Longtime Santa Barbara resident Michael Magne died last week after battling complications from a ski accident that occurred in 2010.
He is survived by his wife, Kelly, and their two children.
Magne was active in the business community as well as with various nonprofit organizations, and owned Jensen Audio Video with his wife.
Magne was appointed to Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Commission in 1993, and ran for county supervisor in 2002. He was also involved in many local charities, including Sparkle and Old Spanish Days, of which his wife served as la presidenta in 2007.
He was also on the board of Earl Warren Showgrounds and was a founding member of Santa Barbara Young Professionals, which backed the Black and Blue Ball, a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Past Old Spanish Days El Presidente Michael Dominguez spoke with Noozhawk on Tuesday about Magne’s life.
“He was kind and generous, and he loved to help people,” said Dominguez, who had known Magne for two decades and worked with him during Old Spanish Days. “He loved being involved in all that Santa Barbara had to offer.”
Dominguez said whether Magne was coaching his children’s ball teams or volunteering at Old Spanish Days, he could always be counted on.
“You would never have to worry about him showing up,” Dominguez said. “He was always there to help.”
Joanne Funari, president of Business First Bank and a past la presidenta, said she met Magne in the mid-1990s through the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce.
“He loved life,” she said. “He celebrated life every day.”
Funari said Magne worked hard to improve the Santa Barbara community, and was instrumental in creating the skate park. He was always a hard worker, and was so supportive of his wife.
“They were great together,” Funari said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.