Stephen John Vidovich, 81, patriarch of a prominent family of South Bay [California] land developers
25th Century Quaker
By Connie Skipitares and Leslie Griffy
Mercury News
Article Launched: 06/20/2007 12:48:10 PM PDT
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6187086?source=most_emailed&nclick_check=1
Stephen John Vidovich, patriarch of a prominent family of South Bay
land developers, died of an apparent heart attack Tuesday as he was
driving a tractor to clear brush on his property in the Cupertino
hills, according to a son.
Authorities were called to Vidovich's property, which abuts the
Montebello Open Space Preserve, at about 3 p.m. to investigate a
tractor accident, California Highway Patrol Officer Steve Perea said.
There investigators found the 81-year-old man's body. He apparently
collapsed while on the tractor and fell to the ground. He was
pronounced dead at the scene, said his son. The tractor rolled past
him and kept traveling down the hillside as three stunned workers
looked on.
Vidovich had a long history of heart trouble, said son, John Vidovich,
head of De Anza Properties, the family's development business in
Sunnyvale that Stephen Vidovich started in the late 1960s.
"We suspect his heart gave out," said Vidovich. "Although he hadn't
been on a tractor in some time, he knew about tractors. He grew up
driving tractors."
Vidovich was from sturdy Croatian farming stock who held a strong work
ethic and expected everyone around him to work as hard as he did, his
son said. Stephen Vidovich's father first purchased land at Fremont
and Mary Avenues in the 1920s in what used to be called Cupertino.
Today, it is part of Sunnyvale.
That 20 acres of cherries and apricots was developed into the De Anza
Center by Vidovich in late 1960s and signaled the beginning of the
Vidovich real estate empire. His children, including John, brother
Michael, sisters Kathryn and Mary Jane and recently, granddaughter
Teresa, all work for the development firm, which is located across the
street from the one-time cherry and apricot orchard where Stephen
Vidovich was born.
The elder Vidovich enjoyed making land deals, his son said, and built
a successful business, despite the fact that he didn't have a high
school education. The firm built numerous apartment and condominium
projects, office complexes, mobile home parks and hotels, as well as
projects such as the De Anza Racquet Club in Cupertino and Cupertino
Inn hotel.
"My dad had not really slowed down," said his son. The elder Vidovich
was a tall, tanned, muscular man who friends said appeared to be in
his 60s not his 80s.
"Every single day, my dad wanted a report of everything that was going
on at the business," said his son. "He had an office here and would
give me advice. He wouldn't tell you what to do, but what he said was
always right."
Stephen Vidovich lived in a transition era, between the last gasp of
the valley's farms and orchards to the birth of today's booming
housing and technology world.
"He traveled in more than one circle of friends," said John Vidovich.
"He was friends with the old pioneers like (Sunnyvale cherry farmer)
Charlie Olson and then with (political consultant) Jude Barry, too."
"He was a kind and generous man to all around him. He made friends
everywhere he went," said Vidovich. "There's a lot of people who don't
like me, but nobody didn't like my dad."
Vidovich said his father and mother moved into the new Cupertino hills
home on Montebello Road that they had built about six months ago. For
several years prior, Vidovich and his wife, Mary, made their home in
Los Altos.
The elder Vidovich had bought the Cupertino property several years ago
and in recent years he planted grapes on the hillsides and began
making his own wine. He called the property Vidovich Vineyards and
involved his entire family in bottling the wine.
"He was very passionate about what he did," the son said. "His family
was his real love. And the vineyard was second. He loved life, and he
was bigger than life."
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