John "Johnny" Leopold Victoria

      “Anything is possible.” That is what John Leopold Victoria believed about life. He was a creative man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. Johnny thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Johnny was a person who believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do.

      Johnny was born on May 25, 1984 at St. Luke's Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Lyn and Job Victoria. Johnny was raised in Chula Vista, California. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, Johnny could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived satisfaction from knowing he had that ability.

      This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Johnny's family relationships. Johnny was raised with one sibling. He had one older brother, Joe. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, Johnny was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.

      As a young boy, Johnny could be found building and inventing new and different things. He was curious, resourceful and interested in anything original. Johnny took part in tennis, wrestling, soccer, and roller hockey. He was a member of St. Rose of Lima's choir playing the bass guitar. In his spare time he liked exploring the canyon, hiking and running around the neighborhood. Johnny was a recipient of Presidential Academic Award in Grade School, Middle School and High School.

      Endowed with an appetite for knowing how his world worked, Johnny enjoyed school, especially when the learning experience involved dissecting and probing the unknown. Johnny was adept at scrutinizing different possibilities and designing innovative solutions. He graduated from Bonita Vista High School in 2002. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was IB Social Studies. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Czakowski. He was varsity tennis player , cross country runner, member of St. Rose of Lima's youth choir.

      Because he was a quick thinker and adept at picking up on new things, Johnny performed well in college. He was always on a quest for knowledge and he relished the experience. Theories intrigued him, and he was good at solving complex problems. He always wanted to understand rather than judge. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering at Kings Point Academy at King's Point, New York in 2006. He also pursued graduate school at Project Management Institute and earned Project Management Professional Certificate. His favorite courses were Marine Engineering Subjects. His favorite professor was Dr. Robert Donovan. He was varsity tennis player, member of the wrestling team and elected as Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges in recognition of his academic achievement, service in the community and potential for continued success.

      Johnny was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around him. Always interested in his friends’ activities and interests, Johnny was uncritical of his acquaintances. He was sought after by people who recognized that he was generous with his time and energy, and these same friends found Johnny to be very stimulating company. Johnny's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around him. While growing up some of his best friends were Doug Lentz, Ed Petil, Emma Hammack, Pa Wraith, Bobby Bogart, John Sturgess, Damien Camacho, Keaton Matz, ,Crystal Antoon, Wulbert. Later in life, he became friends with Matt Russell, Adrian Zavala, Michael Troiano, Leila Linares, Regina Hibbard, Zac Pollock.

      As a born inventor, Johnny was definitely in his element in his work place. He could easily create new and innovative systems, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. Johnny was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. He could assess all of the options before him and, using his analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. His personal initiative inspired those around him. Johnny was always good at getting a project started and then, at the appropriate time, handing it on to a colleague. Marine engineering project manager. He was employed by NASSCO. Johnny always made an effort to be a team player, doing what needed was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Johnny's “never say die” attitude and his ability to face any challenge no matter how difficult it might be were tremendous assets that Johnny carried with him into the military. Johnny was a Navy veteran. He was in the Navy Reserve. Johnny was deployed in Afghanistan for one year as a liaison officer for the US and Italian armed forces rebuilding the infrastructure of Afghanistan. Through his hard work and dedication, he earned not only the respect of his fellow service men and women, but also was presented with various awards, including Bronze star. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant.

      Johnny's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Johnny was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew him, but most friends and family understood that Johnny simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His favorite pursuits were playing guitar, piano, tennis.

      Johnny's calm demeanor and eternally positive outlook served him well in sports. In high school, Johnny played tennis, cross country, soccer, roller hockey. In his college years, Johnny continued to stay active by playing tennis, wrestling. Recreational sports included tennis. Johnny was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were tennis, football, basketball, soccer.

      Johnny's talents were well suited for being actively involved in professional and community organizations, something he did throughout his life. He enjoyed being involved and was willing to jump in and help out in most any situation. Johnny could bring a breath of fresh air to any organization, simply by introducing his novel ideas and problem solving strategies. In high school, Johnny was a member of the St. Rose of Lima's Youth Choir. Throughout his later years, Johnny was an active member of the Tennis League.

      Johnny was continually concerned with the status of local, national and even world affairs. His keen interest and strong values led him to become active in his community. Politically, Johnny was a Republican.

      Faith and religion were important to Johnny. He was a member Corpus Christi, St. Rose of Lima, Sta. Monica. During that time, he was member of St. Rose of Lima Youth Choir, member of Sta. Monica Youth Group for Social Justice.

      With all of his talents, his ingenuity, his solutions and inventiveness, it is no surprise that Johnny received public recognition for his competence. With the drive and ability to meet any challenge, Johnny accumulated a long list of achievements throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards include Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities at Merchant Marine Academy, Best Functionary Toastmaster at NASSCO, Outstanding Student at Musician's Institute in Hollywood.

      Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Johnny. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Johnny to expand his ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Favorite vacations included cruise Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, Italy, Spain, Germany, London, Portugal, France, Japan, China, Korea.

      Johnny passed away on December 19, 2022 at at home 8967 Trailridge Ave. Santee, Ca. Surrounded by family. Traumatic Brain Injury , Congestive heart failure. He is survived by his mother Marilyn Victoria, brother Joseph Victoria, nephew Dylan Victoria, niece Emily Victoria, father Job Victoria. Services were held at Glen Abbey Memorial Park. Johnny was laid to rest in Glen Abbey Memorial Park.

      During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Johnny. He met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Johnny was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For Johnny, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For John Leopold Victoria, the fun of living his life could be found in the challenge.

A viewing in Glen Abbey's Magnolia room for Johnny will be held Saturday, January 21, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Glen Abbey Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3838 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA 91902.

A funeral service in Glen Abbey's magnolia room will occur Sunday, January 22, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Glen Abbey Memorial Park and Mortuary.

A committal (Burial) with Military Honors will be held in early February 2023 with the exact date and time to be confirmed.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.glenabbeysandiego.net for the Victoria family.