John George Giumarra III

unexpectedly on August 22, 2022. John was born in Bakersfield on July

21, 1968 to John Giumarra Jr and Pamela Presley Giumarra, the oldest of

their five children. John grew up in Bakersfield and attended Carden

Elementary and Garces high school (class of 1986). After graduating John

attended The University of Southern California and The University of

Arizona where he graduated with a degree in Political Science. While

attending the University of Arizona in Tucson, John was a member of the

Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Following graduation from college, John

moved to Los Angeles where he pursued his interest in film by working as

a production assistant at Warner Brothers Studios. John also spent several

years working for Giumarra Brothers Fruit Company on the Los Angeles

produce market. John eventually decided to move back home to

Bakersfield to be closer to family and happily accepted a job in sales at a

new local radio station, KSMJ. John was extremely passionate about

music and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities this position provided. He

thrived in this arena and loved nothing more than traveling to see bands of

all genres at various venues throughout the country, especially his favorites

Simple Minds, The Radiators and The Dave Matthews Band. There was

nothing quite like watching John at a live show or listening to a favorite

song. Music spoke to his soul and put him in his element.

However, John was never afraid to try his hand in something new. His

grandfather Randall Presley, a national homebuilder, had always been a

role model and inspiration to John, so following his time in radio, John

spent a short period building custom homes. A few years and a few

homes later, when the family business needed to bolster up the sales team

John answered the call. This move brought him to Giumarra Vineyards

where he worked alongside his father, brothers, uncles and cousins.

John's friendly and genuine personality contributed to a successful career

in sales where he built many lasting friendships with customers and

colleagues all over the world.

John was humble and definitely didn't crave lots of attention, but he had

many talents, interests and hobbies. He excelled at soccer as a youth and

golf throughout his lifetime. He enjoyed scuba diving, riding motorcycles,

sky diving, watching sports, listening to music and spending time with

friends and family. And if you were among those friends and family, you

know that John's enjoyment for a big meal is part of Giumarra family lore.

John was notorious for assembling the most perfectly sculpted plates of

food that were always dripping with extra sauce. He especially enjoyed a

big holiday feast which was almost always followed by a snooze on the

nearest couch, which usually ended up with the sauce on it. John was so

lucky to have an abundance of dear friends, many of which he had been

close with since childhood, which truly spoke to his loyalty and intentional

personality. If you were in John's circle, he was very protective.

John also knew how fortunate he was to be a part of a large family who

loved to travel, both in the states and abroad. Whether it was a visit to

New York at Christmas, a cruise to the Caribbean, a golf trip to Carmel or

a Griswold style European vacation, the laughs and memories were always

amongst his favorites. He was close to his four siblings and absolutely

adored all of his nieces and nephews. Uncle John was always there to

bring a quirky gift to his nieces or throw the football and watch a game

with his nephews. They will miss him greatly and our family get-togethers

certainly will not be the same without Uncle John.

John did many things in his lifetime but he was most proud of his children.

John and Lauren were blessed with five beautiful children - Johnny,

Christian, Matthew, Marcella and Anna, whom he absolutely loved and

adored. He truly cherished every single moment spent with them. They

were his greatest gifts and he will forever be watching over them.

John is survived by his children, Johnny, Christian, Matthew, Marcella &

Anna Giumarra, his mother Pamela Presley Giumarra, Grandmother CeCe

Presley, brother Randy Giumarra and his wife Barri, sister Juliana Houchin

and husband Clay, brother Joey Giumarra and sister Jill Houchin and

husband Morgan, nieces and nephews, Randall, Malia, Sienna and

Graham Giumarra, Presley and Campbell Houchin, Gianna Giumarra,

Hayden, Harlow and Hollis Houchin, Lauren Billings, the mother of his five

children along with many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

John is preceded in death by his beloved father John Giumarra Jr,

Grandfathers John Giumarra Sr, Randall Presley and Joseph Messina.

Grandmothers Florence Messina, Dorothy Terrell Presley and Shirley

Giumarra.

John left us too soon and he will be so greatly missed. Rest easy, dear

John, while our hearts will forever be heavy, we will use the many years of

love that we shared to comfort us until we meet again.

A celebration of John's life will be held on Tuesday September 13, 2022 at

1:00 PM at Hillcrest Memorial Park, 9101 Kern Canyon Road, Bakersfield,

CA 93306

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hillcrestmemorial.com for the GIUMARRA family.