William Robert Holcomb's parents were:
Mayor Grant Holcomb, b. Oct. 8, 1888 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Feb. 5, 1943 in
San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. &
Eleanor Frances 'Nellie' Burkham, b. Jul. 1888 in Inyo County, CA. and d. Oct. 17, 1926 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA.
William was a fourth- generation descendent of William F. Holcomb, who discovered gold around Big Bear Lake.
According to his Jun. 30, 1942 WWII Draft Registration card, 20 yr. old William Robert Holcomb was b. Mar. 1, 1922 in San Bernardino, CA. He was working at the Richmond Shipyard in Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA. His next of kin was his father, Grant Holcomb.
William was described as 6' tall, weighing 169 lbs., with a light complexion, blue eyes and blond hair.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany. Serving in the 8th Air Force in World War II he received eight air medals.
William married Pearl 'Penny' Lois Pennington, who was b. Mar. 3, 1924 in Ontario, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Mar. 19, 2011 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA..
Pearl was the only child of John Pennington & Ada Stewart.
William & Pearl 'Penny' (Pennington) Holcomb's children were:
1. John Stewart 'Jay' Holcomb, b. Feb. 22, 1947 in Berkeley, Alameda, CA. and d. Oct. 22, 1979 in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA.
2. William Robert Holcomb (wife - Debby)
3. Robert Grant Holcomb (wife - Julie).
4. Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead
The Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), Nov. 29, 2010
Ex-Mayor of San Bernardino Dies at 88
William Robert Holcomb, who helmed San Bernardino’s city government through parts of three decades and remains the city’s longest-serving mayor, died of heart failure Monday at the VA medical center in Loma Linda. He was 88.
Holcomb, a San Bernardino native descended from a city pioneer and a former mayor, served as mayor of San Bernardino from 1971 until 1985 and again from 1989 until 1993. In those 20 years, he established himself as an aggressive city booster and oversaw several major developments and milestones.
“His passing is the passing of an era,” said Mayor Pat Morris, whom Holcomb appointed to city commissions. “It’s the passing of a truly great leader for our city.”
Holcomb started in politics as a water commissioner. In that position, rather than as mayor, he secured what is perhaps his greatest accomplishment: securing local water rights for San Bernardino.
In 1964, voters in the eastern San Bernardino Valley had the choice to join the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District or keep the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District separate.
Holcomb was a key campaigner for maintaining the local district’s independence.
“He was the one-man army, general, lawyer, promoter for that,” said former city council member Betty Dean Anderson, a longtime Holcomb supporter. “He is the one who saved San Bernardino from … the city of Los Angeles.”
At the time, the publisher of The Sun was in favor of the district merger, so Holcomb started his own weekly publication, Morris said.
“He created his own little weekly newspaper to tell the story of why we needed to keep our local water rights,” he said. “Our ability to grow our economy locally, without concern about an adequate water supply, has been made possible by his tenacity and advocacy.”
Former city council member Esther Estrada, who said she had some unpleasant run-ins with Holcomb in the mid-1970s, gave Holcomb credit for keeping water rights local.
“I think this valley will forever be indebted to Bob Holcomb for beating the L.A. water district when L.A. was trying to steal our water,” Estrada said. “He was probably the most knowledgeable person on the issue of redevelopment and water that I’ve ever known. … He was a rough and tough political opponent, but he knew a lot.”
During his tenure as mayor, the city saw the opening of new amenities, including the Little League Western Regional Headquarters, San Bernardino City Hall, the county government center and the Central City Mall – now called Carousel Mall.
City leaders remember Holcomb as a relentless booster for the city.
“He was committed to the San Bernardino Valley and was committed completely to salvaging this as a first-rate town,” Anderson said.
Morris, who said he has called on Holcomb for advice over the past five years, said Holcomb’s “devotion to the city was never-ending.”
Born in San Bernardino in 1922, Holcomb graduated from San Bernardino High School. His father, Grant Holcomb, was mayor of San Bernardino from 1925 to 1927.
