Former Santa Maria City Councilman Leo Trujillo, who died Sunday, is being remembered as a dedicated servant who did much for his adopted hometown.

Trujillo, 76, died at Marian Medical Center after suffering a ruptured aortic valve, according to the city.

He was admitted to the hospital on Nov. 24 and underwent surgery for the heart valve problem.

A funeral mass is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Louis de Montfort Parish, 1190 E. Clark Ave. in Orcutt, according to Magner-Maloney Funeral Home and Crematory.

Trujillo was first elected to the council in 2000, and was re-elected in 2004. He served two one-year terms as mayor pro tem in 2003 and 2007.

Last November, he lost a re-election bid to newcomer Mike Cordero, a former Santa Maria Police Department lieutenant, and incumbent Councilman Bob Orach.

Trujillo moved to Santa Maria in 1998 with his wife, Eileen. 

On Monday, former colleagues on the council said Trujillo was a charming man who had the city’s best interest at heart.

 “He was always very gracious,” Mayor Larry Lavagnino said. “A great public servant who put service to the community above self.”

At the request of the mayor, the flags at city facilities have been lowered.

Describing Trujillo as part cheerleader and part grandfather, Councilwoman Hilda Zacarias said he was a wise man full of energy and ideas who leaves behind a “wonderful legacy” of commitment to the city.

Zacarias said she will forever be grateful to Trujillo, a Colorado native, for adopting Santa Maria as his home.

“He was a Santa Marian,” she said.

Lionel G. Trujillo was born April 3, 1933, in Alamosa, Colorado. He could trace his family back to New Mexico as early as 1598.

A retired TRW executive and a former Navy captain, Trujillo was active with the Navy League, Rotary Club South of Santa Maria, American Legion, Reserve Officers Association, Military Officers Association and the Tin Cup Sailors group.

He earned a business-administration degree from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., and a master’s in business from George Washington University.

Trujillo brought a businessman’s perspective to the council, Councilman Bob Orach said. That level-headed, fiscally conservative approach sought to take care of the taxpayers money above other obligations, Orach said.

A couple days before Trujillo’s hospitalization, Orach said, the two exchanged Thanksgiving greetings at an event both attended.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family,” Orach said.

During his time on the council, he served as the city’s representative to and was for a time chairman of the Central Coast Water Authority board of directors. He also served as a member of the county Housing Advisory Committee.

In an interview last year after the election, Trujillo said he was proud of the city’s stable budgets, the new Santa Maria Public Library, new and remodeled fire stations, the opening of Rotary Centennial Park, the creation of a city reserve fund called the Local Economic Augmentation Fund, the establishment of the Breeze commuter bus linking Santa Maria, Vandenberg Air Force Base and Lompoc, and the opening of a Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in 2007.

City Manager Tim Ness described Trujillo as a standout councilman with a true caring for the people he served and a willingness to listen.

“He always wanted to do what was right and always voted for what was best for his constituents — independent of pressure from outside forces,” Ness wrote in an e-mail. “He possessed a life-long interest and love for politics and the democratic process. He will be sorely missed as a contributing member of our community.”

Councilwoman Alice Patino said it was an honor to have served alongside her friend Trujillo, and his loss will leave a void in the community.

“There were so many positive things about him,” she said. “We’re just going to miss him.”

December 1, 2009