Donald Fallon Sept. 5, 1929 – May 24, 2021 Los Gatos Donald James Fallon passed away peacefully at his home of 53 years in Los Gatos at the age of 91. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
One of six children, he was born in the midst of the depression. When Don was a child he lived in a small three-room house. While there was plumbing and electricity – and an ice box, he remembered when a telephone was installed after 10 years.
Attending Catholic schools, he graduated from St. Ignatius High School in 1947. His peers noted “they were inclined to believe he studied the Webster dictionary night and & day from the sound of his English compositions.” He was on the freshman basketball team and was noted for being a “tricky basketeer.” He joined the Army at age 17 after graduating high school. While in the Army he was one of few appointments on merit to West Point Military Academy. After serving his two-year enlistment he was honorably discharged as a corporal. He completed his four-year college term and his three-year law school term in less than five years, graduating summa cum laude from Kent State University. Don supplemented his G.I. Bill tuition by driving a cab while attending law school.
Don enjoyed a varied legal career after law school: Legal Aid Society; Anti-Trust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice at Cleveland and Los Angeles; Deputy DA for San Diego County and then as a deputy county counsel for 30 years for Santa Clara County, retiring in 1991. In retirement, he volunteered on the Personnel Board of Santa Clara County and as a hearing officer for the Planning Dept. on zoning appeals and building code violations always weighing in carefully on the each piece of evidence. In 2015 the Supreme Court of California and the State Bar of CA recognized Don for 50 years of service as a member of the California Bar.
After his wife’s untimely death in 1979, he raised their six teenagers (six children born in seven years) alone. The teenage years saw a full house with school friends over daily with many cars in the driveway as kids came and went until Don came home from work by 5:00 p.m. to cook his signature pot of spaghetti.
Don enjoyed family, tennis, ballroom dancing, & reading in the tree-laden backyard. Family activities included sailing at the lake in Vasona Park and at Lexington Reservoir, skiing at Tahoe, & many camping trips across 11 Western States – driving in the family station wagon.
He spent much time at the library studying other countries, languages, or new subjects of interest to him. He loved to travel, visiting the Bahamas, Canada, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Turkey (his favorite). When he was in Spain he was pickpocketed in the subway and & successfully retrieved his wallet after a short chase.
He and his family were long-time members of St. Mary Catholic Church in Los Gatos. He was always quick with a quip, with his dry sense of humor and full vocabulary, including the addition of Latin phrases he memorized as an altar boy and frequently repeated in daily conversation.
In later years with visits from his kids & grandkids, back before there were Google maps, he always gave his children a hand-drawn map or a road map (extra copy on hand) to get them out the door and on their way safely. At every departure after a family visit, he would walk out to the driveway and say to the family, “Vaya Con Dios.” So, please join the Fallon Family in a send off to Grandpa/Dad/Don/Mr. Fallon to “Go with God.” He will be sorely missed. Private family services have been held. Notices may be sent to Rosie Wolterbeek; P.O. Box 7, Tahoe City, CA 96145.
Donald was preceded in death by his wife Rose Marie (Klements) Fallon (1979), his daughters Anne Fallon-Smith (1990) and Kathleen Fallon (2018); & his son Donald Fallon, Jr. (1997). He is survived by his daughter Rose Marie Fallon (Wolterbeek) and son-in-law Mike Wolterbeek of Reno, NV; his sons Thomas Fallon of Santa Cruz and Daniel Fallon of Morgan Hill; eight grandchildren & 2 great grandchildren.
