Obituary of Victor B. Vari

Victor B. Vari, 94, passed away at home in San Francisco with Julia, his loving wife of almost 62 years, at his side. Dr. Vari, Harold and Edythe Toso Chair in Italian Studies, taught at Santa Clara University for 66 years. Dr. Vari was born on February 22, 1920, to August and Agnesina Vari in San Francisco. As an infant his family moved to Italy, returning to San Francisco when he was 16. In 1942, Dr. Vari received his undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University. During WWII he served in the OSS before pursuing graduate studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and Lausanne University in Switzerland. Upon returning to the U.S. he attended and was a student teacher at Stanford, where he met his future wife, Julia Botto. In 1946 he began teaching French at SCU, and in the ensuing decades has taught all levels of Spanish and Italian language, culture, and literature. He received his Master's degree from Stanford University in 1952, and completed his Ph.D. (summa cum laude) at the University of Madrid in Spain in 1961. As a young married couple in the midst of a mostly Jesuit faculty, Victor and Julia soon took their place and relished the role of extended family. They became fully immersed in SCU life, chaperoning dances, hosting dinners, and modeling for the Catala Fashion Show. He brought Italian opera to campus, led tours of Europe, and assisted the Army in launching the first military intelligence unit at SCU, which later became part of ROTC. He was founder of the Summer in Assisi program that thrived from 1982 to 2004. In addition to his nearly seven decades of teaching at Santa Clara University, he also taught at the College of Notre Dame and College of San Mateo. He was an Olympic-caliber fencer, fencing coach, journalist, actor, radio announcer, and military intelligence agent. Dr. Vari made many memorable contributions to SCU. He was chair of the Modern Languages Department for over 20 years; the driving force and champion for the Casa Italiana residence hall; and he established and inspired several student scholarships. As the longest serving faculty member, Dr. Vari was the first ceremonial bearer of the University's mace at commencement and other important events from 1969 until his retirement in 2012. In addition to a Life Achievement Award from SCU, Dr. Vari was recognized by Italian American cultural organizations in the community and abroad. He was chosen Man of the Year by the Il Cenacolo Cultural Club of San Francisco; bestowed with the rank of Commendatore of the Order of Merit by the President of the Republic of Italy; invested as a Knight of Malta; received the Italian American Heritage Foundation Achievement Award; and recognized as Citizen of the Year (Medici Medal) from the County of Santa Clara/Province of Florence Sister County Commission. Victor and Julia have made significant donations to SCU out of a deep love for Santa Clara and its students, resulting in an endowment for the arts and humanities and, in May, hundreds of former students and colleagues attended the dedication of Victor B. and Julia Botto Vari Hall. Dr. Vari is survived by his wife Julia, cousins Don and GeorgeAnn Proia of Oakland, as well as the Proia family in Italy, cousins John and Beverly Migliozzi of Los Altos Hills, and hundreds of former students who now live around the globe. Visitation will be held at Spangler Mortuary, 399 South San Antonio Rd., Los Altos, CA, on Monday, September 1, 2014 at 4 p.m., Rosary at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, September 2, 2014, 10 a.m., Mission Santa Clara; reception to follow in the Mission Gardens. Donations in Victor's honor may be made to Sacred Heart Nativity School, 310 Edwards Ave., San Jose, CA 95110; the Vari Italian Studies Initiative, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053, or to your favorite charity.




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