Ada Mottola

Ada Mottola passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on September 10, 2016 surrounded by her loving family.

Born February 22, 1933 in Naples, Italy, Ada was the youngest of 7 children born to Giuseppina and Armando Perrotta. Raised in the historic center of Naples, much of her childhood was shaped by the events of WWII. At age 14 she met the love of her life, Vincenzo (Enzo) Mottola, and they married in 1954.  They sought a better life for themselves and their future family, and immigrated to the United States. Ada, alone and 7 months pregnant with their first child, Pamela, courageously left her entire family to cross the Atlantic Ocean and join her husband in 1955.

She and Enzo settled in the Rainier Valley, at the time famously known as Garlic Gulch. Together they raised 5 children and created the very successful local Vince’s Italian Restaurants.

Ada was most proud of her family which she considered her greatest achievement and truly her greatest joy. She is survived by her 5 children and their spouses, 12 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by one sister, Nina Graziano, and preceded in death by Enzo, grandson James V. DuRuz, and 5 siblings.

A rosary will be held at the Columbia Funeral Home in Seattle at 7pm on Sept. 19th.  Funeral services will be held at 11am on Sept. 20th at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church in Renton followed by graveside services at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery in Kent.  Ada’s oldest son, Johnny, suffers from lupus and is currently on the kidney transplant list. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Kidney Foundation in Ada’s name(www.kidney.org/support and choose Make a Memorial Gift) or consider becoming a kidney donor (www.organdonor.gov/registry.html).