Roderic Park

Roderic Park

Roderic B. Park

A champion of education, Roderic Park died at home with family on September 6, 2013. He lived to be 81.

Rod graduated from Harvard College in 1953 with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and from the California Institute of Technology in 1958 with a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry and geochemistry. He then began a distinguished career at the University of California at Berkeley, spanning 36 years, where he was a professor of botany and plant biology, published 84 research papers, was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was the first to identify quantasomes in 1962.

Rod was also a skilled campus leader, committed to diversity and opportunity and a driving force behind the reorganization of biological sciences at UC Berkeley that has allowed Berkeley to adapt, build and maintain preeminence in this field. He served as a Department Chair, the Provost and Dean of the College of Letters and Science from 1972-1980 and as Executive Vice Chancellor of UC Berkeley from 1980-1990.

Rod served as Interim Chancellor at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1994-1997 and assisted in the founding of the 10th campus in the University of California system, UC Merced. Rod returned to UC Merced as Acting Chancellor during 2006-2007. During that time he raised the funds and recruited noted American sculptor, Aris Demetrios, to create the 40 foot high "Beginnings" sculpture that has become a symbol of the UC Merced campus. In Rod's words, "These two soaring, enfolding arcs embody our vision of a university that both embraces its students and provides a growing seed whose bounty will benefit all in this valley and beyond."

Rod shared his experience with many educational institutions. He served for 5 years as Chair of the Board of Visitors and Fellows for the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis. He also served on the Harvard Board of Overseers and as a trustee on several other boards and foundations. At the time of his death Rod was the Chair of the Trustees of the Jepson Herbarium at UC Berkeley, with a mission to understand, conserve and communicate knowledge of California flora. In 2010, Rod published, It's Only the Janitor: A Handbook for New Academic Administrators, capturing the lessons Rod learned over his long career in academia.

Over the past 22 years Rod and his wife, Cathy, established the Rockpile Vineyard in Sonoma County California and helped to establish the Rockpile American Viticultural Area, which is now recognized as an important producer of premium red wine grapes. Rod said of his move from academia to Rockpile: "Growing grapes has a rhythm and challenge that requires the successful farmer to listen to nature in the same way that a professor listens to his students."

The sea was a constant in Rod's life and, in his words, it allowed him "to develop a peaceful relationship to the world." He was an active member of the Richmond Yacht Club for many years, serving as Commodore and building a Junior Sailing program during the 1970s that has developed many generations of sailors. Rod especially loved the race from California to Hawaii and competed in 13 of these races, 12 as the skipper. He was the "first to finish" in the 1980 single-handed race to Hawaii and sailed his final transpacific yacht race in the 1996 double-handed race with his son, Malcolm.

Always curious and ready to learn, during the second half of his life, Rod earned his pilot license, built anflew a Kitfox 2-seater airplane, learned Spanish, added the banjo to his repertoire of instruments and played in a bluegrass band. Rod had an uncanny memory for quotes and poems and a keen sense of humor. He laughed easily and was always ready with a story or song. He enjoyed time with friends and family who cherish fond memories of his dnamic personality and gatherings that often included cracked crab and Chardonnay, Thanksgiving feasts and Rockpile wine.

Rod is survived by his wife, Cathy, his three children, Barbara (Skip Shapiro), Marina (Bob Sutton), Malcolm (Mary Park), stepson Michael Tassan (Allison) and eight grandchildren: Ben Shapiro, Julia Shapiro, Tyler Sutton, Claire Sutton, Eve Sutton, Trevor Park, Avery Tassan and Parker Tassan.

There will be a celebration of Rod's life on Friday, October 11, 2013, at 4pm, in the Great Hall of the Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, those wishing to donate may give to:

U.C. Berkeley:

Roderic B. Park Memorial Fund at the UC Berkeley Foundation

PO Box 774

Berkeley, CA 94701-0774

https://givetocal.berkeley.edu/rbpark

Friends of the Jepson Herbarium

Jepson Herbarium
1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg.
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-2465

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/jeps/friends/index.html

Richmond Yacht Club Foundation (which offers grants to young sailors who have proven themselves capable of expanding beyond the confines of Richmond Yacht Club).

351 Brickyard Cove Road, P.O. BOX 70295
Point Richmond, CA 94807 Tel: 510 237-2821 Fax: 510 237-8100