Mickey Cafagna
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mickey" Cafagna (July 26, 1943 - April 11, 2009) was the third elected mayor of the city of Poway
, California
, serving from 1998 until his death in 2009.
Cafagna was born in Detroit, Michigan
, the third son of Italian immigrants. He moved to Poway (then an unincorporated part of San Diego County) circa 1975; following a successful career as a real estate developer, he was appointed to the Poway City Council in 1992, eventually winning the mayoral election in November 1998.
As Mayor, Cafagna represented Poway in the San Diego Association of Governments
(SANDAG), serving for a time as its chairman. His other contributions include the construction of Poway's city hall and of the South Poway Business Park on Scripps Poway Parkway, his efforts to fund much-needed improvements to freeways and transit systems, and his leadership during the Cedar
and Witch Creek fires of 2003 and 2007, respectively. He was most known for his outgoing personality and his ability to make deals for the benefit of the city. His genial manner also aided him in public situations; Deputy Mayor Don Higginson recounted an incident at the 1998 World Series
between the New York Yankees
and the San Diego Padres
where Cafagna - just before his election as Mayor - invited Higginson and about a hundred others to travel to New York for the first two games. During Game 1, the Poway contingent sat among the Yankee fans, who booed them and threw beer on them. While others got up and left, Cafagna remained and offered to buy the Yankee fans a beer. By the end of the game, they were applauding him; when the party returned for Game 2, the Yankee fans cheered him.
Even his political opponents, such as Poway's first mayor Bob Emery, acknowledged that while they had been opposed to his philosophies at first (Cafagna was a real estate developer, while Emery advocated slow-growth policy), they began to see things from his point of view, just as he saw things from theirs, and they grew to respect his character and his genial attitude. Cafagna had in fact avoided doing his development business in Poway to avoid conflicts of interest, and as Mayor opposed helter-skelter sprawl throughout the region (often with the "How much do we have to grow before we destroy the reasons we live here" speech, as Emery termed it).
In 2005, Cafagna was diagnosed with kidney cancer
and underwent an operation to remove it. However, it returned nearly four years later, having spread to his lungs. His illness prevented him from conducting day-to-day city government, and as a result Deputy Mayor Higginson became acting Mayor. Cafagna was admitted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla on March 5 from what was previously thought to be pneumonia
, but later determined to be septic shock
; he died there on April 11, at the age of 65. After services at St. Michael's Catholic Church, he was buried a week later at Dearborn Memorial Park in Poway.
Cafagna was survived by his wife of 43 years, Sharon Green Cafagna, as well as their two children, Kevin and Stacy, and five grandchildren.
Poway, California
Poway is a city in San Diego County, California. Originally an unincorporated community in San Diego County, Poway officially became a city in December 1980. Even though Poway lies geographically in the middle of San Diego County, most consider its relative location as north county inland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, serving from 1998 until his death in 2009.
Cafagna was born in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, the third son of Italian immigrants. He moved to Poway (then an unincorporated part of San Diego County) circa 1975; following a successful career as a real estate developer, he was appointed to the Poway City Council in 1992, eventually winning the mayoral election in November 1998.
As Mayor, Cafagna represented Poway in the San Diego Association of Governments
San Diego Association of Governments
The San Diego Association of Governments is an association of local San Diego County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the County, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and a County Supervisors, and also has capital planning and fare setting powers...
(SANDAG), serving for a time as its chairman. His other contributions include the construction of Poway's city hall and of the South Poway Business Park on Scripps Poway Parkway, his efforts to fund much-needed improvements to freeways and transit systems, and his leadership during the Cedar
Cedar Fire
The Cedar Fire was a human-caused wildfire that burned out of control through a large area of San Diego County, in Southern California, in October 2003...
and Witch Creek fires of 2003 and 2007, respectively. He was most known for his outgoing personality and his ability to make deals for the benefit of the city. His genial manner also aided him in public situations; Deputy Mayor Don Higginson recounted an incident at the 1998 World Series
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
between the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
where Cafagna - just before his election as Mayor - invited Higginson and about a hundred others to travel to New York for the first two games. During Game 1, the Poway contingent sat among the Yankee fans, who booed them and threw beer on them. While others got up and left, Cafagna remained and offered to buy the Yankee fans a beer. By the end of the game, they were applauding him; when the party returned for Game 2, the Yankee fans cheered him.
Even his political opponents, such as Poway's first mayor Bob Emery, acknowledged that while they had been opposed to his philosophies at first (Cafagna was a real estate developer, while Emery advocated slow-growth policy), they began to see things from his point of view, just as he saw things from theirs, and they grew to respect his character and his genial attitude. Cafagna had in fact avoided doing his development business in Poway to avoid conflicts of interest, and as Mayor opposed helter-skelter sprawl throughout the region (often with the "How much do we have to grow before we destroy the reasons we live here" speech, as Emery termed it).
In 2005, Cafagna was diagnosed with kidney cancer
Kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells in the kidney.The two most common types of kidney cancer are renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis...
and underwent an operation to remove it. However, it returned nearly four years later, having spread to his lungs. His illness prevented him from conducting day-to-day city government, and as a result Deputy Mayor Higginson became acting Mayor. Cafagna was admitted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla on March 5 from what was previously thought to be pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, but later determined to be septic shock
Septic shock
Septic shock is a medical emergency caused by decreased tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery as a result of severe infection and sepsis, though the microbe may be systemic or localized to a particular site. It can cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and death...
; he died there on April 11, at the age of 65. After services at St. Michael's Catholic Church, he was buried a week later at Dearborn Memorial Park in Poway.
Cafagna was survived by his wife of 43 years, Sharon Green Cafagna, as well as their two children, Kevin and Stacy, and five grandchildren.