Holcomb went to UC Berkeley and served for three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany.
Holcomb is survived by his wife, as well as three children: Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, William Holcomb and Robert Holcomb. Another son, Jay Holcomb, died in 1977.
The family has not yet made funeral arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, CA.), Nov. 30, 2010
Today we remember one of San Bernardino’s lions – former Mayor William Robert “Bob” Holcomb, who died of heart failure Monday at age 88.
Holcomb’s roots ran deep in San Bernardino, where his family has lived for generations, and city politics was his business before he could read or write. Three years after his birth in 1922, his father, Grant Holcomb, became mayor.
He followed his father’s footsteps in 1971, and began his first of two turns as San Bernardino mayor. By the time his second mayoral reign ended, in 1993, Holcomb had established himself as a tireless advocate for the city he believed in.
But he began leaving his fingerprints on San Bernardino years before taking the reins at City Hall. Thanks to his foresight and determination, the San Bernardino Valley has been protected from the water crisis that has gripped much of the state in recent years. In 1964, when almost every power player in town wanted to join the giant Metropolitan Water District, Holcomb nearly single-handedly convinced voters to preserve the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and retain local control over our abundant water supply.
Holcomb is also credited with drawing the California State University system to San Bernardino’s north end, securing regional access to higher education.
His three decades as a water commissioner and elected official were marked by the expected highs and lows of a modern-day city – in 1977, San Bernardino was named an All-America City.
But in the 1980's, gang activity, economic decline and blight began taking their toll on the city. Santa Fe Railway, with roots in the community that extended back to pioneer days, folded its operation in the city in 1992. That same year, Norton Air Force Base, which anchored the city’s economy for almost 50 years, started its long shutdown.
Despite these challenges, Holcomb enjoyed other successes, such as the development of Hospitality Lane into a “restaurant row,” the introduction of minor league baseball to San Bernardino, the construction of City Hall and the county government center, and the installation of an 11-foot statue of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., which earned national attention.
Today, our condolences go to Holcomb’s wife, Penny, and children Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, and William and Robert Holcomb, who graciously shared him with San Bernardino residents for so many years.
Holcomb will be remembered for his passion, his vision and his spot-on instincts. His dedication to making San Bernardino a first-rate city serves as an inspiration for all who are in office today.
Press-Enterprise, Dec. 1, 2020
Local News: SAN BERNARDINO: City's Longest Serving Mayor, Bob Holcomb, Dies
W. R. “Bob” Holcomb, a bomber co-pilot-turned-attorney who went on to become San Bernardino’s longest-serving mayor, championed civil rights and led a campaign that kept the city’s water supply
independent, has died at age 88.
Mr. Holcomb died of heart failure Monday afternoon at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized for about a month for complications of pneumonia, his
daughter said.
A funeral service is scheduled at 10 a.m. Dec. 9 at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on 17th Street. He will be cremated. The family has suggested charitable donations in lieu of flowers.
W.R. “Bob” Holcomb
“He was a brilliant man,” City Clerk Rachel Clark said by phone Tuesday. “He had a deep and abiding love for our city — his city.” “He used to say, ‘If you can turn a city like San Bernardino
around, you could turn any city around,’ ” recalled Mr. Holcomb’s daughter, Terri Holcomb-Halstead, of San Bernardino.
Mr. Holcomb served two stretches as San Bernardino’s mayor, from 1971 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1993. Those 18 years total more time than any other mayor in the city’s history.
During his time as mayor, San Bernardino lured the regional headquarters of Little League baseball, refitted one shopping mall and built another, and secured a California State University campus. San Bernardino was named an All-America City in the nation’s bicentennial year.
“He was visionary,” Clark said. “I say that in the sense that, for example, he envisioned the (city’s) transit agency as a regional entity and forged alliances with the neighboring cities to create what is now known as Omnitrans,” the regional transportation agency.
“He was its first chairman,” she said.
