They were our neighbors. We knew their names because they served our communities, were leaders of business and industry, played or coached for the region’s sports teams, or entertained us at area events. And in 2022, we said goodbye.
Here are the stories of several notable residents who died this past year:
January
Jim Corsi, 60: The relief pitcher was a member of the 1989 Oakland A’s team, which won the World Series; Jan. 4
Freddie Hughes, 79: The soul singer from Oakland, who had a hit in 1968 with “Send My Baby Back,” also worked with such artists as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Etta James, and Ike and Tina Turner; Jan. 18
John Arrillaga Sr. died Jan. 24. He was 84.
John Arrillaga Sr., 84: The noted Silicon Valley real estate developer also was a philanthropist who donated millions of dollars to Stanford University; Jan. 24
Mark Levine, 83: The educator and musician was a pillar of the Bay Area jazz music community for decades, and his 2003 release, “Isla,” received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album; Jan. 27
February
Bill Soliday, 78; The longtime sports writer for the Hayward Daily Review, Oakland Tribune and this news organization covered the Oakland Raiders and the NFL; Feb. 1
Jeremy Giambi died Feb. 9. He was 47.
Jeremy Giambi, 47: The former Major League Baseball player, who was born in San Jose, played for six seasons, including two in Oakland with brother Jason; Feb. 9
Lawrence Fan, 67: He was the sports information director at San Jose State for more than three decades and was an unofficial historian of Spartan athletics; Feb. 21
Johnathan Szeles, 63: The famed comedian and magician, known by the stage name The Amazing Johnathan, got his start in San Francisco in the 1970s; Feb. 22
Richard Blum, 86: The Bay Area businessman and longtime member of the UC Board of Regents was married to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein; Feb. 27
March
Sally Schmitt, 90: The culinary pioneer was a chef, cookbook author and co-founder of the world-famous Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry; March 5
John Korty, 85; The filmmaker won an Oscar for the documentary “Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?” also made several TV movies and animated shorts for “Sesame Street”; March 9
Dolores “Dee” Knowland, seen here at right, died March 10. She was 90
Dolores Knowland, 90; The longtime East Bay entrepreneur was active in Oakland civic life, and she and husband Joe — the last of the Knowland family to serve as publisher of The Oakland Tribune — were instrumental in the restorations of the Paramount and Fox theaters; March 10
DeJon Packer, 24: The rookie San Jose police officer joined the agency after a San Jose State football career that took him from junior-college walk-on to lead running back; March 13
Jerry Thorne, 77: He served more than 15 years on the Pleasanton City Council, including eight years as mayor; March 27
Joel Bartlett, 81: He was a meteorologist at Bay Area TV stations KPIX and KGO-TV for more than three decades; March 31
Celtic great Bill Russell waves to the crowd as the Celtics take on the Bucks at the Garden in the home opener.
Hall of Fame basketball player Bill Russell laughs at a story about his time at McClymonds High School during a ceremony there to honor him, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. Russell, a McClymonds graduate, went on to two NCAA men’s basketball championships at USF and 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. (D. Ross Cameron/Staff)
Jim Corsi #41 of the Oakland Athletics pitches during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on May 5, 1995 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
John Arrillaga, real estate developer and philanthropist, 1937-2022.
(Raymond Purpur, Stanford Athletic Department)
Mark Levine (photo courtesy of Norma Smith)
The U.S. Army’s typewriters never stood a chance against Bill Soliday’s heavy-handed approach to a problem. (Photo courtesy of Soliday family)
Oakland Athletics’ Jeremy Giambi, right, is congratulated by third base coach Ron Washington after hitting a three-run homer in the third inning against the Anaheim Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, May 8, 2000. (AP Photo/Michael Caulfield)
Longtime San Jose State sports information director Lawrence Fan at one of his many turns at the podium for a news conference. Fan will be inducted into the College Sports Information Director’s Hall of Fame on Monday in St. Louis. (Courtesy of San Jose State University)
The Amazing Johnathan (Handout photo)
FILE – In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, right, smiles next to husband Richard Blum at an election night event in San Francisco. Sen. Feinstein’s husband, University of California Regent Richard Blum, was named Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, by the state auditor’s office as one of the regents involved in admissions scandal where UC wrongly admitted dozens of wealthy, mostly white students as favors to well-connected people. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
A photo via the Schmitt family of Sally Schmitt at the French Laundry in the late 1970s, shortly after it opened. Schmitt, who with her husband Don opened the now famous French Laundry in the Napa Valley in 1978, and in doing so helped solidify the area as a food-and-wine destination, died on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at her home in Philo, Calif. She was 90. (via Schmitt family via The New York Times) Ñ NO SALES; FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY WITH NYT STORY OBIT SCHMITT BY NEIL GENZLINGER FOR MARCH 10, 2022. ALL OTHER USE PROHIBITED. Ñ
Marin-based filmmaker John Korty, photographed at his Take 2 Gallery of Cinema in Point Reyes Station on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. (Jeff Vendsel/Marin Independent Journal)
photo courtesy of Bill Knowland
Dolores “Dee” Knowland, seen here in November 2021, passed away March 10 at age 90.
