To honor Vincent Raymond Sepulveda, this Father’s Day we pay tribute to him and celebrate his life. He regularly stated his intention to live for a hundred years and was going strong until struck down by ALS, which took his life May 3, 2014, in Hayden, Idaho.  Our first year without him has passed and we miss him more than words can express.

Vincent Raymond Sepulveda was born June 28, 1931, in Los Angeles, California, to Claudina Fern Avila Sepulveda and Raymond Margarito Sepulveda. Vincent grew up in the rural farmlands of southern California, which seeded his earthy wisdom and lifelong passion for working the land, caring for livestock, and experiencing the great outdoors. In 1950 he graduated from William S. Hart Union High School in Newhall, California. In 1951 he joined the United States Air Force and served four years as Airman First Class, followed by four years in the Standby Reserve. Vincent worked in aviation air frame and structural technology. The country had entered the Korean War and he joined the 68^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at the Misawa Air Base in Japan.

Most of the time, folks called him Vince. He adored and doted on Reba, his wife of 51 years, and for many of those years they tore up the dance floor with their country swing moves. Some would call him ornery, but that was just a thin veneer because his quick smile and that twinkle in his eye gave away his true nature as a loving family man who was the first to laugh at himself. He loved spending time with family and friends.

Vince was a self-made, hard-working, do-it-yourself, kind and patient man. His many skills kept him employed as a machinist, farmer, building maintenance manager, and lastly, a groundskeeper at Hayden Lake Country Club.  In California, he lived and worked in Newhall, Saugus, San Marcos, and Lake Hughes where he and Reba owned and operated Papa’s Country Store. They also resided in Juneau, Alaska, for five years before settling in Hayden in 1989.

Vince was an active outdoorsman involved in hunting, fishing, camping, and 4-wheeling. He enjoyed practicing his aim at the shooting range. He was generous with acts of service to all. He employed his sense of civic duty. He was recognized for his volunteer service in assisting neighborhood law enforcement agencies. He operated a citizens band radio for the local civil emergency network. He was a member and leader in the Lions Clubs of Lake Hughes, California, also of Juneau, Alaska, where he was honored for his role in founding the Mendenhall Chapter.

After retiring, he enjoyed traveling near and far, from road-trips visiting loved ones, to a weeks-long rafting trip on the Salmon River, to a South American cruise, to France to join his granddaughter for her 21^st birthday and journey to his ancestral homeland of Sepulveda, Spain.

Vincent is loved and missed by his beloved spouse, Reba, his daughter Solyra Sepulveda and son-in-law Chuck Mobley of Anchorage, Alaska, his son and daughter-in-law Michael and Sarah Sepulveda of Couer d’Alene, brother and sister-in-law Michael and Nancy Icardo of Hayden, granddaughters Leslie and Amber Shows of California, grandchildren Vanessa, Miranda, and Michael Vincent Sepulveda, of Couer d’Alene, two great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather Enrico Icardo, and brother Don Icardo.

There is nothing you would not have done for us, Dad, and there is nothing we would not have done for you. With immense respect and pride, we honor your memory and we love you forever. Solyra and Michael Sepulveda.