Grand Marshal selected for 40th annual Fallbrook Christmas Parade

FALLBROOK – The Christmas parade committee is pleased to announce that Vince Ross has been selected as the Grand Marshal of the 40th annual Fallbrook Christmas Parade. This honor is given to residents who have worked to contribute to the betterment of the community. The parade will take place Saturday, Dec. 4, starting at 5 p.m.

Ross' long list of community involvement includes founder and first president of Fallbrook Village Rotary; founder, board member and vice chair of Fallbrook Revitalization Advisory Council, now known as Fallbrook Community Forum; founding president and current vice president of the Fallbrook Village Association and co-founder and vice president of the Fallbrook Land Conservancy. He has served as a board member of the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District Board and president of the Fallbrook Young Republicans in 1967.

Ever dedicated to the advancement and improvement of the community, Ross worked tirelessly in helping to develop the Fallbrook Village Association in 1992 and was instrumental in the creation of Fallbrook Art Center, School of the Arts, Art in Public Places, Jackie Heyneman Park and the Village Square, now aptly named Vince Ross Village Square. He was contributory as co-founder of the Fallbrook Land Conservancy and partnership sponsor for the donation of the Palomares House and Park.

The recipient of many well-deserved community awards, Ross was honored as Citizen of the Year in 1992, the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement award in 2003, the dedication and naming of Vince Ross Village Square located on Main Avenue in 2014, Supervisor Horn's Chairman's Guardian of Water in 2015, and Fallbrook Historical Society's Pioneer of the Year award in 2019.

Born and raised in Orange County, Ross and his wife, Joy, moved to Fallbrook in 1964, looking for a place with rural character and good schools for their four children. Fallbrook fulfilled their wish list and Ross opened Vince Ross Realty in 1965, running his successful real estate business until 1971. Since Joy's passing in 2005, Ross has continued his vigilant work in the community endeavoring to improve the quality of life in the Friendly Village. He and longtime partner Cheryl Pizzo can be found weekly volunteering in Village Square helping with maintenance, including cleaning, weeding the flower beds and watering. "I have been fortunate in my life and have always felt that it was my duty to do things that will benefit others and my community," he said.

Submitted by the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce.