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A celebration of the life of Cinnabar Winery founder and longtime Woodside resident Henry Thomas "Tom" Mudd is set for 5 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, 4001 Sand Hill Road in Woodside.

Mr. Mudd, 65, died July 13 after struggling with complications from a lung transplant and pulmonary fibrosis, family members said.

He was a two-term member of the Woodside Elementary School District board of trustees, serving from 1997 to 2005.

A scientist and inventor who worked for SRI when it was still called Stanford Research Institute, Mr. Mudd had a range of interests -- from restoring classic cars and fly fishing to string theory and environmental conservation. He was also a pioneering bat expert and advocate for science education, his family said.

His interest in agriculture and winemaking led him to plant a backyard vineyard years ago, and eventually he established Cinnabar Winery in the hills above Saratoga.

The name Cinnabar was inspired by Mr. Mudd's fascination with alchemy; centuries ago, the mineral cinnabar was thought to be a key ingredient in alchemical transformation, Mr. Mudd told the Almanac in an interview. The name honored the transformation of soil, sun and the vine into wine, he said.

He was Cinnabar's winemaker for many years, turning over the key duties to another winemaker in recent years but holding the title "winemaker emeritus."

Mr. Mudd is survived by his wife, Deborah Stipek Mudd; his children, Karina and Jack Mudd; a step-daughter, Meredith Sears; and his former wife, Melissa Frank.

The family prefers that memorial donations be made to the Tom Mudd Science Education Fund, East Palo Alto Academy, P.O. Box 20524, Stanford, CA 94309.

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