The City of Redondo Beach is mourning the loss of Mayor Bill Brand. The city announced his passing Saturday, one day after he died.
Brand was 65 years old. He had been battling lung cancer for years. In his final hours, his family was by his side.
Brand was a Texas native, who moved to the South Bay in 1966. A champion of open space, Brand founded the South Bay Parkland Conservancy before his election to the city council. He served as mayor twice and co-authored a successful ballot measure in 2008 amending the Redondo Beach City Charter to strengthen environmental protections. He was a “major driver” behind the closure of the AES power plant, according to the city.
Brand “continued to serve admirably and extensively while undergoing arduous treatments” for his cancer, the city stated in a news release. “His work as the Mayor of Redondo Beach, while hospitalized several times, and often in pain, continued. He remained dedicated to his vision of a waterfront park to the very end.”
Several Los Angeles County supervisors offered their condolences over the weekend. Janice Hahn called him a “dear friend.”
“Elected office can be a challenge, but being Mayor of Redondo Beach came naturally to Bill,” she added. “He embodied the South Bay. He was passionate about his work as Mayor, fighting corporate developers to preserve the beach community he loved, but he also made time for surf breaks.”
In lieu of flowers, Brand’s family has requested donations to the Cancer Support Community South Bay. Flags at Redondo Beach City Hall are flying at half-staff.