Local leaders lost in 2025

By Miriam Raftery

January 1, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our region lost leaders in many fields during 2025 – two tribal chairmen, La Mesa’s long-serving Mayor, a Chaldean bishop, a Padres pitching star, a Lemon Grove Councilman,  a Congressman and ex-military hero, a San Diego Mayor and ex-Congressman, a high school superintendent, founders of local businesses, a journalist and community planning group chair, and a retired county treasurer/tax assessor. All had impacts on our region, and their memories live on.

Read highlights of their lives and legacies below, or click the names to read their full obituaries.

Politics

Art Madrid, La Mesa’s mayor from 1991 through 2014, died at age 90 in June, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and community service. He served on the city council for two terms before being elected mayor, leading the city during its centennial celebration in 2012. He previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including a stint in Korea, then spent 35 years working for Pacific Bell before entering politics.

Madrid served as chair of the San Diego Association of Governments, held roles on the League of California Cities and led the California Council of Governments. His leadership extended to the state Fair Employment and Housing Commission, the Veterans Board, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority, and myriad other groups and organizations. An environmental champion, Madrid was the first mayor in San Diego County to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. He founded the Environmental Sustainability Commission in 2009, despite other City Council members not supporting it.

His legacy also includes transformative civic projects including the revitalization of the downtown Village, updating Fletcher Parkway, creating the La Mesa Walk of Fame, championing the installation of accessible elevators at the San Diego Trolley Station at Grossmont Center, and guiding nearly $21 million into the city’s general fund surplus.

Steve Faiai, Lemon Grove Councilman and Helix High School football coach, died of a heart attack in July at age 50, just months after winning election as a reform candidate.  He was also an active member of Journey Church and worked at Sprouts grocery store.

 “He brought a spirit of compassion and integrity to the City Council, always putting our community first,” a press release from the city stated. ”From advocating for youth programs and public safety to championing solutions to homeless, Steve truly led from the heart... Councilmember Faiai’s dedication and care for the Lemon Grove community will not be forgotten.”

Randall Harold (Randy) “Duke” Cunningham, a highly decorated naval aviator whose political career crashed after he pled guilty and was convicted of accepting over $2 million in bribes as a  Congressman, died in August at age 83.  He won a seat as a Republican in the House of Representatives 44th District in 1990 after a career as a celebrated fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, later representing the 50th and 51st districts. He was a member of the Appropriations and Intelligence committees, considered an expert on national security.

His service as a military flying ace earned him many honors, including the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, and the Purple Heart.  He later became a flight instructor at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar. He retired from the Navy as a commander in 1987. In 2021, after serving six years in prison, he was pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Bob Filner, who served as San Diego’s 35^th mayor and as Congressman representing San Diego and border regions in East County for 20 years, died in April at age 82 after a controversial career. A fierce advocate for civil rights proudly arrested as a freedom rider at age 18, his decades-long career in public service was tarnished by his resignation from the mayor’s office amid a scandal of multiple allegations of sexual harassment. He later pled guilty to charges of false imprisonment and battery.

As chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, he pushed for expanded benefits and healthcare for American service members. He also served as president of the San Diego School Board, as a San Diego City Councilman and Deputy Mayor, and as an instructor at San Diego State University.

Dan McAllister, San Diego County Treasurer and Tax Collector for more than 23 years, died in December just months after retiring. While in office, he worked to improve customer service, enhance communications and outreach initiatives, and ensure the fiscal stability of the treasury. Under his direction, his office consistently reached a 99% collection rate, was recognized with triple-a ratings, and launched an initiative to collect payments online.

He was active in community service, serving as a member of the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association, the board of CalTRUST, as president of the State Association of County Retirement Systems and on board of directors of the Peace Corp and Habitat for Humanity. He also chaired the board of directors for the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, served as Chair of San Diego Unified School District’s Special Audit and Finance Committee and on the boards of Directors of the Jackie Robinson YMCA; the New Americans Museum, and the Kim Center for Social Balance.

