Vince Deral
1944 – 2021
Vince left this earth suddenly at home on September 14. He was seventy-seven. Born March 25, 1944, in Burbank, CA., he was the only child of Doris Mackenrot Deral and Vincent J. Deral. Vince spent most of his childhood in Santa Barbara, graduating from San Marcos High School in its first graduating class of 1962. Vince‘s thirst for knowledge took him to the University of Denver, Berkeley and ultimately to the University of Oregon where he earned a master’s degree in Water Resource Management.
Vince returned to Santa Barbara in the early eighties where he met and married his wife of 38 years, Deborah Talmage. He worked at Maripro in Goleta in many capacities over the years—as an adhesive specialist, an administrative manager and ultimately the IT manager.
Vince was truly a Renaissance man whose zest for life affected all who knew him. He had a deep interest in many things and loved sharing his knowledge with anyone willing to listen. Most of all he loved helping others.
He was active in Goleta Valley Little League where he coached pitching and hitting and designed the Girsh Park baseball fields. He also designed and constructed the pitching mound for the set of For the Love of the Game. His love of baseball transitioned into an intense interest in golf where he attained a respectable handicap.
Ultimately though, he was seduced by the love of our dogs (Lily was Daddy’s girl) and the horses at Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center. He was committed to its mission of providing horse riding therapy to individuals with mental or physical challenges. He sponsored a huge white jumper named Seagull. Vince spent most days there upgrading and repairing the facilities. The day before his death, Vince was busy installing custom ankle protection he had designed for the horse stalls . When he left, he told his friends there, “See you tomorrow.”
Vince is survived by his adoring wife, Deborah; his daughter Kirsten Pettey; his five grandchildren Max, Reese, Corden, William and Simon; and their father Adam Pettey.
A CELEBRATION of VINCE’s LIFE will be held at Godric Grove in Elings Park on Friday, October 29 at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center at 4420 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93111.