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 2020, we said goodbye.
Here are the stories of several notable residents who died this past year:
Ed Sprague Sr., 74: The Hayward native was a Major League Baseball pitcher who made the first relief pitching appearance for the Oakland A’s; Jan. 10
Kenny Booker Jr., 28: The East Contra Costa resident, often called “The Birdman,” was known for giving anyone who looked his way the middle-finger salute; Jan. 11
Jack Baskin, 100: The noted Bay Area affordable housing developer was a well-known philanthropist who gifts included funding for UC Santa Cruz’s engineering school; Jan. 12
Former U.S. Rep. Pete Stark died Jan. 24. He was 88.
Pete Stark, 88: The longtime public official, who founded his own bank in the 1960s, was a U.S. congressman who served southern Alameda County for 40 years; Jan. 24
Tommy J. Fulcher, 75: The longtime South Bay community activist was a past president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP; Jan. 28
Glenn Yasuda, 85: He was a co-founder of the iconic Berkeley Bowl grocery stores; Feb. 14
Ron Thompson, 66: The noted musician was considered one of the most accomplished guitarists in Bay Area blues history; Feb. 15
Larry Tesler, 74: The computer scientist was best-known for creating the cut, copy and paste commands for personal computers; Feb. 16
Mardi Durham Gualtieri Bennett Brick, 96: The former Los Gatos mayor was an advocate for the historical preservation of her town as well as for Santa Clara Valley transportation; Feb. 26
Jim Lemmon, 58: The former San Leandro police detective was better known as an East Bay girls basketball coach, leading teams at Castro Valley and Monte Vista high schools; Feb. 26
Les Mahler, 69: The longtime Bay Area journalist also was an outspoken activist against children’s cancer; Feb. 27
Joe Sullivan, 63: He was the founder of The Book Store, a beloved bookshop in Oakland’s Montclair district; March 1
Charlie Baty, 66: The blues guitarist, also known to fans as “Little Charlie,” is best known for leading Little Charlie and the Nightcats, a Sacramento-based swing revival act formed in the 1970s; March 6
Former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer died March 7. She was 81.
Susan Hammer, 81: The former San Jose mayor was committed to expanding diversity and the arts and passing a living wage ordinance in the 1990s; March 7
Bill McPherson, 88: The San Jose Sports Hall of Famer coached football at Bellarmine Prep and Santa Clara University, then later served as a defensive assistant on the 49ers’ five Super Bowl-winning teams; March 17
John F. Murray, 92: The former chief of pulmonary and critical care at San Francisco General Hospital also was credited with diagnosing a lung disease known as acute respiratory distress syndrome; March 24
Bob Campbell, 82: The longtime public servant was a Richmond city councilman who later served in the state Assembly for 16 years; March 27
Rich Pelletier: As quarterback in 1982, he helped the De La Salle football team to its first undefeated season; March 29
Richard Wisdom, 81: The award-winning photographer for the San Jose Mercury News later was known as a volunteer for several charities in East Contra Costa; April 1
Gene Zahas, 72; The Oakland native was a noted businessman and advocate for educational opportunities; April 7
LGBTQ pioneer Phyllis Lyon died April. She was 95.
Phyllis Lyon, 95: The longtime LGBTQ activist married her partner in 2008, one of the first same-sex marriages in California after a landmark state Supreme Court ruling; April 9
Leslie Lawton: The Sunnyvale resident was a champion of orchard preservation and served as a leader at the Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association; April 15
Bobby Winkles, 90: The College Baseball Hall of Famer was the manager of the Oakland A’s in the mid-1970s and served as a coach for the San Francisco Giants, among other teams; April 17
Michael McClure, 87: The famed Beat poet published more than 30 books of poetry, plays and anthologies, and was a professor at California College of the Arts for 43 years; May 5
Jorge Santana, 68: The guitarist, who was a younger brother of musician Carlos Santana, played with the band Malo as well as had a solo career; May 14
Andrew Mousalimas, 95: The Oakland native was part of an elite commando unit during World War II that raised havoc among the German forces, then later was a pioneer in fantasy football and trivia contests; May 20
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Chester Farrow, the longtime scoreboard operator for the Oakland Athletics, has his portrait made before the A’s take on the Boston Red Sox at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. Farrow is known for always bringing a bag of candy to the scoreboard booth and today was like no other.
