Vernon George Wizemann, 92, was born in St. Louis, Mo., in February 1920, and passed away Sunday, July 29, 2012. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1922. As a child, he was a part of the Our Gang - Little Rascals comedies as an extra. In school, he played baseball, swam competitively and competed in track and field. His favorite events were shot put, javelin and discus. He graduated from Fairfax High School in 1939, and L. A. City College while working for Douglas Aircraft Co. In April 1942, Vernon joined the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the V-12 program. He was sent to San Jose State College (University) and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in April 1944. He was then sent to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and later, San Diego for Medical Corpsman School as a Pharmacist's Mate. In September 1944, Vernon was sent to the Brooklyn Naval Hospital. He was transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps and sent to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, then Camp Pendleton, Calif., before being shipped out to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In March 1945, Vernon was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division and shipped to the Island of Guam in the South Pacific, where he was placed in charge of the office of the Malarial and Epidemiology Lab. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946. While on leave in 1945, he met JoAnn Dobbs. Upon leaving military service, they met again and became engaged. Six weeks later, on April 21, 1946, they were married in Los Angeles, which resulted in 66 years of a very happy marriage. They lived in Los Angeles for three years, where Vernon built homes. They moved to Santa Barbara in 1950, where he earned his Teaching Credential from Santa Barbara State College (UCSB). Vernon taught industrial arts at Arroyo Grande High School from 1951 to 1979. In 1960, he earned his Master of Education from Cal Poly. During his long career as a teacher, he continued to build homes in the area. Vernon and JoAnn also owned Louise Ralph Dress Shop in Arroyo Grande from 1963 to 1985. In retirement, Vernon was a member of Rotary and enjoyed playing golf and fishing with friends. He and JoAnn traveled extensively. He enjoyed a long, healthy and contented life and was a dedicated Christian man who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. Vernon is survived by his wife, JoAnn; son, Dennis Wizemann of San Luis Obispo; daughter, Debra Cameron (Stephen) of San Jose, Calif.; and grandson, Andrew of San Jose, Calif. A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, at the Arroyo Grande United Methodist Church, 275 N. Halcyon Rd. in Arroyo Grande. All are welcome.
Published in San Luis Obispo Tribune on August 9, 2012