William K. Coblentz

William K. Coblentz, a San Francisco attorney with a storied career of unsurpassed impact in legal, civic and political circles, passed away early on September 13, 2010. He was 88. Over the course of more than 60 years in law practice, Mr. Coblentz attracted a host of high-profile clients, from Patty Hearst to the Getty family to the McClatchy newspapers. He also accumulated a series of accomplishments and contacts in civic and political affairs that extended beyond the Bay Area to the state and national spheres. Widely acknowledged as one of California's most powerful lawyers, he was equally renowned for his humor, humility and candor. Mr. Coblentz started his private law career with the venerable San Francisco firm Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, but in 1955 he joined the two-lawyer firm then called Samuel, Jacobs & Sills. A few years later the firm changed its name to Jacobs, Sills and Coblentz. Today, the firm is known as Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass and consists of 72 lawyers. While Mr. Coblentz was a lifelong San Franciscan, he enjoyed spending time at his second home in La Quinta, Calif. He is survived by his wife, Jean; children, Wendy and Andy Coblentz; son-in-law, Jim Lowy; and daughter-in-law, Shari Libicki; four grand-children, Nikki and Ben Lowy and Jake and Gena Coblentz; and his sister, Lolita Erlanger. A public memorial service will be held at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco on October 18, 2010 at 4:00 PM. The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to: The William K. Coblentz Civil Rights Endowment Fund, Boalt Hall Alumni Center, 2850 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 500, Berkeley, CA 94705-7220. Checks should be made to "William K. Coblentz Civil Rights Endowment Fund" http://www.law.berkeley. edu/9357.htm; or UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339 https:// makeagift.ucsf.edu.