Kenny Booker Jr., an icon in East County known as ÒThe Birdman,Ó died on Jan. 11, 2020. (Courtesy of Gabe Desta)
Jack Baskin accepts a framed poster from UC Santa Cruz Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood in 1997 when the new Jack Baskin School of Engineering was announced. Baskin presented a gift of $5 million–the largest ever in UCSC’s history. At left is Dr. Patrick Mantey, the founding dean of UCSC’s School of Engineering. Baskin is a former developer of homes in the Los Angeles and had lived in Santa Cruz and Carmel until his death earlier this week. (Dan Coyro — Santa Cruz Sentinel file)
Congressman Pete Stark stops by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union office before volunteers head out to walk precincts in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012. The congressman will be seeking a final term after 40 years in the House. (Anda Chu/Staff)
Tommy Fulcher Jr., chair of ESO
PHOTO BY RICK E. MARTIN 3/25/99 Larry Tesler demonstrates a new product form Stagecast Software, a company founded by the ex-apple chief scientist. The p[roduct is a multimedia program geared for school kids and teachers.
PHOTO: When Mardi Bennett travels over the Highway 17-85 interchange, she has to pinch herself because she can hardly believe Highway 85 is a reality. [940918 LO 1B] 9/22 1BP MOTHER
PHOTO BY TOM VAN DYKE-
-MOTHER–
Mardi Gualtieri Bennett played a key role in saving Highway 85 from being turned over to development and for that reason we are calling her ”the Mother of 85.” 9/15/94
Monte Vista girls basketball coach Jim Lemmon, shown here with his team, has died after a battle with cancer. (Photo courtesy of Monte Vista athletics).
courtesy of Les Mahler
Despite his own battle with cancer, former Livermore-based freelance journalist Les Mahler has organized a grape stomping contest featuring local firefighters at the Watts Winery in Lodi. Called “Stomp Out Kids Cancer,” proceeds from ticket sales will go to the UC Davis Pediatric Oncology clinic in Sacramento.
courtesy of Carol Sullivan — Joe Sullivan appears at Oakland’s Boat House restaurant in August 2017. The longtime parishioner at Piedmont’s Corpus Christi Church and founding owner of Montclair district fixture The Book Tree store died March 1 in Grass Valley. He was 63.
Bay Area blues guitarist “Little” Charlie Baty
Former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer, center, and U.S. congresswoman, Zoe Lofgren, right, attend a memorial service for Janet Gray Hayes, former San Jose Mayor, on June 2, 2014 at the San Jose Museum of Modern Art in San Jose. San Jose’s pioneering and inspiring first woman mayor passed away on April 21, 2014, after suffering a stroke. She was 87. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Bill McPherson (wearing cap) watches the action from the sideline during a 37- 20 victory over the New England Patriots on Oct. 22, 1989 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif. The game was played at Stanford Stadium because of damage to Candlestick Park in the wake of the Oct. 17, 1989 earthquake. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
Dr. John Murray
Former California Assemblyman Robert “Bob” Campbell speaks at a retirement party in October 2019 in San Pablo. Campbell died Friday following a battle with cancer.
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Richard Wisdom, a 2015 Community Service Award winner, rides with his wife Kay, left, as he waves to the crowd during the 36th Annual Holiday Parade in Downtown Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Gene Zahas, a longtime Oakland resident, businessman and educational advocate, died Tuesday, April 7, 2020. He was 78 years old. (Courtesy)
Del Martin (in wheelchair) and Phyllis Lyon come out to meet the press and cut their wedding cake with Mayor Gavin Newsom. They are the first same-sex couple to get married on this historic day for California at San Francisco City Hall in a ceremony performed by Mayor Gavin Newsom on June 16, 2008, in San Francisco. (Josie Lepe/San Jose Mercury News)
Leslie Lawton, longtime volunteer for the Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association, died April 15. The city of Sunnyvale honored Lawton in 2015 with a Murphy Lifetime Achievement Award. (Courtesy photo)
FILE – In this July 15, 1973, file photo, California Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan, 26, is congratulated by Angels manager Bobby Winkles after his no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. Catcher Art Kusnyer is at center right. The Angels won 6-0. Winkles, the former baseball coach who won three national championships at Arizona State and went on to manage in the majors, has died. He was 90. Arizona State said Winkles died Friday, April 17, 2020, with family and friends by his side. (AP Photo/Richard Sheinwald)
FILE – In this Sept. 16, 2010, file photo, beat poet Michael McClure is seen on his deck with sculptures by his wife, artist Amy Evans McClure, at their home in Oakland, Calif. Michael McClure, one of the famed Beat poets of San Francisco who went on a career as a poet that eclipsed most others in popular culture, has died. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that McClure died Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in Oakland, Calif., after suffering a stroke last year. He was 87. (Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Jorge Santana, undated photograph.
photo courtesy of George Retelas — World War II hero Andrew Mousalimas, who died in May, was the owner of the former King’s X bar in North Oakland who started hosting fantasy football and trivia tournaments long before anyone else had heard of them.
SAN JOSE, CA – Sept. 19: KRTY-FM owner Bob Kieve is photographed at the radio station in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019. Kieve donated a baseball to the San Francisco Giants that he had signed by Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner and Lou Gehrig back in 1933 when he was a 12-year old at the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium in New York. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
An undated photo of Oakland artist, designer and DJ Jeffrey Boozer (Courtesy of Jeannine Jayne Komush)
Bonnie Pointer, founding sibling of The Pointer Sisters R&B/gospel group that formed in Oakland, is seen in Los Angeles in 1979, three years after splitting from the group and focusing on solo performing. Bonnie Pointer died Monday, June 8 in Los Angeles. (George Brich/Associated Press archives)
New York Yankees Rickey Henderson, right, welcomes Claudell Washington who was obtained from the Atlanta Braves with Paul Zuvella for Ken Griffey, Monday, June 30, 1986, New York. Washington started on in left field against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan)
Gail Steele, who’s running for reelection for Alameda County Supervisor, is photographed near the Alameda County Courthouse on April 24, 1998. (Nick Lammers/Staff file)
Dr. Bertram “Bert” Lubin, Associate Dean of Children’s Health for UCSF
Benioff Children’s Hospitals, in June 2017. (Courtesy of UCSF Benioff
Children’s Hospitals)
Salinas mayor Joe Gunter speaks at the Census 2020 launch ceremony in Castroville on Monday, April 1, 2019. (Vern Fisher – Monterey Herald)
Tobie Gene Levingston, founder and president of the East Bay Dragons motorcycle club, is seen in a February 2004 book signing for his classic memoir “Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Set.” Levingston died Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at age 86. (Courtesy Family of Tobie Gene Levingston)
Portrait: Eddie Gale, a jazz trumpeter known as the King of San Jose jazz, poses for a portrait on April 3, 2018, in San Jose. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Grant Imahara, the former co-host of the popular cable Discovery Channel series “MythBusters,” reportedly suffered a brain aneurysm that led to his death, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Imahara died suddenly on Monday, July 13, 2020, at the age of 49. At the time of his death, no cause of death was immediately reported.
(Mythbusters)
A photo of former Oakland Tribune political editor Gayle Montgomery (Courtesy Montgomery Family)
Sen. Truong Tien Dat, shown here as a young man, aspired to be president of South Vietnam but fled communism in 1975 and became a successful real estate broker in San Jose. (Courtesy of Thu-Thuy Truong)
In an undated archive photo, Anne Martinez and Jessie Mangaliman both reporters in the Mercury News’ race and demographics team, chat in the former Mercury News newsroom on Ridder Park Drive in San Jose, Calif.
Best Actress winner for her performance in the 1946 film To Each His Own, Olivia de Havilland presents during the telecast of the 75th Anniversary Academy Awards, Sunday March 23, 2003 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
AMPAS / HO
Erin Day 11/3/00 ang sportsKNBR talk show hosts, Ralph Barbieri (left), and Tom Tolbert discuss thongs and jock straps with callers during their show Friday afternoon in San Francisco.
Bob March “Captain Satellite” at St. Joachim’s Church Fun Festival and Circus on Thursday, June 6, 1963. (File photo Oakland Tribune)
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS PHOTO BY DAI SUGANO–083104–San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle sits in his seat during a city council meeting in San Jose City Hall August 31 2004 in San Jose.
