Kenneth Tindall Derr

1936 - 2024

Kenneth Tindall Derr
08/04/1936 - 07/12/2024
Kenneth Tindall Derr passed away on the morning of Friday, July 12, in Orinda, California, after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Donna, his three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Ken was born to Alice Ann Tindall and Walter Rodman Derr in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and he spent his happy childhood years in the Philadelphia suburbs, playing basketball and tennis and rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies, or Whiz Kids, his favorite team. He also excelled in academics, winning school awards in both math and English at Lower Merion High School.
At 18, Ken left home for Cornell University, where he would continue his tennis career and thrive academically and socially, earning degrees in mechanical engineering (BME in 1959) and business administration (MBA in 1960) and serving as president of his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. Most importantly, he met the woman who would become his life partner, Donna Mettler. They came together on a triple blind date, matched by height, a single inch leading to a 68-year love affair and partnership.
After both graduated in 1960, they headed west to begin their married life after Ken took a job with the Standard Oil Company of California, later renamed Chevron Corporation, where he would spend 40 years. Ken and Donna moved throughout California as Ken began his move up the Chevron ranks, and they welcomed three children during their early years together. The family returned to the Bay Area in 1969, where they would spend the rest of their lives.
Throughout his career, Ken traveled the world, often with Donna, building relationships that would last a lifetime. In 1972, Ken became the youngest vice president in the company's history. He was named president of Chevron USA in 1979 and elected to the board of directors in 1981. Three years later, he headed the company's program to implement the integration of Chevron and Gulf Oil Corporation, the largest ever corporate merger at the time, a challenging success that paved his path to become chairman of the board and chief executive on January 1, 1989.
As he took over the top spot at Chevron, he set a goal to achieve the highest shareholder return versus industry peers, an achievement accomplished in his first five years as CEO. He was proud to reward employees for this collective effort, and he always felt tremendous gratitude and respect for his Chevron family.
Outside of Chevron, many others valued Ken's experience and wisdom, and over the years he served on numerous corporate boards, including Citicorp and AT&T. He was a former chairman of the American Petroleum Institute, a member of the Business Council and the Council on Foreign Relations, a trustee of Cornell University and a member of various presidential commissions.
Throughout his life, Ken gave back to the community through numerous philanthropic efforts, but he was most proud of working with then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein on the Save the Cable Cars Campaign in 1997, advancing education equity for low-income families through the BASIC Fund, and raising funds to drive medical advancements through his work with the UCSF Foundation.
After eleven successful years at the Chevron helm, Ken decided he wanted to spend more time with family, and he retired in 1999. He always loved bringing the family together on vacations, so now he could spend hours organizing family gatherings in Mexico, Hawaii, New York and Lake Tahoe. He particularly enjoyed standing before the grill on the deck, gazing at Tahoe's stunning blue water. Family holidays meant big breakfasts for "Pops" with the grandchildren, pancakes and waffles, and plenty of syrup. For Ken, family gatherings meant just that- the people he loved most were together in one place, laughing and eating and enjoying one another.
He also loved sports, coaching his children's youth basketball teams and traveling many weekends to watch them play tennis. He loved Kenny Stabler's Oakland Raiders and drove the family to Pasadena to watch John Madden's team win the 1976 Super Bowl. He attended the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants' World Series games during their championship runs, and he particularly loved the recent Golden State Warriors, especially Steph Curry, whose arching three-pointers and beaming smiles brought joy to Ken's face.
Ken loved games, especially cards. He played gin rummy and hearts with family, and bridge with Donna, a game the two bonded over throughout their life together. Dominos with colleagues remained a steady lunchtime passion. His favorite game, though, was golf, and he treasured time with Donna and friends playing courses around the world. He cherished the beauty of Augusta National and the view from the 17th tee at Cypress Point.
Near the end of his life, Ken struggled with health problems, but did so with remarkable courage and grace. With Donna always by his side, he never lost his sense of humor or his desire to raise a glass with family and friends. He faced death as he faced everything in his life- head-on, without flinching, surrounded by his loved ones.
Ken is survived by and will be deeply missed by his wife of nearly 65 years, Donna, his children Karen (Vik Amar), Ken Jr., and Scott (Christen McClellan), grandchildren Ken Gilbert (Lindy), Lissa Gilbert Dunne (Thomas), Lucas Derr, Lars Derr, Amy Derr, Hazel Derr and Opal Derr, and two great-grandchildren, Christopher Derr Dunne and Callum Hoyt Gilbert.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to The BASIC Fund or The UCSF Foundation or the charity of your choice.