Todd Longshore, Santa Clarita Parks Commissioner, Dies at 49

By Adam Clark
Signal Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

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ongtime Santa Clarita parks commissioner Todd Longshore died of a heart attack Tuesday morning at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. He was 49.
    Longshore was brought to Henry Mayo around 6 a.m. in full cardiac arrest and did not respond to resuscitation, said Henry Mayo spokeswoman Bhavna Mistry.
    A real estate appraiser by trade, Longshore had been a member of the city's Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission for 16 years. His term as commissioner would have expired in July.
    He had been a Santa Clarita Valley resident for more than 20 years, ending up in Valencia.
    Friends and fellow commissioners described him as passionately dedicated to the community.
    "He was a gentle giant, (and) a very, very dedicated community member," said Commissioner Edward Redd. "It's going to be a loss to the community not having him."
    Redd said Longshore had been his mentor since he joined the commission four years ago.
    A friend of Longshore for 20 years — and once a fellow commissioner — Mayor Laurene Weste recalled him as "a gentle, loving, caring man."
    "Everything he did was about making a better community," she said. "This is so much of a loss for all of Santa Clarita."
    Canyon High School football coach Harry Welch said he remembered "how much (Longshore) loved his wife and kids."
    Welch said he knew Longshore for about 10 years and had coached two of his sons. "He had this quiet strength (and) understated impressiveness," he said.
    Longshore was also very involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canyon Country, Welch said.
    "He was a positive community influence," said Rick Gould, director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. "He truly loved this city."
    Longshore's son Nate was the starting quarterback for the University of California before suffering a broken left fibula in Cal's season-opening win over Sacramento State. Nick Longshore played offensive lineman at College of the Canyons before transferring to Brigham Young University where he was a senior this past season. His youngest son Ben is the backup quarterback and starting punter for the defending CIF-Southern Section Division II champion Canyon football team.
    Longshore is survived by his wife, DeAnn, his sons Nick, Nate and Ben, and a daughter, Courtney. His family could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

    Signal staff writer Scott Galetti contributed to this story.

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