Former Santa Barbara resident Frederick Vega, 86 died on Dec. 6 from Alzheimer’s Disease. Fred, who had a wide-ranging public service career in Southern California, was active in the Santa Barbara community over two decades after moving to the city with his wife Charline and their family in 1978.
Fred sought election multiple times to City Council and in the mid-1990s, he hosted a public affairs radio show, “The Voice of Santa Barbara,” on KMET-AM. Fred and co-host Andy Caldwell took the radio show to local Santa Barbara television for a year.
“Fred Vega had the most popular talk show in Santa Barbara at the time, covering everything from the arts to politics with his chipper spirit, love for the community, and loads of common sense and decency,” Caldwell said. “He was a dear friend and colleague, a consummate professional, who I had the pleasure to work with in radio and on TV for several years.”
A husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Fred was the son of Guillermo and Carolina Vega and the youngest of six siblings. He was born Oct. 31, 1934 in Hollywood and was a 1953 winter graduate of Verdugo Hills High School.
Fred and his wife, Charline Crongeyer, were married on Oct. 17, 1954. They renewed their wedding vows on their 50th anniversary in 2004 at the Clark County Courthouse with their children and grandchildren. The ceremony was officiated by their daughter, District Judge Valorie J. Vega. Fred’s public service career began with U.S. Postal Service before joining the Los Angeles County Fire Department, where he rose to the rank of captain. Fred was a named plaintiff in a discrimination lawsuit that was ultimately argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in December 1978. The case, filed against the County of Los Angeles, effectively changed the fire department’s procedures for hiring and promoting its firefighters.
Fred retired from the fire department in 1983 and over the next two years, he and Charline traveled throughout North America and Europe.
Fred and Charline made Las Vegas their permanent home in 2005. Throughout his life, Fred loved biking, swimming, surfing, and sailing. Fred was also an active long-distance runner and competitor, completing several marathons. In 2014, Fred (age 80) ran the Las Vegas Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon with his granddaughter Brianna Stutz (age 20).
Fred is survived by his sister Cecilia Morales of Santa Maria; his wife Charline of Las Vegas; children Valorie Vega Stutz (Howard Stutz) of Las Vegas; Fred Vega II, of Las Vegas; Lisa Vega Renga (Michael Renga Sr.) of Santa Barbara; grandchildren Michael Renga Jr., (Melissa Renga); Kirk Renga (Jessie Renga); and Nicole Renga Hebert (Tosh Hebert), all of Santa Barbara; Brianna Stutz of Las Vegas; Josephine Vega of Ratzeburg, Germany; and great-grandchildren Gianna Renga and Mileena Renga of Santa Barbara.
No services are planned at this time due to the pandemic.
