William Tooley III

1934 - 2025

William Tooley III
04/23/1934 - 09/20/2025
William "Bill" Lander Tooley, beloved husband, father, grandfather, businessman, and civic leader, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 20, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho, surrounded by his family. He was 91 years old.
Bill was an avid jazz enthusiast, a connoisseur of Mexican food, a devoted fisherman, and a man who found his greatest joy outdoors - whether in the mountains or by the ocean - with his sons and grandsons, who lovingly called him "Poppy."
Born in El Paso, Texas, Bill's early years were shaped by family, resilience, and the beginnings of a life that would carry him far beyond those desert roots. In 1944, after his father's discharge from the Army, the family relocated to Encino, California. There, Bill attended military school, raced outboard hydroplanes, and worked aboard the Sportsman, a boat converted from a wartime aircraft rescue vessel. These formative experiences sparked a lifelong love of boats and deep-sea fishing-a passion he joyfully shared with his children and grandchildren.
A graduate of Notre Dame High School in Van Nuys, Bill went on to earn a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University in 1956. At Stanford, he was a proud member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, the NROTC program, and served as Treasurer of the Student Council. Following graduation, he served two years as a U.S. Naval Reserve communications officer, where he was responsible for handling crypto-coded traffic. He later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1960.
After business school, Bill worked in the family's hotel operations-the Pickwick and Knox Hotels-before turning his focus to commercial real estate development, a field in which he built a lasting legacy. He joined Murdock Development Company, then co-founded Ketchum, Peck & Tooley in Los Angeles. In 1975, he established Tooley & Company, serving as Chairman as the firm developed and managed millions of square feet of premier office space across Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Orange County, and San Francisco. Over the years, he also forged partnerships with organizations such as Noro Group, Summa Corporation (Howard Hughes Estate), and the Irvine Company.
In 1966, Bill married the love of his life, Reva Berger, in San Francisco. Together, they shared nearly six decades of marriage marked by deep partnership, purpose, and community service. Reva's own career in journalism and civic leadership complemented Bill's, and the two were widely admired for their contributions to causes spanning education, the arts, and healthcare.
Bill and Reva raised three sons-William Ryan (Tucker) Tooley, Patrick Boyer Tooley, and James Eugene Tooley-instilling in them the values of hard work, integrity, and service. Bill also treasured his role as "Poppy" to his grandsons: Boyer, Parker, Tucker, MacGregor, and Anderson.
Beyond his professional achievements, Bill was deeply committed to civic life. He served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the Central City Association, The Welk Group, Inc., the National Realty Committee, and Notre Dame High School. He was also a Regent of Loyola Marymount University and an engaged member of numerous professional and community organizations, including the Urban Land Institute, Stanford Associates, the California Club, the California Yacht Club, the Balboa Angling Club, the Regency Club, the Bohemian Grove (Owls Nest), and the Aspen Group. He was extremely proud to be inducted into the "Stanford Professionals in Real Estate" (SPIRE) Hall of Fame and to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout their adult lives, Bill and Reva cherished the beauty of Sun Valley, Idaho, where they would spend time with family and friends. Reva was a founding member of the Sun Valley Writers' Conference, serving as its Executive Director from 1996-2015, while Bill proudly served on the board as treasurer from 1997-2017.
Bill will be remembered for his steady leadership, devotion to family, commitment to community, and the kindness he extended to all who knew him, and above all else, his extraordinary generosity toward others. He is survived by his wife, Reva; his sons and daughters-in-law; and his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Tony, Danny, and Sally.
We'll miss you, Poppy. Until we meet again, we hope the seas are calm and the fishing is good. Tight lines and thumbs up!
The Tooley family will hold a small private family ceremony celebrating Bill's life and legacy. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley: https://www.hpcwrv.org/