Longtime Malibu resident and coastal protection activist Mary Frampton died Friday of natural causes. She was 76.
Frampton headed the nonprofit organization, Save Our Coast. She formed the group in the late ’80s as a response to a proposal by the county government for a Malibu sewer system. Frampton was active on water quality issues and marine mammal protection.
“Mary was a person who was deeply concerned about the environment and marine species of all kinds,” said John Murdoch, a good friend of Frampton’s.
Heal the Bay Executive Director Mark Gold, who worked closely with Frampton on various causes, said, “If there’s one word I could use to describe Mary, it would be ‘passionate.’ She just cared very deeply about coastal water quality and other coastal issues.”
Frampton moved to San Bernardino as a young child with her family from the East Coast. She attended San Bernardino High School. Frampton worked for the Los Angeles Times as a photographer. Her husband, Robert, was a writer for the newspaper. He died in the ’80s.
“She had a very happy marriage and her husband died many years ago, but she never fell out of love with him” said friend Rhea Damon. “She’d been very close to her parents and had a very happy childhood.”
After retirement, Frampton dedicated herself to activism. In addition to her coastal advocacy, she campaigned for cityhood. Friends said although she accomplished a great deal with her work, she never wanted to take credit for it.
“She always gave credit to everybody else,” said longtime friend Bill Littlejohn. “She was a remarkably modest person who was an achiever. She never took a bow. When they came around to thank everybody, Mary disappeared out the backdoor.”
One of Frampton’s goals was to create a marine mammal sanctuary in the Santa Monica Bay that would restrict activity in the area, and protect the marine life. Although she was able to get then-Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl to propose a bill, it did not eventually become a law. Councilmember Sharon Barovsky said recent political events have made it likely that the sanctuary is on the horizon.
“A week and a half ago, I called Mary and told her, ‘It looks like we’re going to get our marine sanctuary,'” Barovsky said. “And she was so happy.”
Frampton also dedicated herself to getting others interested in environmental issues by holding seminars and workshops. Most recently, she was involved in the city’s fundraising effort to purchase the Chili Cook-Off site. The city purchased the property in the spring, and eventually will use the land for wastewater and storm water treatment, to curb the pollution of the Malibu watershed. Frampton was the first Malibu resident to donate to the fund for the purchase.
“She got on that phone and encouraged people to donate,” Barovsky said. “She told people this was not just going to be a park, but rather that it was a water quality project. She helped us a great deal.”
Mayor Ken Kearsley said about Frampton, “She took in three grown greyhounds that had been rescued. She would take in a wounded bird. She just cared about people and animals.”
Frampton is survived by her stepson, Donald. A memorial service is being planned.