Rex Stewart Hime

1948 - 2023

Rex Stewart Hime
February 15, 1948 - February 04, 2023
Loomis, California - Rex Stewart Hime was surrounded by family when he passed away February 4th after successfully kicking cancer's butt for ten years. Rex had been a fixture in the Sacramento capital community for nearly 50 years in both professional and volunteer capacities. He was single-handedly responsible for softening the State Capitol's strict dress code by regularly walking the halls and testifying in Hawaiian shirts instead of a coat and tie.
Rex epitomized the philosophy work hard, play hard. He had a no-nonsense, get-stuff-done attitude about his advocacy work, but he rarely let a conference call or meeting end without making you laugh.
A native Californian, Rex graduated from the University of California at Davis with a BA in Political Science and received his law degree from the UC Davis School of Law. Rex served in both the Army Reserve and the California National Guard before retiring as a Major in 1990.
For most of his professional career, Rex was the face for the commercial real estate industry in California. He served as President and CEO of California Business Properties Association (CBPA) for 37 years where he helped pass a prohibition on commercial rent control, stop several attempts to undo Proposition 13, and helped craft ADA reform legislation that serves as a model for other states.
Prior to joining CBPA, Rex served on then-Governor Reagan's educational staff and as Assistant to the Director for the State Department of Consumer Affairs. Later he was the Executive Director of the California State Commission for Economic Development, Director for the California Commission on Agriculture and served as a Special Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor. His legislative experience includes service as the Senior Assistant to the Minority Leader of the California State Assembly.
Rex served as the Presidential as well as the California State Assembly Representative on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and was a member of the California Task Force on Violence Prevention. He also served as a Regent of the University of California and a Trustee for the Greater Sacramento Valley Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, as Chair. He is a past President of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association and has served on the various finance committees for the campus, the association and student campaigns.
Rex had a particular passion for his volunteer work with the California State Fair where he served as Chair, Vice Chair and board member at Cal Expo for more than twenty years. He was the only board member to be appointed to the board by five different Governors from both political parties.
Rex was unabashedly conservative and guided throughout life by his Christian faith. He often referred to himself as an "equal opportunity offender." The diversity and longevity of his friendships reinforce that it is possible to stay true to your values while having genuine relationships - and a lot of laughs - with people who share strongly different views.
Rex is survived by his wife Gwyn Bicker Hime and his three sons Rex William Hime, Reagan Stewart Hime, and Trevor Anthony Plescia.