Community members mourn loss of Kamloops pillar John DeCicco

“Lots of memories (with John),” said Colombo member Joe Stella. “Since I became a lodge member at the old Colombo Lodge, John and I — we worked very hard in those days. Plus he was the past president of the Colombo Lodge.”

DeCicco was an involved member, volunteering and organizing events for decades. According to Stella, over the course of his time at the lodge, DeCicco spent many hours volunteering at hundreds of events, including time spent with the Colombo Cares meals for healthcare workers during the pandemic.

“He was good company,” says Stella, who first met DeCicco in 1971 after moving to Kamloops. “He enjoyed what he was doing. He liked to talk with the people. It was one of the reasons he ran for councillor.”

DeCicco’s time in municipal politics lasted four terms, serving on city council from 1999 until 2011.

“I absolutely loved that guy,” former Mayor and Councillor Mel Rothenburger told CFJC. “We knew each other for quite some time before we were elected to council in 1999.”

DeCicco was part of council during the development of the Tournament Capital Centre project, the McDonald Park rehabilitation project and the water treatment facility.

“We had differences. Yet that council was able to work together really well and put differences aside, and really enjoyed each other even though we didn’t agree on everything,” says Terry Lake, who served on council with DeCicco, and later as mayor. “I think it was kind of a model for local government in many ways.”

A barber by trade, DeCicco was a familiar face to those who frequented his Continental Barber Shop in downtown Kamloops. Among his regular clients were Lake and Rothenburger.

“The barber shop wasn’t just a barber shop. People would drop in, have a chair, and they wouldn’t even get a haircut. They’d sit around and talk politics,” explained Rothenburger. “And John was a listener more than a talker.”

“He had his pulse on the community, particularly those folks who were going into the Continental Barber Shop,” adds Lake.

The haircuts were one thing, but the Continental gained local notoriety with its informal barber shop election polls.

“It was when Adrian Dix was supposed to win the election for the NDP hands down, John’s poll predicted that, no, the Liberals would win by a landslide — which they did,” says Rothenburger. “And I suggested that maybe these polling firms should just ask John what was going to happen because his poll was a lot more accurate than they were.”

In the wake of DeCicco’s passing, his friends, loved ones and colleagues say they’re grateful for the time spent and will miss his presence in Kamloops.

Describing the way he and fellow Colombo Lodge members are feeling, Stella used the word “shock.”

“Yesterday was a very big shock for us. We all miss him.”

A date for a memorial service has not yet been finalized.

Colombo Lodge member Joe Stella (left) with John DeCicco (right). Image Credit: Joe Stella

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Community members mourn loss of Kamloops pillar John DeCicco

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