Tribal leaders

Daniel “Danny” Tucker, longtime Chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, died in October at age 73 of complications from diabetes. One of the original champions for First Nation independence through gaming on Native American reservations in California,  Tucker was 18 when he served as vice chair with Sycuan Chairwoman Anna Prieto Sandoval. He was tribal chair for most of the development of Class III Vegas-style gaming. He served as chair from 1993-96 and again from 2003-2014. Tucker was chairman of California Nations Indian Gaming Association during key Indian gaming propositions in California .He was once vice chairman of National Indian Gaming Association.

Tucker was at the head of the bargaining table during the 1990s, during legal and political battles fought by Native American tribes to establish and maintain casino gambling on their sovereign land. He also led efforts to create the film, Our People, Our Culture, Our History which told the history of the Kumeyaay nation and was distributed to local schools. Read more here.  In a 2013 interview with East County Magazine aired on KNSJ radio, Chairman Tucker said,  "As an elected tribal Chairman, it's important to "do the right thing for our people- not just one individual, but everybody.”

Bo Mazetti served as Chairman of the Rincon band of Luiseño Indians from 2008 until his death in May from cancer.  A leading voice for Native Americans statewide over several decades, he was a founding member and President of the Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association, also serving on the statewide Tribal Chairman’s Association. He once stated, “As my father taught me, it is our responsibility to pave the pathway for future generations and to pursue a path that younger tribal leaders can follow, like our tribal elders did for us."  He served in the Navy, had a general contracting business, and became Roads Officer for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. He established the Reservation Transportation Authority, later serving as its executive director. He served as a Rincon tribal Councilmember and Vice Chairman before being elected Chairman.

He was also President of the San Luis Rey Water Indian Water Authority, which won a 50-year-long legal battle to regain tribal water rights, and served on the governor’s Drought Task Force. Under his leadership as Chairman, the Rincon band of Luiseño Indians grew in stature and influence. The tribe owns Harrah’s Resort Southern California, using profits from this and other commercial enterprises to provide services for tribal members as well as community organizations and causes throughout the region.  He received many awards, including the California Indian Chamber of Commerce ”Warrior Award” and the ”Anna Sandoval Leadership Award” from the California Nations Indian Gaming Association.

Sports

Randall “Randy” Lee Jones, Cy Young award winner and Padres star pitcher, died in November at age 75.  A Poway resident and hometown hero, he was twice picked for the All Stars. In 1976, he earned the National League’s Cy Young Award with a 22-14 record and a 2.74 earned run average. He remains the Padres' franchise record holder for innings pitched (1,766), games started (253), complete games (71) and shutouts (18).  The Padres honored Jones by retiring his No. 35 jersey in 1997 and inducting him into the inaugural class of the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999. He was traded to the New York Jets in 1980 and later signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, ending his playing career in 1983.

At Qualcomm Stadium and later Petco Park he operated the popular "Randy Jones BBQ" concession. He started the Randy Jones Foundation, a nonprofit helping military families, kids and the community. As spokesperson for Home of Guiding Hands,  he lent his name to the annual Randy Jones Run/Walk for Independence, an event that raised thousands of dollars to support the organization's programs and housing for people with developmental disabilities.

Religion

Sarhad Yawsip Jammo, the Bishop who led the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle for the western U.S. from 2002 until his retirement in 2016, died in February at age 83.  Born in Iraq and later based at St. Peter’s Chaldean Cathedral in El Cajon, Bishop Jammo was a noted scholar, author and religious leader who guided the diocese through turbulent times, including wars ravaging his homeland and terrorists targeting Chaldean Christians in Iraq.

He went to Rome at age 17, where he obtained master’s degrees in theology and philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy in Eastern Ecclesiastical Studies” He taught at the University of Notre Dame, the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, and the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.  He served as a pastor in Baghdad, Mosul and Michigan. Then in 2002, Pope John Paul II created a second Chaldean diocese in the U.S. and appointed Jammo to preside over the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle covering the western U.S.  In 2010, he led a prayer vigil in El Cajon for Chaldeans including priests massacred in a Baghdad church by terrorists. Bishop Jammo traveled to Washington D.C. in 2014 to meet with political leaders including Congressman Juan Vargas, who introduced a bill to grant asylum for religious minorities persecuted by ISIS in Iraq and raise the cap on refugees from that region to come to the U.S.

