Senator Scott Wiener's Adjourn In Memory of Judge William Newsom
William Alfred Newsom, 1934-2018, advocate and judge whose name lives on
BY THE SACRAMENTO BEE EDITORIAL BOARD
DECEMBER 17, 2018 04:09 PM, UPDATED DECEMBER 17, 2018 04:09 PM
Governor-elect Gavin Newsom and Governor Jerry Brown have a somber reason to reflect on the past even as a new political era dawns in California.
Newsom lost his father, and Brown lost a longtime friend, when former State Court of Appeal Justice William Newsom died last week at 84. The elder Newsom distinguished himself as an environmental activist, lawyer and judge. A fierce defender of California’s iconic mountain lions, he created the Sacramento-based Mountain Lion Foundation to save them.
At first glance, he might seem like a minor player in California’s political history. But as the old Irish proverb goes: “Time is a great storyteller.”
In his roles as politico, judge and father, William Newsom served as something of a bridge between three California governors. Two of these governors – a father and a son named Brown – had dramatic and long-lasting impacts on the future of the state. The third, Newsom’s own son, will take the oath of office next month.
William Newsom did not live to see his son become the 40th governor of California, but he did see him win election. Gavin Newsom will assume the office once held by Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, who started his political career with assistance from William Newsom’s father, also named William.
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Pelosi Floor Remarks in Honor of the Late Bill Newsom
Washington, D.C – Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks of the Floor of the House of Representatives to honor the late Bill Newsom. Below are the Speaker-designate’s remarks:
Speaker-designate Pelosi. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I may not use the full five minutes but I wanted the opportunity to go beyond the one minute to talk about a very special person in our community who left us recently. I rise to pay tribute to a gentleman of exceptional generosity, deep principles and extraordinary wit: Justice William Newsom, or as many called him, Bill.
A dedicated public servant with a commitment to the art and conservation, he leaves a lasting legacy for America. Any one of us who knew him considered him a cherished friend.
Bill was a proud fourth-generation San Franciscan who was born to a large Irish brood. As a Commissioner of the San Francisco Superior Court, Judge on the Placer County Superior Court and then California Court of Appeals Judge, he worked relentlessly to uphold liberty and justice for all.
Again, Bill’s charitable and civic contributions to our city and our state are legendary. Bill was endowed with great decency and humanity. He took the Golden Rule literally. He considered an injustice to one an indignity to all.
A passionate student of natural history and lifelong enthusiast of the outdoors, Bill worked relentlessly to preserve the beauty of God's creation. His leadership on a vast range of conservation and environmental measures was vital in protecting clean air, clean water and public land for our children and grandchildren.
Bill also understood the power of the arts to bring us together and dedicated decades to fostering beauty, culture and the arts in the Bay Area and around the world. Again, all who were fortunate enough to call Bill a friend knew him as a brilliant man of letters, a tireless champion of civic causes and a trusted confidante of unsurpassed empathy and generosity.
But it’s Bill’s profound love of family we will miss the most. Bill’s favorite role was that of patriarch, pater familias of a big Irish brood. Family trips to Squaw Valley and Dutch Flat were his great joy and he relished every opportunity to share books, stories and special moments with his family, especially Irish literature.
I do want to call to attention and place in the record, Mr. Speaker, with your permission without objection, an obituary that was written about Bill Newsom that I think everyone should read, about a person so special that you really have to read the story to find it even believable that somebody could accomplish so many things with such dignity and grace.
Again it says, ‘Justice William Newsom was pater familias of a pioneering San Francisco family and a revered figure to his family.’ His family including his wonderful daughter Hillary whom we all love and his son, Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom, whom he will unfortunately not get to see sworn in but he did see elected as Governor in the month of November.
Again, ‘a fourth-generation resident of San Francisco, born to a large Irish-Catholic brood in depression-era San Francisco.’
His story is the story of America. Again, ‘throughout his life, he served the community with great, great dignity. His civic and charitable commitments were substantial serving on the Board of Regents events at the University of Santa Clara’ – the list goes on in terms of education and the arts.
Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, it says here, sometimes we lose someone whose passing makes it seem like an entire era has vanished but that is not so with Bill Newsom because he left such a legacy for us to continue to enjoy. Again, he is survived by Hillary and Gavin and his beautiful grandchildren with whom he enjoyed so much time in his later years with so many friends who revered him.
And I just wanted our colleagues to know this special person made a mark on the people of the great state of California and in our country and if they have a moment to read his obituary, it is a great story of the American dream of a great Irish-American family, a pioneer family in California.
Again, when Gavin [Newsom] is sworn in in the first week of January, we'll all take such great pride in the love that his father had him for him and his sister, Hillary, and know he will be looking down from heaven on the great state of California as the Newsom legacy lives on. With that, I yield back.
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San Francisco reflects on William Newsom's legacy
via ABC 7 News
Wednesday, December 12, 2018 11:27PM
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) --
The tributes poured in almost immediately following the news of William Alfred Newsom III's death. He died Wednesday morning at his San Francisco home at the age of 84.
Tweets from Governor Jerry Brown, Senator Kamala Harris and other officials were posted online.
Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi released a lengthy heartfelt message that read in part, "The passing of Bill Newsom is a great personal and official loss for all who were fortunate enough to call him a friend."
"I was really shocked because I knew how proud he really was and how he looked forward to his son being sworn in as the governor of the state of California," former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said. "That would for him have been a personal achievement."
Before William Newsom was known to the world as the father of Governor-elect Gavin Newsom, he developed a name for himself as a distinguished judge. He was appointed to both the superior court and court of appeal.
Brown said William Newsom is better explained as, "an advocate for tomorrow."
"When none of us frankly were thinking about the quality of the air, when none of us were thinking about the availability of the water, Bill Newsom was into all of those things," Brown said.
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Judge William Newsom, father of California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, dies
Retired Appeals Court Judge William Newsom, a relic of San Francisco’s Catholic-school old guard and the father of Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, died Wednesday morning in his home in Pacific Heights. He was 84.
His death was confirmed by Nathan Click, spokesperson for Gavin Newsom. The cause of death was not given, but the elder Newsom had suffered from chronic illness for several years.
In his honor, flags at the state Capitol were ordered to be flown at half staff by Newsom’s old friend, Gov. Jerry Brown. Newsom had been an environmental lawyer in the 1970s when Brown, serving his first stint as governor, appointed him to the judiciary.
“Anne and I extend our deepest condolences to the entire Newsom family,” the governor said in a statement, referring to his wife, Anne Gust Brown. “Bill was a longtime friend, a champion of the environment and someone whom I was proud to appoint to the superior court and court of appeal.”
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Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi on the passing of Bill Newsom
Washington, D.C. – Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the passing of Bill Newsom:
“Paul and I were heartbroken to learn of the passing of our dear friend, Bill Newsom. All who were privileged to know Bill knew him as a gentleman of deep principles, great modesty and exceptional generosity. His cherished friendship, long public service and dedication to the arts leave a beautiful and lasting legacy for America.
“Bill was a proud third-generation San Franciscan, who devoted his full public and private life to our city. As a state court judge and then an appellate judge, Bill worked relentlessly to uphold liberty and justice for all Californians. He took great pride in being raised Irish-American, Catholic and Democratic, and commitment to public service ran through his entire life.
“Bill deeply understood the power of the arts to bring us together and to unite us, and dedicated decades to fostering beauty, culture and the arts in the Bay Area and around the world. His leadership of the Getty Trust was essential in preserving our nation’s artistic heritage, while encouraging the next generation of cultural leaders. His philanthropic legacy is a beautiful testament to the words of the patron saint of our city, St. Francis: ‘Preach the Gospel. Sometimes, use words.’
“The passing of Bill Newsom is a great personal and official loss for all who were fortunate enough to call him friend. May it be a comfort to Bill’s children, Hilary and Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom, and his loved ones that so many grieve with and pray for them at this sad time.”