Quilt Project Panel
DOMINICK FRANK PARISI
Jun. 9, 1947 – Jul. 8, 1996
So many in our Gold Coast community were lost in the 1980s, and especially in the 1990s, that creating these appreciations is made sadly easier because we in The Quilt Project knew and remember our lost friends and loved ones.
And so it is with DOMINICK FRANK PARISI, the partner of Eugene Weren, who has also been featured in this ongoing series of remembrances and tributes. Together, they were very active in AIDS Care, Inc., during a time of greatly increasing need for ACI’s services.
During 1991-1992, the caseloads at AIDS Care was so immense it caused the resignations of 3 Executive Directors in a short period of time, including Reese Welsh and Edie Brown, who both admitted they were overwhelmed by both the needs and the grief of so many dying patients.
As a result, in 1991 Camarillo business owner Donna Talent and events experts Eugene and Dominick were brought in to expand and professionalize ACI’s fundraisers. Smaller events like the harbor cruises and yard sales were traded for large-scale fundraisers, notably the celebrity-studded Art for Life and Dinner for Life. (The harbor cruises continue on, benefiting The Quilt Project.)
Dominick was born June 9, 1947, and after a career in design and with his health concerns, the Camarillo resident retired in 1995 in order to travel and contribute his talents to local nonprofits.
In addition to volunteering tirelessly for AIDS Care, Dominick and Eugene also worked for Design House. The couple were also set and lighting designers for the Ventura County Symphony. When Dominick passed away on July 8, 1996 in Los Angeles, he asked that donations be made to AIDS Care in Ventura.
Both Eugene and Dominick are survived by family and friends, and remembered with Quilt panels.