A man who spent five decades serving Santa Maria as a police officer, chief, mayor, councilman and member of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors was remembered Monday as a fair-minded public servant.
Joseph “Joe” P. Centeno of Santa Maria died at home Thursday evening at age 86, according to Mark van de Kamp, Santa Maria’s public information manager.
“He was a pillar of strength. He was always well-liked,” Mayor Alice Patino said. “He made sound decisions, and always in the best interest of Santa Maria, the city which he loved.”
Born Sept. 5, 1935, in Naples on the Gaviota Coast, Centeno was raised in a boxcar with his six siblings and his parents, according to a release from van de Kamp.
Centeno’s family moved from the Gaviota area to Santa Maria when he was a young boy.
In an interview, he said, “I didn’t know what poverty was until high school, when I saw what other people had. It made me a better person.”
On his 21st birthday, Centeno joined the Santa Maria Police Department, rising through the ranks through the years and attending school to earn a master’s degree.
He served as police chief from May 1980 through 1988 and was recognized as the National Outstanding Police Chief of the Year by We TIP, an anonymous crime reporting resource used nationwide.
He continued to serve the community after his retirement from the police force. He participated on the Allan Hancock College Board of Trustees and volunteered for community organizations such as United Way.
He won a Santa Maria City Council seat in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998.
While on the City Council, he led the West Main Street revitalization committee, supported building youth programs including handball courts at Evans Park, and helped establish Los Adobes de Maria, a low-income housing project for agricultural workers.
His hero was Thomas Jefferson because he opposed government intrusion, and Centeno remained committed to private property rights throughout his political career.
In 2000, Centeno campaigned to become mayor and won. He served two years of the four-year term, resigning when he was elected as the Fifth District County Supervisor, following Tom Urbanske.
Centeno served two terms as the Fifth District supervisor representing the Santa Maria Valley and Cuyama Valley.
Recognizing his efforts to meet the needs of Cuyama Valley residents, the Board of Supervisors chose to name a new swimming pool facility in New Cuyama as the Joe Centeno Aquatics Center.
After choosing not to seek a third term, Centeno was replaced by current Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, whose district no longer includes Cuyama.
“Joe represented the Fifth District and the City of Santa Maria with distinction,” Lavagnino said. “First as the chief of police then as mayor and finally as Santa Barbara County’s Fifth District Supervisor, Joe put the people first, especially those who came from more humble circumstances.
“His commitment to a life of public service is an example to all of us,” Lavagnino added.
In 2013, the Santa Barbara County named a Betteravia Government Center facility at 511 East Lakeside Parkway as the Joseph Centeno Administration Building.
Tuesday night’s Santa Maria City Council meeting will be adjourned in his memory.
A rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 414 E. Church St.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 25.
Interment will follow at the Santa Maria Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary in Santa Maria.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.