San Jose State running back DeJon Packer (21) celebrates after scoring on a 1-yard rush against Air Force during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2019, at Air Force Academy, Colo. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP)
Pleasanton Mayor and City Council candidate Jerry Thorne talks during a candidates forum in Pleasanton, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
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DATE TAKEN: 11/1/2000— KGO weatherman and science reporter/editor, Joel Bartlett – A portrait with umbrella in front of his Mill Valley home. — Marian Little Utley — Marin IJ –
Jazz bassist Charnett Moffett reportedly died April 11 due to a heart attack. (photo courtesy Lydia Liebman Promotions)
File photo of Phil Trounstine, longtime Mercury News political editor and former Gray Davis communications director, who passed away peacefully on Monday in his home at age 72. (Bay Area News Group/ archive)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 22: Oakland Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica smiles during the final minutes of the December 22, 1968 winning AFL division championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. (Roy H. Williams / Oakland Tribune)
Former San Leandro Police Chief Robert Maginnis died last week at the age of 80. (Contributed photo/Anne Fox)
Norm Mineta visits the old city hall in San Jose, California on Saturday, February 24, 2007. Mineta is in town for a dinner in his honor. (Jim Gensheimer/Mercury News)
John A. Dutra is seen in this photo from the mid-1980s. (Photo courtesy Dutra family)
Calera winemaker and founder Josh Jensen at the Calera in San Benito County.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: A program is seen during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco, CA October 7, 1956 – Hugh McElhenny, 49er halfback, was brought down on this play by Jesse Whittenton of the L.A. Rams. Hugh lead the 49ers to a 33-30 win. (By Frank Pennock / Oakland Tribune)Published October 9, 1956
Longtime Saratogan Betty Peck, seen here with her late husband Willys Peck, was set to celebrate her 100th birthday on Dec.18. Peck taught kindergarten for more than 50 years, both at Saratoga Elementary School and the nature-centered preschool she founded, now known as the Los Gatos-Saratoga Observation Nursery School. (File photo)
Artist Margaret Keane, known for her distinctive paintings of wide-eyed figures, has died aged 94.
(Andrew Toth/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum and Cristin Coleman during the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 in San Francisco.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Ralph ‘Sonny’ Barger, 60, poses on a Harley Davidson motorcycle outside his Glendale, Ariz., bike shop on Jan. 26, 1999. Barger, famous Hells Angel and bestselling author, dead at 83 of cancer. (AP Photo/Arizona Republic, Suzanne Starr)
Charnett Moffett, 54: The Bay Area jazz star worked with Art Blakey, Ornette Coleman, Pharoah Sanders, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and many other artists during his nearly 40-year career; April 11
Phil Trounstine, 72: The longtime journalist and commentator was the former political editor for the Mercury News and a communications director for former Gov. Gray Davis; April 11
Tim Feerick, 34: He was the bassist for the Sacramento-based band Dance Gavin Dance; April 31
Daryle Lamonica, 80: The deep-throwing quarterback led the Oakland Raiders to their first Super Bowl appearance; April 21
May
John A. Dutra died May 29. He was 86.
Robert J.P. Maginnis, 80: The former San Leandro police chief also taught criminal justice at the high school and community college levels; May 3
Norman Mineta, 90: The longtime South Bay politician was first person of color to serve on the San Jose City Council, was elected San Jose’s mayor, spent two decades in Congress and served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation during 9/11; May 3
John A. Dutra, 86: He was a founder of a real estate and development firm, then became a member of the Fremont City Council and the state Assembly; May 29
June
Josh Jensen, 78: The vintner at Calera Wine Company was a legendary producer of pinot noir from Mt. Harlan in San Benito; June 13
Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio, 82: He was was the grand marshal of the annual Oakland Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras parade, and served as a bridge between Oakland and New Orleans; June 17
Sonny Barger died June 29. He was 83.