Journalism

Billie Jo Jannen, former Alpine Sun editor, award-winning journalist and Chair of the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group from 2013-2025, died in May of cancer at age 69. Jannen was a powerful voice for backcountry residents. She won awards for investigative reporting and spent nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor covering East County’s hottest topics such as wildfires, wind turbines, border and land use issues. Her coverage drew national attention on 60 Minutes and 20-20 TV shows.  She also rooted out tales of feral pigs and turkey hunts, offered tips on how to remove horse manure, and covered local politics. As Jannen wryly noted, “Some might see similarities in these topics.”

She started the Eastern Empire Guardian—an online news site devoted to backcountry news. Her works appeared in many newspapers in California and Washington. She authored the “East of the Line” column for East County Magazine and hosted the TGIF report, a radio show on backcountry issues. Her reporting on battles over a proposed Campo landfill won awards and resulted in a book. He reports resulted in reforms in county, state and federal policies. She also served as a member on the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy committee and the Rural Economic Action League. In addition, she created the first website for the County’s Task Force on Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services.  

Education

Mike Fowler, former Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent, died in October after a nearly three-year battle with cancer. He began his 29-year career in education after leaving a successful career in banking, starting as an English, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, and Computer Applications teacher at Helix High School. He then advanced through leadership roles in GUHSD as Assistant Principal, Principal, and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services before being named Superintendent in 2024.

 As Principal of Granite Hills High School from 2013 to 2022, he helped guide the school to recognition as a California Distinguished School and earned national rankings from U.S. News & World Report and The Washington Post. As Superintendent, Fowler launched the Portrait of a Graduate process, a collaborative effort with the East County community to define the skills and mindsets students need to thrive as adults.

Business

Mary Hennessy, founder of Mary’s Donuts in Santee, died in October at age 94. Born in Minnesota in 1931, Hennessy founded Mary’s Donuts in 1984 after working as a baker and manager at Winchell’s Donuts. Alongside her husband Don, who preceded her in death in 2017, she purchased Zona’s Donut Shop — the first donut shop in Santee — and transformed it into the iconic Mary’s Donuts on Mission Gorge Road near Fanita Road where she sprinkled joy along with donuts, interacting with her customers.

In an interview with East County Magazine earlier this year, Hennessy shared that when she wanted to buy her first shop, the owner wouldn't sell to her because she was a woman, convincing her husband to help her buy the business instead. A lease dispute forced Hennessy to relocate the business in 2016 to Carlton Hills Boulevard, but she Hennessy remained actively involved even after her husband’s death. Earlier this year, the shop celebrated its 40^th anniversary. 

Keith and Priscilla Webb, owners of Julian Hard Cider, the nation's first craft cider company in Julian, passed away in  July, two days apart earlier this month. They also owned Apple Lane Orchard, a popular wedding and vacation rental destination in the mountain community in San Diego's East County. Both are remembered as generous community members who contributed to numerous local charities,  as well as being successful business owners.

Keith Webb, 94, was born in Iowa during the Depression. He grew up in the Russell Brothers Circus family in Missouri. In his youth, he toured with the circus and co-authored a book about it.  He later served in the U.S. Navy.

Priscilla Webb, 98, was born in San Diego County amid the Roaring '20s and Prohibition Era. She lived in several local communities, including Del Cerro and Julian in East County. She was devoted to charities, serving on the boards of Gold-Diggers and Angels of Asel tine School. She was co-founder of Park and Ride, the first off-site airport parking lot in San Diego.

The pair married in 1986 and worked together at Park and Ride until selling it in 2007. The couple shifted their focus to Julian, where they became co-owners of Julian Hard Cider founded in 2009, and purchased Apple Lane Orchard, where they also sold soft cider and made soft cider deliveries well into their 90s. The apple venue was also a popular wedding venue and vacation rental site in Julian.