Eugene Charles Sprowl, known as “Gene,” passed peacefully in his home on Dec. 11, 2024.

A well-known businessman and avid bodybuilder, he is referred to and will be remembered as an icon. Gene has left a vast hole in the hearts of many who know and love him. 

Gene was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, on Oct. 22, 1937. He lived in several towns on the East Coast until joining the Navy in the mid ’50s.

First stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, his primary duty was on the decks of flight carriers. Several years later, he was stationed at Treasure Island across from San Francisco Bay. This is where he got the inspiration to move west.

Upon honorable discharge from the Navy, he hit the road and headed to the California Coast. He found his first home in the Los Angeles area. 

His newfound passion bodybuilding, which he discovered while in the service, became his primary focus. The gym became his sanctuary, training became his devotion.

While training and competing, Gene also attended a management training school and soon garnered an opportunity to move to Santa Barbara and manage one of the Vic Tanny gyms.

He jumped at this opportunity, and upon arriving in the beautiful beach town, he knew it would be his forever home.

While managing the gym he also attended night classes at SBCC, and would drive a taxi at night to make extra money. The gym closed around 1962 when the Tanny empire was dissolving.

Gene was no longer attending school and yearned for more than the taxi life. He turned to the want ads, and responded to a listing for a drapery salesperson. With no experience in this field, it was quickly obvious it was an industry on the rise, and he had found his calling.

He could see the potential and soon opened his own business Gene Sprowl & Associates with a primary focus on window treatments, then soon after he added flooring. He saw further opportunities and offered to buy an interior design and furnishings business that would expand his offerings.

As Santa Barbara was in the midst of a housing boom, the timing was perfect. In 1964 he approached the owner of what was DalCrest Interiors and offered to purchase her business. The name then became Dalgenes Interiors to incorporate the prior company and his name. Dalgenes Interiors celebrated its 60th year in business this past summer.

In addition to Dalgenes, Gene owned more than one business in his lifetime, more like passion projects. One was Virg’s Vehicles, and for several years he was also the owner of SB Gym & Fitness Center in the late ’80s when it was located in the open-air warehouse at Cota and Garden streets.

A pillar in the fitness community, Gene trained at several gyms over the years: YMCA, Pepitones, SB Gym & Fitness, and then 24-hour Fitness, which was the final training space for him.

Throughout his life in Santa Barbara, Gene surrounded himself with many intelligent men and sustained friendships with them for decades. Bob Bryant, Bill Pasich, Dave Dallmayer, Dave Dennis, and his workout partner of 15 years Jeff Gitler were just a few of his closest friends.

Gene lived a full life. He would often say he did everything he wanted to and was content with all he experienced and accomplished. He enjoyed golfing; flying his twin-engine Cessna; high-rolling in Vegas; and watching and talking about nearly all sports, especially football.

He enjoyed buying, restoring, owning and selling cars. He was a master at numbers and crossword puzzles. He relished hearing and telling jokes and stories.

Gene is survived by his sons Wade Sprowl, Michael Sprowl, Eugene Charles Sprowl Jr.; step-son John Baxter; step-daughter Terry Baxter; wife Yuzhen “Angela” Sprowl; ex-wife Marla Sprowl; siblings Robert “Butch” Sprowl of Tennessee, Patricia Johnson of Washington, Bill Sprowl of Oregon.

He is pre-deceased by his siblings William Patrick “Bub” Sprowl and Margot Sprowl.

A Celebration of Life honoring Gene will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 N. La Cumbre Road, Santa Barbara. A gathering will follow the celebration on the patio at Trinity Lutheran.

In lieu of flowers please consider donations to the Daniel Bryant Youth Center in memory of Gene. Click the link here.