Hugh McElhenny, 93: The Pro Football Hall of Famer was a star running back in the 1950s who played with the San Francisco 49ers for nine seasons; June 17
Betty Peck, 100: The former kindergarten teacher was a community advocate in Saratoga and founded the Saratoga Community Garden; June 18
Margaret Keane, 94: The artist, who lived in Napa for years and had an art gallery in San Francisco, was known for her distinctive paintings of wide-eyed figures and sparred with her ex-husband after he tried taking credit for her work; June 26
Cristin Coleman, 38: She was a much-loved principal at principal at Washington Elementary School in Burlingame, and was married to former Giants star Tim Lincecum; June 27
Sonny Barger, 83: The longtime Oakland resident was founding member of the Hells Angels rode the country by motorcycle, wrote bestselling books, and advocated against smoking after his throat cancer diagnosis; June 29
July
Mila Mangold, 114: The longtime Berkeley resident was the oldest person in California at the time of her death; July 2
Bryan Marchment, 53: The ferocious NHL defensemen played for the Sharks for more than five seasons in his 17-year career, then later joined the Sharks’ scouting staff; July 6
Bill Russell died July 31. He was 88.
Willie Ellis, 69: He spent decades greeting people and selling knickknacks at Lake Merritt in Oakland, and was dubbed “the informal Mayor of Lake Merritt”; July 22
Kitty Monahan, 89: She was a beloved Santa Clara County preservationist, educator and historian who spearheaded efforts to protect the area’s parks for decades; July 25
Jerry Ceppos, 75: The longtime journalist was the top editor at The Mercury News, then later served as dean of two major journalism schools; July 29
Bill Russell, 88: The legendary basketball player and outspoken civil rights activist starred at McClymonds High in Oakland and the University of San Francisco before winning 11 championships with the Boston Celtics; July 31
August
Joe Noonan, 48: The former official with the Bay Area Furniture Bank was a civic booster for San Jose, being called “most enthusiastic and friendly ambassador of everything San Jose”; Aug. 2
Elana Dykewomon, 72: She was a trailblazing lesbian writer and activist who was a mentor to her students at San Francisco State; Aug. 8
Dean “Diz” Laird died Aug. 10. He was 101.
Leslie Griffith, 66: The longtime journalist at KTVU was an anchor at the TV station for two decades; Aug. 10
Dean “Diz” Laird, 101: He was one of the most decorated Navy pilots in history, a renowned World War II fighter pilot who also performed aerial stunts for the blockbuster movie “Tora! Tora! Tora!” about the attack on Pearl Harbor; Aug. 10
Herbert W. Mullin, 75: The serial killer confessed to killing 13 people in the Santa Cruz area in 1972; Aug. 18
Steve Taylor, 67: He was a pioneer in the bagged salad industry and part of the Taylor family of Salinas Valley agriculture; Aug. 21
Mila Mangold, 114, died on July 2, 2022. A longtime resident of Berkeley, she was the oldest person in California and the second oldest person in the United States. (Note: She had been living in an El Cerrito assisting living center for the last few years, but had lived in Berkeley for the vast majority of her life.)
28 Mar 1998: Defenseman Bryan Marchment of the San Jose Sharks in action during a game against the Dallas Stars at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. The Sharks defeated the Stars 4-1. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Allsport via Getty Images)
Willie Ellis is greeted by well-wishers as he returns to Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. Ellis, 62, a popular fixture at the lake, was beaten and robbed July 21 and presumed dead. He’s undergoing rehabilitation at Fairmont Hospital in San Leandro, and was brought out for the day by friend Richard Bell.(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Kitty Monahan gives a tour of the Rotary furnace site at the Almaden Quicksilver County Park in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)
Jerome Ceppos, former executive editor of The Mercury News and Dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University, has died at 75. (Richard Wisdom/Bay Area News Group Archive)
Joe Noonan has fun with the downtown San Jose cityscape in an undated photo. (Photo courtesy San Jose Downtown Association)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – MAY 01: Lesbian author, poet and playwright Elana Dykewomon is photographed at her home in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Dean “Diz” Laird, the only known WWII Navy ace who shot down both German and Japanese planes, is photographed on Oct. 25, 2012, in San Diego, Calif. (Sean M. Haffey/ San Diego Union-Tribune)
Steve Taylor looks over a salad packaging machine at the Fresh Express packaging plant in Salinas in 1999. (AP Photo/John Todd)
Deward Hastings in a recent photo. (Photo courtesy of Greg Callahan)
Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tom Urbani, a Harbor High and Cabrillo College alum, with his wife, Lisa, and their son, Cody. Urbani also coached at Harbor and Scotts Valley highs after his professional career. (Contributed)
Longtime Bay Area News Group columnist and local lecturer Steven Wayne Yvaska talks about vintage Halloween collectibles with a class at the Evergreen Community Center in San Jose in October 2011. (Photo courtesy of Lou Alexander)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 20: Activist Sacheen Littlefeather (L) and producer of the movie Christina Fon (R) attend the Q&A at the SAG President’s National Task Force For American Indians & NBC Universal Premiere Screening Of “Reel indian” & “American Indian Actors” At LA Skins Fest on November 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images)
Singer-songwriter Mary McCaslin posed for a portrait on Santa Cruz County’s north coast when she was named a Gail Rich Award winner in 1998. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel file)
Margie Mejia, Chairwoman, left, and Cathy Lopez, Vice Chairwoman for the Lytton Band of the Pomo Indians, talk about this land that was taken from their people in the Alexander Valley area in Sonoma County, California, in the late 1950s. Their hope to buy a fifty acre portion of land in Windsor California, also in Sonoma County, where they can live together. This picture was taken on Friday, March 9, 2001. (CONTRA COSTA TIMES/HERMAN BUSTAMANTE JR.)
