We knew their names because they were our neighbors.
Some of them served our communities, others were leaders of business and industry, played or coached for the region’s sports teams, or entertained us at popular events.
And in 2023, we said a final farewell.
Here are the stories of several notable residents who died this past year:
January
Sal Bando, 78: He was the third baseman and captain on the “Swingin’ A’s” teams that won three straight World Series titles from 1972-74; Jan. 20
Chon Gallegos, 83: He played one season with the Oakland Raiders, then became a beloved South Bay football coach — first at James Lick High School in San Jose in the 1960s, then at Santa Teresa High from 1974-92; Jan. 17
John Kirby, 81: He was an iconic Santa Cruz High football player in the late 1950s, then became a teacher and coach in King City; Jan. 28
Lou Campanelli, 84: The men’s basketball coach revived the Cal Golden Bears’ program in the 1980s, and in 1986 led the team to its first upset of UCLA in 25 years; Jan. 31
Sal Bando died Jan. 20. He was 78.
February
David Harris, 76: The former Stanford student was an activist and journalist who in the late 1960s gained fame for encouraging young men to resist being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War — and went to jail after refusing the draft himself; Feb. 6
Richard Valle, 73: He was the founder of one of the state’s largest nonprofit recycling companies, then served as a councilmember in Union City and later as an Alameda County supervisor; Feb. 8
Jen Angel, 48: She was a community activist who co-founded Aid and Abet, a social-justice event-production platform, then later opened the beloved Oakland bakery Angel Cakes; Feb. 9
Benny Pierce, 89: The longtime football coach at Saratoga High School was the Central Coast Section’s all-time winningest football coach at the time of his retirement in 1994; Feb. 11
Raul Lozano, 68: The San Jose resident was executive director of Teatro Visión theater company for a decade, then later founded Valley Verde, a nonprofit that helps residents create gardens; Feb. 20
Jeffrey “JV” Vandergrift, 55: He was a longtime morning show host at Wild 94.9 who co-founded and co-hosted the popular Doghouse show during the early 1990s; Feb. 23
Robert Praetzel, 97: The Marin County attorney played a key role in defeating the Marincello housing project of the 1960s, instead helping preserve the Marin Headlands area as parkland; Feb. 25
March
Kathy Leighton, 75: The lifelong Byron resident was an author, community leader and East Contra Costa historian; March 4
Jack Spencer, 86: The man known as “Mr. Saratoga” served on the City Council, was a member of several community organizations and was the founder of the city’s Blossom Festival; March 4
Jesús Alou, 80: He played with both the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s and was part of a famed baseball family: He and brothers Felipe and Matty all played with the Giants in 1963, making history as the first all-sibling outfield; March 10
Felton Spencer, 55: He played 12 season in the NBA, including three with the Golden State Warriors in the late 1990s; March 12
Gordon Moore, 94: He was a Silicon Valley pioneer as co-founder of microchip makers Intel and Fairchild Semiconductor, then later turned his attention to philanthropy, donating billions to scientific causes; March 24
Bill Leavy, 76: He was a retired police officer and firefighter in San Jose, but he also worked as an NFL official from 1995 to 2015, then became a referee supervisor; March 28
Gordon Moore died March 24. He was 94.
