Dedicated himself to the Roses

Tournament of Roses Assn. President Gary J. DiSano, a longtime former resident of Newport Beach and current member of the city’s Economic Development Committee, has died.

DiSano died of cancer Sunday in his San Juan Capistrano home, said officials with the Tournament of Roses Assn. in Pasadena. He was 62.

DiSano lived in Newport Beach for more than 20 years and was a former planning commissioner for the city.

He had been picked to preside over the 121st Tournament of Roses Parade and 96th Rose Bowl game Jan. 1.

“Gary DiSano was an enthusiastic and fun-loving individual,” Jeffrey Throop, executive vice president of the Tournament of Roses, said in a prepared statement released Monday. “He was passionate about the parade and game, and never let any setbacks inhibit his dedication to the organization. He will be greatly missed.”

DiSano’s association with the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl dated to 1972 when he became a volunteer member. He was elected to the Tournament of Roses Assn.’s executive committee in 2002.

According to the association, DiSano was director of the RGGL Corp. in Newport Beach and the Heavy Duty Purchasing for Century Wheel and Rim in Montebello.

He was born in Los Angeles in 1946 and attended La Salle High School in Pasadena.

He is survived by his wife, Sabina, and his three children, Christina, Stephanie and Dominic. Funeral services will be private. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Hoag Cancer Center, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center or the Tournament of Roses Foundation.

The Tournament of Roses Assn. will host a celebration of DiSano’s life from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Tournament House, 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd. in Pasadena.