On the morning of Monday, Oct. 6, Vince Falcone, 65, husband of Councilmember Iya Falcone, died from a massive heart attack in their Santa Barbara home. Although his wife, paramedics and hospital staff attempted revival for more than an hour, he never responded to treatment. The end came quickly, quietly and likely painlessly.
Vinny, as he was called by his friends and family, was born in Chicago on July 29, 1943. He lived in that area for 43 years before relocating to Lake Tahoe in 1980.
There he met his wife, Iya, with whom he spent 27 years. Vinny had two children from a previous marriage, John and Anthony. John lives with his wife, Tia, in Elgin, Ill., with their twin 6-year-old sons, Vincent and Dominic. Tony lives with his childhood sweetheart, Debbie, in Indianapolis and has two girls, Kylie, 9, and Julia, 6. Iya and Vince have one daughter, Niki, who resides in Seattle. Vince is also survived by his sister, Marie, who lives in northern Illinois, and his wife’s parents, George and Allyn Ann Gaynes.
Upon moving to Santa Barbara in 1992, Vince and Iya became involved in local political activities. Vince served, and was chairman, of the Santa Barbara Democratic Central Committee on and off for well more than a decade. He assisted with well more than two dozen campaigns in the area for local office holders and was respected for his high-quality work.
He also was very committed to his Italian heritage and belonged to the SB Italian American Boot Club and UNICO. Every Memorial Day weekend, for three days straight, he would man the sausage sandwich booth at the I Madonnari street painting festival from sunup to sundown. He was very proud of his method of cooking the sausages, which became the standard for how to pass muster with the County Health Department.
In the mid-1990s, Vince was very involved in the newly formed Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, rising to the office of vice president. His co-workers offered him the office of president, but because he felt strongly that someone from the Hispanic community should serve in that position, he declined the offer.
Vince loved his animals, his dogs, cats and horses. He was a devoted animal adoption advocate. In addition, at the time of his death he was being taught to sail by a good friend. He looked forward to his Saturdays on the water.
Vinny brought laughter, smiles and the occasional off-color story to everyone he met. He was completely and utterly devoted to his wife and family and will be missed by all those who worked with him, played with him and loved him.
In honor of Mr. Falcone, the family has requested that donations be made to Transition House Santa Barbara, a shelter service for families with children or the animal rescue organization DAWG (Dog Adoption and Welfare Group). Flowers and cards may be sent to Councilmember Iya Falcone at City Hall.