Eve Chinitz Bach
Born: July 18. 1941 - Died: March 1, 2025
Eve Chinitz Bach passed away peacefully with her family at her side on March 1, 2025 after a difficult struggle with cancer. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Gale; daughter, Nadira; grandson, Nigel; brother, Bill; 2 nephews, Clyde and Ben; aunt, Selma; and cousins, David and Jody.
Eve was born in Greenbelt, MD, and spent her early years in Washington, DC. Her family moved to Brooklyn, New York when she was twelve, a point where she said that she felt the whole world opening up for her. She loved being able to roam the City independently. She received her BA at Bennington College in 1962, majoring in Economics. After college she spent 2 years as a teacher in British Guyana, where she married her first husband, Desmond Clarke. She returned to the US in 1964 to attend graduate school at UC Berkeley where she received her Masters of City and Regional Planning degree in 1966. She gave birth to her daughter, Nadira, in 1966, and in 1969 married Gale.
From the early 1970’s to the early 1990’s Eve was active in the progressive political movement to reform City government in Berkeley, starting with the April Coalition and then with its successor Berkeley Citizens Action. She was a staff volunteer for City Council members. She served as the Chair of the Citizens Budget Committee, as an Assistant to the City Manager and, finally, as Assistant City Manager for Community Development. She was responsible for Planning, Zoning, Building Codes, the Housing Authority, and Federal Community Development Programs. During these years she also wrote extensively about the role of local government and the assets belonging to the community in the creation of new and innovative forms of community development. She also served on the Board of the YWCA. Much of her work focused on the creation of affordable housing and solving the many fiscal problems resulting from the passage of California's Proposition 13.
Eve retired from the City of Berkeley in 1991, and later joined Arc Ecology as its Economist/Planner, a position she held until her death. At Arc Ecology she focused on helping disadvantaged communities present their needs and ideas for the equitable and sustainable development of closed military bases and other communities, with a continuing emphasis on the development of more affordable housing. During her 17 years at Arc Ecology she also served as the President of The Public Trust Group, on the Board of the East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO), and as a member of Renewed Hope, a group advocating for affordable housing.
Eve was a clear headed, focused, insightful and independent thinker. She was unfailingly optimistic and had a loving, generous and courageous heart. These complementary strengths enabled her to engage life to the fullest, and became the base for her fundamental sense of justice.
Eve was a truth seer and a truth teller. She knew when others were truthful and when they were not. Therefore, she could give of herself to so many people and feel energized in the process. Throughout, she was “real.” Her family, friends and colleagues admired and loved her for these and a host of other qualities that she incorporated in all facets of her life.
Eve was also an avid gardener. She nurtured her flowers and vegetables with the same passion as she demonstrated with her family and friends. In the end she created a paradise for her home while she was trying to help make a more just society.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2025 at 3 PM in St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA.
St. John’s Presbyterian Church: map it.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Eve’s name to:
The Highlander Center
www.highlandercenter.org
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives
www.federation.coop
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This article appeared on page Z-99 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Monday 15 March 2025
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/15/MNBACHEVE4.DTL
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