Seaside commission honors civil‑rights leader Helen Rucker at meeting closure

The Seaside Safety Advisory Commission closed its Tuesday meeting with a formal tribute to Helen Rucker, who died at age 93. Vice Chair Yvonne Thomas read a tribute on behalf of the commission that described Rucker as "a pillar of the city of Seaside" and noted her decades of civic leadership in education, civil‑rights organizing and philanthropy.

Commission members and the police chief offered personal remembrances before the written tribute was read for the record. The chief recalled Rucker’s mentorship, community breakfasts and her role in local civil‑rights history, saying her example influenced city leaders and officers over many years.

Vice Chair Thomas read the submitted tribute in full and the commission voted unanimously to close the meeting in Rucker’s honor. The tribute text was filed with the minutes and submitted on the record in November 2025.