With the death of William Coblentz on Sept. 13 at the age of 88, the Bay Area lost an ardent champion of major civic projects and one of its most influential attorneys.
Over his 55 years with the firm Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass, Coblentz played an important role in projects such as Yerba Buena Gardens, Pac Bell Park (the ballpark’s original name) and the redevelopment of the Mission Bay neighborhood.
He also was a player in state Democratic politics, having once served as special counsel to former governor Edmund Brown, and later was a key adviser to Sen. Dianne Feinstein early in her career.
The son of a doctor, William Coblentz was born in San Francisco in 1922. After graduating from Lowell High School, he went on to attend U.C. Berkeley and, later, Yale University law school, emerging as a newly minted lawyer.
His work with the Jewish community was not as well known, but for years Coblentz served on the Koret Foundation board and was a donor both to the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Community Endowment Fund. He and his family were longtime members of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.
“He was always concerned about agencies and issues in the Jewish community,” remembered Phyllis Cook, former JCEF executive director. “He allowed himself to be an example and gave a gift of real estate to a donor-advised fund.”
“He always had a great commitment to community, relationships and family,” added his son, Andy Coblentz. “He valued all of those.“
A note on his law firm’s website said, “Bill was a towering figure, and his contributions to our city, our state, our country and the world have been momentous. He infused our firm with his spirit. Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass would not exist today without his having served as its leader for so many years, but his legacy extends far beyond our firm. We will miss him dearly.”
William Coblentz is survived by his wife, Jean; sister Lolita Erlanger of San Francisco; daughter Wendy Coblentz of Mill Valley; son Andy Coblentz of San Francisco; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held 4 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. Donations may be made to the UCSF Foundation, P.O. Box 45339, S.F., CA., 94145, or the William K. Coblentz Civil Rights Endowment Fund, Boalt Hall Alumni Center, 2850 Telegraph Ave., Suite 500, Berkeley, CA.