The Lucky Duck Foundation mourns the passing of Vesta Kilkenny, beloved mother of our co-founder Pat Kilkenny — and, in many ways, a quiet force behind everything this organization stands for.

Vesta gave her son something that no business school can teach: an unshakeable work ethic and the belief that hard work, done with integrity, could open doors and change lives. Pat has never forgotten where that belief came from. It came from her.

That foundation of grit and purpose set Pat on a path that would lead to decades of entrepreneurial success — businesses built, thousands of jobs created, and communities shaped for the better. But perhaps more meaningfully, it gave him the means and the heart to give back. Together Pat and Stephanie channeled that success into the Lucky Duck Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing and alleviating the suffering of homelessness right here in San Diego County.

Pat often says he has been lucky — lucky in business, lucky in love, lucky in life. Vesta is a big reason why. She raised a son who didn’t just count his blessings but shared them.

We honor her memory by continuing the work she inspired: lifting up those who need it most, and never forgetting that behind every success is someone who believed in you first.

Rest in peace, Vesta. Your legacy lives on in every life the Lucky Duck Foundation touches.