Don Horsley, former supervisor and sheriff, dies

“This is a very sad day for San Mateo County. Don Horsley was a remarkable man and a tireless public servant who always focused on helping the underserved. He was always there with advice (spend more time on the coastside!) but was never pushy. I’m going to miss him,” Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, said on social media.

Berman’s Assembly district covers the coast.

“Don Horsley was an exemplary public servant and we are diminished by his loss. His contributions to our county and state will continue to bear fruit and for that we should all be grateful,” Assembymember Diane Papan, D-San Mateo, said on social media.

State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, said Horsley made a profound impact in the Sheriff’s Office, the Sequoia Healthcare District and the Board of Supervisors.

“Don was a pioneering figure in San Mateo County and devoted public servant that improved the lives of so many people in our community in every capacity in which he served,” Becker said on social media.

Horsley was a juvenile counselor, teacher and beat cop, whose early days in both San Francisco and Daly City shaped his later work. His father was a laborer in the San Francisco produce markets and had a debilitating stroke when the younger Horsley was 12. He attended Westmoor High School in Daly City and San Francisco State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree. After work as a counselor for the San Mateo County Probation Department and as a middle school teacher, we began work for the Pacifica Police Department, then the Sheriff’s Office in 1972. Seeing his grandmother confined to a mental hospital had a lasting impact and created an interest in aiding those with similar situations, according to a county press release.

Former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier said his death was profoundly saddening as he was a public servant to his cores and a wise man and a gentleman.

“He made an enormous difference over decades on behalf of the people of San Mateo County,” Speier said in an email. “The people knew Don as an honest and earnest advocate for his perspective, which typically began with a concern about persons on limited income or those struggling to recover from mental illness.”

Speier said she recently toured the new psychiatric facility emerging at the site of the county’s Cordilleras facility and that it was a living monument to him.

"True to Don's vision, it will provide modern, specialized care in small, secured, residential settings. Over time, thousands will benefit from Don's advocacy for this important population of our residents. His administration of the jail was both difficult and inspiring,” Speier said, adding that service as a school teacher should not be overlooked. “I'm certain his former students remember him with fondness. We should all do so well as Don Horsley. He was a leader like few, and an inspiration to all who knew him.”

While serving on the Board of Supervisors, Horsley’s priorities included improving mental health services, expanding access to county parks and open spaces, curbing gun violence, providing more beds and services to those experiencing homelessness and improving emergency preparedness.

“Don was a class act and a man who cared a great deal about the most vulnerable in our community,” County Executive Mike Callagy said in the press release. “He served a distinguished career that spanned more than 40 years in this county, and he was a good friend to many of us.”

U.S Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, also highlighted Horsley’s four decades of service, in a prepared statement.

”Throughout his career in law enforcement and as a member of the Board of Supervisors he demonstrated thoughtful leadership and an ideal temperament for governing. Consequently, he was widely respected by his peers and the constituents he represented,” Mullin said. “I enjoyed partnering with him on coastal issues while serving in the Assembly and always appreciated the perspective he brought to the table. My condolences to his family during this difficult time."