DONALD DAVID ROSENBERG

Donald David Rosenberg Donald David Rosenberg, a former resident of Tiburon and a 25 year resident of Oakland, Ca, passed away on October 7, 2010. He is survived by Christa, his wife of 25 years, sons Daniel of Tampa, Florida (and his wife Julia), David of Modiin Illit, Israel (and his wife Hila), his first wife of 20 years (& mother of son Daniel) Ann Marie Meagher M.D. in Tiburon, CA, grandchildren Daniel (and his wife Michelle), Hannah, & Meir, siblings Muriel Wakefield, Nancy Schmid (and husband Herb), Louis Hall (and husband Ken), and Alan Rosenberg, and six nieces & nephews and numerous grand-nieces & nephews. Donald was born June 11, 1930 in Milwaukee, Wisonsin to Harry and Yetta Rosenberg. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University Law School with honors. He served in the U.S. Navy. Upon leaving the Navy, he was hired by the Judicial Council of California, where he helped draft laws for the state. He was then hired as the first in northern California in the then new program that provided court commissioners to adjudicate cases in a similar capacity to judges. He was the traffic commissioner in Oakland for 20 years where he did the weighted caseload work of three commissioners or judges. It was his practice to spend many lunch hours driving to intersections to see if what the defendants described as the conditions that prevented them from following the law were valid. He was active in many political and academic committees including leading discussion groups at the Commonwealth Club. He was also involved with the Sierra Club, Americans United for Life, Smile Train, the Nature Conservancy, and many more. In 1991, he lost his home in the Oakland Hills fire. His home was about 100 yards from where the fire started, and before it was fully engaged, Donald tried to help a neighbor extinguish the fire on his roof before realizing the fire was spreading quickly and he barely made it out before the fire reached him. Donald was beloved for his strength, principles, kindness, intelligence, wisdom, willingness to help others, hard work, and toughness. He was a valuable resource for all who asked him for advice in his knowledge of the law and financial dealings and was a vast storehouse of knowledge and sound thinking in politics, keeping track of politicians and laws and votes over many years. There will be no replacement available for this man. To know him was to love him. A memorial mass will be said for him at St. Hilary's Catholic Church in Tiburon on Sunday, October 10 at 9 AM.