Giavanna Patrice Kersulis succumbed to a rare form of cancer Jan. 19.
She was many things: a talented singer, a loving daughter, a giving sister and the best friend you could ask for. She was also a professional wanderer, traveler and general vagabond. Kersulis didn’t stay in one place for very long “” short stints in San Francisco and Boston, singing opera in Virginia, Aspen and Pine Mountain. Little jaunts here and there to do a show. But she always managed to come back to the place she loved the most, Ocean Beach.
With Kersulis there were certain things that you could count on. No matter how long she was away, you could always track Kersulis through The Good Life, the Ocean Beach bathing suit landmark that her mother, Sandra, owned for 28 years.
The other certainty was to wait for a Sunday and head over to Winstons for OBeoke, where Kersulis was a favorite regular. You might sit a spell and happen to catch her belting out "Proud Mary" or the Cranberries tune "Zombie."
Whenever she was in town, she made it a point to stop by and see her "regulars”: Willie at the shoe-shine stand, who held her as an infant; Marie at Indulgence, who gave Gia her first haircut (and her last); Abdul at the BBQ Hut to get a special vegetarian burrito with extra cole slaw; and, of course, all the friends at Sunshine Company, Good Life and Your Mama’s Mug.
Kersulis lived every day to the fullest and brought joy to those she met along the way. We are all saddened by her passing but glad she passed our way.
A celebration of Kersulis’ life will be held Saturday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m., at Birch North Park Theater, 2891 University Ave.