In a 2000 file photo, Ann Getty, left, S.F. City Supervisor Gavin Newson, Gordon Getty, and Kimberly Guilfoyle arrive at the San Francisco Symphony Gala at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Calif. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff Archives)
Boston Red Sox scout and class of 1959 member Gary Hughes, middle, talks other class members at the 50 Year Club luncheon at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015. (John Green/Bay Area News Group)
FILE – In this Oct. 27, 1969, file photo, Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers (40) runs for a 28-yard gain against the Los Angeles Rams, in Chicago, Ill. Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, who made his mark as one of the NFL’s best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Chicago Bears teammate with cancer, has died. He was 77. Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet” and considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen, Sayers died Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/File)
San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Morgan who knows his way around the major leagues, selects a bat from a tub full in Giants clubhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona, on March 18, 1982. Among the most popular of models is the S-2 used by Vern Stevens. (AP Photo/Sal Veder)
Don Pellmann, 100, demonstrates the discus throw near his apartment in an assisted care facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. Pellmann created quite a stir a week ago when he set five new track and field world records at the San Diego Senior Olympics. (Patrick Tehan/Bay Area News Group)
Former San Francisco 49er Fred Dean receives a Football Hall of Fame ring during a halftime celebration at a game between the 49ers and the New York Jets at Candlestick Park on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008, in San Franicsco, Calif. (Jane Tyska/Staff)
As part of his new documentary, filmmaker James Redford attended the 2014 People’s Climate March in New York City. (Provided by The Redford Center)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali rushed around Oakland Raiders tackle Mario Henderson in the second quarter on Sunday, September 14, 2008, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Raiders defeated the Chiefs 23-8. (David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/MCT)
Portrait of author Diane di Prima for TimeOut story. Monday June 4, 2001. (CONTRA COSTA TIMES/EDDIE LEDESMA) 6.04.01
Cecilia Chiang in the kitchen at her iconic Mandarin restaurant in San Francisco in the 1960s.Chiang will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the James Beard Foundation in May 2013.Photo courtesy Cecilia Chiang archives
Former Marine and World War II veteran Enrico Cinquini holds a photo of him taken at Cape Gloucester by Joe Rosenthal as he recalls stories from his service during WWII at his home in Oakley, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015. (Kristopher Skinner/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 21: Ricky Ricardo, owner of Ricky’s Sports Theatre and Grill, is photographed with the Oakland Raiders memorabilia at his bar in San Leandro, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Ricky’s features lots of Raiders memorabilia and is a well known hangout venue for Raiders fans. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
This 2017 photo provided by the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens shows Zura, a Western lowland female gorilla. Officials from San Francisco Zoo & Gardens announced Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, the passing today of its beloved Zura, a 39-year-old female Western lowland gorilla who has been a favorite and popular Zoo resident for generations of Bay Area families. (Marianne V. Hale/San Francisco Zoo & Gardens via AP)
Watsonville High alum Marv Marinovich, who captained USC’s 1962 national championship football team and played with the Oakland Raiders before becoming a noted strength and conditioning coach and controversial father of former USC and Raiders star Todd Marinovich, died Thursday at the age of 81. (Rose Palmisano – Orange County Register)
Robert B. Hess Sr., got his start in horse racing in the 1950s at a track in Washington state. He became a trainer at a track in Tijuana, Mexico, before relocating to the Bay Area in 1971. He spent the next 50 years racing at Golden Gate Fields and the now-defunct Bay Meadows. Hess died because of complications from COVID-19. He was 86. (Courtesy of the Hess family)
This combination photo shows the cover of “Afterparties,” left, and a portrait of author Anthony Veasna So. The author of the highly anticipated debut story collection to be published in August, has died. So was 28. His death was announced Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, by his publisher, Ecco. (Chris Sackes, right, and Ecco via AP)
Chester Farrow, 77: The longtime scoreboard operator for the Oakland A’s also was a teacher and a concert promoter; May 24
Bob Kieve, 98; The former speechwriter for President Dwight Eisenhower later was a radio station owner in San Jose and served on the boards of several South Bay organizations; May 24
Jeffrey Boozer, 49: The Oakland-based artist and illustrator created concert posters for several musicians and worked himself as a DJ; May 30
Singer Bonnie Pointer died June 8. She was 69
Bonnie Pointer, 69: The Oakland native was a founding member of the Grammy-winning vocal group The Pointer Sisters, then later went on to have a solo career; June 8
Claudell Washington, 65: The Berkeley native, who had a 17-year Major League Baseball career, broke in with the Oakland A’s at age 19 and was a two-time All-Star; June 10
Gail Steele, 83: The longtime public servant — she served on both the Hayward City Council and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors — was an advocate for children and the poor; June 26
Bert Lubin, 81; The pediatrician later served as president and CEO at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; June 27
Joe Gunter, 73: The two-term Salinas mayor was a former police officer in the city and had a legacy of community involvement; June 29
TV personality Grant Imahara died July 13. He was 49.
