ENCINITAS -- When William Patrick Gage Jr. set his mind to a task, he stuck with it.

When he opposed the proposed Highway 680 that would have run through Encinitas, the grass-roots effort he led succeeded in stopping it, family members said.

When Gage and friend Bob Bondi teamed up to incorporate Encinitas, their three-year campaign ended successfully with cityhood in 1986.

And when Gage's children had a question about history, they didn't have to turn to history books.

"They could just ask their dad -- he knew everything there was to know about history," said Gage's wife of 41 years, Deanne.

William Patrick Gage Jr. died Dec. 21 in his home. He was 66.

The exact cause of death has not been determined, said Chris Gage, one of his two sons.

Gatge is survived by his wife, sons and four grandchildren. A memorial service will be scheduled "sometime in the first week of February," Chris Gage said.

Gatge was born in San Francisco, raised in New York, headed west to attend San Diego State University "and never returned to New York," said Deanne Gage, who met her future husband during a geography class at the university.

Gatge would go on to work as a real estate assessor for the County of San Diego.

"For us, it all began with that course, because after a week in class, we took a bus across the state to various sites of interest and Bill and I sat next to each other, talked all of the time we were together and, fell in love," she said.

The couple married in 1966.

They moved to Leucadia in 1969 and began raising their children, as Gage landed a job as a real estate assessor with the county.

"Bill was a very devoted family man," said Deanne Gage, "and he was a very kind person."

Chris Gage said: "My fondest memories of my father stem from the days when he'd take me and my brother (Billy) camping in Baja, where we surf and camp."

As the boys entered competitive soccer, Gage coached their teams. When the boys moved on to higher levels of competition, Gage remained in the Leucadia league as a soccer referee.

Like any Leucadians, "we were in the water as often as we could -- we grew up on the beach," Chris Gage said. "As Billy and I became older, we started surfing, but Dad kept on body surfing. We all loved the water."

When Gage wanted to unwind with his family, "we'd head up to our mountain cabin in Idyllwild," said Deanne Gage. "That was his favorite getaway spot. He enjoyed reading and hiking in the mountains."

The Gage household also reflected the dedication and drive of a civic activist.

"During those days when Dad and Bob Bondi were fighting to get Encinitas incorporated, our living room would be full of posters and literature. More than once, Dad would stay up all night stapling posters."

Gage was honored during the 20th anniversary of cityhood "for his role in that effort," said Chris Gage.

When Gage retired from 32 years of public service in the County Assessor's Office, he was recognized "for his dedication to the county," his son said.

After the Cedar fire in 2003, Gage became active in the Encinitas Community Emergency Response Team organization "because he wanted to help city residents to better prepare for future disasters," Chris Gage said.

"My father was involved with civil service his entire career and some of that definitely rubbed off on me," said Chris Gage, a San Diego city firefighter. "I was drawn to this line of service by him, his values influenced my career selection."

Contact staff writer J. Stryker Meyer at (760) 901-4089 or jmeyer@nctimes.com.