JAMES ‘JAY’ STODDARD A memorial service...

JAMES ‘JAY’ STODDARD

A memorial service for former mayor and longtime Corona del Mar

resident James “Jay” Stoddard will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at

Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar. Mr. Stoddard died

Sunday night of natural causes. He was 90.

A graduate of Caltech, he moved to Corona del Mar 57 years ago

after working in the petroleum industry in the United States, as well

as the Middle East. He was elected to the Newport Beach City Council

in 1954 and served as a council member until 1964. During this time,

he was mayor several times.

Former City Manager Robert Shelton remembers Mr. Stoddard for his

significant achievements as mayor, including building the Big Canyon

Reservoir “in record time.”

“Newport Beach had a pretty big water shortage in 1956 and 1957,”

Shelton said. “It required that the reservoir be built right away,

and Jay Stoddard was instrumental in getting a bond issued and

engineering design completed in a very short time.”

Shelton said the former mayor was also responsible for taking

mom-and-pop snack shacks off the Corona del Mar main beach, replacing

the temporary structures with permanent ones. An avid boater, Mr.

Stoddard also designed the Seacraft, a lifeguard rescue boat that

several lifeguard departments use as a model, he said.

“He had an enthusiasm for the community that was unlimited,”

Shelton said. “He was a strong mayor with high standards for

performance.”

Mr. Stoddard is survived by his wife of 63 years, Florence; son

Peter; and granddaughter Margaret Detken.

BOB WILLIAM MULLANEY

Services for Newport Beach resident Bob William Mullaney will be

held at noon Saturday at Newport Dunes Marina. Mr. Mullaney died Jan.

1 of complications from diabetes. He was 77. He is survived by

daughter Kathy Brown; two granddaughters; and one great-grandson.

* The Daily Pilot welcomes obituaries for residents or former

residents of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. If you want to have an

obituary printed in the Pilot, ask your mortuary to fax us the

information at (949) 646-4170 or call the newsroom at (949) 764-4324.