Mayor Grant Holcomb, b. Oct. 8, 1888 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Feb. 5, 1943 in
San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. &
Eleanor Frances 'Nellie' Burkham, b. Jul. 1888 in Inyo County, CA. and d. Oct. 17, 1926 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA.
William was a fourth- generation descendent of William F. Holcomb, who discovered gold around Big Bear Lake.
According to his Jun. 30, 1942 WWII Draft Registration card, 20 yr. old William Robert Holcomb was b. Mar. 1, 1922 in San Bernardino, CA. He was working at the Richmond Shipyard in Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA. His next of kin was his father, Grant Holcomb.
William was described as 6' tall, weighing 169 lbs., with a light complexion, blue eyes and blond hair.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany. Serving in the 8th Air Force in World War II he received eight air medals.
William married Pearl 'Penny' Lois Pennington, who was b. Mar. 3, 1924 in Ontario, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Mar. 19, 2011 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA..
Pearl was the only child of John Pennington & Ada Stewart.
William & Pearl 'Penny' (Pennington) Holcomb's children were:
1. John Stewart 'Jay' Holcomb, b. Feb. 22, 1947 in Berkeley, Alameda, CA. and d. Oct. 22, 1979 in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA.
2. William Robert Holcomb (wife - Debby)
3. Robert Grant Holcomb (wife - Julie).
4. Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead
The Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), Nov. 29, 2010
Ex-Mayor of San Bernardino Dies at 88
William Robert Holcomb, who helmed San Bernardino’s city government through parts of three decades and remains the city’s longest-serving mayor, died of heart failure Monday at the VA medical center in Loma Linda. He was 88.
Holcomb, a San Bernardino native descended from a city pioneer and a former mayor, served as mayor of San Bernardino from 1971 until 1985 and again from 1989 until 1993. In those 20 years, he established himself as an aggressive city booster and oversaw several major developments and milestones.
“His passing is the passing of an era,” said Mayor Pat Morris, whom Holcomb appointed to city commissions. “It’s the passing of a truly great leader for our city.”
Holcomb started in politics as a water commissioner. In that position, rather than as mayor, he secured what is perhaps his greatest accomplishment: securing local water rights for San Bernardino.
In 1964, voters in the eastern San Bernardino Valley had the choice to join the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District or keep the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District separate.
Holcomb was a key campaigner for maintaining the local district’s independence.
“He was the one-man army, general, lawyer, promoter for that,” said former city council member Betty Dean Anderson, a longtime Holcomb supporter. “He is the one who saved San Bernardino from … the city of Los Angeles.”
At the time, the publisher of The Sun was in favor of the district merger, so Holcomb started his own weekly publication, Morris said.
“He created his own little weekly newspaper to tell the story of why we needed to keep our local water rights,” he said. “Our ability to grow our economy locally, without concern about an adequate water supply, has been made possible by his tenacity and advocacy.”
Former city council member Esther Estrada, who said she had some unpleasant run-ins with Holcomb in the mid-1970s, gave Holcomb credit for keeping water rights local.
“I think this valley will forever be indebted to Bob Holcomb for beating the L.A. water district when L.A. was trying to steal our water,” Estrada said. “He was probably the most knowledgeable person on the issue of redevelopment and water that I’ve ever known. … He was a rough and tough political opponent, but he knew a lot.”
During his tenure as mayor, the city saw the opening of new amenities, including the Little League Western Regional Headquarters, San Bernardino City Hall, the county government center and the Central City Mall – now called Carousel Mall.
City leaders remember Holcomb as a relentless booster for the city.
“He was committed to the San Bernardino Valley and was committed completely to salvaging this as a first-rate town,” Anderson said.
Morris, who said he has called on Holcomb for advice over the past five years, said Holcomb’s “devotion to the city was never-ending.”
Born in San Bernardino in 1922, Holcomb graduated from San Bernardino High School. His father, Grant Holcomb, was mayor of San Bernardino from 1925 to 1927.
