William Caplan

William "Bill" Caplan Born in in 1932, and a resident of Burlingame, CA for 51 years, passed away unexpectedly Sunday night at home, after spending a festive evening with family and friends. He was the beloved son of the late Beatrice and Arthur Caplan, and stepson of the late Lucille Caplan. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Shelly, and his children Russ (Mylene), Debby Rosenfeld (Ken), and Rob, and his 4 grandchildren Aly, Brett, Ryan and Zack, as well as nieces, nephews and many friends. These meaningful relationships in his life were his greatest source of joy.
Bill grew up in Massachusetts and moved with his family to CA as a young teenager. He was Phi Beta Kappa at UCLA and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1957. After working for four years as an attorney, Bill joined his father at Topper Fine Jewelers in 1961. He had a deep passion for the business, where he later worked with his wife Shelly, and his sons Russ and Rob.
Bill had many interests, including politics and the news which he followed closely and discussed daily. He especially loved coaching his children and grandchildren's sports teams, and studying American, Roman, and Biblical History. He was a good athlete, and enjoyed skiing and tennis for many years. His favorite vacation place was Maui, where he especially loved the ocean and snorkeling. An avid chess player, he once had a round-robin draw against Bobby Fisher. At one point Bill was president of the Mills Estates Association, as well as president of the Millbrae Tennis Club.
His family dogs: Brandy the Collie, Jennifer Bear the 175 lb. Newfoundland, and Raleigh his Golden Retriever, brought him great pleasure over a 35 year period. At work his granddogs Lola, Charlie and Rosie were always waiting to greet him.
Bill's bright smile, sharp humor, integrity, and enviable work ethic will be deeply missed.
Funeral Services will be held Thurs., Jan. 17th at 1pm at Peninsula Temple Sholom, 1655 Sebastian Dr., Burlingame, followed by internment at Home of Peace Cemetery in Colma.
Donations may be sent to UCSF Foundation (memo line: Myeloma Program B2498 in memory of William Caplan) Box 45339 SF, CA 94145.