Lou Papan, 78, dies

Papan, known as "Dean of the Assembly,” was a Democrat who represented San Mateo County from 1972-1986. He was elected Assembly speaker pro Tempore in 1974, according to a campaign Web site.

In the Assembly, Papan was a strong ally of former Assembly speaker Willie Brown and was given the nickname of "The Enforcer” as chair of the state Assembly Rules Committee.

In 1986, he left to unsuccessfully run against Quentin Kopp, an independent, for his eighth district Senate seat which represented both portions of San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

After the loss, he served again in the Assembly from 1996-2002. He always received a large percentage of the electorate’s votes and was considered a friend to local governments.

A portion of Highway 1 from Daly City to Pacifica was named after Papan.

In one of his last political hurrahs, Papan authored a bill that would give millions of Bay Area residents control over their water by establishing the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, a regional district for residents of Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties. The bill was to provide power to counties whose water use was before regulated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

He also had a reputation for sparring with opponents and was once criticized by former state Sen. Jackie Speier, for his opposition to one of her bills that would ensure more consumer financial privacy during her term.

Papan served in the U.S. Army in World War II and the Air Force during the Korean War, and worked as an agent for the FBI, according to a biography posted online.

Born in Springfield, Mass., Papan was named Elias Papandricoupolos, according to a campaign Web site. His name was mistakenly listed on his birth certificate as Louis because the doctor who delivered him was not familiar with the name Elias, according to the campaign Web site. Papan spoke only Greek before he entered school.

Papan also served as a Daly City councilman, real estate broker and insurance agent.

In 2002, his daughter Gina Papan, an attorney with the state Department of Justice, was defeated in her quest to take her father’s seat by then-South San Francisco mayor Gene Mullin. Mullin was pushed to run by Speier after redistricting forced former candidate Mike Nevin out of the district.

Some Nevin and Mullin supporters asked for additional security after Papan made some remarks during Gina Papan’s concession that some interpreted to be threatening.

Gina Papan, currently a member of the Millbrae City Council, is considering running for the seat once Mullin’s term is up.

In 2006 the 77-year-old Papan fell short in his bid for the

Democratic nomination for District 8 state Senate seat and some considered his candidacy as a revenge tactic since Nevin was also running for the seat. Nevin also lost to then assemblyman Leland Yee.

"Today we lost a champion for our elders and our children, especially those with special needs. I am honored to have known Assemblyman Lou Papan and to be following in his footsteps serving San Mateo County. As a legislator who has focused on the mental health needs of children, I admire Lou’s decades of service and advocacy. Many of the services and programs available today for kids with disabilities are a result of Assemblyman Papan’s efforts. My thoughts are with the Papan family during this difficult time,” Yee said in a statement Sunday.

Information on funeral arrangements and a family statement would come later, said Peninsula Medical Center spokeswoman Margie O’Clair. Papan’s family members have requested privacy during the passing.