Vincent N. Giroux; Retired Government Worker

Vincent Noel Giroux, a retired government worker and avid gardener, has died at the age of 81.

Giroux, born Dec. 24, 1915, in Santa Monica, moved to Leisure Village in Camarillo with his wife, Alexandria, in 1977. They had met in November 1938 at a dance where Lawrence Welk performed.

In his younger years, Giroux worked for the Metropolitan Water District when the city of Los Angeles was expanding and beginning to bring water in from the Colorado River.

Later, he worked for the Santa Monica Municipal bus lines and retired in 1972.

In retirement, Giroux enjoyed gardening and planted several trees, including a coral tree and a giant redwood, at his Camarillo home.

“He was the sweetest, most gentle gentleman that anybody could every meet. That man never said no to me,” said Alexandria “Alyce” Giroux. “Several friends have said to me, ‘You really weren’t married--it was a love story.’ ”

Giroux is survived by his wife, two sons, Philip and Timothy of Santa Monica; and four grandchildren.

Viewing will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday with a vigil service at 7:30 p.m. at Pierce Brothers Griffin Mortuary in Camarillo. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Medical Center Aides (City of Hope) in Los Angeles.

The funeral will be held at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica, where Giroux was baptized and married.