Obituary: William Halford Jr.

A celebration of the life of William Wilson Halford Jr. was held Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton.

Mr. Halford, a resident of Atherton and Palm Springs, died Oct. 23 after a short battle with lymphoma. He was 78.

Born in San Francisco, Mr. Halford grew up in Piedmont and graduated from Piedmont High School in 1949. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1952 with a degree in business administration. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, serving as president during his last semester at Cal.

He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

His career in the investment business spanned a quarter century and included working for Irving Lumborg and Clark Dodge, and culminated in his being manager of the Palo Alto office of Kidder Peabody.

Mr. Halford was a lifelong Cal Bears supporter and fan. He co-chaired the Capital Campaign for the university. In recognition of his commitment, he was given the UC Berkeley Foundation Citation in 1998. He was an annual donor to both the Cal Athletic Department and the Lawrence Hall of Science for more than 20 years.

In 1999 he established the William Halford Jr. family chair in marketing in the Haas Business School at Cal. Because of his contributions, he was named as a member of the Robert Sproul Associates. The family’s name is included in the Builders of Berkeley Wall next to Doe Library.

A dedicated volunteer, Mr. Halford served as president of the board of directors of Castilleja School, president of the board of directors of the Children’s Health Council, board member of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and president of Smoke Tree Ranch.

Mr. Halford was an avid golfer and tennis player, a lover of the outdoors and traveling, and devoted dog owner, say family members. He was an active supporter and follower of his children’s and grandchildren’s activities and careers, they say.

Mr. Halford married Sue Sutton in 1956. They raised four daughters during their 37 year marriage. After her death, he married Jean Holden in 1995.

He is survived by his wife, Jean; daughters Robin, Blair, Gail and Sara; sons-in-law Matthew Morey and Kurt Jorgensen; stepchildren Michael and Jennifer Holden, Shanna Holden and Steffan Long; four grandchildren, and four step-grandchildren.

Donations in Mr. Halford’s name may be made to Castilleja School, the Children’s Health Council or the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.