Walter Howard Girdlestone

Resident of San Carlos

After 95 years of kindness, generosity and laughter, Walter Howard Girdlestone passed away peacefully on July 26 at his San Carlos home. Son of Walter Cecil and Madeleine Girdlestone and a native Californian, Howard spent his early years in Marin County.

He attended Montezuma School for Boys and graduated from Mt. Tamalpais High School. He attended Menlo College and graduated from University of Oregon in 1942 with a B.A. in economics. Seven days after graduation, Howard reported for military duty in Hollywood, FL. He became a pilot in the United States Marine Corps and for nearly two years, flew transport missions in Northern China. He was proud of his service to his country as a Marine, and shared countless stories of his adventures here and abroad.

In 1945 he married his college sweetheart, Lorraine Davidson. They had two children, Lester and Wendy. Following a brief time in Fresno, the family moved to San Carlos where he spent the remainder of his life. After 53 years of marriage and working together on their real estate investments, Lorraine passed away in 1999. Howard was very proud of his fine grandsons, Andrew and Bryce Hockett. In January 2002, Howard married Martha Miller of Los Altos Hills, an interior designer and educator with whom he shared the last 15 years of his life.

Following in his father's career path, Howard worked for 37 years in the financial district in San Francisco as an insurance executive, first with the American Home Assurance Company, then American International Group and Cravens Dargan, retiring in 1985. Much of Howard's incredible life was spent acquiring and managing retail and office properties in and around San Carlos. He earned a reputation for being a kind and cooperative landlord and acquired numerous friends, including "The Lunch Bunch," where he served as chief bean counter.

A generous man without pretense and with enormous integrity, Howard became a benefactor to the local community. He was especially supportive of local youth and civic improvement projects. His legacies include the stage and water squirt in Burton Park for the San Carlos Parks and Recreation Foundation, a remodeled kitchen for The Boys and Girls Club, new buildings for the Eaton Hills/San Carlos 4-H and a replica of The Wright Flyer, which hangs in the lobby of Hiller Aviation Museum. His lead gift helped fund Sequoia Hospital's new addition. He was a board member of The Sequoia Hospital Foundation, the San Carlos Parks and Recreation Foundation, the San Carlos Youth Center Foundation and Youth & Family Enrichment Services. He was honored as San Carlos Citizen of the Year in 2001 and Silicon Valley Community Foundation's Philanthropy Citizen of the Year in 2008.

Howard is survived by his wife, Martha, his son Lester Girdlestone and daughter in-law Lois of Sacramento, his daughter Wendy and son in-law Roger Hockett of Newcastle, WA; grandsons Andrew Hockett (Jessie) and Bryce Hockett (Stephanie); stepdaughters Carrie Drake and Ellyn Davis Hulsey and their families; plus countless friends and admirers. The family expresses abundant thanks to faithful caregivers Maile Liu and Paul Angel, plus the team from TheraCare.A celebration of Howard's life will be held Saturday, August 20 at 1 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1106 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Carlos.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that friends make a gift to the charity of your choice reflecting Howard's benevolent spirit and love for his community.