Remembering Mayor Samuel Lofton

In Memoriam

December 15, 1986

Costa Nova lost one of its most influential public servants this week. Former Mayor Samuel Lofton died unexpectedly at his home on December 13. He was surrounded by the community he spent much of his life serving and leaves behind a legacy woven deeply into the history of Costa Nova.

To many residents, Samuel was simply Mayor Lofton. He entered local politics at a time when Costa Nova was struggling to decide what kind of city it wanted to become. During his years in public service, he became known for his discipline, his confidence, and his insistence that government had an obligation to think beyond the next election.

Samuel was rarely described as an easy man. He demanded preparation from his staff. He challenged people openly. He expected those working beside him to defend their ideas and arrive ready to work. Those expectations earned him critics, but they also earned him an intensely loyal group of young public servants who regarded his office as a place where they learned how government actually worked.

Among them was a young Rachel Redford, who began her political career under Samuel's mentorship. “Samuel never let me settle for saying that something was simply a good idea,” Redford said. “He wanted to know who it helped, what it cost, what happened ten years later, and whether I would still defend it when people were angry with me. Everything I know about leadership started in that office.”

Outside City Hall, Samuel was known as a husband and father. He and his wife, Odessa, raised their sons in Costa Nova, where the Lofton family became one of the city's most recognizable political families. In a brief statement following his death, the family described Samuel as a man whose public responsibilities never diminished his commitment to the people closest to him.

His death came unexpectedly. According to the family, Samuel went to bed the evening of December 12 and did not wake the following morning. Authorities reported no indication of foul play, and his death was attributed to natural causes.

For Costa Nova, December 13 marked the end of a political career whose influence would continue long after Samuel left office. Former staff members became department heads, organizers, attorneys, business leaders, and elected officials. Policies debated during his administration continued shaping the city. His name became part of Costa Nova's political vocabulary.

And perhaps no part of his legacy endured more visibly than his belief that leadership required the willingness to make decisions whose consequences might not be understood for years. Samuel once told a room of young staffers:

“You don't govern for the applause you hear today. You govern for the city that has to live with your decision tomorrow.”

For decades afterward, Costa Nova continued living with Samuel Lofton's decisions. Some residents celebrated them, while others challenged them. But few could deny the mark he left behind.

Samuel Lofton 1939 – 1986

Former Mayor of Costa Nova Husband to Odessa Father to Nicholas, Jonathan, Sam, and the Lofton family

The Lofton family has requested privacy as they mourn. Funeral arrangements will be announced privately.