John C. Colver

February 6, 1936—September 11, 2017

John Colver, a long time resident of Belvedere, was born and educated in England where he graduated in liberal arts, then read law at University College, London. He grew up with horses, playing rugby, sailing and tinkering with old cars. In 1955 he visited Canada for five years of adventure throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. He was a production controller with General Motors, a dispatcher in the coastal forests of British Columbia, a horse wrangler on location for Columbia Studios, a cowboy in a live wild-west show at Crash Corrigan’s in Chatsworth and had various bit parts in Gene Autry movies. John also spent two years as a race handicapper, was a choker setter in the Redwoods country, a washing machine repair man and a deck hand in the Caribbean.

John returned to England and in 1961 married Rosalind Elven. After two years of working as an international real estate agent in London he and Rosalind sold everything, bought a Mini Clubman, shipped it to New York then spent several months driving across country.

In 1967 John joined Tishman Realty and Construction, the largest owner/ builder in the country of luxury apartments and high-rise office buildings. Within a few years John had risen to Vice President of the San Francisco office and its regional subsidiaries. In 1977 John was part of a small group headed by Alan Tishman which did a leveraged buyout of the operating company. As Senior Vice President of operations and a general partner of real estate for Tishman West John was personally responsible for all activities outside Los Angeles, including design/development and property management of several million square feet of office space in San Francisco, including the development of 425 California Street, 525 Market Street, 71 Stevenson Street and 250 Montgomery Street. Outside San Francisco John headed the development of Tishman Office Center in Walnut Creek, Tishman Aurora Plaza in Colorado and Tishman Biltmore Office Park in Scotsdale, Arizona. Additionally John developed and managed office space in San Diego, Seattle and London. John was a mentor and had the respect and admiration of all who worked with him.

Throughout his business career and in his subsequent retirement, John was an avid sailor, racing offshore and then with Rosalind in the Knarr fleet on San Francisco Bay for 32 years, owning both a wooden then a fiberglass Knarr. He served as Admiral of the Knarr fleet three times and five times was Chairman of the International Knarr Championship. A trophy was named in his honor several years ago. A member of Corinthian Yacht Club since 1968, John served as Commodore twice and was a leading force in a major rebuilding of the Clubhouse in the 1980s and in the construction of the new harbor in the 1990s. He was a founding director and President of the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center in Sausalito, and was involved in the rescue and reconstruction of the classic vessel “Freda”.

Other principal interests included salmon fishing, offroad exploration in the high desert and Death Valley, golf (playing here, Ireland and Scotland) and driving his replica 1953 C-type Jaguar. He was a member of the Olympic Club, the Royal Thames Yacht Club in England and the Little Ship Club in London for which he was the Honorary San Francisco Port Officer since 1968. The most exclusive club of all was the Royal John Colver Yacht Club at the foot of John and Ros’ home on Belvedere Cove. Its parties in the 1980s and 1990s will be long remembered. John was a quintessential Englishman and a warm and generous friend to everyone who knew him. He was an endless font of knowledge and experience for all who frequently sought his advice.

John is survived by his wife of 56 years, Rosalind, his sisters Angela Colver and Mary Colver in England, many cousins in England and Canada, and his two constant companions Daisy and Ollie.

“May your seas be calm and the wind always at your back”

The funeral was private and a Thanksgiving of John’s life will be at a later date. Donations may be made in John’s name to the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center.