Albert "Bud" Warner

1928 - 2020

Albert (Bud) Warner
December 7, 1928 - December 24, 2020
Fresno, California - Albert Allen "Bud" Warner was born December 7, 1928, in Fresno, California. He died on December 24, 2020, in his home in Fresno. His parents are Conrad Maupin Warner and Merle Allen Warner. His sister is Mary Warner Henderson. Bud married Margie Tolladay on June 20, 1954. He considered marrying Margie the best decision he ever made because she kept him "going straight," and no one who knew them can doubt that. She was devoted to him and was ever mindful of his health and welfare. Their daughters are Nancy Warner McPhaul and Kathleen Warner Blanchard of Golden, CO, and Coarsegold, CA, respectively.
Bud graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1947 and from Stanford University in 1951 with a degree in Economics. He was a member of the Chi Psi Fraternity, the Stanford Alumni Association, the American Gemological Society, as well as the 16 Club, Sunnyside Country Club, and the Masonic Lodge. Bud was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow award by Rotary and served on the Fresno Grand Jury.
Bud was a jeweler and owner of The Warner Company. He represented the fourth generation of his family to operate California's oldest family jewelry business, which was established in 1867 and closed in 1994.
Bud's hobbies and interests were varied. In his youth he was an excellent tennis player, competing at the state level in the California Junior Tennis League. He played golf somewhat less successfully but with great gusto for many years. As a young man, he also competed in statewide model airplane tournaments. Bud even played baseball at Stanford briefly. Bud also loved to play cards. He excelled at bridge and poker but was truly masterful at any card game. In fact he was considered a bit of a card sharp by those who had the misfortune to play against him because he could remember every card that had been played and had the uncanny ability to play the percentages yet "shoot the moon" when most unexpected. As a result, he seldom lost but was always a good sport when he did. He also was keen on the one dollar bet, whether it be for first, biggest and most while fishing or for a Super Bowl pick against his granddaughter.
Bud's lifelong passion was fishing, and he was a highly skilled and (in certain circles) even legendary fisherman. He spent many of his happiest days sitting in his beloved boat, trolling Shaver Lake for trout. He also traveled from Alaska to Costa Rica in pursuit of fish. He was most truly himself and never more connected to his life than when he had a fishing rod in hand or was simply discussing his favorite subject. He never tired of the topic and could remember amazingly specific details of particular fishing trips decades ago. More importantly, he happily shared his knowledge and enthusiasm with anyone who cared to join him in his boat.
With his mind for detail and natural ability to convey ideas, Bud might have been an excellent teacher. He particularly loved US history, being inspired by his own Stanford professors. Many dinner conversations often involved historical events which fascinated him. But he also successfully taught his daughters and grandchildren how to fish, swim, play tennis, play cards, and build model airplanes.
As a person, Bud was naturally kind, thoughtful, ever positive, soft-spoken yet very funny, with a ready wit. He was also generous and scrupulously honest. When he was working as a jeweler, he always sought to save newly engaged couples money by delicately advising them to avoid expensive rings that were beyond their means, a practice unheard of among jewelers. He would also offer the couple a short course in how to assess a diamond through a microscope and point out that the difference between an expensive diamond and a more modestly priced one could often not be seen by the naked eye. Clarity is a relative term in this context, and a slight imperfection or flaw could often be easily covered over by a well-placed prong.This careful and nuanced sales approach was unique to him but very much in keeping with his "customers first" way of doing business.
If you look at Bud's high school year book, you will find that most classmates who inscribed it refer to Bud as "a swell fellow." Exactly what that means can only be interpreted by them, but we think they meant he was one of the "good guys" as Bud would say. He was a true gentleman in all respects: loving of his family, honorable, and unfailingly considerate of others and their feelings. He never had a bad word to say about anyone. Despite being a severe diabetic for 80 years of his life and being incapacitated for the last portion of it, he never complained nor let his circumstances detract from the pleasure he took from living. He accepted his lot stoically and considered himself a fortunate man. He was not wrong. If a man's worth can be judged by the number of people who love him, Bud is a very worthy man, a truly "swell fellow" indeed. He is greatly loved by many, and we will miss him.
Bud was predeceased by his wife, Margie, and his sister Mary. He is survived by his children, Nancy and Katie, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service is pending.