Joseph O’Sullivan, 77; former City Councilman and surfing

advocate

Joseph Anthony O’Sullivan, a former Laguna Beach City Councilman,

died after a long illness at Mission Hospital at 12:15 a.m.

Wednesday. He was 77.

Born in Laguna Beach, October 4, 1927, in a house given to the

family by his uncle, Msgr. St. John O’Sullivan of the San Juan

Capistrano Mission, O’Sullivan worked as a lifeguard on local beaches

as a teen during wartime and also sailed with the Merchant Marines

before serving in the U.S. Army in Japan.

He returned to civilian life with a deep respect for Japanese

culture and studied judo and the Japanese language at USC. He worked

as a commercial fisherman and owned a fish market before entering a

career in education, first as a teacher in Los Angeles then as

director of Child, Welfare and Attendance for the Santa Ana Unified

School District.

O’Sullivan was the top vote getter in the 1966 city council

election, polling 2,202 votes out of a total 3,125 cast. During his

one term in office he overcame substantial resistance by commercial

and real estate interests to open select beaches to surfing

throughout the summer months, all of which were previously closed to

the sport.

In order to help rehabilitate the image of surfing in those days,

he penned a weekly column called “The Surf Aces” for the Laguna News

Post.

O’Sullivan also fought, successfully, to resist private

development of Main Beach and to preserve the area of the historic

old boardwalk for public use.

After leaving office O’Sullivan was one of the core members of the

Save Salt Creek Committee, ensuring public access to one of the

area’s prime beaches. He remained active in local politics as a

member of the Laguna Beach Civic League, and served as president of

Friends of the Library. It was during his tenure as president that

the present library with an unobstructed ocean view of Main Beach was

constructed.

After retiring from education, O’Sullivan worked in real estate

alongside his wife Sandy O’Sullivan for Turner Associates and

Coldwell Banker. The O’Sullivans moved to Dana Point in 1988, within

walking distance of Salt Creek.

O’Sullivan is survived by his wife Sandra, of Dana Point; son

Kevin, of Los Angeles,;and daughter, Maureen, who, with her three

children, Michaela, Colton, and Liam, also live in Dana Point.

Funeral services are planned for 11 a.m. Friday, April 8 at St.

Edwards Catholic Church, Dana Point.