RCIA program. The love that Vince and Sonia shared was evident as they shared stories about their family and Vince’s desire to be Catholic. Much love and prayers always. Jeanne DePasquale