Dr. Vincent F. Nola

Dr. Vincent F. Nola peacefully entered into the arms of his Savior, Jesus, on July 27, 2024, at the age of 93. He was an irreplaceable husband, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, and a man of deep faith, devotion, and generosity. He will be greatly missed.

Dr. Nola was born on April 27, 1931, in San Jose, CA, to Frank Nola and Grace “Noni” Pilotti Nola. His earliest memories were of life on his family’s farm in the Berryessa District of Santa Clara County, where the Nolas grew cherries, prunes, and apricots. Many decades later, Dr. Nola would still reminisce about the smell of the fruit blossoms in the springtime and the tireless hours spent harvesting fruit on the ranch.

According to family lore, when Noni Nola was pregnant with Vincent, she would place a copy of the reference book Gray’s Anatomy on her belly and pray that her son would one day become a doctor. “Her wishes came true,” Dr. Nola wrote later in life. “Whenever someone asked me the question, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?,’ I’d answer, ‘A doctor.’” He attended Berryessa Grammar School, Bellarmine College Preparatory (graduating in 1949), and Santa Clara University, then began his pursuit of medicine with an undergraduate degree in Biological Science at Stanford University, where he graduated in 1953. He continued his studies at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, followed by a three-year OB/GYN residency at Santa Clara County Hospital.

Dr. Nola was the father of four children with his first wife, Ann Fanelli: Andrea, Frank, Vincent, and Rosemarie. In August 1975, he married his former high school sweetheart, Joyce Gomes Lange. With Joyce’s three children — Jeff, Jeva, and Julianna — the Nolas became a loving family of nine. Dr. Nola was a dedicated parent and modeled for his children the values of lifelong learning and faith that he’d inherited from his own father.

Dr. Nola touched innumerable lives in the San Jose area through his work as an OB/GYN and was an early pioneer in the field of reproductive endocrinology. He celebrated many medical firsts, including becoming the first doctor in Santa Clara County to perform laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgeries. He started treating infertility patients with novel fertility drugs in the 1970s and became the first doctor to deliver an in vitro fertilization baby at a private hospital in the county in the 1980s. Dr. Nola reflected that one of the richest rewards of his life was helping families conceive and deliver more than 6,000 babies, including many twins and two successful triplet pregnancies.

His passion for helping provide medical and other supportive care for women didn’t end with retirement. Dr. Nola helped over 2,000 homeless and uninsured women as a volunteer Gynecologist in the medical clinic at Martha’s Village and Kitchen in Indio, CA. “He diagnosed early ovarian cancer, endometrial cancers, and breast cancer — his diligence resulted in expedited treatment for women whose serious health problems would have probably gone undetected and untreated because they had no other access to a board-certified OB/GYN physician,” Dr. Krista Burris-Kim, the clinic’s medical director, said. “Many women are alive today because of his work.”

In May 2013, Dr. Nola became a founding board member of Mama’s House, a residential home in the Coachella Valley for women experiencing crises while pregnant or with an infant or small child. Mama’s House became his late-in-life passion, and he started and co-chaired an annual golf classic to raise money for the program. He served on the board of directors until his passing.

Dr. Nola was proud of his Sicilian heritage and counted among his signature dishes roasted red peppers, breaded cardoni, and eggplant parmesan. He possessed an uncanny ability to pick out the freshest produce at the market — his grandchildren will forever remember his exclamations over such things as “beautiful corn” — and he spoke with a booming voice that carried throughout the house. He had a sneaky sense of humor and was proud but humble. He gave great hugs.

Dr. Nola was a golf enthusiast— he spent many hours on the green with his friends, children, and grandchildren, also playing in numerous golf tournaments. He was an active member of the San Jose Country Club and the Indian Wells Country Club, where he also served as the director of the wellness center coordinating health lectures given by notable physicians. He also enjoyed hunting, a sport he’d first taken up with his father at the age of 14 in the hills of Livermore Valley. He attended dozens of football games, tailgating for the Stanford Cardinals and the 49ers, and met many celebrities through his cherished friend George Graziadio, including President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty, President Bill Clinton, and Yogi Berra. Dr. Nola traveled all over the world both for pleasure and the advancement of his medical expertise, and he loved to share stories of adventures he and his wife Joyce embarked on in countries as far-flung as Russia and Venezuela. Their home was a lively place, constantly packed with visiting friends and relatives.

Above all else, Dr. Nola was a man of faith. He credited his pursuit of obstetrics to the Virgin Mother Mary and felt protected by her; he also prayed to Padre Pio, who was known for his spiritual gift of healing.

Dr. Nola’s legacy is one of remarkable altruism, acceptance, and kindness. He was unique in his ability to connect with people in ways meaningful to them, forming special bonds with countless individuals. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Joyce; his children, Andrea, Frank, Vincent, Rosemarie, Jeff, Jeva, and Julianna; his 12 grandchildren; his five great-grandchildren; and his brother, Gerald. He will forever be remembered, appreciated, and loved, always living in our hearts until we reunite again in our eternal home with our Lord Jesus.

To honor Dr. Nola’s memory, donations can be made to Mama’s House in Palm Desert, CA (www.themamashouse.org)

If you would like to send flowers in honor of Dr. Vincent F. Nola, please contact your local florist and have them delivered to Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary.