Robert L. Bridges

ROBERT L. BRIDGES Born May 12, 1909 in Altus, Arkansas, he passed away July 18, 2006 in Walnut Creek, California. He was predeceased by his adored wife of 69 years, Alice Rodenberger Bridges. He was the loving father of David Bridges, James Bridges and Linda Bridges Ingham and grandfather of Karen Bridges, David Bridges Jr., Stephen Bridges, Stuart Bridges, Catherine Bridges Coleman, William Ingham and Douglas Ingham. He was the great-grandfather of David Bridges III, Devon Bridges, Julianna Bridges, Grace Bridges, Eric Ingham, Mason Coleman, Amelia Bridges and Madeline Coleman, all of whom gave him great pleasure. For the last 15 years, Robert had, as his valued executive assistant, Simone Pfeiffer. One of six siblings, all of whom were raised in Oklahoma and California and all of whom graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, Robert also graduated from Boalt Hall School of Law, where he was Order of the Coif and an editor of the Law Review. Following graduation from law school in the midst of the Great Depression, he got a job in 1933 with the firm of Thelen and Marrin, in which he became a partner in 1939 and which in 1943 became Thelen, Marrin, Johnson and Bridges. Robert was one of the premier transactional lawyers of his time. He became closely associated with both Henry J. Kaiser and Stephen D. Bechtel Sr. and was a director of the Bechtel companies for nearly 30 years, for whom he and Alice traveled the world. Among his many accomplishments, he was a director of Wells Fargo Bank, Industrial Indemnity, Crum & Forster Insurance Group, Joshua Hendy Corp., Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Marin Ship Corporation, Consolidated Builders Inc., Alpac Construction and Surveys Limited, Neptune Corporation, Henry J. Kaiser Motors, Panama Pacific Tankers, Kaiser Co. Permanente Products Co., Standard Gypsum Company, the McCone Foundation, and the Shea Foundation. During the 1950's, he was heavily involved in the construction of the Edmonton, Alberta-Bellevue, Washington oil pipeline and was asked by the oil companies to become President of Transmountain Oil Pipeline Company, which owned the pipeline. In 1977, Robert was the first lawyer ever to receive a Golden Beaver Award for Outstanding Achievement in Heavy Engineering Construction from the Beaver construction industry group. A proud alumnus of the University of California, Robert was an ardent supporter of the University throughout his life. He was a member of the Chancellor's Circle and the U.C. Berkeley Foundation. He received the Chancellor's Award, the Hearst Medallion and the Alumni Citation. He was also a Berkeley Fellow. Robert was a member of the Pacific-Union Club of San Francisco, the World Trade Club of San Francisco the Claremont Country Club of Oakland, the California Club of Los Angeles and the Links Club of New York. He was a patron of John Muir Medical Center and a member of its Board of Trustees. A memorial service will be held at the Claremont Country Club at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 15, 2006. Family and friends are invited. Contributions in Robert's memory may be made to the University of California Berkeley Foundation or the John Muir Medical Center.