Royce W. McFadden, a former county undersheriff known for a calming personality and kindred spirit, was among two people killed Saturday when an SUV rolled over in Colorado during a trip back from picking up show dogs.
McFadden and his wife were traveling with another couple back from Missouri, where they picked up their two bichon frises show dogs, when the SUV rolled over around 5:45 p.m. Saturday as 68-year-old William File Jr. of San Jose, who survived the crash, was driving on westbound Interstate 70 about 5 miles east of Limon. He and File's wife, 65-year-old Verna File, died at the scene. She had been seated in the vehicle behind McFadden - who owned the SUV - on the passenger side, said Hollister's Teddie McFadden, his sister-in-law.
The Colorado State Patrol reported that fatigue may have been a cause. Troopers say File drifted into the center median, then oversteered, causing the vehicle to leave the road and roll 2-1⁄2 times. He was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.
McFadden's wife, 58-year-old Vickie McFadden, survived and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. She and William File remained hospitalized Monday, said Teddie McFadden.
Royce McFadden, who was 62, was born in Tennessee but spent much of his adult life in San Benito County. He came here after returning from Vietnam after being shot while on duty as a gunner. McFadden joined the San Benito County Sheriff's Office and worked his way up the ladder to eventually become undersheriff under former Sheriff Robert Scattini in the early 1980s.
After retiring from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, he and his wife a few years ago moved to Riverbank, near Modesto, but he maintained his private investigations business located on Monterey Street and remained active in the local community. He had been on the San Benito County Fair Board and was a member of the local Elk's Lodge.
Family and friends remembered McFadden as having a calming effect on other people while being soft spoken and loving.
"He was a good man," said Teddie McFadden, who likened him to a little brother. "He'd do anything in the world for you."
She went on: "If you could call that man your friend, you were very fortunate. He was a true friend."
Elvira Robinson, a local attorney for whom McFadden did investigation work for many years, said he always did a wonderful job and had a "beautiful temperament."
"He was always a calming type of person - never agitated about anything," Robinson said.
While McFadden was a huge fan of golf, he and his wife picked up the show dog hobby in recent years and had hoped to breed them some day, said Teddie McFadden, who had spoken with her brother-in-law early last week before they left for Missouri. She noted how he had talked in recent times about selling his Hollister business at the end of this year.
McFadden was survived by his wife of eight years and an adult son who lives in Missouri. Teddie McFadden said his granddaughter was the "light of his life."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kollin Kosmicki Kollin Kosmicki is editor of the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 337 or editor@freelancenews.com.
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