Joan Byrnes San Jule

Joan San Jule Napa Joan Byrnes San Jule, died at her home in Napa on October 12, 2008. She was born on January 21, 1923 in New York City and moved to San Francisco as a young girl. She graduated from UC Berkeley and studied at Stanford University. She married Joseph Bernstein and raised three children. She was predeceased by her parents, Nathaniel and Isabel Lipsett, and her two sons, Randy and Dennis Byrnes. In the 1960s, Joan worked at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley and created Banquet by Byrnes, before going to work with New York Life Insurance Company in San Francisco. By the 1970s, Joan had become very active in San Francisco Democratic politics. She was a San Francisco Housing Authority Commissioner under Mayors Alioto, Moscone, Agnos and Feinstein. She also served two terms on the board of directors for SPUR. She finished her working career as a marketing director for the architectural firm, Bolles Associates, where she met James San Jule and enjoyed 18 years of marriage with him. She moved to Napa in 2002 to be near her daughter, Pam Schultz. The light of her life was her grandchildren, Kimberly, Natalie and Mathew Schultz, Kasey and Michael Byrnes, and one great grandchild, Jonathan Dennis Byrnes. She will be most remembered for her feistiness, zest for life, love of fashion and hats, and her joy in sharing opinionated debates. The family wished to thank the entire staff at Wine Country Senior Villas. Services will be private and memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Napa Valley, 411 S Jefferson St. Napa, CA 94559. Arrangements are under the direction of Richard Pierce Funeral Service and notes of sympathy may be sent on-line at WWW.RPFSC.COM.