Paul Richard Hoeber

Although Paul was born in Ohio, where his mother's family lived, he was raised in Mamaroneck, just outside New York City. After high school, much to the surprise of his born and bred New York father and his mid-western bred but long-time New Yorker mother, he heard the call of the West Coast and traveled all the way across country to Berkeley to attend the University of California.

This was Berkeley in the 1960s, with all the strife and chaos that implies. Paul witnessed it all, from the Free Speech Movement to antiwar demonstrations, all the while attending classes and playing football for the U.C. Golden Bears. There's no doubt that the atmosphere of the times informed his lifelong respect for individual rights and social justice. After graduation, he attended U.C. Berkeley Law School, graduating in 1970.

In 1971 he became law clerk to Judge James R. Browning, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in San Francisco, which was excellent preparation for his next job, law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan. Justice Brennan was a major influence on the Warren Court, one of the most influential in history, protecting civil rights, privacy rights, free speech rights, rights of the accused, and more. A year as Justice Brennan's clerk was an unforgettable experience for Paul.

Once that year was done, he served as staff attorney for the District of Columbia Public Defender Service before he joined the Watergate Special Prosecution Force as an assistant special prosecutor in one of the most momentous investigations in U.S. history. Once that was completed successfully, he stayed on in Washington for several years as a staff attorney for the United Mine Workers of America and special attorney for the Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice.

But Paul's biggest coup in Washington, outweighing his year with the Supreme Court, and even the satisfaction of sending Nixon packing, was meeting and falling in love with Donna, a young lady from Montana, who was to become his lifelong companion. For over 50 years, they were partners who were seldom apart.

By the mid-seventies, the West Coast was calling again, and Paul and Donna moved to San Francisco as Paul accepted an offer from the U.C. Berkeley Law School and became a full-time law professor. After almost a decade of training the next generation of lawyers, he left academia and moved into private practice in San Francisco. In 2003 he even went back to the Supreme Court and argued a case concerning whether a corporation engaging in public debate could be held liable for factual inaccuracies. Paul said they could.

Finally, Paul was ready to retire and spend time following his beloved Giants, 49ers, and Warriors; reading, that spanned many topics; enjoying San Francisco’s culinary offerings; entertaining his neighborhood cats; smoking fine cigars; and regularly visiting the gym. He stayed active and engaged with the issues of the day right up to the end, when he passed away peacefully at home. He will be greatly missed by his long-time companion, Donna Rowles; his brother and sister-in-law, Tom and JoAnn Hoeber; Donna’s two brothers; his cousins; his nieces and nephews who have fond memories of Paul at holiday gatherings and at Whitefish Lake in Montana; and his many friends.

In keeping with Paul’s generous spirit, the family asks that memorial donations be made to The American Cancer Society or The American Civil Liberties Union or The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. No public service will be held.