Dr. Thomas J. Riess

Dr. Thomas J. Riess of Marin County, died of Parkinson’s related complications on Sunday, June 9, 2019. He was 72 and had valiantly fought against Parkinson’s for more than half of his adult life. He is survived by his (ex) wife of 44 years, Nancy (Scharnocha) Riess; son Michael and wife Lindsay; daughter Dana and brother Steve. He was born in San Francisco and spent his youth in Millbrae.

By profession, he was a podiatrist, following in the footsteps of his father and practicing together in San Francisco and San Rafael. He was a multi-talented individual who could have been a painter, a builder, an architect or chef. He and Nancy lived in San Francisco and then moved to San Anselmo, where unbeknownst to them they had picked the perfect location to raise their two exquisite children, form long family friendships, and trick or treat right out their front door.

His illness caused an early retirement from podiatry and he become a stay-athome Dad, somewhat uncommon in those days. He began to focus his energy in studying the effects of visual cues to overcome gait problems, with his children’s K’nex set and every card that was available in the house. We were never playing gin with a full deck. He was interviewed on NPR and patented headgear with engineered visual cues which projected red lines to help individuals with Parkinson’s walk.

But eventually this painstaking disease takes over one’s body. We thank his caregiver, Mele, for the past ten months of loving care, and Hospice by the Bay. Donations in his honor or in honor of the Hospice staff may be sent to Hospice By The Bay, www.hospicebythebay.org, Well Spouse Association, wellspouse.org or UCSF, pdcenter.ucsf.edu.

Friends of the family are invited to attend a memorial service followed by refreshments on Sunday, June 30, 2019 at noon at the Fairfax Women’s Club which is across the street from the two tennis courts where he and Nancy played for hours. He will be missed by all.