Obituary: Sallie Neubauer

Aug. 23, 1947 - January 12, 2023 

Sallie Neubauer, a former President and longtime member of the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park (CCSEP), passed away on January 12th after a brief illness. 

Sallie joined the Committee in 1979 at the behest of founder Grace Simons, who had created the coalition in 1965 to prevent City Hall from building the Convention Center in the middle of Elysian Park. Sallie joined and was immediately drafted to be Secretary of CCSEP. 

In the ‘80s Sallie became President of CCSEP and led the committee for nearly twenty years in successful efforts to prevent football stadiums, oil wells, a small plane airport, a large expansion of the Police Academy, and other developments from destroying the park. 

Sallie was an avid birder, who loved hiking with her husband, Bob, in our state and national parks, as well as in Elysian Park and around Echo Park Lake. She was a lover of classical music and had a background in drama, which served her well when doing imitations of others, which she did on occasions to amuse her friends. 

A “take charge” kind of person and great hostess, Sallie organized luncheons and opened her house to friends every New Year’s Day and for CCSEP meetings and events. Her service and devotion to the park and the Echo Park community will be sorely missed.