Skip to main content

Obit of Thomas Paul Vaughan of the Soledad Mission District

Thomas Paul Vaughan, 68, of the Soledad Mission District, passed away after a brief illness on Monday, May 17, 2021 with his sons and daughter-in-law by his side. He was born in Salinas on November 22, 1952. Tommy was the second child of eight children born to Paul and Alice Vaughan of the Soledad Mission District. He attended Mission Union Elementary and Gonzales High School. In 1971 he joined the U.S. Coast Guard. He did his basic training on Alameda Island, and his first tour of active duty in the state of Washington. He was stationed in Monterey Bay while in the Reserves. He began farming on the family ranch at a young age, and continued farming with his Dad and brothers for most of his adult life. Growing up in the Mission District with such a big family, there was never a dull moment. As the eldest boy, Tommy led the family in all types of fun and mischief. He and his brothers would spend days outside, when they weren't working, building treehouses, forts, riding bikes and motorcycles all over the place. They made up half of the Mission Acorns little league team! He loved games, such as Pedro, Cribbage, Backgammon, Yahtzee, cards, you name it. And he was good, often winning, rarely losing. He taught some of his younger siblings (including his sisters) how to throw a ball, how to drive a stick shift and a tractor. He was an active Mission 4-H and Gonzales FFA member, then later became a dedicated 4-H leader. Tommy was on the Mission School Board of Trustees for several years. He was an active member of American Legion Post 32 in Soledad, where he proudly served for many years. While the Mission-Soledad community benefitted from these leadership roles, nothing compared to Tommy's BBQ skills. He had a passion for serving his community by barbequing for anyone who needed his help. If you've been lucky enough to have BBQ at the Soledad Mission, Our Lady of Solitude Church, the American Legion, or countless other get-togethers in the area, he was likely there, behind the pit, with his team of skilled grilling buddies to create the best chicken and ribs this valley has ever tasted. He was an incredibly generous and kind person, with many lifelong friends who meant a great deal to him. Above all else, Tommy was proudest of his two sons, Nicholas and Zachary. He was a dedicated and involved Dad, who taught his boys values and skills that they will carry throughout their lives. Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Alice Vaughan. He is survived by his sons, Nicholas (Sara), Zachary (Ashley), granddaughter (Haley), and siblings Janie Headley (Tim), Curtis (Janet), Bill (Marsha), Tim, Nancy (Greg), Kevin (Barbara) and Kerry (John). He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Private visitation will be held at the Soledad Mission Chapel on Thursday, March 27th from 6-8 pm. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, March 28th at the Soledad Mission at 11 am. Masks are required. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Soledad Mission, PO Box 515, Soledad, CA 93960 or American Legion Post 32, PO Box 38, Soledad, CA 93960.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fatal 3 Vehicle Accident Involving Wrong Way Driver on Highway 101 Outside of King City on January 10

  A fatal multi-vehicle collision happened on Saturday night, January 10 at 9:51 p.m. on northbound Highway 101 outside of King City. According to the King City CHP a 2016 Toyota Tacoma driven by 65-year-old Paul Lee Cooper of Otis, Oregon was heading the wrong way going southbound in the northbound lanes south of Jolon Road, while a 2006 Toyota Corolla driven by 33-year-old Dinora Maribel Gomez of Salinas was heading northbound on Highway 101 south of Jolon Road in the #1 lane and a Honda Accord driven by 36-year-old Ignacio Sangerman of King City was also traveling northbound on Highway 101 south of Jolon Road but was in the #2 lane. Due to Cooper's level of impairment his vehicle went the wrong way on Highway 101 going directly into the path of Gomez' vehicle causing the rear of her car to crash with the front of the vehicle driven by Sangerman. Cooper was arrested, sustaining major injuries and was transported to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas where as of January 12 is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Monterey County DA Releases Preliminary Information Concerning an Officer Involved Shooting Incident that Occurred Outside of Soledad on December 16

  SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni on December 19 released preliminary information concerning the officer involved shooting (OIS) which occurred at about 1:20 a.m. outside the city of Soledad on December 16, 2025. Just before 1:00 a.m., Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Pina, who has been a peace officer for 10 years all with MCSO, and Deputy Blain Councilman, each in separate patrol cars, were dispatched to 32097 McCoy Road. A resident at the farm labor camp reported a suspicious individual with a handgun whose white Honda 4 door sedan was parked in space 18 at the complex. Before parking there, the suspect drove around and around, stopped in front of the reporting party’s (RP’s) truck, and got out. The RP could hear music. Deputy Pina drove the lead patrol car and arrived just after 1:20 a.m. His dashcam video, which does not record sound but which he installed on his own and at his own expense, depicts the following: He drove down ...
Post a Comment
Read more

King City City Council Announces Selection of José Arreola as New City Manager

  January 7, 2025-Following an extensive recruitment process, José Arreola has been selected by the King City City Council to be its next City Manager. Arreola will replace Steve Adams, who is retiring after serving in the position for the past 10 years. Arreola was selected from 31 applicants and 8 finalists for the position. The King City City Council will formally consider the proposed city manager contract at its meeting on Tuesday night, January 13. Arreola's first day on the job is scheduled to be February 23.    José Arreola has a distinguished career of serving the community with a particular commitment to youth. He has worked for the City of Salinas for 12 years as their Community Safety Program Manager, Community Safety Administrator and Assistant to the City Manager. Among other responsibilities, Arreola has led several programs to eliminate gang violence which aligns well with the City of King’s efforts and priorities. Prior to that, Arreola worked as an Educa...
Post a Comment
Read more