Former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer, a key figure in the revitalization of San Jose’s downtown, died Saturday at the age of 81.

Her death was announced by her husband, who called her “the light of my life and the source of every important blessing I have enjoyed.”

The retired judge, who served for more than a decade as police auditor and spent a dozen years on the bench, died in her home Sunday.

Susanne Boothe Wilson, who dedicated her life to public service, died in her San Jose home after a months-long battle with cancer.