Bob Santos, Seattle’s beloved community activist, dies at 82
Bob Santos, the Unofficial Mayor of Seattle’s International District, passed away at 82. WIKIPEDIA
SEATTLE — Bob Santos, 82, known affectionately as Uncle Bob and the Unofficial Mayor of Seattle’s International District, died Saturday, Aug. 27, after being hospitalized in recent weeks.
A popular community activist, Santos was part of the so-called Gang of Four, who mobilized Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans to fight for jobs, affordable housing and services for Seattle’s communities of color.
In the course of his civil rights activism, Santos was arrested six times. He became executive director of InterIm (International District Improvement Association). Later, he was appointed by the Clinton administration as the Pacific Northwest’s Housing and Urban Development director.
Santos is survived by his wife, State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, 5 children, 19 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. His wife, Sharon Tomiko Santos, is a Democratic Washington state representative.
The son of Filipino immigrant Sammy Santos, of San Mateo, Rizal, and a Native American/Filipino mother, Virginia Nicol, Bob Santos was born in Seattle in 1934 and grew up in the city’s Chinatown. He served in the U.S. Marines after high school in the early 1950s and returned to Seattle in 1955 to work for Boeing.
Washington’s Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement Sunday:
“Washington is a better state because of Bob Santos’ passion for justice. Bob was a forward thinker. His early days as an activist with the ‘Gang of Four’ helped bring communities of color together in one unified voice to fight for equal rights.
“Washington’s strong API community is a testament to his leadership and commitment to mentoring. Trudi and I send our thoughts and prayers to his wife, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, his family, and his friends. His passing is truly a loss but his legacy will live on.”
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray also released a statement:
“Michael and I were heartbroken to hear of today’s passing of ‘Uncle’ Bob Santos, one of our city’s great community leaders. Bob Santos touched countless lives across every race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and age in Seattle. He was everyone’s ‘uncle’ because of his universal and unwavering friendship, and he was a hero to many marginalized Seattleites who he tirelessly advocated for. I have been fortunate to have worked with him on many of these issues for over two decades.”
