Robert (Bob) Eugene Dryden
A longtime resident of Millbrae, Bob passed away peacefully in Burlingame on October 9, 2014, at the age of 87. At the time of his passing, Bob was surrounded by his loving family following a brief and unexpected illness. He was born in Chanute, Kansas to Calvin and Mary Dryden, and soon after the family moved to San Francisco. Bob was preceded in death by his loving parents, Calvin and Mary Dryden, his beloved sister Maryanne and her husband Manuel Medina.
Following his graduation from Lowell High School, Bob immediately enlisted in the U.S Marine Corps during World War II, serving from 1945-1946. After the war, Bob attended City College of San Francisco and graduated from USF (‘51) and USF Law School (‘54). Following law school Bob was hired by the San Francisco Law Firm of Barfield, Barfield and Barfield working as a personal injury defense trial lawyer. He specialized in the fields of Products Liability, General Negligence, First and Third Party Bad Faith, Construction, Insurance Coverage, Aviation, Environmental, Complex Litigation, and Professional Malpractice.
In later years, as the firm expanded, he became a partner and he rose to head the firm of Dryden, Margoles, Schimaneck, Kelly and Wertz until his retirement after a 48 year career in the law. During his career, Bob was a member of and involved with numerous law associations; the American Bar Association, State Bar of California, Bar Association of San Francisco Committee, Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California (Board of Directors, 19681969), American Judicature Society, American Board of Trial Advocates (Diplomat), Pres. S.F. Chapter, 1997, Defense Research Institute, International Association of Defense Counsel, Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel, San Francisco Courts Committee and Trial Practice.
Bob served on the faculties of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, the National College of Advocacy and USF Law School. He received numerous awards and consistently was listed as one of the top trial lawyers in California and the nation, including; “California Lawyer, Sept. 1989”, “A Sampling of California’s Most Respected Lawyers”, Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in California, Who’s Who in Practicing Attorneys, Listed in all editions of “Best Lawyers in America” and Named by the San Francisco Examiner as one of the ten best trial lawyers in San Francisco. Bob was also a fellow for the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers, and the American Bar Foundation. He also served as a member on the Board of Governors at USF.
Bob and his family loved spending summer and winter weekends and vacations at Lake Tahoe where they snow skied, went boating, swam, fished and enjoyed reading about ghost towns in Nevada and then exploring the town sites and uncovering relics from the Wild West Days. He was a proud member of “E. Clampus Vitus” - Truckee Chapter, and always joked about his initiation into the Clampers. Bob was a wonderful, generous, loving and supportive son, husband, father, father in law and grandfather. He always was concerned about the welfare of his loving family and for the welfare of others. Our family will miss his unconditional love and support and especially his great sense of humor and his constant telling of jokes. Bob will forever remain in our hearts and in our memories, always loved and missed, but never forgotten. He was truly an outstanding member of our nation’s “Greatest Generation” whose word was his bond and who believed in honesty, integrity and hard work. He had a true sense of right and wrong and a firm belief in God having a crucial role in his life and the lives of his family. Bob was a great role model and his greatness should be the foundation for all role models in life.
Bob is survived by his beloved wife, soul mate and best friend of 61 years, Jetta; his adored daughter, Lynn Van Etten and her husband Jack of Burlingame; his loving and devoted son, Thomas Dryden and his wife Cynthia of Burlingame; loving grandfather to Kristi Van Etten and Tommy and Johnny Dryden all of Burlingame. Bob is also survived by his nephew Robert Medina of San Mateo and his niece Mary Susan Larson and her husband Don of Morgan Hill, and many other family relatives.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers that donations in the memory of Bob be made to the University of San Francisco “Dons Fund”, 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94117.
Family and friends may visit on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at the CHAPEL OF THE HIGHLANDS, El Camino Real at 194 Millwood Drive in Millbrae, after 5:00 PM with a Vigil Service beginning at 7:00 PM. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 10:00 AM at Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 1310 Bayswater Avenue in Burlingame. Committal will be private at a future date at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno.