Donald Roger Fleming

Donald Roger Fleming Resident of Orinda August 2, 2009, Donald (Don) Roger Fleming, 95, passed away at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, CA. Born Aug. 9, 1913 in Sunnyside, WA, Don was the only child of Guy and Leila Rodgers Fleming. While he was an infant, Don's family moved to San Francisco where he attended Damon Prep School for Boys. He graduated '35 from UC Berkeley with a BS in Political Science. At UCB Don was a member of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, excelled on Ky Ebright's championship crew team, and was president of the UCB Debating Society. Don attended Pensacola Naval Air Academy in Florida and entered World War II as a Naval Air Commander, serving in the Middle Eastern Theatre. In 1943, he had the privilege of flying President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference. Before the war, Don met and married Katheryn (Kathi) Ellis of San Francisco, also a graduate from UC Berkeley. She was the daughter of Nathan Randall Ellis - chief engineer of the City and County of San Francisco under Mayor Rolf and designer of the Hetch Hetchy dam - and his wife, Clara Cook Ellis. After the war Don and Kathi settled in San Francisco and had one daughter, Kathryn Theresa. In 1952 the Fleming family moved to Piedmont, CA and then to Orinda in 1960. Don was the producer, director, and writer for radio stations KGO and KNBC. He joined Hewlett Packard, soon became the co-owner of the Granucci Wine Company, and ultimately was the President of Meyer, Ross and Fleming, a subsidiary of Western Electronics. Don was famous for his Golden Key Press-a beautiful old Franklin Press, used to print special edition books, manuscripts, and memoirs. Well known for his fine collection of antiquarian books and documents, antique presses and antique types, Don was a master of The Press of the Roxburghe-Zamerano Club, and was President of: the Book Club of California, Colophon, The Friends of the Bancroft Library at UCB, and both President and a Fellow of the Gleeson Library Associates at USF. Don and Kathi were active in several organizations, including the California Historical Society, the Boston Yacht Club, various golf clubs, Los Aficionados, the University Club, the Bellevue Club of Oakland, the Faculty Club of UC Berkeley, the California Alumni Association, the Bear Backers (never missing a football game in 60 years!), and the Bear Trekkers with whom they traveled to historic places in the United States. For 60 years, Don and Kathi were major patrons of the SF Opera and SF Symphony. Don and Kathi traveled the world but spent much time at their home on Guemes Island in the San Juan Islands, WA. After 65 years of a full and happy marriage, Kathi passed away June 16, 2004 at Guemes. Don would have been 96 years old on Sunday, August 9, 2009. He is survived by his daughter, Kathryn (Katie) Fleming, who still resides in San Francisco. Memorial donations in Don's name may be made to the UCB Bancroft Library (510-643-4714) or the Gleeson Library Rare Book Room at USF (415-422-2036).