Walter Patrick Capaccioli

1931 - 2022

Walter Patrick Capaccioli passed away on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at the age of 91. He was the proud son of Italian immigrants Aladina and Leno Capaccioli. Born in San Francisco on May 11, 1931 he graduated from St. Ignatius High School and the University of San Francisco. After active duty in the US Army from 1954-1956, Walter earned his law degree at Stanford University. Soon after passing the bar, he started his law practice with Xenophon Tragoutsis. They opened the Tragoutsis & Capaccioli Law Office on Grand Avenue in South San Francisco. Active in his community, Walter served on the Board of Directors of the Red Cross, as president of the North San Mateo County Bar Association and as a trustee for the San Mateo Library. In 1971, Walter became a Municipal Court Judge in South San Francisco. He was appointed to the San Mateo County Superior Court in 1974 by Governor Reagan. He held many leadership positions, including being elected Presiding Judge. He was selected to serve as a Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District in 1986. Retiring from the bench in 1993, Walter continued his legal career as an arbitrator and mediator at JAMs and remained active in the legal community.

As an attorney, he was a firm advocate, who was known for his quality work on behalf of his clients. As a Judge, he never shied away from making a hard decision and took pride in being fair to all that appeared before him. Walter's wit, dry sense of humor, and strong spirit will be missed. He is survived by his daughters: Rosemarie, Aladina, and Anna Marie; grandchildren: Clare, Kyle, Elle, Kira, Abby, Evan, Garrett, Chris, and Maria; and great-grandchildren: Shea and Piper.