A proposed memorial bench in honor of late Judge Jeffrey Tauber is headed to the Richmond City Council, which is scheduled to decide on Tuesday whether to approve its donation and installation at Barbara and Jay Vincent Park.
The City’s Community Services Department’s Recreation Division received an application on April 7 from Vivian Vosu, a longtime friend of Tauber, to donate and dedicate a bench.
In her application, Vosu emphasized both the personal and public significance of honoring Tauber, who passed away last year at age 77. After spearheading drug court reform in the Bay Area, Tauber founded the organization now known as All Rise and later returned to local judicial work. He was widely recognized for his compassionate approach to justice, treating those in his court as human beings first.
Tauber was also known for his musical presence. He often performed saxophone along the Richmond Marina promenade and at nearby venues such as Rigger’s Loft and the Baltic Kiss (both venues are now permanently closed). He was known to invite fellow musicians to join him on stage and to greet passersby, weaving his music into the fabric of community life.
The plaque prepared for the bench would read:
Judge Jeffrey Tauber
His healing justice
And soulful sax
Echo across this nation
The memorial bench project was advanced through the Public Works Department’s Parks and Landscaping Division, which accepted a recommended standard bench model for the Marina Bay Landscaping and Lighting District and approved its intended location.
On May 15, the Marina Bay Lighting and Landscaping District Board voted to accept the donation. Because recent meetings of the Recreation and Parks Commission were repeatedly canceled, citing lack of quorum, city staff forwarded the proposal directly to the City Council for the final decision.
If approved, the donor will purchase the bench and accompanying plaque, valued collectively at about $1,500, and deliver them to the Parks and Landscaping Division for installation.