Apolinario Ysit Obituary

On January 18, 2025, the world lost a beloved father, grandfather, husband and friend, Apolinario Jose Ysit Jr., on his 87th birthday. Apolinario, "Ario" to his friends, was born January 18, 1938 in West Sacramento, California to Margarita and Apolinario Ysit.

He moved to Niles, California when he was a young boy along with his parents and eight siblings, Ramona, Carmelita, Elizabeth, Linda, Josephine, Mario, Frank and Tracy. All of his siblings are deceased with the exception of Carmelita, who lives in Red Bluff with her husband Larry Bickers and Tracy who lives in Hawaii with her husband Alan. Ario was active in the Boy Scouts during his youth at Niles Elementary and he also attended Washington High School in Fremont.

He met the love of his life, Joyce, when she was working at the Niles Movie Theater in 1955 when they were both 17 years old; they are only 1 day apart in age. Ario and Joyce were married at the Little Brown Church of Sunol on Jan. 19, 1957. Children soon followed, and the family moved into their Kilkare Road home in Sunol in 1960.

Ario was known in the unincorporated town of Sunol as the unofficial Mayor of Sunol. He was instrumental in securing hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Sunol community. He was a C.E.R.T. (Citizens Emergency Response Team) member, founding member of the Sunol Business Guild, volunteered at The Little Brown Church of Sunol and the Sunol Glen School and he was a founding board member and chairperson of the Sunol Community Advisory Committee. He helped organize and volunteered at Sunol Glen School's Annual Heroes Day. One of his most memorable contributions was to help create and develop the Sunol Depot Gardens Park.

Ario served in the Marine Corps from 1955 to 1957. After retiring as a General Contractor, Ario was incredibly active, sitting on various boards Including, the Alameda County Fair Board of Directors (2001-2013), and the Alameda County Planning Commission (1993-2005), earning Commissioner of the Year in 2003. He was an Alameda County Environmental Health board member and at the time of his death, he was seated on the Alameda County Fire Commission. Ario was also a member of The 100 Club and the Native Sons of the Golden West.

In his recent years, he enjoyed spending time with his family, annual cherry picking in Brentwood in the summer, attending the Alameda County Fair and staying active in the Alameda County Fire Commission and Sunol Business Guild. He will be greatly missed by his friends, family and the Alameda County community.

He is survived by his daughter, Victoria Christian, her husband, John Beard; son, Jeffrey Ysit Sr., and 3 grandchildren, Jessica Christian, her husband Jeremy Trindade; Jeffrey Ysit Jr.; Maxwell Ysit and his wife Hailey and their son and Ario's first great grandson, Eli Ysit. Ario is also survived by nearly 100 nieces and nephews.

A public viewing will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, January 23, 2025 at Berge-Pappas-Smith Chapel of the Angels Mortuary in Fremont, California. Funeral services will also be held at Berge-Pappas-Smith at 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 24, 2025.