By Tim Nader and Howard Wayne
SAN DIEGO — Tim Nader remembers:
I first met Wadie Deddeh in the 1960s when, as our Assemblyman for Chula Vista, he came to my 6th grade summer school class at Halecrest Elementary. That visit was typical of Wadie – he didn’t care that we were all too young to vote; he treated everyone with respect and he believed as Americans that we all had a responsibility to learn about our government, and he considered it a privilege to play a part in our education.
From the outset of his political career, Wadie was a role model for thousands of (then) young people in the South Bay. Wadie was always straightforward about where he stood, and at the same time, perhaps because of his strong belief in and support for education, he always gave the facts. Wadie believed in the importance of participatory democracy, and it showed in his style of campaigning and constituent interaction. As an immigrant from the Middle East (like my own father), Wadie had a deep appreciation for how special America can be, and how, for all its flaws, this country can provide opportunity to be found few other places in the world. He had a passionate zeal for civil rights, informed both by his own background and his moral compass. At the same time, he had an expert command of the nuts and bolts of public service, making him an effective advocate for his district on important issues like transportation and education.
The first one-on-one conversation I remember with Wadie was on election night in 1972. I was still too young to vote but he spend time with me at San Diego’s Election Central in the El Cortez Hotel and drove me home when the party was over at around 4:00 A.M. (My parents knew Wadie too, so coming home that late at age 15, I was especially grateful that he was the one who brought me home!). Although that election had not gone the way I hoped, the easy access and conversation with an elected official helped me maintain faith in our country and the democratic process.
I was fortunate when I served as Mayor of Chula Vista many years later to have a representative like Wadie Deddeh in the State Senate. Nobody could have been more attentive to our community’s needs, or more capable of representing us.
People may most remember Wadie as a model of the civility that is too often missing from our modern political discourse. An avid Democrat, Wadie had no qualms about working across the aisle whenever he could for the benefit of his constituents and our community. He understood that he could be strong about what he believed in and still be nice to those with whom he disagreed. He understood the difference between being a leader and advocate, and being a bully. Our country and our world would be better off if more followed his example. Wadie has left a legacy of inspiration, public service and friendship that few can match.
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Howard Wayne recalls:
I first met Wadie Deddeh when I was the President of the Young Democrats at San Diego State. He had just won a primary for an open South Bay Assembly seat, and in November would go on to “flip” a Republican-held district in what was many ways a bad year for Democrats. By coincidence, he and the Democrat he beat out for the nomination entered the State Senate on the same day sixteen years later.
Wadie had been an educator at a community college, so in the Legislature he was a strong advocate for public education. I think he saw how far education had taken him, and he wanted to keep the ladder of success in place for future generations.
A vivid memory is the beautiful home he and his wife had in Bonita. I attended frequent political gatherings there, and they were gracious hosts. I took my brother to one of them. Admiring the house, he asked Wadie if he was sure he was a Democrat!
After 26 years in the Legislature Wadie made a bid for a newly created Congressional seat. It was a competitive field that included Juan Vargas, Bob Filner and former Representative Jim Bates. It was not to be. I think he was so discouraged that he resigned from the Senate before the completion of his term. When I saw him last, he was living in Serra Mesa and I knocked on his door while I was walking that precinct.
Wadie was a giant in the Chaldean community of San Diego that revered him, and an inspiration to generations of its leaders. He leaves behind his son, Peter, a leading member of the San Diego Superior Court.
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Nader is a former mayor of Chula Vista and Wayne is a former member of the California State Assembly. San Diego area obituaries are sponsored on San Diego Jewish World by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.