Very sad news. I know mostly only of local interest, but anyway…
Brian O’Neill, superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, died today after a few days in the hospital. I saw him for the last time a week and a half ago at the Farmer’s Market and didn’t say hi because I didn’t want to bother him.
He was a really great guy, so affable that a number of people I know referred to him as “the teddy bear in the flat hat,” and he knew a great deal about how to run a park and get things done through (or despite) the NPS bureaucracy. He really deeply cared about protecting the park and helping people enjoy and make the best of their access to the park. I’ll never forget how passionate he was about making sure city kids could get to spend time in a natural environment.
We will all be poorer for his passing.
