William Gonser

William Lease Gonser 79, of Lafayette, CA, passed away peacefully on Wed., Jan. 19. The son of William and Alice Gonser, Bill was born May 7, 1931, in Great Falls, MT. His family moved to Berkeley when he was six. He was a graduate of Berkeley High School, Stanford University, and U.C. Berkeley, Boalt School of Law. After graduating from Stanford, Bill spent three years in the Army, stationed in Japan. Following his graduation from Boalt, he embarked on a successful law career: first in Sacramento where he served as Assistant Attorney General, followed by practices in Berkeley, Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Bill married Carol Norton Gonser in 1958, and together they raised three children: Barbee, Bill and Bob. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2008 on an Alaskan cruise with their family. Bill was a devoted father and grandfather, and a vital member of his community, where he lived for 45 years. He was active in the LMYA swim and basketball programs, and was a member of the Lafayette School Board, where he served as president for several terms. He was a long-time member of Orinda Country Club, where he also served as president. He loved sports and games of chance, and was particularly fond of golf and traveling. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Bill was preceded in death by his daughter, Barbara (Barbee) Gonser Bozzini. He is survived by his wife, Carol; brother Tom Gonser and his wife, Stephanie Gonser of Bend, OR; brother-in-law Walter Norton of San Marino; two sons and their spouses: William Norton Gonser and his wife, Mary Ann Gonser of Green Valley, and Robert Lease Gonser and his wife, Patty Gonser of Lafayette; son-in-law Ken Bozzini and his wife, Kit Bozzini-Lukins of Lafayette; and 13 grandchildren. A celebration of Bill's life will be held at 3 p.m. on Tues., Jan. 25 at Orinda Country Club, 315 Camino Sobrante in Orinda. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice or one of the following: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF); 26 Broadway, 14th floor, New York, NY 10004; U.C. Berkeley, Women's Golf or Aquatic programs, U.C. Berkeley, 195 Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA 94720; or the Stanford University athletic program of your choice, Gift Processing, P.O. Box 20466, Stanford, CA 94309. Please include, "in the memory of William L. Gonser" with any donation.