Al Vail

Longtime California rancher, Al Vail died suddenly of a heart attack on Tuesday, January 4. He was 78. The Vail family, in a century-old partnership with the Vickers family, owned and managed Santa Rosa Island, a 54,000 acre cattle ranch off the Santa Barbara coast.

Alexander "Al" Lennox Vail was born November 24, 1921 in Los Angeles, California, thirty minutes after his twin brother Russ. Al attended the University of California at Davis and UCLA. He began working full-time on Santa Rosa Island as a cowboy in 1942 and became general manager of the ranching operation in 1962. Al was respected throughout the livestock community for his ethics and stewardship of the bounteous resources of an island that was in his family for almost 100 years.

Al claimed he couldn't remember when he wasn't "cowboying". He started out working summers under the foreman CW Smith, riding the island's steep country with the other cowboys and learning the business from his father N. R. Vail and his uncle Ed Vail. Al and "Uncle Ed" traveled the intermountain west buying cattle to stock the island from such renowed ranches as the YP and the TS.

He was married for 43 years to writer, Catherine "Kay" Sutherland of San Francisco.

Al Vail was known for his modesty and old-fashioned integrity. His handshake was truly his word. A quiet perfectionist, Al always put the well-being of the animals and the land before his own. He rode the longest circles, weathered storms and droughts in high spirits, and always kept a positive attitude.

Al loved his island-born horses, airplanes, good books, football, basketball, and boats, especially the Vaquero II.

He was a member of the Los Alamos Society and the California Cattlemen's Association.

He is survived by his wife, Kay, his two daughters Nita Catherine Vail of Sacramento, and Mary Louise Vail of Moorpark, his twin brother Russell Vail, and sister Margaret Vail Woolley, and their families of Pasadena.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 6 Harbor Way, #177, Santa Barbara, California 93109. The family's celebration of his life was held.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: May 9 2016, 5:21:04 UTC