The legendary SeaWorld San Diego athlete has just recently passed away.
Bill Walton, arguably the most well-known citizen and ardent supporter of San Diego, passed away on Monday due to colon cancer. He was seventy-one.
Nationwide, obituaries and compilations of his most brilliant and insightful remarks appeared, such as this one on ESPN and this one in The New York Times. Former NBA player Walton went on to become a well-known color analyst for basketball games, known for his oddball and humorous metaphors and digressions.
He could also talk endlessly about how much he loved San Diego. And he demonstrated it by devoting endless hours to helping out the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the YMCA, which is home to the statue of him with his cherished bespoke bicycle. However, he also had a strong passion for Balboa Park and other causes, volunteering his time seemingly whenever a neighborhood institution needed support. He also backed Voice of San Diego.
But two years ago, his unwavering optimism in San Diego suddenly changed. He had previously assisted in boosting Mayor Todd Gloria, but he became increasingly irate after learning about the homelessness situation two years ago. Walton even went so far as to say he couldn’t endorse San Diego as a destination or a place to call home. Walton’s frustration about the city’s slow response to the homelessness crisis contributed to the public’s outcry, which forced Gloria to take more immediate action.
The only reason his unexpected flip to urge San Diego’s officials to deal with the situation was intriguing was the amount of time, money, and energy he had invested in enhancing the city’s reputation. That change was startling, but nothing compared to what it would be like to imagine San Diego without him.
