APPLE VALLEY, Calif. — Nicholas (Nick) DePrisco, Jr., 75, passed away on September 29, 2023, from a long illness in Laguna Woods, California. Nick came to Apple Valley in 1980 and became its first Mayor in 1988 and remained on the Apple Valley Town Council until 1996. He was the voice for larger-lot sizes and wide setbacks for new developments, as reflected in the Town’s motto of, “A Better Way of Life.”
Nick, along with the early Town Council Members, established environmental protections to preserve the unique character of the area, establishing such provisions as the quarter-acre lot sizes, transplanting Joshua Trees facing removal by new developments, a three-dumpster recycling program, collecting Christmas Trees for mulch, and relocating above-ground telephone wires underground.
Nick was a Public Defender with San Bernardino County in the Victorville Office, and later with the San Bernardino Office, and was also in private practice with attorney Robert Ponce in Victorville; followed by a private practice in the Laguna area. He graduated from Western State College of Law in San Diego, and is a graduate of Cal State Hayward. He also taught Criminal Law at Victor Valley College, and served two-terms as President of the Victor Valley Democratic Club. He was born in Queens, NY and graduated from Smithtown High School. He once joked, on his grave stone he wanted it to say, “A Yankee Fan,” and named his first horse, “October Yankee.”
Nick enjoyed horseback riding and owned racing quarter horses, riding his mountain bike into the AV hills, and was also known for his keyboard abilities, playing blues, jazz, and classic rock at local clubs and jamming socially with friends. He was a member at the Apple Valley Country Club where he enjoyed tennis and breakfast with the boys; he referred to himself as, “too young to play golf,” however, took up the sport when he retired from private practice.
He loved to travel and practice speaking Spanish. On a trip to Italy, he learned he was born into a family of attorneys beginning with his great grandfather; his family, who were also candlemakers for the Catholic Church, relocated from Naples to the mountains.
He is survived by his daughter, Berkeley; two sisters, Barbara and Carol, and brother, Bill; brother-in-law, Vincent; several nieces and nephews, and good friend of 55 years, Carla. His wishes are to have his ashes in Apple Valley.
His Celebration of Life will be on November 4th beginning at 1:00 p.m. followed by a reception, at The Republic Restaurant in Spring Valley Lake, 13261 Spring Valley Pkwy #102 Victorville, CA 92395; (760) 955-1500.
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