Stephen Cain, spokesman for the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, died of heart failure in his sleep Dec. 15 at his Los Angeles home. He was 52.
Cain, since March 2002, worked at the LARWQCB, where he also carried the title of senior environmental planner. Prior to that, he worked at the Department of Toxic Substances Control and the California Environmental Protection Agency. Cain held a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in Communications Studies from Claremont University.
“Steve was a joy to be around and brought out the best in almost everyone. He had a wicked, dry sense of humor and was amazing at helping the press because he understood what they needed, knew what he was talking about and how to present it to the media,” Liz Kanter, former spokeswoman for the State Water Resources Control Board, said in a press release. “Steve could get things done, and done well. Many of us counted Steve as a dear friend outside of work and I was always excited to trade barbs with him. He left us too soon. To say he will be missed is a gross understatement.”
Cain is survived by his mother, two sisters, and life partner Jim Muller. A memorial service will be held Jan. 3 at Village Green Clubhouse, 5300 Rodeo Rd., in Los Angeles at 12 p.m. Memorials can be made in his honor to two nonprofit organizations: Out of the Closet (www.outofthecloset.org) or Heal the Bay (www.healthebay.org).