April
Heklina, 55: The San Francisco drag legend, who started the Trannyshack show and performed with Golden Girls Live, also had several film and TV appearances; April 3
Katie Cotton: For nearly two decades, she was the communications chief for Apple Inc., who promoted the company’s brand during the Steve Jobs era and beyond; April 6
Bob Berry, 81: The native of San Jose was an NFL quarterback who played with several teams, including three Minnesota Vikings teams that went to the Super Bowl in the 1970s; April 17
Dave Wilcox, 80: The Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker played with the San Francisco 49ers from 1964-74; April 19
Carol Weyland Conner, 80: The Walnut Creek resident created a pair of nonprofit groups dedicated to helping unhoused residents in the Bay Area; April 22
May
Chris Strachwitz, 91: The East Bay music icon was the founder of Arhoolie Records, and he was famed for preserving the work of scores of authentic American roots musicians; May 5
Vida Blue, 73: The fan-favorite MLB pitcher won Cy Young and MVP awards in 1971 with the Oakland A’s, then was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1978; May 6
Patrick J. McGrath, 77: He was a bishop with the Diocese of San Jose for more than two decades and was the second person to serve in the role; May 7
Joe Kapp, 85: The Cal football legend led the Bears to the 1958 Rose Bowl as a quarterback, then later was head coach for the infamous The Play against Stanford in 1982; May 8
Gordon Moore, left, and his wife Betty Moore, co-founders and board members of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, during a foundation meeting at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2001. Betty died on December 12, 2023. She was 95 years old. Gordon, one of the co-founders of Intel and Fairchild Semiconductor, died on Friday, March 24, 2023, at 94. (Susanna Frohman/Bay Area News Group archive)
File photo of Sal Bando
1971
Chon Gallegos, left, was on the football staff and coached golf at James Lick. His golf roster in the late 1960s included future pro Roger Maltbie, right. (James Lick yearbook, 1969)
Running back John Kirby, a football legend for Santa Cruz High in the late 1950s, played one season at Cabrillo College before transferring to Oregon State. Kirby died on Saturday at age of 81. (Contributed)
Berkeley, CA January 25, 1986: Lou Campanelli, head coach of the University of California, Berkeley men’s basketball team, receives a ride on the shoulders of players and fans after beating UCLA. (Reginald Pearman/Oakland Tribune)
Antiwar activist David Harris speaks at the University of California, San Diego, in 1971. David Harris, an activist and journalist who in the late 1960s became a national figure for encouraging young men to resist being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War and who went to jail after refusing the draft himself died on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, at his home in Mill Valley, Calif. He was 76. (The Bob Fitch Photography Archive at Stanford University via The New York Times)
Former Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle, who passed away in February, speaks at a Sept. 7, 2017 rally
organized by Eden Area Interfaith Council in front of Hayward City Hall.
(Darin Moriki/Bay Area News Group)
File photo
File PhotographLegendary football coach Benny Pierce, explaining things to his Saratoga quarterback in this photo from 1986, coached the North team in the first Santa Clara County All-Star Bowl (now known as the Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game) back in 1974.
(Center) La Meza Verde Project Manager Raul Lozano visits Arturo Lopez, who’s family is one of 30 participating in the program, in San Jose Tuesday November 24, 2009. Meza Verde provides families with garden boxes and allows them to grow their own vegetables. (Maria J. Avila/Mercury News)
Jeffrey, Vandergrift, a longtime Bay Area morning show host at Wild 94.9, co-founded and co-hosted the popular Doghouse show during the early 1990s. Police identified a body found late Wednesday at Pier 39 as Vandergrift, 55, who went missing from his San Francisco home on Feb. 23. (Courtesy San Francisco Police)
Nobody was as surprised as Kathy Leighton, of Byron, when she found out the new building at the East Contra Costa Historical Society museum would be named the Kathy Leighton Resource Center as she holds the new sign yet to be installed in Brentwood, Calif., on Thursday, April 6, 2017. “Any where you go, if you kick over the right rock you will find great stuff” said Leighton , in reference to all the historical reference material she has gathered over the years. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MARCH 17: San Francisco Giants outfielder Jesus Alou poses with his baseball on March 27, 1965 at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Arizona. (Tommy McDonough/Oakland Tribune)
Felton Spencer of the New York Knicks stretches out on the court before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2001. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)
Courtesy photo
Jack Mallory, aka “Mr. Saratoga,” died March 4 at age 86. Mallory served on the Saratoga City Council, on the board of Hakone Estate and Gardens and on the Sister City Council. He was also president of the Northwest Saratoga Homeowners Association, served on the board of the Saratoga Historical Foundation and on Our Lady of Fatima Villa’s Advisory Committee, and was a longtime member of the Saratoga Men’s Club, among other groups. (Courtesy photo)
Intel Corp. co-founder Gordon Moore, right, laughs at a baseball uniform with Moore’s famous 1965 prediction called “Moore’s Law”, in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007. The transistor was first built 60 years ago on Dec. 16, 1947. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Referee Bill Leavy checks with other officials along side Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Eric Risberg/Associated Press Archives
Drag queens from left, Lil Ms. Hot Mess, Sister Roma and Heklina take turns speaking about their battle with Facebook during a news conference at City Hall Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, in San Francisco, Calif. San Francisco drag queens are sparring with Facebook over its policy requiring people to use their real names, rather than drag names such as Pollo Del Mar and Heklina. In recent weeks, Facebook has been deleting the profiles of self-described drag queens and other performers who use stage names because they did not comply with the social networking site’s requirement that users go by their “real names” on the site. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Katie Cotton, Apple vice president of corporate communications (L) looks on as Apple CEO Tim Cook (R) uses an iPhone to take a picture of customers waiting in front of an Apple store to purchase the new iPhones on September 20, 2013 in Palo Alto, California. Apple launched two new models of iPhone: the iPhone 5S, which is preceded by the iPhone 5, and a cheaper, paired down version, the iPhone 5C. The phones come with a new operating system. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Dave Wilcox of 49er fame with his bust that will be displayed in the National Football League Hall of Fame in Canton Saturday 7/29/00.