John McVay of the San Francisco 49ers was named today as a Special Assistant to the President. (Photo: Patrick Tehan/Staff)
Bruce Arnold attends a post-election party in Novato with his wife Judy Arnold on June 6, 2006, following her campaign for the Marin County Board of Supervisors. (Robert Tong/Marin Independent Journal)
Hall of Fame Inductee Ray Guy is introduced during the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Gaylord Perry won 317 games en route to the Baseball Hall of Fame, including 134 victories with the Giants over his the first decade of his career. (Photo credit: MLB.com)
Charlotte Bobcats head coach Paul Silas and his son and assistant coach Stephen Silas react in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 8, 2011. Silas, a member of three NBA championship teams, has died, his family announced Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. He was 79. The family revealed the death through the Houston Rockets, for whom Silas’ son Stephen is a second-generation head coach. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Don Christopher, president of Christopher Ranch, holds up Late California Garlic in a field in Gilroy, Calif., Thursday, July 23, 1998. The crops yielded one-third less of normal crop due to the “garlic rust disease” that affected the garlic fields in the area that was caused by the damp El Nino spring weather. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
US actress Sonya Eddy arrives for Apple TV+’s “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” premiere at the Bruin Theatre in Westwood, California, March 7, 2022. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Deward Hastings, 78: The longtime Berkeley resident, who wore many hats during his lifetime, was known to many simply as “the Hot Tub Guy”; Sept. 17
Thomas Urbani, 54: The native of Santa Cruz pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers before returning to the area, where he coached at Harbor and Scotts Valley high schools; Sept. 28
October
Steven Yvaska, 68: The teacher and antiques expert wrote a popular column, “The Seasoned Collector,” for the Mercury News for nearly a quarter-century; Oct. 1
Sacheen Littlefeather died Oct. 2. She was 75.
Sacheen Littlefeather, 75: The actress and activist for Native American causes, who lived in Marin County for decades, made history when she declined the Best Actor Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando in 1973; Oct. 2
Mary McCaslin, 76: The folk music icon, a longtime Santa Cruz resident, released several acclaimed albums including “Way out West,” “Prairie in the Sky” and “Old Friends”; Oct. 2
Margie Mejia: She was the Lytton Rancheria’s tribal chairperson who reversed the fortunes of the small Sonoma County tribe by establishing the San Pablo Lytton casino and securing a renewed homeland in Windsor; Oct. 19
John McVay, 91: The former NFL coach became the 49ers’ general manager and team executive who was a key architect of the Super Bowl-winning dynasty in the 1980s; Oct. 31
Bruce Arnold, 76: The Novato resident was known as the chief songwriter and singer of the soft-rock band Orpheus
November
Ray Guy died Nov. 3. He was 72.
Ray Guy, 72: The Oakland Raiders legend was the first punter enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Nov. 3
Dwight Garner, 58: The former Cal football player had a key role in the infamous “The Play” moment in 1982 against Stanford, maintaining for years that his knee did not touch the ground before he lateraled the ball; Nov. 18
Hale Zukas, an activist for people with disabilities and spurred improvements that made BART, sidewalks and more accessible for the community; Nov. 30.
December
Gaylord Perry, 84: The Baseball Hall of Famer began his career with the Giants, playing in San Francisco from 1962 to 1971 before being sent to Cleveland in one of the worst trades in Giants history; Dec. 1
Paul Silas, 79: The star basketball player at McClymonds High School in Oakland and a College Basketball Hall of Famer went on to fame in the NBA. then served as a head coach was for several NBA teams; Dec. 10
Don Christopher died Dec. 12. He was 88.
Don Christopher, 88: The legendary Gilroy farmer turned Christopher Ranch into the nation’s largest garlic processor and helped put the Garlic Capital of the World on the map; Dec. 12
Harry T. Price, 85: The longtime Fairfield resident served on the City Council for many years and was mayor for four terms; Dec. 16
Sonya Eddy, 55: The veteran actress, who was a native of Concord, is best known for her performance as nurse Epiphany Johnson on the soap opera “General Hospital”; Dec. 19
