JOHN MAILLARD

John F. Maillard
July 31, 1934 - Sept. 28, 2012
Jean-François Maillard was born in 1934, on a small farm in the French part of Switzerland. He was educated in the banking industry in Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy. Upon his arrival in New York in 1960, he changed his name to John F. because nobody could pronounce his French name.
In 1966, John took over the direction of Rainbow Painting and Decorating Co. after the death of its founder, Rene J. Canonica. Jackie Kennedy had just convinced the Congress to pass the 1966 Preservation Act. John did not waste any time in redirecting Rainbow toward restoration and preservation and added waterproofing to the list. He received a C-29 Masonry license and B General Contractor license, and changed the company name to Rainbow Waterproofing and Restoration Co., Inc. John was determined to be the best in this field and joined the Association for Preservation Technology (APT) and the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) where he received a Construction Documents Technologist license. He served on various committees at the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) and the Sealant, Waterproofing and Restoration Institute (SWRI) where he retired as Honorary Member. The aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake moved Rainbow to the top of Restoration Contractors on the West Coast.
John was very involved in "his City" of San Francisco. He enjoyed membership in the Olympic Club, was a life member of the Godfathers' Club, an ex-Board member of the San Francisco Boys' and Girls' Clubs (Camp Mendocino), a member of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, Honorary Member of the Swiss Benevolent Society (Scholarships) the Golden Gate Swiss Club, and former member of the San Francisco Rotary Club and the Golden Gate Breakfast Club.
He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Linda A. Maillard; his former wife, Didi Maillard; his son, R. Andre Maillard and his wife Dr. Phylis Wakefield-Maillard; and two granddaughters Danielle and Hanna Maillard, of Sonoma. John has two sisters, Jeannette and Marguerite and nephews and nieces and grand nephews and grandnieces in Switzerland.
John was the only one in his family to immigrate to the U.S. When asked why he left his native Europe for the U.S. permanently, his answer was, "San Francisco is the only place where I have roots. I was never long enough in any city in Europe to leave any prints. San Francisco gave me a chance to practice my trade with passion, where craftsmen appreciate their jobs and are willing to improve themselves. I may have kept some Swiss traits such as stubbornness, but I have enjoyed my U.S. citizenship for over 50 years, and the U.S. is where I want to be buried."
His last wishes are to have his ashes scattered over "Potato Patch", his favorite fishing hole, where he spent many happy days fishing with his best buddy Carlo Lastreto.
The family wishes to thank Dr M. Schrader, Hospice by the Bay, and the Neptune Society for their professional and compassionate care during this difficult period.