Bob Berry (Associated Press file Photo)
photo courtesy of Sufism Reoriented
(photo courtesy of Sufism Reoriented)
Dr. Carol Weyland Conner In 2015 received the Jefferson Award from San Francisco CBS television station KPIX and the Threads of Hope Award from Diablo Magazine and in 2019 received the California AARP Andrus Award for community service.
Oakland A’s Vida Blue is seen, 1976. (AP Photo)
Kristopher Skinner/Bay Area News Group archives
Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz is photographed in his El Cerrito office in 2016. Strachwitz, a revered musicologist who worked to preserve American roots music, died Friday, May 5, 2023, in Marin County home. (Kristopher Skinner/Bay Area News Group archives)
Bishop Patrick McGrath photographed at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in San Jose’s Santee neighborhood Sunday Feb. 18, 2011. (Patrick Tehan/Staff)
Former NFL quarterback Joe Kapp shows off his Los Gatos Wildcats T-shirt where his son played High School football, at his home in Los Gatos, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016. (LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group)
(Karl Mondon/Contra Costa Times)
San Francisco Giants manager Roger Craig during 1991 season at Candlestick Park. (Karl Mondon/Contra Costa Times)
Former Mayor Gus Newport speaks at the City Council’s celebration of the late Nelson Mandela in 2013. (Archive photo by Judith Scherr/ Berkeley Humane Society)
Legendary lineman Bob Brown newly-elected into Pro Football Hall of Fame. A former Raider, he stands with his 1964 Cadillac convertible. (Nick Lammers/Oakland Tribune, 2/24/04)
Ng Han Guan/Associated Press Archives
FILE – Hong Kong-born American singer CoCo Lee performing in Beijing, China, Monday, Oct 6, 2003. Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer who had a highly successful career in Asia, died on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. She was 48. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
(photo Jacqueline Ramseyer/SVCN/December 5, 2012)San Jose Councilwoman Nancy Pyle is stepping down after eight years representing District 10.
Angus Cloud’s final words to his mother were filled with love. “I love you, mama. You’re the best,” Lisa Cloud, the late actor’s mother, told People magazine her son said to her on the night he died. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
(Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock via CNN)
Dr. John Warnock of Adobe Systems at San Jose City Hall Tuesday Dec. 1, 2009. (Photo by Patrick Tehan/Mercury News)
Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell prepares to dig in to a bowl of two dozen eggs scrambled up by Food Network celebrity chef Guy Fieri at Fieri’s restaurant, Johnny Garlic’s, in Dublin, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. A fan used his blog, “Something Awful,” to challenge Harwell to eat the eggs. Harwell accepted on the condition that $10,000 were raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. (Cindi Christie/Bay Area News Group Archives)
Singer Sunny Hawkins in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, June 9, 2007. The gospel singer from Oakland has died after a long battle with breast cancer. (PAUL CHINN/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Stanford head coach Buddy Teevens during practice at Stanford’s practice field in Palo Alto on Wednesday August 13, 2003. (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS / Nhat V. Meyer)
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein speaking at the Oakland Chamber of Commerce today at Oakland’s Marriott Hotel on Broadway. She described the state of her legislation and didn’t reply to a question from the audience about if she would be Gore’s running mate. Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown jokingly yelled, “I would, in a minute!” (Ron Burda/Staff Archives)
SAN FRANCISCO – SEPTEMBER 21: Tight end Russ Francis #81 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass against the New Orleans Saints during a game at Candlestick Park on September 21, 1986 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 26-17 (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Jane Tyska 6/21/98 Sports
Relief pitcher Jim Poole hands over the ball to Giants coach Dusty Baker in the 7th inning after only pitching to a few batters. He was replaced by Julian Tavarez.
