In Memoriam: Sam Williamson

Sam Williamson, a former Oceanside City Council member who helped bring a harbor to north San Diego County and was part of the team overseeing the rebuild of a local pier after being destroyed by El Niño, has reportedly died. He was 80.

Sources said Williamson passed away Jan. 8 after losing a battle with cancer. He was elected to the City Council in 1984 and served eight years. During his time on the dais the council oversaw the rebuilding of the city’s pier, which was effectively destroyed after a series of bad winters in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Prior to his time on the council Williamson was an active member with the Oceanside Jaycees and the city’s Chamber of Commerce. He was also part of the delegation campaigning to have a harbor built within city limits in the 1950s.

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