William Augustus Sanchez, Jr.

On September 10th, 2023, William Augustus "Bill" Sanchez was called home by the Lord at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley, California with family at his side. He lived 91 remarkable years. Bill was born to William Augustus Sanchez, Sr., and Emma Aunda Zavala. His parents divorced when Bill was around four years old and his younger brother Jimmy around two years old, and Emma turned first to family and later to an eccentric Yuma businesswoman named Carmelita Mayhew, who taught Emma how to run her saloon and made certain that Bill and Jimmy attended school. By age 13 Bill was pretty much on his own, "couch surfing at friends' homes." Later in high school he was living with his paternal grandmother Clara Aguirre Sanchez, a Yuma pioneer and midwife. After high school, Bill began his extensive education at Arizona State University at Flagstaff (now Northern Arizona University), where he studied pre-medicine. In the early 1950s, Bill enlisted for four years in the U. S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and was trained as an Operating Room Technician, serving with a combat surgical team based in Yokosuka, Japan, and was deployed onboard ship with the team. Upon discharge from the Navy, Bill went back to his pre-med studies. Though he didn't become a surgeon as he'd wanted, he did receive multiple Bachelor's degrees from University of Minnesota and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from CSU, Hayward, self-supported throughout his entire student life. Bill's professional life spanned many decades, first as an educator for 33 years - art teacher, English professor, guidance counselor. then Superintendent of Schools at Moorpark Memorial Union High School District (2 years). Unhappy about the School Board's position on certain matters, he retired as an educator. In 1989 he changed career to Human Resources Management, primarily as a Senior Staffing Consultant and Recruiter for Bay Area Information Technology firms. He still found time, together with two business partners, to develop two major renovation projects, one of which is for the former Subic Bay Naval Station in the Republic of the Philippines. This project did not materialize but it was during negotiations for this project that he met Josephine, his wife of nearly three decades, in Manila. The couple married in 1995 and settled in San Anselmo, California. Bill's career as a Senior Staffing Consultant became very successful and eventually branched out to the Healthcare industry, recruiting for Healthcare firms such as Kaiser Foundation and Stanford Medical Clinics. This career spanned 38 years until his semi-retirement a few years ago due to failing health. Even then, Bill's heart for serving others led him to take a position in his Catholic parish where he helped establish a successful program, "Under Your Wings" to house and feed "the least of these" in the San Rafael area as president of St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Raphael Conference, for 6 years.

Bill loved music, "especially when Josephine plays piano." He is a classical music aficionado and enjoys big band and jazz music. He has done pencil sketching, oil painting and pottery in his college years, and had wanted to go back to these. Two movies that Bill often watched to wrap up his day: Casablanca and It's A Wonderful Life. These past few years he enjoyed TV westerns from the 1950s and 60s and will not sleep until he has watched an episode of Lawman, Have Gun Will Travel, High Chaparral and Maverick.

Bill is survived by his wife of 28 years, Josephine; children Michael (Melita) Sanchez, Peggy (Tom) Houle, and Nicholas (Kellie) Sanchez; sisters Kylene Kron, Sondra Davis, and Carol Johnston; mother-in-law Thelma; 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his younger brother James Ronald Sanchez (killed in action), sons Jamie Chez and Mark Sanchez.

Visitation and Rosary were held September 19, 2023 at Monte's Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo, CA and the Mass of Christian Burial on September 20 at Saint Raphael Church, San Rafael, CA. The Rite of Committal will be on November 9, 2023. Contact information is (415) 272-0874.