Retired Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren E. Rupf died Thursday, according to an announcement from the present sheriff, David O. Livingston.
Rupf joined the Office of the Sheriff in November 1965, where he served under three Sheriffs and worked in virtually every classification during his 45-year career.
In 1979, he was appointed assistant sheriff and served in that capacity until he was appointed sheriff by the Board of Supervisors in December 1992. Rupf was elected to his first four-year term beginning in January 1995, and served as sheriff for 18 years until his retirement in January 2011.
When Rupf toook over the Sheriff's Department in the early 1990s, there were 523 employees - by the time he retired in 2011 it had grown to over 1,000.
Rupf, a Martinez resident, was the first sheriff to have the responsibility for the combined functions of Coroner, Marshal and the Office of Emergency Services. He was also very active in the community, especially youth and service organizations. In 1998, through the Sheriff’s Posse of Contra Costa, Rupf established Sheriff’s Charities, Inc.
"Today we lost a great man, a great leader and a true statesman," said Livingston. "His first priority was always the public safety of the Contra Costa County community and supporting the people he worked with. My heart goes out to his wife Carole and all of his children and grandchildren during this difficult time."
