Hank Broderick

Henry J. Broderick The Honorable Henry Joseph Broderick died peacefully Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 at home in San Rafael, California. He was 86 years old. Judge Broderick was a third generation San Franciscan who, as a boy, hunted rabbits in the Sunset sand dunes, attended the World's Fair on Treasure Island and lazed away summers in Rio Nido. He attended St. Anne's School, Lincoln High School, the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford Law School and served in the Army with the Judge Advocate General's Corps at the Presidio of San Francisco. Hank had an Irishman's ear for the well-told story. He loved humanity and found a perfect calling when he left private law practice to be appointed by Governor Ronald Reagan to the Marin County Superior Court in 1972. From the bench, Judge Broderick presided over many of Marin County's most notorious trials, earning tremendous respect from the community for his even-handed, efficient, and compassionate treatment of all parties. He was especially proud of a 1974 ruling which ended the boys-only tradition in little league, one of the first dominoes to fall in the long battle for equal treatment for girls in sports. After his retirement from the Superior Court in 1990, Hank joined Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, where his honed judicial skills made him a valuable mediator. Hank was a long-time supporter of St. Vincent's School for Boys in Novato, the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, the Marin Conservation Corps and the Tamalpais Conservation Club. No trail on Mt. Tam escaped his tread. He traveled the world, and shared insights from his legal career with South Africa's leadership during post-apartheid hearings on "Truth and Reconciliation." He raised his family on the Tiburon peninsula where his immaculate silver 912 was a fixture on Tiburon Boulevard for nearly 30 years. Hank founded and was the first president of the Del Mar Homeowners' Association. His determination to move utilities underground there will soon bear fruit as poles come down and vistas open to Sausalito and Richardson's Bay for all to enjoy. Hank was married 65 years to his college sweetheart Mary Jo Anderson, his soul-mate, muse and caregiver to the very end. He was pre-deceased by his sister Patti (Delmas) of San Rafael, and is survived by Mary Jo, four children, their spouses, four nieces, and ten grandchildren, all of whom adored him. Memorial services are pending. Contact judge. broderick@gmail.com for information. Friends are welcome to remember Hank with a donation to the Romberg Center or to Hospice by the Bay or to any charity of their choice.