Former Contra Costa County District 5 Supervisor Glover passes away

PITTSBURG — Former Contra Costa County District 5 Supervisor Federal D. Glover, the first African American supervisor in the county, died Sunday. He was 69 years old.

Glover made history as the first African American elected to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, where he served for more than two decades.

According to his family, Glover has been hospitalized since Wednesday (May 14). He died at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

Glover’s wife of 47 years, Janis Glover, shared the news on behalf of the family, describing him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and public servant whose life was grounded in justice, equity and service.

“He believed deeply in the power of community and worked tirelessly to uplift and unite the people he was honored to represent. As a family, we are heartbroken by this loss,” said Janis Glover in a statement. “After 47 years of marriage, I grieve alongside our children, Tederal Glover and Carissa Dorton, our grandchildren, and the extended Glover family. We are grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support we have already received.”

No funeral or memorial plans are in place, but more information will be shared in the future.

Glover served on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors since 2000. He announced his retirement in 2023 and finished his term last December.

Before being elected, he served as a city councilmember and mayor of Pittsburg, where he was born, raised and lived all his life.

In a statement released by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, colleagues remembered Glover as a leader of compassion, integrity and tireless dedication to his community.

“Federal’s leadership and tireless commitment to improving the lives of residents left a lasting legacy that continues to benefit our County today,” said the board of supervisors in a statement. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of working with him.”

U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, said he will miss Glover “very much.”

“Federal was a good man, a good friend, and an important figure in a transformative time for Contra Costa County and the Bay Area,” said DeSaulnier in a text message to this organization.

District 1 Supervisor John Gioia, who has worked alongside Glover for 25 years, said the Bay Area lost a “historic and impactful” leader and his best friend.

Gioia said Glover was committed to making the county “a more just and equitable place for all.”

Gioia said establishing the county’s Racial Equity and Social Justice office would not have happened without Glover’s strong leadership.

“He overcame many obstacles to become one of our county’s longest-serving Supervisors, and his core mission was always to increase opportunities for our most disadvantaged residents,” said Gioia in a text message. “Those lives he touched will continue to benefit from his work long after his death.”

Glover attended Pittsburg High School and studied business administration at San Francisco State University.

Before entering politics, Glover had a 22-year career at Dow Chemical and POSCO Steel. From 1978 to 1980, he was an employee of POSCO Steel in Pittsburg.

He became a Pittsburg city councilmember in 1996, and he was mayor for a year in 1998.

As District 5 Supervisor, Glover spearheaded several initiatives to improve education and community wellness by establishing task forces and training.

Some of the notable ones include the Gang Task Force, which provides a holistic approach to combating the rise of the “gang lifestyle” among East Contra Costa County youth; the AIDS/HIV Task Force, which organizes educational and informational events to help prevent HIV and AIDS in the community; and the Industrial Training Institute, which provides advanced job training through community colleges.

Glover also sat on many regional and local boards, such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

As a supervisor, he worked on issues such as widening Highway 4 from four lanes to eight, working to implement safety improvements on Vasco Road, bringing the eBart extension, and consolidating three rural fire districts into the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

In 2007, Glover suffered complications from viral meningitis and pneumonia and was on dialysis as his kidneys failed.

In 2015, he underwent kidney and heart transplant surgery.