Albert Joseph Boro

1935 - 2024

Albert Joseph Boro
09/01/2024
Albert Joseph Boro, former mayor of San Rafael and a retired executive of Pacific Bell, passed away on September 1, 2024. Al led a full life, giving to his family, friends, and community in ways that embodied care, passion, and respect.
Al was born in San Francisco in 1935 to the late Alphonse and Irene Boro. In 1948, at the age of 13, Al was a bat boy for the San Francisco Seals. Al graduated from Saint Ignatius High School, and then attended the University of San Francisco, where he earned a degree in Business Administration. Foreshadowing his future in politics, Al was elected Student Body President of USF during his senior year. While at USF, Al worked as an intern at PacBell/AT&T and began full-time employment upon college graduation. After a 35-year career at PacBell, he retired in 1990.
Al married his wife Pat, also a San Francisco native, in 1959. Upon the birth of their son, Albert, the family moved from San Francisco to Corte Madera. After the subsequent births of their children, Maureen and Michael, they moved in 1966 to San Rafael. Their fourth child, Gena, was born shortly thereafter. Al was a member of the parish of Saint Raphael's Catholic Church, where he served as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. All four of his children attended St. Raphael's grammar school for the first through eighth grades, and one or more of Al and Pat's children were enrolled in St Raphael's school for 16 consecutive years.
While working full-time at PacBell, Al served as a member of the Marin County Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Cultural Commission from 1968 to 2005, helping to secure 9,700 acres of open space throughout Marin County. He also served as a member of the San Rafael Planning commission from 1971 to 1987. He was elected to the San Rafael City Council in 1987. In November 1991, Al started his "second career" when he was elected to a four-year term as Mayor of San Rafael. He was re-elected to additional four-year terms in November 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007, serving a total of 20 years as Mayor. In November 2011, Capital Weekly, a Sacramento publication, selected Al as one of 10 Good Mayors in California from over 400 statewide mayors.
Among his accomplishments as mayor was the renovation of the community center in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael. In 2012, the San Rafael Council voted unanimously to rename The Pickleweed Park Community Center the "Albert J. Boro Community Center" in recognition of Al's efforts. He also worked with his fellow San Rafael City Council members in the early 1990s to revitalize downtown following the Loma Prieta earthquake and preserve the Rafael Film Center. Upon his retirement as mayor, Al was named San Rafael Citizen of the Year by the City Council in 2012.
In August of 1992, Al was appointed Director of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District, representing the eleven cities of Marin County. In 2000, he was appointed by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District as the Bridge's Representative to the Bay Area Water Transit Authority. He served as President of the Board of Directors from January 1, 2009 through January 1, 2011.
Al's public service focused on using local government to improve the cohesiveness of the community and the quality of life for residents of San Rafael and Marin County. His public service included serving as a Chair of the Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers, the Marin Commission on the Homeless, the Marin County Parks Commission, the San Rafael Child Care Task Force, the Central Marin Sanitation Agency, and the Marin County Fair Board of Directors. He also represented the City of San Rafael on the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) and served as Vice Chair of TAM, and he served as a Chair of SMART (Sonoma/Marin Area Rail Transit). Al served on the Board of Directors of Aldersly, was a member of the Marin County Cultural Services Commission, and was a member of the Boy Scouts of America Marin Council Executive Board (both of his sons are Eagle Scouts). Al was past President of the Marin Forum and in 2016, Al served as the president of a new board for the Marin History Museum.
Al received many awards and recognitions. To name a few: William J. Filante, M.D. Award for Outstanding Legislative Service from the Marin Medical Society (1998); Best Business Community Leader by the NorthBay Biz Readers (2006); Visionary Award for Extraordinary Vision in Social and Human Development by Community Action Marin (2007); Honorary Doctorate of Law degree from Dominican University of California (2011), and "Be a Dream" award by Marin County Grassroots for his exemplary leadership in the advancement of social equity in San Rafael (2012).
In addition to his work at PacBell and as member of the local political community, Al had numerous interests, including his passion for automobiles and love of Christmas and gardening. Al's roses won awards at the Marin County fair until Al had to stop entering his roses when he was appointed to the Marin County Fair commission. Al and Pat traveled extensively, visiting numerous countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica.
Al is survived by his wife Pat of over 60 years, his and Pat's children and their spouses, Al and Arlene Boro of San Francisco, Maureen Boro and Mike Winter of San Rafael, Mike Boro and John Fontana of New York City, and Gena and Keith Granucci of La Jolla; their granddaughters, Jessica and Madeline Granucci of La Jolla; his sister, Barbara and her husband Bill Miles of San Francisco, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Al was lucky to count many people as his friends. The family thanks Aldersly and Suncrest Hospice for their attentive, expert care of Al at the end of his life.
Donations in Al's memory may be made to:
-- Saint Raphael's Catholic Church and School, 1104 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael CA 94901
-- The Albert J Boro Community Center, c/o San Rafael City Hall, 1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
-- San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, P.O. Box 7203, San Francisco, CA 94120
A Rosary will be held on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., and a Funeral Mass on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., both at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in San Rafael.
Al's final resting place will be at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, California.
Assisted by Monte's Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo.