Willis Casey, former San Francisco police chief, dies

Former San Francisco Police Chief Willis Casey Ran on: 10-22-2006 Joe Veronese of Police Commission fears spying could discourage whistle-blowing. Former San Francisco Police Chief Willis Casey Ran on: 10-22-2006 Joe Veronese of Police Commission fears spying could discourage whistle-blowing. Photo: Vince Maggiora The Chronicle 2006 Photo: Vince Maggiora The Chronicle 2006 Image 1 of / 90 Caption Close Willis Casey, former San Francisco police chief, dies 1 / 90 Back to Gallery

Former San Francisco Police Chief Willis Casey has died from cancer at age 80.

Casey served in the San Francisco Police Department for 30 years as an officer, including two years as chief. Casey died Thursday, according to Sneider Sullivan & O’Connell’s Funeral Home in San Mateo, where a memorial service is scheduled to be held Thursday.

“Will devoted almost 60 years of his life to serving the public,” according to the funeral home’s obituary. “Strong leadership and strength in character and integrity defines Will’s careers, but he will be most fondly remembered by family and friends for his wonderful sense of humor and warm loving nature.”

Willis Augustus Casey was born in San Francisco on Dec. 13, 1937.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of San Francisco in 1959, Casey served two years in the Army then joined the San Francisco Police Department, where he rose to become deputy chief and later chief.

“He was a good administrator,” said Jim Wunderman, president of the Bay Area Council, a pro-business advocacy organization. Wunderman was special assistant to then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein when Casey was deputy police chief in the 1980s.

Casey was managing the department in the midst of budget cuts, during a time when funding was being shifted to other agencies, such as the Department of Public Health amid the AIDS crisis, Wunderman said.

“I had to recommend a lot of cuts,” Wunderman said. Casey “wasn’t overly critical. I thought he played it pretty fair.”

In 1990, Casey replaced Police Chief Frank Jordan, who retired to run successfully for mayor.

Chronicle stories at the time of his appointment in 1990 referred to Casey as a “hard-line street cop” who was “smart, shrewd and tough.”

During his time with the San Francisco police, Casey earned a master’s degree in government from the University of San Francisco.

Casey was fired by then-Mayor Jordan in 1992 in a surprising and controversial move after Casey defended the Police Department against attacks made by Jordan in a campaign, The Chronicle reported at the time.

“He didn’t really make a big mark as chief. He was a dutiful, by-the-books guy. I don’t think he came in with a huge change,” Wunderman said of Casey. Jordan probably replaced Casey in part because Casey had been appointed by another mayor, Art Agnos, Wunderman said.

Casey went on to serve as chief of the Pittsburg Police Department from 1994 until 1998.

Chronicle stories at the time credited Casey as “cleaning up a scandal-plagued” Pittsburg department.

“Will Casey served the community proudly, sincerely and with integrity,” the Pittsburg Police Department wrote on a Saturday post on Nextdoor.com. “The most important fact about Will Casey is that he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather with five children and 10 grandchildren.”

Casey joined the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office as commander of the patrol and contract law enforcement units from 1998 until 2000.

Casey became Pittsburg’s city manager after serving in the position on an interim basis after replacing Jeff Kolin in 2000. He remained as the city manager for three years before serving on the Pittsburg City Council for two terms. He stepped down from the City Council in 2017, according to the funeral home’s obituary.

Casey is survived by four children and 10 grandchildren. His wife of 48 years, Patricia Dwyer, died in 2007.

Sneider & Sullivan & O’Connell’s Funeral Home will host a visitation service from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco.

Lauren Hernández and Roland Li are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com, roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor, @rolandlisf