James Edwin Pendergast

1935 - 2021

James Edwin Pendergast
James Edwin Pendergast left this life abruptly on the morning of March 22, 2021 when he was struck by a moving vehicle as he attempted to cross Highway 12 in Sonoma, CA. An article appeared in the Sonoma Index-Tribune a few days later, giving some details of the incident but it also gave readers a look into how those who knew him admired and cared deeply about him as well.
He was born on November 2, 1935 in Hayward, CA. He lived to be 85. He was an avid runner and kept fit his entire adult life. It was his interest in and study of diet and nutrition that perhaps was the secret to his staying free of any of the deeper health problems that may easily come with age. He received a degree in English at UC Berkeley and had great analytical and editorial skills. A major life ambition for him was to sell a screenplay of which he wrote many. James had a deep appreciation for all the arts. Although he had his own musical talents, including a good speaking and singing voice he stayed more focused on writing. For a while in the late '60s he entered the music business briefly as the co-manager of Bay Area rock group Mint Tattoo, a spin-off of the more renowned band Blue Cheer.
He was an ardent peace activist and he and his first wife, Marguerite, went to many peace and anti war rallies in the late '60s and early/mid '70s. In the mid '70s, they moved to Sonoma from Petaluma. James who never had children of his own helped to raise two step-sons, David and Adam.
In the mid '70s James met MFK Fisher, the Grande Dame of literary cuisine. Over time they developed a friendship and while appreciating his talents as an editor and writer, she once told him that he was one of only three true poets she had ever known.
In the mid '80s, a few years after he and Marguerite divorced, James met Maria Romo Ackridge. They developed a connection that was truly joyful and deep. They married in Taos, NM. Maria became ill in 2000 and passed away in 2010. He took diligent care of his soul--mate, Maria, through those trying years. James was only too aware of what he was missing in no longer having his other half in his life. He developed meaningful core friendships with not only her adult sons, Kurt and Stuart, but with several of their cousins as well.
He is survived by his brother David and David's wife, Elizabeth, and their sons Conall and Michael as well as his grand-nephew; four stepsons and step-grandchildren.
A memorial is being planned. A place and date will be announced later.