William Pedder Obituary

William Robert Pedder passed away on October 15, 2023. Bill was the son of Marjorie Hart Pedder and Robert James Pedder. He was the beloved husband of Nancy Shank Pedder and beloved father of Shannon Anne Pedder and Brendan Edward Pedder. His parents, Brendan and Nancy all preceded him in death. He is survived by Shannon and future son in law David Hawkins, his brother James Pedder and his wife Sherry Pedder, as well as extended family including his nieces and cousins.Bill grew up in Lafayette, California and graduated from Acalanes High School in 1960. He attended UC Riverside for two years before transferring to Stanford and completing his undergrad degree. He then went onto Stanford Law School, graduating with his JD in 1967. He married Nancy in her hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana on February 24, 1968 after meeting her in Menlo Park, CA while she was living and working with girlfriends, and he was attending law school. Immediately following their wedding, they moved to Washington D.C. where Bill worked for the USDA. They eventually moved back to California and settled in Oakland to raise their two children. Bill worked for a law firm in San Francisco and with a partner in Alameda before finally going out on his own in Alameda where he practiced law until he retired in 2018.Bill was an avid runner and tennis player. He was an active member of the Claremont Country Club for many years where he won some tennis championships. He enjoyed travel, a good meal and an excellent gin martini. He was smart as a whip, loved heated political discussions and was a voracious reader. Bill had an incredible memory and remembered small details about everybody he met as well as sports stats, history, and current events. He had many wonderful friendships and kept in close contact with high school and law school friends until the end.There will be a memorial mass at Corpus Christi Church on Saturday November 4, 2023, at 2PM with a reception to follow.Donations may be made to the Brendan Pedder Scholarship Fund at Bishop O'Dowd High School, 9500 Stearns Ave., Oakland, CA 94605 or The Brendan Pedder Fund for the Free Dining Room at Saint Vincent de Paul, 675 23rd Street, Oakland, CA 94612.