Santos Alba, long-time city council member, dies at 80

Longtime Dripping Springs City Council member Santos Alba passed away last weekend, leaving behind a legacy of selflessness, public service and a commitment to excellence.

Alba, whose family was one of the first Hispanic families to settle in Dripping Springs, was born on October 28, 1941. He was the first Hispanic council member in Dripping Springs and served almost 25 years, from 1993 to 2017. A Korean War veteran, Alba was an active member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2933 until his death on Wednesday, July 6.

Alba also worked in the Dripping Springs ISD maintenance department for 23 years.

“He was just a very cool guy,” said Mayor Bill Foulds, Jr., who served on city council with Alba from 2001 to 2017. “He came by City Hall every single day to check on our staff. I’ve served with many council members that just showed up on Tuesday nights, but he showed up every day.”

Foulds said he learned a lot about city governance from Alba.

“He and I would disagree on several things, but we both had valid reasons, and I really respected that,” Foulds said. “He taught me to ‘make sure any decisions you make are based on good information and reasoning,’ and he taught me the ability to listen to people and not make rash decisions.”

While on council, Alba spearheaded efforts for environmentally friendly lighting ordinances in Dripping Springs, paving the way for the city to become an International Dark Sky community. He was also actively involved in many city events, including Christmas on Mercer and the Founder’s Day Festival.

“He always cooked at Founder’s Day, sitting back in the back of his tent,” Foulds recalled. “His was one of the first tents to have a margarita machine, and we’d always sit and drink and talk.”

Even after Alba’s time on city council ended, he was still active in the community, according to Foulds.

“Santos still would come by City Hall and check on the town,” he said. “He was part of the old-timers club that met every weekday up at Whataburger. He just wanted what was best for the city in everything he did.”

Alba is survived by his brothers and sisters Augustina Juliano, Victoriano Alba, Pauline Alba Stewart, Sarita Alba, Doming Alba and his daughter, Laura Sue Perez.

Alba was laid to rest on Tuesday, July 12, at the Phillips Cemetery in Dripping Springs.