Holcomb went to UC Berkeley and served for three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany.
Holcomb is survived by his wife, as well as three children: Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, William Holcomb and Robert Holcomb. Another son, Jay Holcomb, died in 1977.
The family has not yet made funeral arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, CA.), Nov. 30, 2010
Today we remember one of San Bernardino’s lions – former Mayor William Robert “Bob” Holcomb, who died of heart failure Monday at age 88.
Holcomb’s roots ran deep in San Bernardino, where his family has lived for generations, and city politics was his business before he could read or write. Three years after his birth in 1922, his father, Grant Holcomb, became mayor.
He followed his father’s footsteps in 1971, and began his first of two turns as San Bernardino mayor. By the time his second mayoral reign ended, in 1993, Holcomb had established himself as a tireless advocate for the city he believed in.
But he began leaving his fingerprints on San Bernardino years before taking the reins at City Hall. Thanks to his foresight and determination, the San Bernardino Valley has been protected from the water crisis that has gripped much of the state in recent years. In 1964, when almost every power player in town wanted to join the giant Metropolitan Water District, Holcomb nearly single-handedly convinced voters to preserve the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and retain local control over our abundant water supply.
Holcomb is also credited with drawing the California State University system to San Bernardino’s north end, securing regional access to higher education.
His three decades as a water commissioner and elected official were marked by the expected highs and lows of a modern-day city – in 1977, San Bernardino was named an All-America City.
But in the 1980's, gang activity, economic decline and blight began taking their toll on the city. Santa Fe Railway, with roots in the community that extended back to pioneer days, folded its operation in the city in 1992. That same year, Norton Air Force Base, which anchored the city’s economy for almost 50 years, started its long shutdown.
Despite these challenges, Holcomb enjoyed other successes, such as the development of Hospitality Lane into a “restaurant row,” the introduction of minor league baseball to San Bernardino, the construction of City Hall and the county government center, and the installation of an 11-foot statue of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., which earned national attention.
Today, our condolences go to Holcomb’s wife, Penny, and children Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, and William and Robert Holcomb, who graciously shared him with San Bernardino residents for so many years.
Holcomb will be remembered for his passion, his vision and his spot-on instincts. His dedication to making San Bernardino a first-rate city serves as an inspiration for all who are in office today.
Press-Enterprise, Dec. 1, 2020
Local News: SAN BERNARDINO: City's Longest Serving Mayor, Bob Holcomb, Dies
W. R. “Bob” Holcomb, a bomber co-pilot-turned-attorney who went on to become San Bernardino’s longest-serving mayor, championed civil rights and led a campaign that kept the city’s water supply
independent, has died at age 88.
Mr. Holcomb died of heart failure Monday afternoon at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized for about a month for complications of pneumonia, his
daughter said.
A funeral service is scheduled at 10 a.m. Dec. 9 at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on 17th Street. He will be cremated. The family has suggested charitable donations in lieu of flowers.
W.R. “Bob” Holcomb
“He was a brilliant man,” City Clerk Rachel Clark said by phone Tuesday. “He had a deep and abiding love for our city — his city.” “He used to say, ‘If you can turn a city like San Bernardino
around, you could turn any city around,’ ” recalled Mr. Holcomb’s daughter, Terri Holcomb-Halstead, of San Bernardino.
Mr. Holcomb served two stretches as San Bernardino’s mayor, from 1971 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1993. Those 18 years total more time than any other mayor in the city’s history.
During his time as mayor, San Bernardino lured the regional headquarters of Little League baseball, refitted one shopping mall and built another, and secured a California State University campus. San Bernardino was named an All-America City in the nation’s bicentennial year.
“He was visionary,” Clark said. “I say that in the sense that, for example, he envisioned the (city’s) transit agency as a regional entity and forged alliances with the neighboring cities to create what is now known as Omnitrans,” the regional transportation agency.
“He was its first chairman,” she said.
