City Government
Sanjiv Handa Died of Acute Diabetes Complications
Now more than two years after the sudden death of independent journalist Sanjiv Handa, many Oakland residents are still wondering what took the life of the 55-year-old journalist, who was found dead at a friend’s residence on Dec. 27, 2011.
A well-known fixture at public meetings, Handa irritated some officials but endeared himself to many residents as a tireless crusader for transparent government. He covered virtually every council meeting, including committee hearings, since 1991. He was the sole proprietor of the East Bay News Service, an email newsletter.
According to the coroner’s report, Handa died of “acute diabetic ketoacidosis,” a potentially life threatening complication that affects patients with diabetes.
DKAoccurs predominantly in those with type 1 diabetes, but it can occur in those with type 2. DKA results from a shortage of insulin. In response, the body switches to burning fatty acids and producing acidic ketone bodies that cause most of the symptoms and complications.
DKA may be the first symptom of previously undiagnosed diabetes, but it may also occur in people known to have diabetes. Vomiting, dehydration, deep gasping breathing, confusion and occasionally coma are typical symptoms. It can also be smelled on a person’s breath, due to acetone. It is often described as smelling like nail polish remover.
Without treatment, DKA can lead to death.
Shortly before his death, Handa had been “feeling weak…and had been coughing a lot,” according to the Coroner Investigator’s Report. Handa had gone to see his doctor, who sent him for blood work, but he never got the results. “There were no signs of trauma or foul play to the body,” and there was no drugs or alcohol in his blood, the report said.
The report concluded that the evidence was “consistent with a natural death.” The case was reviewed and officially closed on April 21, 2013.
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Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
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Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
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IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.
He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.
Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.
Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.
Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.
He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.
His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.
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