David Glover was one of the first mentors I had after I started work in the City of Oakland after grad school at Berkeley. I got the word the former Oakland Citizens Committee For Urban Renewal (OCCUR) Executive Director passed on Wednesday and at the young age of 60, after a battle with cancer he waged for quite a while.
David is not someone you “remember,” but someone you experience. A man with a deep, melodic baratone voice, David was always equal parts warm, instructive, focused, thoughtful, entertaining, caring, and funny. But what he was most of all, aside from being a great family man, was a champion of improving Oakland, particularly for those Oaklanders, or anyone, who were less fortunate.
There was a long stretch of time where David and I had lunch every week during the late 80’s and through the 90s. That was when I was an intern with the Oakland Redevelopment Agency, then a Columnist for The Montclarion, and then Economic Advisor To Elihu Harris, the Mayor of Oakland.
We talked Oakland politics, swapped gossip,and shared ideas. And as the years went by, he talked more about his wife and kids. And all the time there was good news to share. David was never really railing upset about anything, even when he was pissed about something the Mayor was doing – it was always measured.
I have to beat myself up here for allowing that I lost touch with David, and for no reason other than just the passage and change of life. That’s not a good excuse, but it’s the truth. Good people should never be allowed to escape your regular contact – social media is not enough.
David, I will miss you. But you’re always around. You represent the Soul of Oakland.