William Robert Holcomb's parents were:
Mayor Grant Holcomb, b. Oct. 8, 1888 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Feb. 5, 1943 in
San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. &
Eleanor Frances 'Nellie' Burkham, b. Jul. 1888 in Inyo County, CA. and d. Oct. 17, 1926 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA.
William was a fourth- generation descendent of William F. Holcomb, who discovered gold around Big Bear Lake.
According to his Jun. 30, 1942 WWII Draft Registration card, 20 yr. old William Robert Holcomb was b. Mar. 1, 1922 in San Bernardino, CA. He was working at the Richmond Shipyard in Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA. His next of kin was his father, Grant Holcomb.
William was described as 6' tall, weighing 169 lbs., with a light complexion, blue eyes and blond hair.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany. Serving in the 8th Air Force in World War II he received eight air medals.
William married Pearl 'Penny' Lois Pennington, who was b. Mar. 3, 1924 in Ontario, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Mar. 19, 2011 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA..
Pearl was the only child of John Pennington & Ada Stewart.
William & Pearl 'Penny' (Pennington) Holcomb's children were:
1. John Stewart 'Jay' Holcomb, b. Feb. 22, 1947 in Berkeley, Alameda, CA. and d. Oct. 22, 1979 in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA.
2. William Robert Holcomb (wife - Debby)
3. Robert Grant Holcomb (wife - Julie).
4. Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead
The Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), Nov. 29, 2010
Ex-Mayor of San Bernardino Dies at 88
William Robert Holcomb, who helmed San Bernardino’s city government through parts of three decades and remains the city’s longest-serving mayor, died of heart failure Monday at the VA medical center in Loma Linda. He was 88.
Holcomb, a San Bernardino native descended from a city pioneer and a former mayor, served as mayor of San Bernardino from 1971 until 1985 and again from 1989 until 1993. In those 20 years, he established himself as an aggressive city booster and oversaw several major developments and milestones.
“His passing is the passing of an era,” said Mayor Pat Morris, whom Holcomb appointed to city commissions. “It’s the passing of a truly great leader for our city.”
Holcomb started in politics as a water commissioner. In that position, rather than as mayor, he secured what is perhaps his greatest accomplishment: securing local water rights for San Bernardino.
In 1964, voters in the eastern San Bernardino Valley had the choice to join the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District or keep the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District separate.
Holcomb was a key campaigner for maintaining the local district’s independence.
“He was the one-man army, general, lawyer, promoter for that,” said former city council member Betty Dean Anderson, a longtime Holcomb supporter. “He is the one who saved San Bernardino from … the city of Los Angeles.”
At the time, the publisher of The Sun was in favor of the district merger, so Holcomb started his own weekly publication, Morris said.
“He created his own little weekly newspaper to tell the story of why we needed to keep our local water rights,” he said. “Our ability to grow our economy locally, without concern about an adequate water supply, has been made possible by his tenacity and advocacy.”
Former city council member Esther Estrada, who said she had some unpleasant run-ins with Holcomb in the mid-1970s, gave Holcomb credit for keeping water rights local.
“I think this valley will forever be indebted to Bob Holcomb for beating the L.A. water district when L.A. was trying to steal our water,” Estrada said. “He was probably the most knowledgeable person on the issue of redevelopment and water that I’ve ever known. … He was a rough and tough political opponent, but he knew a lot.”
During his tenure as mayor, the city saw the opening of new amenities, including the Little League Western Regional Headquarters, San Bernardino City Hall, the county government center and the Central City Mall – now called Carousel Mall.
City leaders remember Holcomb as a relentless booster for the city.
“He was committed to the San Bernardino Valley and was committed completely to salvaging this as a first-rate town,” Anderson said.
Morris, who said he has called on Holcomb for advice over the past five years, said Holcomb’s “devotion to the city was never-ending.”
Born in San Bernardino in 1922, Holcomb graduated from San Bernardino High School. His father, Grant Holcomb, was mayor of San Bernardino from 1925 to 1927.
