William Rice Kimball

KIMBALL, William Rice - Died peacefully on June 17, 2005, surrounded by his family. He was a major philanthropist in the Bay Area, as well as in Utah, Virginia, New York and Missouri. He was born in Ogden, UT, on April 14, 1919, the son of Ethel Wattis Kimball and William Rice Kimball. He was raised in Ogden and following graduation from Stanford University in 1941, with an A.B. in economics, he joined the 7th Army Infantry Division. He served for five years during World War II and was engaged in five beach head landings in the Pacific. He earned a Bronze Star Medal and retired as a major. After the war he received an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1947. Later, he received Honorary Doctorate degrees from Weber State University in Ogden and Dominican University of California in San Rafael. He was Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of The California Academy of Sciences, member of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, The Board of Directors of the Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, Honorary Chair of the National Council of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a member of the National Council of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a member of the Order of St. John. Formerly, he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Stanford University, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Katherine Branson School, was member of the Board of Trustees of Dominican University of California, Board of Governors of The San Francisco Symphony, member of the Boards of the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute. California Historical Society, American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Civic Light Opera, Wattis Foundation, Rosenberg Foundation, Young Presidents' Organization, SRI International Council and an early member of the Guardsmen. He was the founder and president of Kimball Manufacturing Corp. in the 1950's which pioneered the use of fiberglass plastics and later, Kimball and Company, which manages various operations and investments. He was also a co-founder of Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, the Acorn Foundation and the Kimball Foundation During his business career, he served on the Boards of Utah International Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Cox Communications, Clorox Co. and RSI Corporation. He was a member of the Pacific-Union Club, The Bohemian Club, Villa Taverna and the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere. Mr. Kimball was the founding chairman of the Kimball Art Center in Park City, UT. He also provided funds for Kimball Hall, a residential dorm at Stanford, the Kimball Theatre in Colonial Williamsburg, Kimball Surgery Center at the Marine Mammal Center, Kimball Hall at St. Stephen's Church in Belvedere, Kimball Green Room at the new San Francisco Conservatory of Music, The Ethel Wattis Kimball Visual Arts Center at Weber State University, Kimball Ballroom at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and the Kimball Education Gallery at the new de Young Museum. The Kimball Museum of Natural History will be a part of the New California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. He received The National Philanthropy Day Lifetime Achievement Award in San Francisco in 2002, The Churchill Bell, Colonial Williamsburg's highest honor in 2000 and Belvedere's 2002 citizen emeritus award. Mr. Kimball's grandfather, E. O. Wattis, was involved in the building of the Hoover Dam and the Bay Bridge. Along with being a major philanthropist and an astute businessman, Bill Kimball had many friends who had admiration, respect and love for him. In 1942, he married Collier Carter and moved to Kentfield where they raised their children. They were married for 40 years. In 1984, he married Sara Hart, who died in 1997. Two years later he married Gretchen Reinecke Bates, who survives him. He is also survived by his sons, Stephen Carter Kimball of Kentfield, Jeffrey LaIng Kimball of New York; daughters, Anne Collier Kimball of Seattle, Joan Kimball Leiby of Denver; step-son, Robert Mattison Reinecke of Turin, Italy; daughters-in-law, Julie Kimball, Pamela Hogan Kimball and Cristina Reinecke; nine grandchildren along with several nieces and cousins. His sister, Barbara Kimball Browning and his aunt, Phyllis Wattis, predeceased him. A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, June 27th at 3PM at Grace Cathedral, officiated by Dean Alan Jones, Dean of the Cathedral and Rev. James Ward, from St. Stephen's Church in Belvedere. Donations may be sent to the William R. Kimball Memorial Fund for the Kimball Museum of Natural History at The California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94103. HALSTED N.GRAY-CAREW & ENGLISH (415) 673-3000