A group of Vic Clementi's co-workers described him as a hard-working fishing fanatic while they ate at a fund-raiser dinner for the Carson cabinet maker and his family.
Clementi had a new kidney and liver implanted during eight hours of surgery on June 4. His co-workers described him as easy going.
"Vic was always wearing shorts and flip flops, no matter what time of year it was," said David Becker, co-owner of Complete Mill Work Services, Inc. where Clementi worked before he was diagnosed with Hepatitis C a year ago.
"Yeah, even in the dead of winter," chuckled Joe Galuska, a Carson resident since 1979.
"He's just a hell of a guy to be around," he added, spinning noodles on a plastic fork. "A hell of a friend to everybody --Enot just a few."
Saturday's fund-raiser at the Carson City Community Center Gymnasium was organized by friends of the Clementi family.
"There were five of us there at the first meeting," said Carol Brodie, a family friend who gave Vic and Kim Clementi's daughter, Ginny, her first haircut.
Kim and Ginny Clementi had planned to attend the spaghetti dinner, but a change in Vic's condition kept them by his side at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.
Doctors were looking at test results which seemed to suggest Clementi was rejecting his new kidney. They decided to remove a stent earlier than planned to improve his condition, friends said.
"So, a little bit of a setback but still blessed to be here with us," said Brodie.
All the food for the dinner was donated by local businesses.
SlotWorld donated the noodles and sauce, Carson Nugget provided the salad and warming trays and Orowheat and Cafe City Bakery gave the bread.
At least 150 attended the event -- each paying $5 for the meal. All the funds collected will go directly into the Victor Joseph Clementi Benefit Fund at Bank of America, account number 004966550823.
"I think it's a great event, but there's too many people from work who didn't show up," said Clementi's co-worker Barry Coyan of Gardnerville.
Work is not the same without Clementi, he said.
"We just miss him because of the way he would deal with people."
Another co-worker, Karl Sieving, hopes to see Clementi soon.
"I just want him to come back to work. No, I just want him to get through this and get better," he corrected himself. "It doesn't matter if he comes back to work."
You Can Help
The Victor Joseph Clementi Benefit Fund has been set up at Bank of America, account number 004966550823.
