Tom Horton, former columnist for The Advertiser and a restaurateur in Honolulu and San Francisco, died Nov. 26 in the City by the Bay. He was 66.

A longtime cigar smoker, Horton had battled lung cancer for two years, according to friends.

Horton was 33 when he first joined The Advertiser in 1973, where he shared his views of Island life, restaurants, politics and business in his daily column. He resigned in 1976.

"We had seen him quite a bit the last few years, including when he, his wife, Karen (also a former Advertiser reporter), and daughter Kate came here for a cruise," said Ray Sweeney, a longtime publicist who counted the Hortons among his best friends. "What can I say; we will miss him dearly."

By Karen Horton's request, a formal obituary will be issued today, according to Sweeney.

Horton was a connoisseur of haute cuisine and fine wines, often with a stogy in hand. He operated a restaurant called Epicurean Consensus with chef-friend Yves Moneret, formerly of Bagwells and Bali-by-the-Sea, in Puck's Alley. After moving to San Francisco, the Hortons took ownership of the Stinson Beach Grill, just outside of San Francisco.

Horton was born in Oklahoma but his parents moved to California when he was 12. He was a columnist for the Sacramento Union, before joining The Advertiser, but also had stints as a sportswriter, general assignment, government reporter, police reporter and assistant city editor.

He got the job by responding to a Page 1 "wanna be a columnist?" notice in The Advertiser.

"He was a true original, and this world will never be as good as it was when he was a part of it," said daughter Kate (Kathryn Rose) in e-mails to friends here and afar.

"We knew this day would come, and although he was determined to keep fighting, his body just wouldn't let him. My family and I take comfort in knowing he is in a far better place than this one, terrorizing a whole new group of people now."

Besides the Honolulu restaurant, Horton's entrepreneurial skills were shared in newspaper "ad" columns called Hyatt on the Beach, which he prepared for the Hyatt Regency Waikiki and a stint with Trade Publishing's Management Bulletin. He also was an executive editor of Spirit of Aloha, Aloha Airlines' in-flight magazine, and wrote a column for Honolulu magazine.

Survivors also include two sons, Mike, who runs Stinson Beach Grill now, and Greg, who also works at the restaurant.

At his request, there will be a celebration of Horton's life from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Washington Square Grill in San Francisco's North Beach.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.