William C. Tredway, Jr.

William C. (Bill, Bud) Tredway, Jr. died peacefully on March 4, 2022, in the presence of music, song and love. Born April 20, 1936, in Richmond, Virginia as the only child of Ava Gibbs Tredway and William C. Tredway Sr., Bill earned a BA in Music History at University of Richmond in 1960. He performed as a chorister, actor and stage manager for several theaters in Virginia from the 1950s to early 1960s. In 1963 Bill moved to San Francisco which he loved for its natural and architectural beauty, thriving arts scene, and embrace of independent thinkers like himself.

Singing brought tremendous joy to Bill, and he was grateful that he was able to sing professionally throughout his life. He spent decades as a member of the San Francisco Opera Chorus where he brought his sly wit, as well as tremendous vocal and acting talents, to the stage. During the 1980’s he joined Western Opera Theater, a touring arm of SF Opera. This fed Bill’s adventurous spirit, and he forged lifelong friendships with colleagues.

Over the years Bill also performed with San Francisco City Chorus, Golden Gate Men’s Chorus, and Slavyanka Russian Chorus. He was a cantor/soloist at many churches, most recently at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, St. Elizabeth Church, and First Church of Christ Scientist, Mill Valley. His voice touched people at countless weddings and funerals, and on his final trip to his hometown, Bill sang a powerful rendition of “How Great

Thou Art” at the funeral of a family member.

Bill enjoyed road trips with friends and solo, frequently crossing the U.S. and exploring California’s deserts, mountain ranges and coastal areas as an avid hiker. A man of eclectic tastes, he was proud of the array of memberships he held including ACLU, Sierra Club, museums, and Screen Actors Guild. A generous man, Bill supported environmental, arts, animal rights, social service, and LGBTQ+ organizations.

Bill is survived by many cousins and cherished friends. At his request, no memorial service will be held, but Bill would like loved ones to share memories of time spent together making merry or mischief. The family thanks the team at Josie’s Board and Care who lovingly cared for him as he suffered the effects of Alzheimer’s over the past two years. His ashes were scattered at one of his favorite places - where the Golden Gate meets the Pacific Ocean near Lands’ End.