Vincent F. Cleeves, a 54-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on Wednesday, January 21 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. He was 86. Cleeves was born in La Crescenta on July 4, 1917. As a young boy, he delivered the local newspaper on horseback and as a teenager made a surfboard and learned to surf Southern California beaches. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in mechanical engineering. While working in New York, he met his future wife, Nancy, in 1946. They married shortly thereafter and moved to the Palisades from Santa Monica in 1950. Employed for 35 years at McDonnell Douglas in Ocean Park, Cleeves commuted daily to Long Beach. After retiring, he continued to consult for McDonnell Douglas for three years before settling down to hobbies and his passion of cabinetmaking. An accomplished woodworker, Vince built many beautiful furniture pieces and cabinets for his family. He loved to hike in the Santa Monica Mountains, backpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with his sons and nephews, and spend time at the beach bodysurfing. Many family vacations were spent skiing at Mammoth Mountain. He also enjoyed travels to Alaska, Hawaii, Europe and the Panama Canal. Cleeves is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nancy; sons Vincent Jr., of Boulder, Colorado, Monty of Redwood City, and Chuck of San Diego; daughter Virginia of Boulder; a sister, Marion of Berkeley; seven grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass was held at Corpus Christi Church in Pacific Palisades on January 24. Contributions may be made in Cleeves’s name to the charity of one’s choice.
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