John Hidahl, who spent decades representing El Dorado County residents atop influential elected bodies, including the Board of Supervisors, died Saturday afternoon.
Hidahl, 73, died unexpectedly at his home, El Dorado County said in a statement. A cause of death was not disclosed.
“Just saw him last week,” Ray Nutting, who represents the 2nd District on the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, said online. “My heart is broken.”
Hidahl stepped down this election cycle as District 1 Supervisor — representing western swaths of El Dorado County, including El Dorado Hills — after terming out of the post he first was elected to in 2016.
His lengthy career in public service helped shape El Dorado Hills since he moved to the unincorporated community at least 46 years ago.
As the founding member of the El Dorado Hills Area Planning Committee in 1981, Hidahl helped create land use and zoning maps for unincorporated areas. He once backed a measure seeking to establish El Dorado Hills’ cityhood. The measure ultimately failed, with 57% of voters rejecting a split from the county, according to previous reporting by The Sacramento Bee.
In endorsing Hidahl for the District 1 seat, The Bee’s editorial board noted “he answered questions about the district in almost granular historical detail.”
Born in Ceres, Hidahl came from a ranching family. His maternal grandfather, an Ireland native, first brought the family to Stanislaus County, according to his biography published on El Dorado County’s website.
Hidahl graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in mechanical engineering that led him to the aerospace industry. He engineered rockets, assuming several leadership roles, during a career at both Aerojet in Rancho Cordova and Northrop Grumman in McClellan Park.
But his motto of “service before self” led Hidahl to serve for 33 years on the El Dorado Hills County Water District, 36 years on the El Dorado Hills Area Planning Advisory Committee, 23 years on the El Dorado Hills Community Council and many other government bodies, according to El Dorado County.
Hidahl was running for a seat on the El Dorado Hills County Water District at the time of his death.
Greg Ferrero won the 1st District seat during the March primary with 64% of votes.
Services are pending. He is survived by his wife Eileen, five daughters and their families.
“He will be deeply missing by all those who knew him,” El Dorado County’s statement said.
