Former city council member and long-time active member of the Santa Clara community, Debi Davis, passed away over Easter weekend. Davis served on the Santa Clara City Council for eight years between 2012 and 2020 and had several projects that she was especially dedicated to.
Teresa O’Neill, who served on the city council with Davis, called her a woman of “great faith and optimism,” a “loyal friend” with a “great sense of humor.”
She credited Davis with the idea to start the marketing committee leading into Super Bowl 50. O’Neill says it was Davis who drove the rebranding of the city website and social media projects and drove the committee to plan events around the Super Bowl for the community to enjoy.
On the council, O’Neill remembered her colleague as someone who gave thought and care to each item that appeared before the council, taking the time to speak to staff before a meeting, make notes and understand the issues.
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who also served with Davis on the council, shared her thoughts on social media.
“As both her colleague on the Council and her friend, I witnessed firsthand her remarkable ability to listen to constituents, find common ground on difficult issues, and champion causes that improved the lives of Santa Clara residents,” wrote Gillmor. “Debi’s wisdom, warmth, and genuine love for our city will be deeply missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire us all.”
When the city shared the news of Davis’ passing on social media, Santa Clara community members remembered her for various reasons, calling her a “firecracker” and a “beautiful person.”
James Teixeira, Santa Clara’s former director of parks and recreation, was fond of his time working with Davis.
“I enjoyed working with Debi and am grateful for her support of parks and recreation programs and services over the years,” wrote Teixeira.
In addition to serving on the council, Davis was involved in several other city community groups, including Relay for Life, Mission City Community Fund and especially the Sister Cities, an organization she kept up with and followed even after she moved out of the Santa Clara area.
Davis was passionate about the Bay Area’s water and wastewater, working closely with Santa Clara’s director of water and sewer, Gary Welling, to understand what was in the best interest of Santa Clarans.
Davis represented Santa Clara on the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency board and served on several other water boards, including the Santa Clara Valley Water Commission and the San Jose/Santa Clara Treatment Plant Advisory Committee.
Davis is survived by her husband, Bill Davis, a former Santa Clara police officer and other family members. So far, there is no word on when or where services for Davis will be held.
This is so sad. Debi was a dear neighbor. RIP Debi. You will be missed.