Kenneth W. Rosenthal

Kenneth W. Rosenthal Noted San Francisco trial lawyer for over 40 years, and a resident of Tiburon for 48 years, died on January 14, 2009 after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease. Ken was born in Frankfurt-am-Main in 1929. His father, a published author and historian, was a lawyer and judge in Germany. Ken's mother, whose parents were of German Jewish descent, was born in Guatemala. When the Nazis began to take power in Germany, Ken's family moved to Amsterdam, Holland. In 1939, they escaped to Guatemala on his mother's passport. At 13, Ken was sent to Menlo School for Boys Prep School in Menlo Park, CA. Ken received his BA in history from Syracuse University. He then attended Hastings School of Law in San Francisco, but before completing law school, he served in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord. Following his graduation in 1958 at Hastings, and after passing the Bar exam, he became a personal injury specialist, and labor and maritime lawyer. The final years of his career, he practiced as a mediator, retiring in 2004. Ken was president of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association in 1984, a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He was Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. From 1991-2003, Ken served as an off and on pro-tem judge of the Superior Court. He was a delegate to the Federal Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from 1996-1998. He taught at Hastings College of the Law College of Trial Advocacy. From 1960-1980 he was a lecturer for the Continuing Education of the Bar in San Francisco. Ken, an accomplished nature photographer, made nine trips to Africa, photographing the Maasai in Tanzania, the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, and catching magnificent shots of rare birds and wildlife along the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. He frequently presented slideshows of his trips at Book Passage in Corte Madera, and at the Belvedere-Tiburon Library. Ken had one-man shows of his photographs at the Bank of America World Headquarters in San Francisco, Tiburon Town Hall and at the Library. Throughout his life, Ken was involved in community service. He served on the board of St. Stephens Primary School in Belvedere. He was on the board of Children's Garden and the Tiburon Open Space committee, and was a Little League coach for many years. He was also active in the Del Mar Homeowner's Association and offered his services to the Bay Area Lawyers for the Arts in San Francisco. Ken is survived by his wife, Joan, whom he met in San Francisco in 1959. They were married for 48 years. He was a wonderful husband and a loving father. He leaves behind his son, Jeff and his wife, Linda of Lafayette; his son David and his wife, Mary of San Rafael. He is survived by five precious grandchildren: Matthew, Alex, Charlie, Jack and Molly Rosenthal, who loved their Opa Ken. He is survived by his brother, Gert, ambassador to the United Nations from Guatemala, and his wife Margit of New York City; and his many nieces and nephews, as well as lifelong friends. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2009, at 4:00 PM at Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St. at Arguello, SF, CA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hospice by the Bay, 17 East Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Larkspur, CA 94939; or the World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street NW, P.O. Box 96555, Washington DC 20077-7789.