Vesta Breilh's Obituary
Vesta Conniff BreilhNovember 19, 1918 – March 19, 2016Vesta Breilh passed on Saturday, March 19 at the age of 97 surrounded by her family. She was the middle child of James Elbert Conniff and Katie Amelia Kline Conniff. Vesta was the great, great grandchild of Philip Klein, who served during the American Revolution from Pennsylvania. She was born and reared on a ranch in Livermore, CA. After her graduation from Livermore High School in 1936, she moved to Oakland. Her first jobs included working at the Original Caspers Hot Dogs near Lake Merritt and Montgomery Ward. She met and married Celestin “Frenchy” Breilh on Sept 12, 1942. She was predeceased by her husband in 1973, brother Charles Conniff in 1996, and her sister Pammilla Conniff Dean in 2007. She and her husband owned and operated Central French Laundry and Cleaners in Oakland for almost 30 years. Her diligence and keen sense of business greatly contributed to the success of the laundry. Vesta was an avid Oakland Raiders fan and attended many away games and two of their Super Bowl games. She and her family spent many wonderful years enjoying Lake Berryessa, where she was an active water-skier and loved to fish. After her retirement, she travelled extensively with her sister and friends. She enjoyed a memorable trip to France in 1997 with 19 members of her immediate family. Vesta is survived by her three children: Carole Vercellino (Aziz), Diane Groome (Harold), and Robert Breilh (Cindy); her beloved grandchildren: Kenny Vercellino (Kelly), Laurie Robertson (Kent), Janet Groome, Jessica Mew (Jeremy), Kirsten Kuykendal (Andrew), Daniel Breilh (Stephanie), and Jonathan “JJ” Breilh. She leaves six great grandchildren: Conner, Jake, and Kate Vercellino; Kayla and Kade Robertson; Austin Mew and her loving nieces and nephew. Vesta was a member of Jose Maria Amador Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, San Francisco Bay Chapter Daughters of the American Colonists, and Daughters of Indian Wars. Vesta was very active all her life; her love of golf is legendary. An enthusiastic golfer, she used to play three times a week and for a time walked 18 holes two days a week rather than using a golf cart. At her 95th birthday golf outing, she even scored a par. She keenly followed both the PGA tour and LPGA. Even after she stopped playing in 2015, when she was in her nineties, she still was dedicated to the game and kept in touch with her golfing buddies. Another love in Vesta’s life was gardening. An avid gardener, she was blessed with a “green thumb” and had substantial knowledge of plants. She always stepped forward to assist family and friends with their gardening needs. Some of us have healthy, productive plants/trees to remember her by. One would have been challenged to find a weed in her back or front immaculate yards. We all enjoyed roses from her dozens of rose plants. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and especially by her family. The void caused by her passing will be difficult to fill. The family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at Kaiser Hospital in San Leandro for the excellent care she received. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 25, 2016 at Chapel of the Chimes Hayward, 32992 Mission Blvd. Hayward, CA 94544 at 10:00 AM . In lieu of flowers, please contribute to your favorite charity in her memory.
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