John Anthony Ziliotto
John Anthony Ziliotto, born on July 17th 1934, passed away peacefully on Tuesday September 30th 2025 in his hometown of Santa Barbara, California.
John was the 2nd of 3 children born to Giacomo and Caterina Ziliotto, who were both Italian immigrants.
John attended Santa Barbara High School, graduating in 1952. Several years after graduating, he joined the Montecito Fire Department. During his tenure with the department, he worked his way up the ranks to attain the rank of Captain. John retired from Montecito Fire in 1995.
Upon retiring, John became more involved within the community. He joined MERRAG (Montecito Emergency Response and Recovery Group) which was vital to co- ordinating disaster relief within Montecito. In addition, he joined the Carpinteria Lions Club, where he was involved in various fund raising activities and participated in community service work as well.
John enjoyed being with family and friends. He loved weekend trips to Lake Nacimiento, going to Dodger games, road trips to the back country or up the coast to Gaviota or Refugio and deep sea fishing. Of course, we can’t forget the many backyard barbecues, many of which featured John’s favorite: Tri Tip.
Amongst John’s many friends were 2 that stood out, as they became more like brothers: Frank Viera and Jim Tobin. Each of them held a special place in his heart.
John leaves behind his 2 dear Sisters, Rita Zandona (Amadeo) and Giustina Johnston (James), his 3 children from his first marriage to Alice Ziliotto: Christy Madden (Joe), Douglas Ziliotto (Chrystal) and Staci Ziliotto. In addition. he leaves behind his grandchildren Matthew Madden (Kristie) and Kimberly Moghtrader (Daniel), as well as Sophia Foster (Jabion) and Ryan Ziliotto. John was also blessed with 2 great grandchildren, Hudson Foster and Amelia Moghtader.
John is predeceased by his parents, Giacomo and Caterina Ziliotto, along with his 1st Wife, Alice Ziliotto, and his 2nd Wife, Sue Ziliotto.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 P.M. on Saturday, November 1st. The location will be Lower Manning Park, 449 San Ysidro Rd. in Montecito, California. Food and drink will be provided.
Please RSVP to Christy Madden via text, phone or email to: christyannemadden@gmail.com (805) 689 – 6319
Come help us celebrate John’s incredible 91 years of life. We will be gathering photos, personal notes and brief stories to be digitized as a keepsake for family members. If you have anything you’d like to include, please bring it to the event or email it to Christy Madden at christyannemadden@gmail.com. Any format is acceptable…handwritten, typed, photos, etc.
