[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 91 (Friday, May 29, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF JAMES WOOD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE LEVIN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 29, 2026

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of James 
Wood, of Oceanside, California, who passed away on May 16, 2026, at the 
age of 78. In honor of his passing, I pay tribute to and reflect on the 
life he led and the impact he had on our community in the 49th 
District.
  James Wood, or Jim, as he was known by all his friends, served the 
Oceanside community for more than four decades as a police officer, 
city councilmember, and mayor.
  Jim came to Oceanside as a young boy in 1955 and never left. He 
attended North Terrace Elementary School and Jefferson Junior High 
School and went on to graduate from Oceanside High School and MiraCosta 
College.
  Jim joined the Oceanside Police Department in 1971, serving more than 
31 years as an investigator in some of the department's most demanding 
assignments, including homicide, narcotics, and crimes against children 
and seniors. He collaborated with the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and 
Naval Criminal Investigative Services.
  Jim was elected to the Oceanside City Council in 2002 and became 
Mayor in 2004, a position he held for more than 13 years, and served 
one of the longest mayoral tenures in the city's history. Under his 
leadership, Oceanside's crime rates fell to their lowest levels in 30 
years, and the city earned recognition as one of the safest and most 
livable beach communities in San Diego County.
  Jim was recognized for his lifetime of service when the City of 
Oceanside renamed Rancho Del Oro Park, as Jim Wood Community Park in 
2022 in a wonderful ceremony attended by Jim, his wife Pam of 48 years, 
and his entire loving family.
  Jim is remembered as a dedicated public servant and a wonderful 
friend who has left behind a lasting legacy of prioritizing public 
safety, fighting crime, and protecting seniors.
  Jim Wood exhibited a deep love for the City of Oceanside and forged a 
legacy of service, commitment, and lasting bonds with the greater 
Oceanside community. He was a light to all who knew him and I share in 
the celebration of his life.

                          ____________________