Holcomb went to UC Berkeley and served for three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany.
Holcomb is survived by his wife, as well as three children: Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, William Holcomb and Robert Holcomb. Another son, Jay Holcomb, died in 1977.
The family has not yet made funeral arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, CA.), Nov. 30, 2010
Today we remember one of San Bernardino’s lions – former Mayor William Robert “Bob” Holcomb, who died of heart failure Monday at age 88.
Holcomb’s roots ran deep in San Bernardino, where his family has lived for generations, and city politics was his business before he could read or write. Three years after his birth in 1922, his father, Grant Holcomb, became mayor.
He followed his father’s footsteps in 1971, and began his first of two turns as San Bernardino mayor. By the time his second mayoral reign ended, in 1993, Holcomb had established himself as a tireless advocate for the city he believed in.
But he began leaving his fingerprints on San Bernardino years before taking the reins at City Hall. Thanks to his foresight and determination, the San Bernardino Valley has been protected from the water crisis that has gripped much of the state in recent years. In 1964, when almost every power player in town wanted to join the giant Metropolitan Water District, Holcomb nearly single-handedly convinced voters to preserve the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and retain local control over our abundant water supply.
Holcomb is also credited with drawing the California State University system to San Bernardino’s north end, securing regional access to higher education.
His three decades as a water commissioner and elected official were marked by the expected highs and lows of a modern-day city – in 1977, San Bernardino was named an All-America City.
But in the 1980's, gang activity, economic decline and blight began taking their toll on the city. Santa Fe Railway, with roots in the community that extended back to pioneer days, folded its operation in the city in 1992. That same year, Norton Air Force Base, which anchored the city’s economy for almost 50 years, started its long shutdown.
Despite these challenges, Holcomb enjoyed other successes, such as the development of Hospitality Lane into a “restaurant row,” the introduction of minor league baseball to San Bernardino, the construction of City Hall and the county government center, and the installation of an 11-foot statue of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., which earned national attention.
Today, our condolences go to Holcomb’s wife, Penny, and children Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, and William and Robert Holcomb, who graciously shared him with San Bernardino residents for so many years.
Holcomb will be remembered for his passion, his vision and his spot-on instincts. His dedication to making San Bernardino a first-rate city serves as an inspiration for all who are in office today.
Press-Enterprise, Dec. 1, 2020
Local News: SAN BERNARDINO: City's Longest Serving Mayor, Bob Holcomb, Dies
W. R. “Bob” Holcomb, a bomber co-pilot-turned-attorney who went on to become San Bernardino’s longest-serving mayor, championed civil rights and led a campaign that kept the city’s water supply
independent, has died at age 88.
Mr. Holcomb died of heart failure Monday afternoon at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized for about a month for complications of pneumonia, his
daughter said.
A funeral service is scheduled at 10 a.m. Dec. 9 at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on 17th Street. He will be cremated. The family has suggested charitable donations in lieu of flowers.
W.R. “Bob” Holcomb
“He was a brilliant man,” City Clerk Rachel Clark said by phone Tuesday. “He had a deep and abiding love for our city — his city.” “He used to say, ‘If you can turn a city like San Bernardino
around, you could turn any city around,’ ” recalled Mr. Holcomb’s daughter, Terri Holcomb-Halstead, of San Bernardino.
Mr. Holcomb served two stretches as San Bernardino’s mayor, from 1971 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1993. Those 18 years total more time than any other mayor in the city’s history.
During his time as mayor, San Bernardino lured the regional headquarters of Little League baseball, refitted one shopping mall and built another, and secured a California State University campus. San Bernardino was named an All-America City in the nation’s bicentennial year.
“He was visionary,” Clark said. “I say that in the sense that, for example, he envisioned the (city’s) transit agency as a regional entity and forged alliances with the neighboring cities to create what is now known as Omnitrans,” the regional transportation agency.
“He was its first chairman,” she said.
