Onorato, longtime congressional aide, dies after cancer battle
- Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A longtime public servant who worked hard to bring the resources of the federal government to benefit the residents of Lake County has died.
Paul Bradford Onorato, known as “Brad” to colleagues, friends and community members alike, died Thursday.
Onorato’s passing was announced Thursday night by the office of Congressman Mike Thompson, for whom he had worked for more than three decades as a district representative and deputy chief of staff.
“It’s my heartfelt sorrow to share that after a long battle with cancer, our dear friend, colleague, and public servant Brad Onorato passed away today,” Thompson said. “Brad was an incredible public servant to our community and a vital member of Team Thompson for the last 34 years. Brad was a valuable asset and incredibly important member of our team, serving the people of the Fourth District with dedication and care. But more important, Brad was family. Brad loved our district and public service as much as we loved him. He will be dearly missed, and he leaves behind a void that will be impossible to fill.”
Community leaders across Lake County recalled Onorato with gratitude for his friendship, kindness and dedication to Lake County.
“Brad was truly one of a kind. What a heartbreaking loss to the community. He will never be replaced. I can’t even imagine a better conduit between the community and our Congressman,” said Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora. “He was worried about every detail of what Clearlake needed, in fact in the period where Congressman Thompson didn’t represent Clearlake, Brad still regularly checked in with me to see what he and Mike could do to help.”
“I’m so sorry to hear about the passing of Brad Onorato,” said Lakeport Mayor Michael Froio. “He was such a kind man and a very good listener. My heart goes out to his family, friends and the people that he served so well. He will be missed.”
“Lake County lost a friend and one of our strongest advocates,” said Clearlake Mayor David Claffey. “Brad was a true partner for the city, but his impact went far beyond helping us navigate the Federal playing field. He was committed to lifting up our communities and being a ready resource when we faced our toughest challenges. His determination and kindness shined through in every meeting and every call. Brad’s work will resonate in Clearlake for decades.”
Onorato’s work with Thompson went back even before Thompson’s election to Congress.
Retired District 5 Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown said he had met Onorato in the 1990s when he was working for Thompson when he was a state senator, and the first Vietnam veteran elected to the California Legislature.
“We became fast friends and that continued until he passed,” Brown said of Onorato. “I always admired his commitment to Lake County and he was always available to help with any issue at all. He was a great friend to all of us and will be greatly missed.”
Onorato was a faithful and seemingly tireless presence in Thompson’s office, working hard to help district constituents solve problems and connect people to solutions.
He was a shrewd judge of people and situations, which was a matter not just of his education but his personal connections.
Onorato came from a large, well-connected San Francisco political family and so he had a keen understanding of politics, the workings of government and how both could be used for good.
He was one of five children born to Carole and Fred Onorato. His mother was part of the Newsom family; his cousin is Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Up until her death in 2007, Carole Onorato was a dedicated community leader and activist in Placer County, having served decades on the Placer County Board of Education, and also been a member of numerous other bodies, such as the California Transportation Commission, the Water Resources Control Board, the Placer County Library Commission and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
A longtime Napa County resident who worked from Thompson’s Napa office, Brad Onorato frequently came to Lake County to attend events, present awards, listen to constituent issues and offer support to local government, sometimes with Thompson or occasionally in his place when Thompson was busy with his duties in Washington.
Thompson honored Onorato in past years with his office’s “Casework Hero” award for his efforts to help community members throughout the district resolve problems with federal agencies.
While members of Congress have serious and important responsibilities, Onorato liked to moderate the seriousness with an ever-present sense of humor.
A man with a quick wit and a sense of fun, Onorato took a great deal of pride in his ability to playfully needle Thompson about anything.
When Thompson came home from Congress during legislative breaks, Onorato would often drive the congressman and other staffers around to meetings, tours and other events throughout the district.
Their district road trips could be hilarious affairs. During one such daylong trip of driving punctuated by frequent stops to speak to community members and officials, they invited along this reporter.
Throughout the day, as Onorato sped along over Lake County’s mountainous roads in a large black SUV, he and Thompson carried on nonstop but good-hearted bickering as only good friends can do without hurt feelings.
For several years Onorato had battled health challenges. For a time, he had appeared to have beaten them back, as he continued to travel around the world and to enjoy skiing, one of his favorite pastimes.
“In these last months I suspected he was struggling more than he let on, but his spirit and determination to persevere were so strong,” said Flora. “In fact just last week while he was sitting in a chair hooked up to chemo, he repeatedly checked in with me to see what he could do to help with the Boyles Fire and was instructing me to get more sleep.”
Throughout his battles with cancer, Onorato had continued to be an active presence in Thompson’s office and the community.
That was the same this time around, too. In addition to checking on Flora and others, over the final days of his life Onorato was continuing to post updates on his personal Facebook page about the Boyles fire — including evacuation updates — as well as general news about the district.
Hundreds of people — including community leaders, among them, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and retired Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin — responded to Thompson’s Thursday evening Facebook post about Onorato’s death, offering their condolences and their gratitude for his hard work on behalf of the community. Some shared that they had only just been in contact with him in recent days.
Remarkable in the outpouring was that the laurels offered for Onorato came from across the political spectrum — an unusual situation in today’s divisive atmosphere but one in which Onorato would have been pleased, as his goal had been to serve everyone equally, no matter their political persuasion.
“We lost a good soul today, a warrior for our community, a man of inspiration, and a friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with Brad’s family, Mike and Jan the rest of the team,” Flora told Lake County News.
Thompson’s office said details for a service will be shared at a later date.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.