Jess Eugene Pagliassoti – November 8, 1937 – October 11, 2018

Jess Eugene Pagliassotti, 81, of Montecito, California passed away while on vacation in Lake Tahoe, California, on October 11, 2018. Jess was born on November 8, 1937, in Los Angeles, California; he was the only child of Jess Pagliassotti Sr. and Terresina Pagliassotti. 

Jess’s father passed away in 1942 when he was only five years old, and he was raised by his mother in the Los Angeles area. He grew up learning from his mother how to work hard and make his own way. His beloved uncle John Pene, his mother’s brother, became a father figure for him. Jess attended Cathedral High School in North-East Los Angeles and graduated in 1955. While in high school, he was nicknamed “White primer” because of his white primer-colored car. After high school, at the age of 18, Jess served his country in the Army for seven and a half years until 1964. After his service in the military, Jess was employed at Universal Studios, where he met and became friendly with many movie stars. Among his favorites were Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson, and Buddy Ebsen. 

In 1976, Jess moved to Montecito, California, to open a wine store called The Liquor and Wine Grotto, located on Coast Village Road. He also assisted his mother in managing real estate rentals in Montecito. In 1980, Jess met the love of his life, Ingela Orbell, at Olive Mill Bistro at the Montecito Inn. They were married in 2009 in Lake Tahoe. Jess was a devoted boyfriend and husband to Ingela for 38 years. 

Jess loved flying airplanes and was a licensed pilot. He and Ingela loved to travel. Their favorite places to travel were Hawaii, San Diego, Lake Tahoe, and Stockholm, Sweden, where Ingela has family and where her father was mayor. Jess also loved to ski, especially in Mammoth and Heavenly Valley. He enjoyed hiking and walking the beautiful beaches in his hometown of Montecito and was a fixture on Coast Village Road, spending his days entertaining the tenants of his building. Jess especially loved his family and spending holidays with them. Everyone who knew Jess knew that his best asset was his sense of humor and his ability to make people laugh. 

Jess is survived by his wife, Ingela, granddaughter Caitlyn Breck, grandson L.P. Seager, and cousins Donna McKennon and her husband, Robert, and Louis Pene and his wife Katherine, as well as many friends. Jess is predeceased by his mother, Terresina, who lived to be 100 years old. 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at 9:30 am at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 1039 North Broadway Street in Los Angeles, and the internment will be at Calvary Cemetery, 4201 Whittier Boulevard, Los Angeles.