“I have never heard a harsh word from a Chiala.” That was the
headline many years ago for a column I wrote upon the death of
George Chiala’s father, a fine man. I am pleased to read that our
Chamber of Commerce named George Chiala “Man of the year.”
“I have never heard a harsh word from a Chiala.” That was the headline many years ago for a column I wrote upon the death of George Chiala’s father, a fine man. I am pleased to read that our Chamber of Commerce named George Chiala “Man of the year.”
In the late 60s, my parents (now dead) moved their business from San Francisco to Morgan Hill. Shortly thereafter, my dad met Vito Chiala and they became good friends. They were invited to rent the “Gate House” of the Chiala’s estate, “Fountain Oaks.”
My folks had always dreamed of a large home with a Spanish tile roof. This was their dream come true. We used to fly up to visit them from our home in Upland. We would land at a dirt airstrip in the area where Mervyn’s is now located. It was during those visits we first met the Chiala family.
When my folks passed away (each died in the “Gate House”), Vito Chiala permitted us to assume the lease. We moved to Morgan Hill. Fran and I became good friends with the elder Chialas. We have many fond memories, sitting in their giant kitchen over coffee and hearing stories of “the early days.”
We heard of young Vito in Italy. About his stowaway voyage to the United States. We heard of his selling newspapers in New York, then landing a job with the railroad and working his way across country. We heard of hard work and always saving a portion of everything earned.
Midway across the country, Vito met a lovely girl from an Italian family. They married and eventually settled as restaurant owners in Hunter’s Point during World War II. He exchanged the restaurant for a shopping center in Santa Clara County and eventually went into farming after purchasing Fountain Oaks on the east side of Morgan Hill just north of Irv Perch’s Hill Country & Flying Lady Restaurant. The “American dream” came true.
Our kids, Guy and Fawn, grew up in the “Gate House.” I believe the tree house we built is still there. The large oval pool had no circulation and filtration system at that time. Our son, Guy, was happy to accept responsibility for “stirring the water” every day or so in the summer.
Young George was helping his dad with the farming. I recall apricots the size of large peaches. Acres of super sweet strawberries. And no one ever grew sweeter corn than Vito Chiala.
Often, when we would be slow about accepting their open invitation to glean, we would find a case of fresh produce on our door step. Our guests enjoyed an early morning walk to collect strawberries for breakfast. Mrs. Achilles, the creator of the estate in 1928 would plant an orchard. After it had grown a while she would rip out most of the trees and plant another sort of orchard. The “family orchard” just outside the “Gate House” is the result. There always seemed to be some sort of fresh fruit available in that lovely orchard.
We grew to love and respect the whole Chiala clan. Vito and his precious wife raised a great bunch of kids. We learned many valuable life-lessons from them.
With such rich memories and experiences it was a bitter sweet day in 1976 as the Gilmore clan packed up and left the “Gate House” to join YWAM as Christian missionaries.
We haven’t spent much time with the Chialas since their parents passed on, but it has been fun to watch the young college kid (George) fall in beside his dad to help, then to run the farm. He appears to be doing well with it. Congratulations to the Chamber for the quality of their selection for “Man of the Year.”
