John Parsons, a former Redondo Beach city councilman and current planning commissioner, died Thursday morning. He was 61.



"The city lost one of its biggest supporters today. I am deeply saddened by John's passing," Mayor Steve Aspel, a longtime friend of Parsons', said in a statement from the city. "John was a beacon for progress and prosperity in Redondo Beach and the South Bay. He will be fondly remembered as a talker, but what speaks loudest is his legacy of a wonderful family, and accomplishments and awards too long to list. I will miss his sense of humor—he was one of a few that could give a joke and take it, too."



Parsons was hospitalized after he suffered a stroke near the end of Tuesday's Redondo Beach City Council meeting.



Parsons, who was recognized as a Patch "Greatest Person" last year, was a well-recognized figure in Redondo Beach politics. In addition to his time on the Redondo Beach City Council and Planning Commission, Parsons was active in the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and the South Bay Council of Governments. In recognition of his contributions to the region, the South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce named the John J. Parsons SBACC Business Citizenship Award in his honor.



