William Anthony Barrila

Devoted husband, loving father and life-long friend to many, William “Bill” Barrila, son of Frank and Marie Barrila, was born in his family’s home on July 28, 1938 on Front Street in Philadelphia, PA. The youngest of eight, Bill grew up in Philadelphia and attended St. Boniface High School. He fondly spoke of the summers he spent with his family at their summer home in Beach Haven, NJ. It was then; in Beach Haven he would form his love for the sea. Learning to surf in the ocean and sail in the Little Egg Harbor.

After High School, he accepted any challenge that came to him. He once was as an underwater diver laying the cables in a lake in PA and working for the Turnpike. In 1961, he was drafted in the US Army and was stationed in Fort Sherman, Panama. He was an ammunition expert, lifeguard and animal tech for the zoo on base. It was a wonderful time in his life and would often talk about his adventures in the jungles of Panama. When he came home, he decided to make the move out west to California.

He packed his 1955 T-Bird with his surfboard and all his possessions and drove across the country. He ended up in La Jolla and stayed with friends. He enrolled at Mesa College and then transferred to UCSD with a major in Biology. While in college, he worked at the local Walker-Scott, eventually getting a job at La Jolla Vet Hospital as a veterinary assistant.

At the time he was working at La Jolla Vet Hospital, he met and soon married, Amelia Constantino. They were married on their first trip to Catalina Island in 1974. A place they would vacation every summer for over 25 years. Bill and Amelia spent 41 wonderful adventurous years together, always living near the ocean. They once took a trip up the coast and camped in their Porsche 914. They slept under the stars next to a cliff over looking Big Sur. An adventure they would remember fondly.

Bill and Amelia welcomed in to the world two daughters, Christina and Nicola. He cherished his daughters, teaching them to love the ocean, animals and one another. His last Christmas gift to them was a kayak.

He was an avid sailor and owned a sailboat named Molto Bene and belonged to Silver Gate Yacth Club since 1981.

Bill was also gifted storyteller and had an infectious laugh. He will be dearly missed by all that knew him. He is survived by his brother, Nuzio, wife Amelia and two daughters, Christina and Nicola.