Jerrold C. Schaefer

Jerrold (Jerry) Charles Schaefer died Dec.14, following a 17-year battle with a blood disorder that became leukemia. He was 76.

Schaefer was born Nov. 10, 1941, a third-generation San Franciscan, the first child born to Emmett and Bernice Schaefer. He grew up in the Sunset and attended St. Gabriel Grammar School and St. Ignatius High School, Class of 1959. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University in 1963 and attended law school at U.C. Hastings, where he received his J.D. in 1966.

Schaefer practiced labor law, first with the National Labor Relations Board (1966-1975), and in 1975 was appointed by then Gov. Jerry Brown as deputy general counsel to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. In 1976 he went into private practice at Corbett, Kane & Berk. In 1984, he joined Hanson, Bridgett LLP as a founding partner in the labor section. He handled labor negotiations at UC Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and finally, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, until June 2017, when his illness prevented further involvement. During his years at Hanson Bridgett, he mentored many new attorneys who benefited from his breadth of knowledge, experience and wit.

Schaefer's work specialty may have been law, but his passions reached farther, and included cooking, wine collecting, art history, music and travel (all continents except Antarctica). He was a scuba diver and an avid rock and mountain climber, having climbed the Matterhorn and the base camp at Mt. Everest. Truly a Renaissance man, Schaefer was a voracious reader on a wide variety of subjects.

He loved world travel, first with his wife of 25 years, Susan Davidson, then with his partner of seven years, Paula Paley, and finally, for 18 years with his wife, Rosa Carrillo. Schaefer passed on his love of travel to family, inspiring a new generation of world travelers.

Schaefer will be remembered for his generosity of spirit, quick mind, strong commitment to equity and justice and irascible sense of humor. What made him happiest were the days, then years, spent with his best friend, soul mate and wife Rosa. The deep love they shared brought great joy to both of them and to all those who were privileged to witness it. He is survived by Rosa, his siblings, Susan Lagomarsino (Joe), brother, Thom (Dena), step-brother, Terry Edeli (Kathy) and five cousins, 12 nephews and nieces and nine great nephews and nieces.

A private family memorial will be held in January, with a larger celebration of life to be held in the spring. Donations may be made to the Bernice and Emmett Schaefer Scholarship Fund at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, 2001-37th Avenue, SF CA 94116, or blood donations to the Blood Centers of the Pacific.