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East County News Service
December 31, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) - Our region lost civic leaders and luminaries this year in fields including a basketball superstar, an astronaut, a famous architect, a retired Sheriff’s deputy and Chamber of Commerce chairman, a World War veteran, an HVAC industry leader, a noted philanthropist, a former college president, a retired teacher, an engineer and newscaster, a political party chairwoman and a community theatre cofounder. They are gone but not forgotten, leaving lasting legacies and memories.
Read more about their remarkable lives below; each title links to a full obituary.
BILL WALTON, basketball champion and hometown hero
NBA Hall of Famer and former Helix High School superstar Bill Walton, 71, died May 27 after a prolonged battle with cancer. One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Walton later became an award-winning sportscaster.
But he also won hearts and minds in the La Mesa community through his philanthropic efforts, including raising millions of dollars to build the Bill Walton Gymnasium at the Boys & Girls Club in La Mesa, where he was mentored in his youth.
JAMES HUBBELL, famed architect and artist
Visionary artist and internationally acclaimed architect James Hubbell passed away on May 17 at age 92, surrounded by family members including his wife, Anne. Hubbell founded the Ilan-Lael Foundation, founded by Hubbell to inspire future generations of budding artists, architects and builders.
Hel designed hundreds of public and private artworks locally and around the world. Internationally, he headed up efforts to create a series of international peace parks at locations rimming the Pacific Ocean. He also began a 30-year volunteer project to build Colegio La Esperanza, an elementary school embedded with mosaics to bring hope, education and beauty to students east of Tijuana, Mexico.
JOAN JACOBS, philanthropist, wife of Qualcomm’s founder
Joan Jacobs, a San Diego community leader who along with her husband, Irwin, made transformational philanthropic gifts to many local arts organizations, died of heart failure in May at age 91. She was the wife of Qualcomm Founder Irwin Jacobs and grandmother of Congresswoman Sara Jacobs.
Irwin and Joan Jacobs’ philanthropic gifts included large bequests to the San Diego Symphony, La Jolla Playhouse, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the Salk Institute, and the Jacobs School of Engineering at UCSD. She was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and remembered by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria for her “profound impact on San Diego.”
ROBERT “BOB” SCHULZE, cofounder of Off Broadway Live Theatre in Santee
Bob Schulze, a singer and actor who co-founded the Off Broadway Live musical theatre in Santee, died of a heart attack on August 30.
He proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1984 to 1987 and dedicated over 30 years to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, before his retirement. He was passionate about keeping his country safe and prosperous, serving both at home and abroad. He also served on the worship service team at Sonrise Church in Santee.
WILLIAM ANDERS, astronaut famed for his photo of planet Earth
Astronaut William Anders, who took the famous “Earthrise” photo of our planet during the historic Apollo 8 mission, died on June 8 at age 90 when the small plane he was piloting crashed near Seattle. “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth,” Anders said of his role in man’s first mission to the moon.
Anders graduated from Grossmont High School in 1951 and then the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He joined the Navy and later the Air Force, flying fighter jets, becoming a test pilot and then a NASA astronaut. After NASA he served in government roles, including chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, then entered the business world with positions at General Electric, Textron and General Dynamics, where he ultimately became chairman and CEO.
STEPHEN WEBER, former SDSU president
Stephen Lewis Weber, who led San Diego State University as President for 15 years, left a legacy of academic excellence and service. Born on March 17, 1942, he also left this world on St. Patrick’s Day in 2024.
During his tenure, SDSU led the nation in improved graduation rates. Weber also raised academic standards, diversified the campus, and pioneered programs to help veterans and low-income, first-generation college students enter SDSU. He chaired the NCAA executive committee, AVID, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. After his diagnosis with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, he published a collection of essays and continued to support charities, as well as his beloved Aztecs sports teams, throughout his life.
JOHN FISTERE, JR., Engineer, humanitarian, and broadcaster on ECM’s radio show
John Fistere, a news broadcaster on the East County Magazine Radio Show, died July 26 at age 89 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. A long-time La Mesa resident, Fistere served in the U.S. Navy and then had a 40-year career in engineering, ending with his retirement from Solar Turbines, Inc.
