Janet Abelson

August 6, 1946 - January 26, 2023

Janet Abelson, longtime El Cerrito resident, passed away peacefully on January 26, 2023. Born in Champaign, Illinois to Gene and Isabelle (Lewis) Hubble, her family lineage included ties to Edwin Hubble and Meriwether Lewis. She was raised in Southern Illinois and Phoenix, Arizona and moved to California to attend UC Berkeley, where she participated in the Free Speech Movement. Janet graduated with a BA in English from San Francisco State University and was also one of the first women to earn an MBA there. A pioneer as a woman in data processing, she worked as a systems analyst at UC Berkeley until the mid 1980s.

A proud and passionate advocate, much of Janet’s life was devoted to public service. She was elected to the El Cerrito City Council in 1999 and served for 23 years, including a record five terms as mayor. She deeply loved her community and was a champion of disability access, public transit, environmental sustainability, smart urban planning, and education. She gave time to many organizations, including the West Contra Costa Transportation Authority, League of California Cities, El Cerrito Democratic Club, Soroptimist International, El Cerrito High School Archiving Committee, League of Women Voters, Metropolitan Transit Commission, BART, AC Transit, Contra Costa Community College Foundation, and PTA from the school to state level. She even served as a delegate to both Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Janet is survived by her husband Howard, and sisters Linda (Mike) and Susan (Richard). She loved her children Rachel (Chris), Joel (Cristina), Ruthie, Miriam (Shelley), and Sarah (Brendan), and grandchildren Sophia, Marcos, Brett, and Hailey, niece and nephews, and many furry family members. She will be missed by family, friends, colleagues, and all who saw her zooming around town.

A celebration of her life will be held on 2/25/23 at 1pm at the El Cerrito Community Center. Donations in her memory can be made to the Contra Costa College Fund, Soroptimist International of El Cerrito, or League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County.