In Memoriam: Former Mayor Victor Calvo Passes at 86

Former Councilmember and Mayor Victor Calvo passed away at home surrounded by family on Sept. 26, 2010. The 86-year-old served on the City Council and as mayor between 1961 and 1969.

"With the passing of Victor Calvo, we have lost an extraordinarily accomplished public servant," said City Manager Kevin Duggan. "He was a respected and dedicated Mayor and Councilmember for Mountain View, whose contributions reached from Mountain View to throughout the State. He will be missed."

Born on Feb. 13, 1924 in Mountain View, Calvo gave the valedictorian speech at his alma mater of Mountain View High School from where he graduated in 1942 – the same year he volunteered for the Army Air Corps.

Stationed in Cerignola, Italy during World War II, he served as a combat pilot in the Army Air Force and flew more than 25 missions over Germany, including additional, never recorded top-secret missions. When Calvo returned from the war, he attended Stanford University and graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science.

Calvo's 32 years of public service to the state of California began in 1957, with his appointed to the Mountain View Planning Commission. Elected to the Mountain View City Council in 1961 and re‐elected in 1966, Calvo served three one‐year terms as mayor and during his tenure, served as an elected member of the Bay Area Governments Executive Committee.

He ran for and won a seat on the five-member team of the Santa Clara County Supervisors and served from 1968 to 1974. Elected in 1974 to the State Assembly, he represented the 21st District that included Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Stanford. Appointed by then Governor, Jerry Brown, he served on the California Public Utilities Commission from 1980 to 1986 and then on the California Coastal Commission from 1987 to 1989.

Among his many other accomplishments, Calvo was instrumental in the creation of Shoreline Park in Mountain View and in recent years, he served as a dedicated member of the "greens committee" at Shoreline Golf Links.

While Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Resources, Land Use, and Energy, he led the defense of environmental quality laws in California. He worked to protect California's forests and authored legislation on coastal conservation, nuclear safety, farmland preservation, solar energy, and clean water and air.

ʺVictor Calvoʹs early commitment to open space and the environment in Mountain View helped to lay the groundwork for many City environmental sustainability goals that continue to enhance our community to this day," said Mountain View Mayor Ronit Bryant. "His committed public service and vision lives on."

Calvo is survived by his wife Nellie Catherine Quintero‐Calvo; his five children Suzanna, Victor, Peter, Theodore, and Mary; 12 grandchildren; a brother and two sisters.

A Memorial Service will be held on Oct. 18, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. at Rengstorff House. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be sent to a charity of your choice.