John Bischoff

1945 - 2021

John Alvin Bischoff

John Alvin Bischoff, 75, passed away on Sunday, January 10th, 2021 in San Rafael, California. He was born in San Francisco, California on June 30th, 1945 to Elizabeth and Hermann Bischoff. The Bischoff family resided in the Mission District of San Francisco, where John grew up with his brothers (Donald Bischoff and Roy Bischoff) and his sister (Lori Cappelletti). He graduated from Lowell High School, earned a Bachelor's degree at San Jose State University, and a Master's degree from the University of California at Berkeley. John also studied abroad in Germany while visiting family in his younger years. Fluent in German, he genuinely loved picking up the phone to speak to his cousins in Germany during each and every holiday.
In 1968, John moved to Marin County and shortly thereafter met his wife, Katherine Stacy Reese whom he married in 1971. They began their family in Tiburon, first welcoming their son, David Reese Bischoff, in 1982 followed by their daughter, Jillian Reese Bischoff, in 1986. They moved to San Rafael in 1987 where their home was the center of countless parties and celebrations for masses of friends and family who loved being in John's presence. From block parties to Kentucky Derby parties, dinner parties to Superbowl parties, laughter was a constant, as were his hilariously bad jokes, like "That went over like a lead balloon."
An avid sportsman, he frequented golf courses and the bocce courts in San Rafael with his long-time team, the Bocce Gods. He and his wife, Stacy, headed the annual Bocce Ball Fundraiser. He was a member of the Monte Cristo Club of San Francisco and a Dinner Club composed of his closest friends-turned-family, with whom he celebrated for the last 30 years. As a San Francisco native, he held season tickets to the San Francisco 49ers for over three decades at Candlestick Park.
John was recently celebrated for 50 years of employment as a dedicated and talented licensed civil and geotechnical engineer working for Leeds, Hill, and Jewett, Woodward-Clyde, URS, and AECOM. His colleagues considered him a great leader and coach. He was well known for his care, consideration and mentorship of every person he met throughout his career. He shared his knowledge of tunnels, water treatment, wastewater, levees, dams and much more. He was widely respected by his clients and colleagues alike. John loved to share stories from his extensive travel, nationally and internationally, both for business and pleasure.
John was a man of strong faith and was a long-time member of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church where he was an elder and head of the Pastor Nominating Committee. He was also an integral member of the Marin Cursillo Community, where he worked on several Cursillo teams and led multiple Men's Cursillo Weekends. John supported his teammates with his warmth, compassion, humor but most of all his ability to listen. Not only was John an admired leader in the Cursillo Community and St. Luke's Presbyterian Church, he impacted all who had the opportunity to engage with him.
John is survived by his beloved bride of 49 years Stacy, and their children Nira Ray, David Bischoff (Bridget Bischoff), and Jillian Restivo (Brent Restivo) and his grandchildren Lincoln Restivo and Madeline Bischoff, many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. He was an exceptional husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. To know John was to love him, and boy did we love him.
Donations in his honor can be made to Marin Cursillo online or by mail to: P.O. Box 4101, San Rafael, CA 94913-4101. Please include In Memory of John Bischoff in your donation.
A proper memorial will follow when the Covid crisis allows.
We already miss you…..you will always be our "all-time greatest hero."