{{Short description|American politician (1917–2011)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Tina Fallon | image = EvelynKiltonPeele1938.png | caption = Evelyn Peele (Tina Fallon), from the 1938 yearbook of Meredith College | state_house = Delaware | district = 39th | term_start = 1978 | term_end = November 8, 2006 | predecessor = Thomas A. Temple | successor = Daniel Short | birth_name = Evelyn Kilton Peele | birth_date = {{birth date|1917|9|16}} | birth_place = Brogden, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2011|1|27|1917|9|16}}<ref name="Obit1">{{cite news |title=Flags lowered to commemorate life of Rep. Tina Fallon |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2011/02/01/flags-lowered-to-commemorate-life/63988703007/ |access-date=29 August 2025 |work=Dover Post |publisher=Delaware Online |date=January 31, 2011}}</ref> | death_place = California, U.S. | party = Republican<ref name="Rutgers">{{cite web |title=Tina K. Fallon |url=https://cawpdata.rutgers.edu/individual/tina-fallon-138c |website=Center for American Women and Politics |publisher=Rutgers University |access-date=29 August 2025}}</ref> | spouse = | children = | education = | profession = Teacher, Politician | website = }}
'''Tina Fallon''' (September 16, 1917 – January 27, 2011), born '''Evelyn Kilton Peele''', was an American politician who served in the Delaware House of Representatives for the 39th district from 1978 until her retirement in 2006. Before serving in the legislature, Fallon was a teacher in the Seaford area. In 2007, the Woodland Ferry was named ''The'' ''Tina Fallon'' in honor of the former representative.<ref>{{cite news |last1=MacArthur |first1=Ron |title=Woodland Ferry dates back nearly 300 years |url=https://www.capegazette.com/article/woodland-ferry-dates-back-nearly-300-years/254260 |access-date=29 August 2025 |work=The Cape Gazette |date=February 24, 2023 |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502005745/https://www.capegazette.com/article/woodland-ferry-dates-back-nearly-300-years/254260 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Biography == Fallon was born in Brogden, North Carolina, the daughter of George Peele and Lillian Langston Peele.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1938-07-31 |title=Evelyn Peele is Bride of J. D. Fallon |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-evelyn-peele-is/197145611/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=Asheville Citizen-Times |pages=21 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh in 1938.<ref>Meredith College, ''[https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Oak_leaves_(electronic_resource)_(IA_oakleaves1938bapt).pdf&page=69 The Oak Leaves]'' (1938 yearbook): 65.</ref> She earned a master's degree from the University of Delaware.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Robert |date=1998-08-29 |title=Republicans boast experience, solid record |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal-republicans-boast-exper/197146577/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The News Journal |pages=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Fallon was a math and science teacher.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Patrick |date=2005-11-16 |title=Seaford Rep. Tina Fallon to retire after 28 years |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-seaford-rep-tina-fallon/197144851/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The Daily Times |pages=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She was president of the Seaford Education Association.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Grayson |date=1980-10-17 |title=Sussex County political races unusually quiet this year |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news-sussex-county-political/197145304/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The Morning News |pages=17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She served in the Delaware House of Representatives for almost thirty years, from 1978 until she retired in 2006.<ref name="Grapevine">{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Celia |title=State Rep. Tina Fallon is Ready to Retire |url=http://www.delawaregrapevine.com/11-05fallon.asp |access-date=29 August 2025 |work=Delaware Grapevine |date=November 13, 2005}}</ref> She was assigned to the Education, Natural Resources, and Agriculture committees in her first term,<ref name=":1" /> the Business/Corporations/Commerce committee in 1999,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1999-01-17 |title=House Committee Assignments |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal-house-committee-assignm/197138680/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The News Journal |pages=17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and the Appropriations committee in 2001.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-01-13 |title=Legislative Committee Assignments |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal-legislative-committee-a/197144002/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The News Journal |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Concerns were raised about her age in her later terms; she replied in 1998 that "I am 80 and bragging about it. Age brings advantages. If you have good health, the time, the energy and the information, age is no distraction."<ref>{{Cite news |date=1998-09-13 |title=Fallon beats ex-Seaford mayor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal-fallon-beats-ex-seaford/197147680/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The News Journal |pages=12 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Peele married fellow teacher James Dominic Fallon Jr. in 1938.<ref name=":0" /> They had four sons.<ref name=":1" /> Her husband died in 1982. Fallon died on January 27, 2011, at the age of 93, at an assisted living home in California.<ref name="Obit1" /> Flags in the state were flown at half-mast in her memory.<ref>{{cite news |title=State flags lowered for former Rep. Fallon |url=https://whyy.org/articles/state-flags-lowered-for-former-rep-fallon/ |access-date=29 August 2025 |work=WHYY |date=February 1, 2011 |archive-date=April 23, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250423075057/https://whyy.org/articles/state-flags-lowered-for-former-rep-fallon/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Woodland Ferry was renamed ''The Tina Fallon'' in her honor in 2007, and she attended the new ferry's christening ceremony in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Molly |date=2008-10-31 |title=Woodland ferry floats to new era |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-woodland-ferry-floats-to/197144173/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The Daily Times |pages=14 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharp |first=Andrew |date=2023-06-25 |title=Meet the Family Behind the Woodland Ferry in Delaware |url=https://delawaretoday.com/life-style/woodland-ferry-family/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Delaware Today |language=en-US}}</ref> A historical marker was placed at the site in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Tina Fallon |url=https://archives.delaware.gov/delaware-historical-markers/the-tina-fallon/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Delaware Public Archives - State of Delaware |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fallon, Tina}} Category:1917 births Category:20th-century members of the Delaware General Assembly Category:2011 deaths Category:21st-century members of the Delaware General Assembly Category:Women state legislators in Delaware Category:Republican Party members of the Delaware House of Representatives Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:People from Wayne County, North Carolina Category:Meredith College alumni Category:University of Delaware alumni