Tobie Gene Levingston, 86: He was the founder of the East Bay Dragons, the Bay Area’s first all-Black motorcycle club and one of the first in the U.S.; July 7
Eddie Gale, 78: The acclaimed trumpeter was a big part of the South Bay jazz scene, earning the nickname “San Jose’s Ambassador of Jazz”; July 10
Grant Imahara, 49: The former co-host of the TV show “MythBusters” also was well-known in Hollywood for his work in electronics and animatronics; July 13
Gayle Montgomery, 86: The newspaper journalist served as political editor of the Oakland Tribune, then became head of public relations for East Bay Municipal Utility District; July 17
Truong Tien Dat, 87: The former former South Vietnamese lawyer, judge and senator became a real estate broker in San Jose and helped many refugees find work in that field; July 19
Jessie Mangaliman, 63: The former Mercury News reporter later became director of public relations at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; July 20
Actress Olivia de Havilland died July 26. She was 104.
Olivia de Havilland, 104: The Oscar-winning actress, who grew up in Saratoga and performed in South Bay theaters before getting her break in Hollywood, starred in such films as “Gone With the Wind,” “The Adventures of Robin Hood” and “Rebecca”; July 26
Ralph Barbieri, 74: The Bay Area sports-talk radio personality was considered one of the “founding fathers” of KNBR; Aug. 3
Bob March, 93: The former TV personality gained fame playing the title role on the children’s show “Captain Satellite” on KTVU in Oakland; Aug. 6
Rick Doyle, 65: The former San Jose city attorney defended the city through some of its most tumultuous times; Aug. 23
Ann Getty, 79: The San Francisco philanthropist gave to scores of Bay Area nonprofits and was a longtime donor to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political campaigns; Sept. 14
Gary Hughes, 79: The Bay Area native was longtime baseball scout who worked for several MLB teams, including the San Francisco Giants; Sept. 19
Gale Sayers, 77: The NFL Hall of Famer was a legendary running back with the Chicago Bears, then later was a business owner in the East Bay; Sept. 22
Keith Hufnagel, 46: The skateboarder-turned-businessman created his Huf line of products in San Francisco; Sept. 24
Joe Morgan, 77: The Baseball Hall of Famer was an Oakland native who starred for the Cincinnati Reds, had stints with both the Giants and the A’s, then became a baseball broadcaster; Oct. 11
Don Pellman, 105: The Santa Clara resident broke scores of records at the 2015 Senior Olympics, including 100 meters, high jump and shot put; Oct. 11
Fred Dean, 68: The Pro Football Hall of Famer was a defensive end who helped transform the San Francisco 49ers into one of the great NFL dynasties; Oct. 14
James Redford, 58: The Marin County-based filmmaker and activist was the son of actor Robert Redford; Oct. 16
Mario Henderson, 35: The former NFL tackle played four seasons with the Oakland Raiders, Oct. 21
Diane di Prima, 86: The former San Francisco poet laureate was one of the few women writers in the Beat movement; Oct. 25
Barbara Taylor, 73: The longtime political reporter for KCBS was the San Francisco City Hall bureau chief for more than three decades; Oct. 26
Restaurant owner Cecilia Chiang died Oct. 28. She was 100.
Cecilia Chiang, 100: The owner of San Francisco’s legendary Mandarin restaurant helped introduce authentic Chinese food to American palates; Oct. 28
Enrico “Rico” Cinquini, 96: The longtime community leader helped pave the way for Oakley’s incorporation in 1999; Nov. 4
Ricky Ricardo, 75: The owner Ricky’s sports bar in San Leandro turned his father’s pub into a haven for East Bay sports fans; Nov. 14
Zura, 39: The western lowland gorilla was beloved by visitors at the San Francisco Zoo; Nov. 20
Daniel Tellep, 89: Retired chairman and CEO of the Lockheed Martin Corp. and longtime resident of Saratoga.
Marv Marinovich, 81: The Watsonville High grad was a star at USC who played with the Oakland Raiders, then later served as a strength coach for the team; Dec. 3
Robert Hess Sr., 86: The longtime Bay Area horse trainer ran horses at both Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows; Dec. 5
Anthony Veasna So, 28: The San Francisco-based science fiction writer won acclaim for “Afterparties,” his debut story collection; Dec. 8
