19 May Former Contra Costa Supervisor Federal D. Glover Has Died

Pittsburg native and former county Supervisor Federal Glover died Sunday. He had turned 69 on May 9. (Office of Supervisor Federal D. Glover via Bay City News)

CC Pulse Staff Report

Former Contra Costa Supervisor Federal D. Glover died Sunday at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center after having been hospitalized since May 14. He was 69.

Glover was the county’s first Black supervisor and served six terms. He was born in Pittsburg at a community hospital, where an error on his birth certificate resulted in his unique first name as his sister-in-law Merl Craft told the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, on which Glover had served.

He graduated from Pittsburg High, where he was student body president and homecoming king, according to the county. He then earned a degree in business administration at San Francisco State University as the first of 12 children in his family to go to college.

He returned to his hometown to serve as mayor and on the City Council before his county election. He retired from the Board of Supervisors in 2024. His successor, Shanelle Scales-Preston, is the first Black woman on the board.

Before entering politics, he had a 22-year career at Dow Chemical and POSCO Steel.

As a supervisor, Glover, along with Supervisor John Gioia, helped lead the creation of the county Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, which he told the Pulse in 2024 he considered one of their most successful achievements together. The Mercury News said that “he spearheaded initiatives to improve education and community wellness,” citing a Gang Task Force, AIDS/HIV Task Force and Industrial Training Institute as examples.

“We are deeply saddened to learn today of the passing of former Supervisor Federal Glover, who served our community with distinction and dedication during his time on the Board of Supervisors,” the county board said in a prepared statement. “Federal’s leadership and tireless commitment to improving the lives of residents left a lasting legacy that continues to benefit our County today.”

Glover’s wife, Janis, described her late husband as a “devoted husband, father, grandfather, and public servant.

“For over two decades, he served the people of Contra Costa County with distinction, becoming the first African American elected to the Board of Supervisors,” his wife said in a statement. “His legacy is one of unwavering commitment to 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.”

Janis Glover also said her late husband believed deeply in the power of community. “He worked tirelessly to uplift and unite the people he was honored to represent. As a family, we are heartbroken by this loss.”

The Glovers were married for 47 years.

“I grieve alongside our children, Tederal Glover and Carissa Dorton, our grandchildren, and the extended Glover family,” she said.

Glover’s cause of death has not been released, but he had faced significant health problems in the past. In 2015, he received a heart and kidney transplant. He wrote in 2020, “having suffered complete renal and cardiac failure, I was given a rebirth.”

No funeral or memorial plans have been announced.