Cancer Claims Tom 'Coach' Sneddon, Former DA

Dec. 1, 2014 – Ross McCulligan

Veteran senior softball player Thomas Sneddon died after a battle with cancer on Nov. 1. He was 73. He was born in Southgate, Calif., on May 26, 1941.

During his softball career, Sneddon played on two teams: the Channel Island Pirates and the Silver Sox. Sports were a large part of his life.

He played in the Babe Ruth World Series at the age of 15. He coached the Santa Barbara Youth Football League for more than a decade and many people simply knew him as “Coach.” Softball became a passion of his later in life and his team won the World Championships in 2002. He played and managed up until shortly before his death.

His passion for history extended to his fight with cancer, living by the words of Winston Churchill, “Never give in – never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

Tom attended the University of Notre Dame and then UCLA Law School. He ran for Santa Barbara District Attorney in 1982 and held the position until his retirement in 2006.

He was influential in many different organizations around the Santa Barbara community including the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children program, and the Rape Crisis Center, along with many other agencies and organizations.

He had a ‘what you see, is what you get’ genuine personality. He loved his family, his work, his friends and his community.