A celebration of life will be held at noon, Jan. 15, 2022, for longtime Seal Beach resident and former mayor Victor S. Grgas Jr. The event will take place in Eisenhower Park on the south side of the pier.
Grgas passed away Tuesday, Nov. 9, after a long battle with lung cancer. He was a nonsmoker.
“He was a real go-getter; never stopped fighting,” said son Steven Grgas.
Victor Grgas turned 70 in September, said Jeff Grgas.
“He was still scheming and dreaming to build his dream house,” said son Jeff Grgas.
Grgas was in the news last year when he married Karen (then Karen Matthews) in what was described as a “COVID-style” wedding. Bride, groom, and guests were masked for the ceremony.
Son of first generation immigrants from Croatia, who had been displaced by WWII, he was born and raised in San Pedro.
Local businessman Jim Klisanin, who described Grgas as a “fellow Croation,” said he and Grgas had families in Croatia who live maybe 40 to 50 miles apart. The two men had been friends for years and exchanged greetings in Croatian.
Grgas was multi-talented. Grgas played in many bands (singer, guitar, bass), rowed crew for Long Beach State, and was a passionate participant in local politics and charities. Grgas held a master’s degree in public administration from CSULB and devoted himself to his career in local and international economic development. One of his proudest assignments while working for the City of Long Beach was overseeing the lease administration for The Queen Mary.
Grgas enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Known as “Dida” to his many grandchildren, he was beloved for his sense of humor, his talent as a great host, cook and story teller, as well as for service to others. He was a proud supporter of the Lions Club and was always present and with a smile at the annual Fish Fry and other events.
He also contributed to local politics.
“I knew Victor for many years, and I also knew his late wife Nancy, and was very saddened to hear of Victor’s passing following a long, courageous battle with a serious illness,” wrote City Manager Jill Ingram in a Nov. 16 email.
“Victor served two terms on the Seal Beach City Council from 1982-1990, and was elected Mayor twice by his colleagues in 1983 and 1989,” Ingram wrote. According to his sons, Nancy Grgas served as Victor’s campaign manager.
“Additionally, he was appointed by the City Council as a Planning Commissioner for District 1 in November 2017 and served for two years until February 2019,” Ingram wrote.
“Victor was always a genuinely kind, respectful, and honorable man, both personally and professionally, especially in his working relationships with City staff over the past several years,” Grgas wrote.
“In addition, Victor had a great love for his community, and as a former public sector professional, he was always a great supporter of our City staff team. Victor will be greatly missed, and on behalf of the City and the City Council, we extend our sincere condolences to Victor’s wife, sons, grandchildren, extended family, and many friends,” Ingram wrote. Grgas supported the ballot measure that established the 25-foot residential height limit and later supported the change of the city clerk’s position from an elected office to an appointed office.
A few of his many hobbies included playing golf, skiing, traveling, attending concerts, and visiting historical sites. His late wife Nancy passed away in 2014. Like Victor Grgas, Nancy Grgas also died from lung cancer. Like him, she was a nonsmoker. He is survived by his wife Karen, two sons Jeff (wife Jenny) and Steven (wife Taryn), and six grandchildren Kiley, Avery, Kainoa, Luke, Treston, and Jay.
Grgas will be deeply missed by all that knew him, and his generosity and kindness to others will always be remembered.
Charitable contributions can be made to the Seal Beach Lions Club and the Vanguard Cancer Foundation
• Place of birth: San Pedro California
• Full name of parents/siblings: Victor Grgas Sr. (father), Geroldine Grgas (mother), Nick Grgas (brother)
• He was preceded in death by his mother, his father, his brother, and Nancy Grgas (then his wife).
• Name of those surviving: Karen Grgas (who he married in 2020); two sons: Jeff (wife Jenny) and Steven (wife Taryn); and six grandchildren: Kiley, Avery, Kainoa, Luke Treston, and Jay.
• Memorial Service: Celebration of life to be held at Seal Beach pier in January 2022 (date TBD)
• Cemetery: Green Hills Memorial Park (Rancho Palos Verdes CA 90275)
• Membership Organizations: Seal Beach City Council & Mayor, International Council for Economic Development, California Association for Local Economic (CALED), Lion’s International (Seal Beach), California Association of Realtor’s
• Hobbies, special interest: Golf, Skiing, fishing, traveling, historian
• Special pets: Animal lover
