William J. (Bill) Rockett passed away peacefully on September 12, 2009 at the age of 90. He was preceded in death by his dearly loved wife of 56 years Frances in 1999. Bill was born March 20, 1919 in Oakland, California, son of William (1869-1945) and Louise M. (Kara) (1878-1968) Rockett, where he grew up near Lake Merritt. He was a true "Son of Ireland," fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. He graduated from his beloved alma mater St. Mary's High School, Berkeley, in 1936 and later proudly served as a member of its Board of Regents. Shortly after graduating from St. Mary's he joined Uarco printing company where he met Frances. He received his Batchelor of Business from Heald College where he played on the basketball team. He served in the Coast Guard during World War II rising to the rank of Chief. Following the War he joined PG&E where he served for 36 years as an executive. In his early days at PG&E he was a "folk hero" to family farmers by arranging for power to their farms in the unincorporated areas now called Fremont. He retired in 1981. Following retirement he and Frances traveled extensively. He loved the outdoors and was an avid and successful fisherman. He became a prolific writer, converting his knack for story telling into short stories and even an unpublished novel. A vigil will be held at Jess C. Spencer Mortuary 21228 Redwood Road, Castro Valley on Wednesday, September 16, at 7 p.m. with visitation from 5 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday, September 17 at 11 a.m. at Transfiguration Catholic Church located at 4000 East Castro Valley Boulevard, Castro Valley. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Rockett Family Scholarship Fund at St. Mary's High School, Berkeley, California.
William J. (Bill) Rockett passed away peacefully on September 12, 2009 at the age of 90. He was preceded in death by his dearly loved wife of 56 years Frances in 1999. Bill was born March 20, 1919 in Oakland, California, son of William (1869-1945) and Louise M. (Kara) (1878-1968) Rockett, where he grew up near Lake Merritt. He was a true "Son of Ireland," fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. He graduated from his beloved alma mater St. Mary's High School, Berkeley, in 1936 and later proudly served as a member of its Board of Regents. Shortly after graduating from St. Mary's he joined Uarco printing company where he met Frances. He received his Batchelor of Business from Heald College where he played on the basketball team. He served in the Coast Guard during World War II rising to the rank of Chief. Following the War he joined PG&E where he served for 36 years as an executive. In his early days at PG&E he was a "folk hero" to family farmers by arranging for power to their farms in the unincorporated areas now called Fremont. He retired in 1981. Following retirement he and Frances traveled extensively. He loved the outdoors and was an avid and successful fisherman. He became a prolific writer, converting his knack for story telling into short stories and even an unpublished novel. A vigil will be held at Jess C. Spencer Mortuary 21228 Redwood Road, Castro Valley on Wednesday, September 16, at 7 p.m. with visitation from 5 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday, September 17 at 11 a.m. at Transfiguration Catholic Church located at 4000 East Castro Valley Boulevard, Castro Valley. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Rockett Family Scholarship Fund at St. Mary's High School, Berkeley, California.