FILE – This Nov. 23, 2013, file photo shows Chef Michael Chiarello, of Bottega restaurant gesturing before the start of an East meets West cooking battle in St. Helena, Calif. Chiarello was arrested Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drug possession in Napa County. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
FILE – OCTOBER 15: Actress Suzanne Somers, known for her roles in “Three’s Company” and “Step by Step,” died on October 15 after a battle with breast cancer. She was 76 years old. PALM SPRINGS, CA – JANUARY 02: Actress Suzanne Somers attends the 28th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center on January 2, 2017 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival)
From left to right: Justin Matsu , Sofia Kwan, Layla Wong, and Riley dela Fuente, and Dave Matsu (Photo courtesy of Justin Matsu)
De La Salle defensive line coach Steve Jacoby, center, observes his players before their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Jacoby passed away suddenly last night. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Vince Maiorana, longtime Contra Costa College football coach, at his last game. (Courtesy of Mark Maiorana)
SiriusXM DJ Dusty Street hosts her first live broadcast from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, July 2, 2005. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
Santa Clara council members Patricia Mahan, left, and Lisa Gillmor listen during ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the new $1.3 billion Levi’s Stadium on Thursday, July 17, 2014, in Santa Clara, Calif.
Dave Mitchell, the longtime editor of the Point Reyes Light, a weekly newspaper in Point Reyes, Calif., on April 26, 2006. (Victor Jose Cobo/The New York Times)
A portrait of Michael E. Fox Sr., a businessman, philanthropist and political influencer in Santa Clara County, is displayed during his memorial service at Mission Santa Clara de Asís on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Supervisor Don Horsley
(Pasadena Tournament of Roses via Associated Press)
Margaret Huntley Main receives her crown as the Rose Queen for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses in 1940. Margaret Huntley Main, the 1940 Tournament of Roses queen and the oldest living titleholder, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Auburn, Calif., the Tournament of Roses said in a statement. She was 102. (Pasadena Tournament of Roses via AP)
North Coast Section Seeding Chairman Paul Gaddini (cq) discusses out loud, with 2 of his collegues, who are the stronger teams, based on several criteria, during the NCS soccer seeding meetings (they were determining who got at-large berths) held at Dublin High School on Sunday, February 13, 2000. (Contra Costa Times/Dan Honda) 2000
In this archival photo, Frank Fiscalini listens to a colleague during a San Jose City Council meeting. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group archives)
Associated Press Archives
FILE – Cleveland Indians outfielder Vic Davalillo poses for a photo in March 1968. Davalillo, a two-time World Series champion who spent 16 seasons in the major leagues and became the first Venezuelan-born player to win a Gold Glove, died Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. (AP Photo, File)
Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images archives
Jeffrey Foskett, left, and Brian Wilson attend the opening of a art display, GuitarTown On The Sunset Strip, in Hollywood in August 2010. Foskett, a San Jose native and longtime studio and touring musician with the Beach Boys, died on Dec. 11. (Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images Archives)
Eric Risberg/Associated Press Archives
ORG XMIT: NY423 Winemaker Mike Grgich sips a glass of his Cabernet Sauvignon wine after helping people stomp grapes at the Grgich Hills winery in Rutherford, Calif., Monday, Sept. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
(Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Mercury News transportation columnist, Gary “Mr. Roadshow” Richards takes a test drive on the new Bay Bridge, with his wife Jan, during the first morning commute on the new $6.4 billion span Tuesday Sept. 3, 2013 in Oakland, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
(Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal Archives)
DATE TAKEN: 10/05/06 – Jack Hanson of Novato is a former KGO reporter and currently host of Comcast Local Edition. IJ photo/Alan Dep
Roger Craig, 93: He served as San Francisco Giants manager for eight seasons, winning two division titles and one pennant, and brought “Humm Baby” to the team’s lore; June 4
Bob Brown, 81: He was a Pro Football Hall of Fame who had a 10-year NFL career as a tackle, including three seasons with the Oakland Raiders in the early 1970s; June 16
Gus Newport, 88: The two-term mayor of Berkeley also was a progressive organizer and international social justice activist; June 17
July
CoCo Lee, 48: The singer, who was raised in San Francisco, was the first Chinese singer to break into American market and released albums in Cantonese and English; July 5
George Tickner, 76: He was a founding member of the Bay Area band Journey, playing rhythm guitar from the group’s start in 1973 through 1975; July 5
Nancy Pyle, 85: The longtime San Jose resident was a beloved elementary-school teacher who went on to serve two terms on the San Jose City Council; July 14
Angus Cloud, 25: The Oakland native was best known for his role as Fezco, a sweet-natured drug dealer, in the HBO series “Euphoria”; July 31
Angus Cloud died July 31. He was 25.