Mayor Grant Holcomb, b. Oct. 8, 1888 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Feb. 5, 1943 in
San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. &
Eleanor Frances 'Nellie' Burkham, b. Jul. 1888 in Inyo County, CA. and d. Oct. 17, 1926 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA.
William was a fourth- generation descendent of William F. Holcomb, who discovered gold around Big Bear Lake.
According to his Jun. 30, 1942 WWII Draft Registration card, 20 yr. old William Robert Holcomb was b. Mar. 1, 1922 in San Bernardino, CA. He was working at the Richmond Shipyard in Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA. His next of kin was his father, Grant Holcomb.
William was described as 6' tall, weighing 169 lbs., with a light complexion, blue eyes and blond hair.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany. Serving in the 8th Air Force in World War II he received eight air medals.
William married Pearl 'Penny' Lois Pennington, who was b. Mar. 3, 1924 in Ontario, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Mar. 19, 2011 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA..
Pearl was the only child of John Pennington & Ada Stewart.
William & Pearl 'Penny' (Pennington) Holcomb's children were:
1. John Stewart 'Jay' Holcomb, b. Feb. 22, 1947 in Berkeley, Alameda, CA. and d. Oct. 22, 1979 in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA.
2. William Robert Holcomb (wife - Debby)
3. Robert Grant Holcomb (wife - Julie).
4. Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead
The Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), Nov. 29, 2010
Ex-Mayor of San Bernardino Dies at 88
William Robert Holcomb, who helmed San Bernardino’s city government through parts of three decades and remains the city’s longest-serving mayor, died of heart failure Monday at the VA medical center in Loma Linda. He was 88.
Holcomb, a San Bernardino native descended from a city pioneer and a former mayor, served as mayor of San Bernardino from 1971 until 1985 and again from 1989 until 1993. In those 20 years, he established himself as an aggressive city booster and oversaw several major developments and milestones.
“His passing is the passing of an era,” said Mayor Pat Morris, whom Holcomb appointed to city commissions. “It’s the passing of a truly great leader for our city.”
Holcomb started in politics as a water commissioner. In that position, rather than as mayor, he secured what is perhaps his greatest accomplishment: securing local water rights for San Bernardino.
In 1964, voters in the eastern San Bernardino Valley had the choice to join the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District or keep the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District separate.
Holcomb was a key campaigner for maintaining the local district’s independence.
“He was the one-man army, general, lawyer, promoter for that,” said former city council member Betty Dean Anderson, a longtime Holcomb supporter. “He is the one who saved San Bernardino from … the city of Los Angeles.”
At the time, the publisher of The Sun was in favor of the district merger, so Holcomb started his own weekly publication, Morris said.
“He created his own little weekly newspaper to tell the story of why we needed to keep our local water rights,” he said. “Our ability to grow our economy locally, without concern about an adequate water supply, has been made possible by his tenacity and advocacy.”
Former city council member Esther Estrada, who said she had some unpleasant run-ins with Holcomb in the mid-1970s, gave Holcomb credit for keeping water rights local.
“I think this valley will forever be indebted to Bob Holcomb for beating the L.A. water district when L.A. was trying to steal our water,” Estrada said. “He was probably the most knowledgeable person on the issue of redevelopment and water that I’ve ever known. … He was a rough and tough political opponent, but he knew a lot.”
During his tenure as mayor, the city saw the opening of new amenities, including the Little League Western Regional Headquarters, San Bernardino City Hall, the county government center and the Central City Mall – now called Carousel Mall.
City leaders remember Holcomb as a relentless booster for the city.
“He was committed to the San Bernardino Valley and was committed completely to salvaging this as a first-rate town,” Anderson said.
Morris, who said he has called on Holcomb for advice over the past five years, said Holcomb’s “devotion to the city was never-ending.”
Born in San Bernardino in 1922, Holcomb graduated from San Bernardino High School. His father, Grant Holcomb, was mayor of San Bernardino from 1925 to 1927.
