W. Foster Wollen

Dec, 24, 1936 - Aug. 28, 2020

W. Foster Wollen, age 83, of San Francisco, CA passed away unexpectedly August 28. Originally from Union City, New Jersey, Foster was born on December 24, 1936 to the late Ross and Grace Wollen. He graduated from Xavier High School in New York in 1954, and went on to attend the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, from which he graduated Dean’s List with a degree in English. He then attended the University of Virginia School of Law. At UVA, he was the Notes Editor of the Law Review, as well as a member of the Order of the Coif, graduating at the top of his class in 1961. He was a lifelong supporter of all the schools he attended, but UVA held a special place for him. After law school, he enlisted in the US Army, serving in the cold weather infantry at Fort Carson, CO. Foster joined the New York City law firm Shearman & Sterling in 1962, where he served with distinction for more than three decades. He became a partner of the firm in 1970, and in 1978, the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers elected him a Fellow. He also served as a Trustee of the Supreme Court Historical Society. While head of Shearman & Sterling’s litigation department and then as managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office, he represented an impressive array of clients, including international financial institutions, multinational corporations, 80s corporate raiders, international industry groups and professional athletes. He had a deep respect for the people he worked with, and was known as a valued mentor.

In 1964, he married Sheila Culkin, an IBM Systems Engineer. They had four children, Foster Jr., John, Evan, and Gillian. Despite his busy work schedule, he made it a point to be a consistent presence at his children’s athletic, artistic, and academic endeavors, including coaching many youth sports teams. In Sheila he found his best friend and confidant.

In 1994, he left Shearman & Sterling to join Bechtel, the San Francisco construction firm. He became General Counsel and Senior Vice President, responsible for the Legal & Risk Management departments. The move rekindled his love of baseball, and he soon became a season-ticket holder for his favorite San Francisco (originally New York) Giants. He was then named to Bechtel’s Board of Directors in 1995 and retired in 2007.

Always active in sports and the community, he was an accomplished tennis player, serving as both Captain and Coach of the Holy Cross Varsity Tennis team. An avid golfer, he was a member of the Tryall Club in Sandy Bay, Jamaica, where he served as a Director for a number of years, as well as Lake Merced Golf Club and the Presidio Golf Club in San Francisco. He was known for his early morning tee times, and when playing through (which was often), he would say: “We may not be good, but we’re fast.” He was, of course, a better golfer than this would suggest. At Tryall, he and Sheila built a home that has become a gathering place for three generations of family and friends. He also served for many years as a Trustee for Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Sheila Culkin Wollen, his four children, W. Foster Wollen Jr. and his wife Gigi, John Wollen and his wife Pamela, Evan Wollen, Gillian Griffiths and her husband Alexander, as well as his three beloved grandchildren, Miranda and Natalie Wollen and Celia Griffiths. He is also survived by his brother A. Ross Wollen.