Longtime public servant Paul Kloecker, 82, died Friday morning.
Kloecker, who lived in Gilroy for more than three decades, served on the City Council from 1983-1995 and rejoined the City Council in 2016.
He was a dedicated public servant and was committed to the community in many ways to include serving on many commissions and committees throughout the years.
“His leadership, dedication and commitment to public service was always focused on improving the quality of life for the community,” said Mayor Roland Velasco in a press release. “The City Council and I are thankful for the opportunity to have worked with Council Member Kloecker and for all of his contributions to the city.”
Kloecker had a BS Degree in Engineering followed by extensive experience in construction project management and organizational leadership, according to forms he filled out to run for office in 2014. He served as a career Navy officer in the Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years during which time he completed a MS degree in Financial Management at the Naval Postgraduate school in Monterey. He was also employed as facility manager for Silicon Valley firms and was predominantly responsible for new building design and construction projects as a registered engineer.
Other milestones include: 12 years on the Santa Clara County Transportation Commission with two years as vice chair, 12 years as a board member of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) with two years as vice president of ABAG.
He was a member of the Exchange Club, the Elks Lodge and the Sunrise Rotary. For 10 years he volunteered at Gilroy Gardens Theme Park and was a Garlic Festival volunteer for 22 years.
