Passages: Bill Horn, former San Diego County Supervisor, 83

By Karen Pearlman, East County Magazine

July 20, 2026 (San Diego County) — Bill Horn, a decorated combat United States Marine who spent nearly a quarter-century shaping the development of North County as a San Diego County Supervisor, passed away surrounded by members of his family on Friday, July 17. He was 83.

Born William George Horn on Feb. 18, 1943 in San Diego, Horn, leaves behind a multifaceted legacy as a political force, an agricultural leader and a dedicated philanthropist, dedicating his retirement to building a massive educational center in Uganda.

Horn represented District 5 on the Board of Supervisors for 24 years, from 1995 until his term-limited departure in 2018. During his tenure he was Board Chairman five times. Horn was instrumental in modernizing the county’s infrastructure and oversaw the construction of new community parks and libraries and other county facilities.

Horn pointed to the county’s fiscal health as one of his crowning political achievements. When he first took office in 1995, the county near financial ruin. By the time he retired, the county had navigated its way from near-bankruptcy to securing a top credit rating from major credit agencies.

Before his life in local politics and his work as a local farmer, Horn served in the Vietnam War. A 1966 San Diego State University graduate, he commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant and served as an executive and commanding officer in combat in Vietnam, where he was wounded in action. His decorations include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V and the Combat Action Ribbon.

Throughout his time as a Supervisor, Horn advocated for active-duty military members, veterans and their families. As Board Chair in 2015, he declared the “Year of the Veteran,” noting that roughly a third of San Diego County’s population was connected to the military. He helped establish an annual veterans conference.

Dustin Steiner, Horn’s longtime Chief of Staff, said Horn “was larger than life.”

“He was a principled leader, mentor, and friend who fostered a family atmosphere in the office with a big heart and charming wit,” Steiner said.

A native San Diegan born in downtown San Diego, Horn attended Mission Bay High School, and later built his life as a Valley Center-based avocado and citrus rancher. His life in North County shaped his reputation as a political voice for agriculture and growth.

Though District 5’s boundaries have shifted with redistricting over the decades, the sprawling, largely unincorporated territory Horn represented has always shared a rural, agricultural character with the neighboring communities of East County.

His North County district — which today stretches from Oceanside and Fallbrook to Valley Center, Bonsall, Pala, Pauma Valley and the Palomar Mountain range — bordered the backcountry and foothill communities more commonly associated with East County, including Ramona and Julian.

After he retired from public office, Horn shifted his energy and efforts to East Africa. In 2016, alongside his family, he founded the Emmaus School in he village of Kizigo in the Buikwe District of Uganda.

What began as a rural, undeveloped parcel of farmland was transformed into an educational center with nursery, primary and secondary education facilities. The school now has 75 staff members and serves nearly 1,200 students.

Horn’s vision for the Emmaus School was holistic: he aimed to radically improve the quality of life for vulnerable children across various Ugandan communities. The center provides not only rigorous classroom education but also recreational activities to promote physical health, avenues for creative development and essential healthcare services.

Despite the distance, Horn remained deeply involved, making numerous trips to Uganda to visit the families, students, and staff.

“My Dad loved being ‘Papa Bill’ to thousands of children at Emmaus,” said his son, Geoff Horn. “He was one of a kind: funny, decisive, stubborn, impulsive, entrepreneurial, generous, dependable and unbreakable.”

Horn is remembered by colleagues and constituents for his decades of public service and by his loved ones for his Christian faith. He is survived by Kathy, his wife of 59 years; his three children, Julie, Angie and Geoff; and many grandchildren.