He served as president of Rotary Club in La Mesa, founded the East County Physics Meetup, co-founded the Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation, and published a software program to help prostate cancer survivors track results. He also served as President of San Diego Festival Chorus and Unity San Diego, leaving a lasting impact on our community.
JIM WIEBOLT, Sheriff’s deputy and La Mesa Civic Leader
A respected deputy in the San Diego County Sheriff's Crime Prevention Unit for more than a dozen years, James “Jim” Warren Wieboldt died on Dec. 7 at age 67. Wiebolt was also a civic and business community leader, serving as founding chairman of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the city’s Parking Commission, and Chair of the La Mesa Centennial Project’s Events and Calendar Committee. He was also active in the La Mesa Village Merchants Association.
A graduate of Grossmont High School in 1975, he later earned a degree in criminal justice from National University in San Diego and owned several businesses. He also ran for La Mesa Mayor, City Council and Treasurer.
BECCA TAYLOR, San Diego County Democratic Chair
Rebecca “Becca” Taylor, Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, died in July of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Utah.
She served in the U.S. Navy, where she volunteered as an advocate for sexual assault victims. She founded and served as first chair of the Veterans Caucus for California Young Democrats in 2014. She also worked with Serving Seniors, on the board of directors of the Ocean Beach Town Council, and as secretary of the Metro West Area Caucus. In addition, she was a volunteer manager with the San Diego Rapid Response Network, helping asylum seekers. Acting party chair Kyle Krahel-Frolander said of Taylor, “She embodied the best of us.”
ADALBERT “DEL” CONNOR, WWII veteran
Adalbert Connor, a World War II veteran who participated in many significant battles as part of the “greatest generation, passed away on November 10 at age 103.
In the U.S. Army, he participated in multiple beach landings in the East Indies, including Leyte, Luzon, and Japan. Rising to the rank of sergeant, he returned home in 1946 with immense pride in his service to his country. He obtained a teaching degree from San Diego State University and later, worked for the Money Mutual of New York insurance agency. He resided in Allied Gardens for over 70 years.
ROB DEASON, retired teacherRob Deason, a retired teacher in the San Diego Unified School District and husband of Deerhorn Valley Antler publisher Kim Hamilton, died January 2 after a long illness
Deason studied liberal arts at California Western University. A talented woodworker, he also studied woodworking and electronics at San Diego State University California. He married Hamilton in 1987.His articles and photos on backcountry life appeared in the Deerhorn Valley Antler. After losing their barn in the Harris wildfire in 2007, Deason built a new art and music studio, Casa Calibri, that has doubled as meeting space for the Deerhorn Valley Community Association and a pickup site for CSA farm boxes. "Rob loved having people just stop by a stay a while. Lots of good community vibes," Hamilton told ECM.
KATALINA “KATY” FRAUSTO AGUILAR, HVAC industry trail blazer
Katy Aguilar, a trailblazer in the HVAC industry, died January 29 in a car crash in El Cajon, leaving behind a wife and three children. She attained national recognition in business as among the top 1% of HVAC technicians in the U.S. and inspired women to attain success in the male-dominated field.
She made a national impact, inspiring women by proving that women can achieve success in the male-dominated trade. She achieved recognition as the top 1% of HVAC technicians in the U.S. and continued to break records year after year. She was known for devotion to her family, her sense of humor, enthusiasm as a Dodgers fan, and for helping others in need.
San Carlos resident and wheelchair dancer Isaac Whiting
Isaac Paul Whiting, 43, died on Decembr 8 due to oxygen related issues following chronic asthma complications after contracting COVID in 2020.
Whiting grew up in East County. He started High School in Clairemont as a middle schooler and graduated from Helix High School in East County. He later attended Cuyamaca College and Grossmont College, but was unable to attend for most of the past year.
Confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida, he began wheelchair dancing in his mid-twenties. He eventually danced with singer Jason Mraz in the Wheelchair Dancers Organization (WDO). He attended church religiously in San Carlos and El Cajon. His favorite color was green and he enjoyed books and concerts such as Weird Al as well as camping in Seattle near his father.
He is survived by his parents, sister and a grandmother.
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