Willy Claudiu Cristian Ghita

Willy ("Villy") Claudiu Cristian Ghita was born on August 2nd, 1992, in Bucharest, Romania. He died too soon on March 10th, 2023, in Seattle, WA, surrounded by family and so many friends who loved him dearly. Villy lived his childhood in Bucharest. From a very young age, Villy strived to do what is right and honor high expectations of him. His early education was in Nr. 160, and high school was in Tudor Vladimirescu, until he came to the United States in 2008 as a teenager, full of wonder and hope and promise. Willy graduated from Bellevue High School in 2011. Proud of his Romanian roots, Villy pursued his American Dream with grit and determination. His upbringing and indelible spirit forged a strong work-ethic and an enduring belief in the power of possibility. Villy began his career at Earls Restaurants in 2012 in an entry-level position and steadfastly fulfilled his dream of becoming a Head Chef of Earls locations in Texas and Colorado before returning home recently as Head Chef of Earls Bellevue. He also recently became a Naturalized U.S. Citizen, which he conveyed was one of the most significant moments of his life. Through all his success, Villy remained a genuinely humble, sensitive, and caring young man. His commitment to his family and to his friends is incomparable. He exemplified loyalty and teamwork, earning the respect of his peers. Villy had a natural ease with anyone he met and inspired others with his radiating positivity and genuine eagerness to learn. Villy is survived in the United States by his mother, Claudia Purcell, and sisters Ileana and Beverly, niece Penelope Aylin, and beloved dog, Leo. He is survived in Romania by his father, George Ghita, and sister Maya. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Sunset Hills Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Bellevue, WA from 1 pm to 5 pm on Sunday, March 19th. The service is extended to all friends and colleagues that would like to attend in person or virtually with this link. There is a GoFundMe account created to help the family with essential needs at this difficult time.