OAKLAND — The manager of Oakland’s Humanist Hall, who recently defied public-health officials in keeping the longtime event space open despite orders against public gatherings, died Dec. 5.
The caretakers of the space have said they plan to honor the legacy of David Oertel, 67, who had insisted on the Fellowship for Humanity nonprofit’s rights to continue holding meetings, repasts and gatherings at the hall on 27th Street. Oertel ignored fines and notices not only out of his lack of belief in the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and pandemic-related restrictions, but based on his desire to keep the venue alive, he said.
The Alameda County Coroner’s Office said it had not yet determined a cause of Oertel’s death.
Speaking to this news organization in November, he was dismissive of city efforts to support businesses affected by the pandemic: “They mostly want to give you cash. We don’t care about money here. There’s a huge need for a hall, especially with a lockdown. I know it’s anathema to (the idea of) a lockdown, but people are desperate to get together and be humans again. These are not crimes to us, community events.”
In a Thanksgiving morning social-media post, leaders at the hall told followers of plans to comply with a restraining order against holding events, announcing the hall’s closure — with a request to the Oakland police officers asked to enforce it.
“I know that you guys are just ‘doing your job,'” the post said in part. “But consider standing down for these orders that are a gross violation of our basic human rights! I know that many OPD have come here for events and enjoyed this beautiful and historic property. So please let’s keep it here for everybody, including your families, and the people who will come here after we are dead!”
The hall had been closed since the Oakland city attorney’s office obtained a temporary restraining order in mid-November, forcing it to comply with COVID-19-related public health orders around social gatherings and requirements for mask-wearing, social distancing and hygienic guidelines.
A spokeswoman for the city attorney said Thursday evening that her office did not have a statement.
At the hall Thursday, Antonio Lomeli said he would be stepping into caretaker duties for the hall, which he considered part of Oertel’s legacy.
“He believed in taking care of people. He really loved to be here. It’s something he always wanted to do,” Lomeli said. “This is a place to congregate for social gatherings, and he loved to see people happy. We’re obviously dealing with legal issues. They want to shut us down, but we’re not about shutting down. We want to continue what David left. We’re going to do whatever it takes.”
Lomeli said he remembered checking up on Oertel, who seemed to be feeling ill, on the day of his death, but didn’t immediately realize how serious his illness was.
“I wasn’t sure what was going on. I asked him about going to the hospital at the time, because he didn’t look too well,” Lomeli said. “He said he was under stress due to people wanting to shut him down, but he refused to go to the hospital. He said he wanted to rest.”
Later that day, Lomeli learned the sad news of Oertel’s death: “It broke my heart, I broke down. I couldn’t believe it.”
Lomeli said he attended a scheduled Dec. 15 court hearing, informing participants of Oertel’s death and learning that the hearing would be continued until Jan. 7.
Lomeli said the nonprofit’s members were still working through how to help Oertel’s wife resolve his estate and secure the hall’s future. Although Lomeli said the hall plans to abide by current public health orders in place through early next month, he added that he agreed with Oertel and knew of no cases of sickness attributable to the hall’s events.
“He wasn’t a conspiracy theorist, he was a conspiracy realist,” Lomeli said of Oertel.
Oertel is survived by his wife, Florence Windfall, and his sister, Irene Simpson. Services were not immediately announced.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.