Holcomb went to UC Berkeley and served for three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
As a co-pilot, he flew bombing missions from England to Germany.
Holcomb is survived by his wife, as well as three children: Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, William Holcomb and Robert Holcomb. Another son, Jay Holcomb, died in 1977.
The family has not yet made funeral arrangements.
Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, CA.), Nov. 30, 2010
Today we remember one of San Bernardino’s lions – former Mayor William Robert “Bob” Holcomb, who died of heart failure Monday at age 88.
Holcomb’s roots ran deep in San Bernardino, where his family has lived for generations, and city politics was his business before he could read or write. Three years after his birth in 1922, his father, Grant Holcomb, became mayor.
He followed his father’s footsteps in 1971, and began his first of two turns as San Bernardino mayor. By the time his second mayoral reign ended, in 1993, Holcomb had established himself as a tireless advocate for the city he believed in.
But he began leaving his fingerprints on San Bernardino years before taking the reins at City Hall. Thanks to his foresight and determination, the San Bernardino Valley has been protected from the water crisis that has gripped much of the state in recent years. In 1964, when almost every power player in town wanted to join the giant Metropolitan Water District, Holcomb nearly single-handedly convinced voters to preserve the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and retain local control over our abundant water supply.
Holcomb is also credited with drawing the California State University system to San Bernardino’s north end, securing regional access to higher education.
His three decades as a water commissioner and elected official were marked by the expected highs and lows of a modern-day city – in 1977, San Bernardino was named an All-America City.
But in the 1980's, gang activity, economic decline and blight began taking their toll on the city. Santa Fe Railway, with roots in the community that extended back to pioneer days, folded its operation in the city in 1992. That same year, Norton Air Force Base, which anchored the city’s economy for almost 50 years, started its long shutdown.
Despite these challenges, Holcomb enjoyed other successes, such as the development of Hospitality Lane into a “restaurant row,” the introduction of minor league baseball to San Bernardino, the construction of City Hall and the county government center, and the installation of an 11-foot statue of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., which earned national attention.
Today, our condolences go to Holcomb’s wife, Penny, and children Terri Lee Holcomb-Halstead, and William and Robert Holcomb, who graciously shared him with San Bernardino residents for so many years.
Holcomb will be remembered for his passion, his vision and his spot-on instincts. His dedication to making San Bernardino a first-rate city serves as an inspiration for all who are in office today.
Press-Enterprise, Dec. 1, 2020
Local News: SAN BERNARDINO: City's Longest Serving Mayor, Bob Holcomb, Dies
W. R. “Bob” Holcomb, a bomber co-pilot-turned-attorney who went on to become San Bernardino’s longest-serving mayor, championed civil rights and led a campaign that kept the city’s water supply
independent, has died at age 88.
Mr. Holcomb died of heart failure Monday afternoon at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized for about a month for complications of pneumonia, his
daughter said.
A funeral service is scheduled at 10 a.m. Dec. 9 at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on 17th Street. He will be cremated. The family has suggested charitable donations in lieu of flowers.
W.R. “Bob” Holcomb
“He was a brilliant man,” City Clerk Rachel Clark said by phone Tuesday. “He had a deep and abiding love for our city — his city.” “He used to say, ‘If you can turn a city like San Bernardino
around, you could turn any city around,’ ” recalled Mr. Holcomb’s daughter, Terri Holcomb-Halstead, of San Bernardino.
Mr. Holcomb served two stretches as San Bernardino’s mayor, from 1971 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1993. Those 18 years total more time than any other mayor in the city’s history.
During his time as mayor, San Bernardino lured the regional headquarters of Little League baseball, refitted one shopping mall and built another, and secured a California State University campus. San Bernardino was named an All-America City in the nation’s bicentennial year.
“He was visionary,” Clark said. “I say that in the sense that, for example, he envisioned the (city’s) transit agency as a regional entity and forged alliances with the neighboring cities to create what is now known as Omnitrans,” the regional transportation agency.
“He was its first chairman,” she said.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