August
John Warnock, 82: He was the co-founder of Adobe Systems and was considered a titan of the Silicon Valley tech industry; Aug. 19
September
Steve Harwell, 56: The San Jose native was the frontman for the band Smash Mouth, which had hits with such songs as “All-Star” and “Walkin’ on the Sun”; Sept. 4
Myiia “Sunny” Hawkins: She was a gospel star who worked with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan and Ray Charles; Sept. 4
Buddy Teevens, 66: The well-known college football coach led the Stanford Cardinal from 2002-04 before moving on to Dartmouth College; Sept. 19
Dianne Feinstein, 90: The trailblazing Bay Area politician shot to fame after becoming mayor of San Francisco in 1978, then served as U.S. senator for California for more than 30 years; Sept. 29
October
Russ Francis, 70: The NFL star began his career with the New England Patriots, then played with the San Francisco 49ers from 1982 to 1987, winning a Super Bowl in 1984; Oct. 1
Jim Poole, 57: He was an MLB pitcher who played for 11 seasons, spending three of them with the San Francisco Giants; Oct. 6
Michael Chiarello, 61: The celebrity chef owned restaurants in San Francisco and Napa Valley, and hosted several TV cooking shows; Oct. 6
Dave Matsu, 54: He was the longtime girls basketball coach at Mills High in Millbrae, leading the team Central Coast Section Division III championship last season; Oct. 14
Suzanne Somers, 76: The actress, a native of San Bruno, shot to fame with her role on TV’s “Three’s Company,” then later authored several books on aging and wellness; Oct. 15
Steve Jacoby, 61: He played football at St. Mary’s College, then later served as the defensive line coach at De La Salle High School; Oct. 19
Vince Maiorana, 92: He played football at Cal in the early 1950s, then went on to become the longtime football coach at Contra Costa College; Oct. 19
Dusty Street, 77: She was a pioneering radio DJ, working at KMPX-FM and KSAN-FM in San Francisco, then later held high-profile jobs at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles and SiriusXM; Oct. 22
David Mitchell, 79: The Bay Area journalist was the publisher of the Point Reyes Lighthouse, and he won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the violent drug rehabilitation cult Synanon; Oct. 25
Patricia Mahan, 71: She was a longtime public official in Santa Clara, serving on both the City Council and as the city’s mayor; Oct. 28
Suzanne Somers died Oct. 15. She was 76.
November
Michael E. Fox Sr., 87: The Saratoga resident owned the M.E. Fox & Co. beer distributorship, was a member of the Santa Clara University board of regents and was a South Bay philanthropist; Nov. 3
Don Horsley, 80: The longtime San Mateo County public official held office for more than 25 years, serving as both sheriff and county supervisor; Nov. 24
Margaret Huntley Main, 102: The San Jose State graduate was the Tournament of Roses queen in 1940, meeting every Rose Queen from 1905 to 2020, then later went on to be a kindergarten teacher; Nov. 24
Paul Gaddini, 83: He served as the North Coast Section commissioner for 28 years, and helped to bring girls sports and playoffs to the section
December
Vic Davalillo: The Major League Baseball star played for 16 seasons, including on the 1973 Oakland A’s team that won the World Series; Dec. 6
Frank Fiscalini, 101: The longtime school superintendent was a civic leader in San Jose, serving two terms on the City Council; Dec. 8
Jeffrey Foskett, 67: The native of San Jose was a singer and musician who turned a gig in a cover band into a job as a touring musician with the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson; Dec. 11
Mike Grgich, 100: He was the winemaker at Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford, and was part of a group of California vintners who bested French counterparts in the famed 1976 “Judgment of Paris”; Dec. 13
Gus Morrison, 88: He served five terms as Fremont’s mayor, and his tenure overlapped with the city’s rapid growth and ethnic diversification; Dec. 14
Gary Richards, 72: He was a longtime journalist at the Mercury News, and was best known for his Mr. Roadshow column about traffic and commuting; Dec. 17
Jack Hanson, 91: The longtime Bay Area TV personality worked at KRON, KPIX, KTVU, KGO-TV as well as the Cable Health Network
Betty Moore, 95: She was a Silicon Valley philanthropist who championed environmental and health care causes, and she was married to Intel founder Gordon Moore
