BONITA, Calif. (KGTV) — A San Diego man's quest to preserve his father's artistic legacy has led to an unexpected reunion that bridges generations and honors two men who served their country with distinction.
Nestor Vallor has been searching for his father's missing Navy artwork for years, determined to showcase the talent of Vitaliano Vallor, a Navy steward in the 1940s whose artistic abilities were discovered by Captain John Holbrook.
"If I don't showcase his work, his talent, then I think it'll be lost in history," Vallor said.
Since October, Vallor's search has yielded remarkable results. He has tracked down six original pieces and showcased his father's work inside the Bonita Museum. But perhaps the most meaningful discovery came when he connected with Kawika Holbrook, the grandson of Captain John Holbrook — the very man who recognized and nurtured his father's artistic talent decades ago.
"It was amazing when he said I'm coming down that showed me that he was so interested," Vallor said.
For Kawika Holbrook, the unexpected contact was equally exciting.
"When you get contacted from a stranger saying, hey, my father painted the works in your house, wanna talk? You know, how could you not be excited about that opportunity?" Holbrook said.
The connection between the two families runs deep. Vitaliano Vallor served as a steward for the Navy when Captain Holbrook discovered his artistic abilities and began commissioning him to paint portraits of other service members.
"He started having him paint other people and pretty soon worked its way up to painting admirals and painting other things," Kawika Holbrook said.
Now some of those paintings are displayed at the Bonita Museum, where Kawika Holbrook can see the stories he once only heard about come to life.
"I look on the walls and I see my grandfather, I see a grandmother, I see ads for Pan American World Airways on the wall where my mother used to work," he said.
"I knew of my grandfather's relationship with the Vallors. But I didn't have a relationship with the Vallors," Holbrook added.
For Nestor Vallor, meeting Kawika represents the fulfillment of a long-held dream.
"I can connect his paintings to an actual person that is related to the individual that got my dad started," Vallor said.
While Vallor believes there are still more paintings to be found, he knows both his father and Captain Holbrook would be proud of this moment.
"I think he would say that we did a good job putting this together and that keeping his legacy continuing," Vallor said.
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