Lance G. Widman

1945 - 2021

September 8, 1945 - December 1, 2021 Lance Widman of Hermosa Beach passed away in Torrance, CA on December 1, 2021 surrounded by immediate family. Lance's life games began at the University of San Francisco Medical Center in September 1945, the second son of John and Marjorie Widman. His next eighteen years were spent in Fresno trying to grow up, a process that continued until the end. Upon graduation from Bullard High School he enrolled at UCSB. He then transferred to UC Berkeley in late 1963. It was the mid-60's at Cal: sex, drugs and rock n' roll. He survived the Free Speech Movement, marching into the Sproul Hall administration building sit-in to the melodious singing of Joan Baez, stepping over the pool of dried blood from a student shot the night before, organizing the campus to help reelect Gov. Pat Brown in his race against Ronald Reagan, getting kicked out of his fraternity (Sigma Chi) for his "radical" views and activities, the indiscriminate tear-gassing of the campus as ordered by then-Gov. Reagan, and in his spare time getting his BA in Political Science. As he sometimes said, "I was raised in Fresno, but grew up at Berkeley." Following that adventure and successfully avoiding the draft, Lance was selected by Fresno's then-Congressman Bernie Sisk to serve as an intern on his Congressional staff. For several months he enjoyed the wonders of Washington, D.C. He then came back to Berkeley to complete his MA in Public Administration. He was chosen as one of twelve persons nationwide to serve as an intern in the Coro Foundation Internship in Public Affairs Program. Off to Los Angeles he went for a year. Following completion of that Program, where he also received another MA in Urban Studies from Occidental College, was married for the first time, and he worked two years as an advocate for the League of California Cites, a most powerful interest group in California politics. Inspired by his teachers at Bullard, Lance's goal was to get into teaching. In 1971 he joined the faculty at El Camino Community College in Torrance, California. While serving as Professor of Political Science Lance was also elected to the Hermosa Beach City Council for eight years (still the youngest Councilman ever elected in Hermosa Beach at age 25), Mayor twice, served on the Hermosa Beach School Board for eight years, visited the Soviet Union with LA Mayor Tom Bradley, served as President of the EC Federation of Teachers for seven very contentious years, received the Ben Rust Teacher of the Year Award from the California Federation of Teachers in 2005, and remained in the classroom for over 45 years. He tried to live his motto, Service Above Self, in his community and at El Camino. For the past twenty-plus years Lance has been a very active participant (mediator) in the field of alternative dispute resolution. Over twenty years ago he created the local non-profit corporation, the South Bay Center for Dispute Resolution, to provide these services in his local South Bay (Los Angeles) community. He has served as Executive Director since that time. Lance remained involved in the politics of Hermosa Beach (in the shadows, no prints in the sand), and as part of the leadership of his union at El Camino College. He retired from El Camino in 2016. Lance was married to his beautiful wife Christine for over 35 years, which according to him automatically qualifies her for sainthood for putting up with him for that long. He very much enjoyed family time during trips to Cabo San Lucas, Mammoth and Lake Tahoe. Recently he said his "life games" have been very good, quite satisfying and most fulfilling. Lance is survived by his wife Christine Widman, daughter Danielle Leavy-Andrews, son Brian Widman, daughter-in-law Nicole Widman, grandson Jackson Andrews, brother Dennis Widman, sister-in-law Lynn Widman, and nieces Dana, Sheri, Kristen and Andrea. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at St. Cross Episcopal Church in Hermosa Beach, CA on Saturday January 15 at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Autism Speaks.