Frederic Lyle Harvey

Frederic L. Harvey was born in San Francisco and grew up in the Sunset District during the depression and World War II.

His father survived San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake and worked as a comedic vaudeville actor, car salesman, World War II shipyard worker and craftsman. His mother performed in travelling vaudeville shows alongside her future husband before both retired from the theatre in 1927 to raise their family.

As a child, Fred was an avid reader with a keen interest in politics and history. His interest was sparked by the 1939 Pageant of the Pacific at Treasure Island where he spent the summer playing among the exhibits. During World War II, he attended the newly-built Lincoln High School and was honored as a commencement speaker. While Fred did not experience first hand the horrors of World War II, his interest in politics and avoiding future conflicts deepened throughout his high school years. He became involved with Junior Statesman of America, where he worked directly with its founder, Professor E.A. Rogers, and served as head counselor at the Montezuma Summer School for Boys in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Fred graduated from U.C. Berkeley, phi beta kappa, in 1950, and from Boalt Hall School of Law in 1953. After serving in the Army in Japan, he settled in Berkeley and practiced law with Berkley, Randall and Harvey, the first racially integrated law firm in the Bay Area. In 1973, Fred opened his own law practice which focused on property, probate and small business litigation. Fred believed that ordinary, middle-class families and small businesses deserved excellent and affordable legal services and provided those services to multiple generations of clients.

Fred and his wife, Marietta, engaged actively in local politics and civic affairs for more than 50 years. They were co-presidents of the Emerson School PTA when “the busses rolled” in 1968 and helped ease the transition to integrated schools. They served together on the Willard Park Citizens Committee that designed Willard Park and were founding members of the Willard Neighborhood Association. Fred joined the Berkeley Democratic Club in 1964, worked tirelessly for local and national candidates, and served on the Club’s board of directors as recently as 2019. He was a member of the City of Berkeley’s Parks and Recreation Commission in the 1990’s, served as president of the Elmwood Merchants Association, played an instrumental role in preserving Berkeley’s Elmwood Theatre and was a board member for the Berkeley Presbyterian Mission Homes. His most effective work was often behind the scenes as he was skilled at moving projects forward and helping groups reach consensus.

As an active and committed member of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, Fred lived out his passion for developing leadership and strong ethical values in children and youth. At the age of 65, Fred obtained the church’s support to found Camp Elmwood, a secular day camp that focused on ethics, leadership skills and serving the local community. He presided over Camp Elmwood for more than 20 years and, through his popular Teen Leadership Camp, was a mentor and role model to many local teenagers.

Fred’s beloved wife, Marietta, predeceased him in 2015. He is survived by his sister, Ann Rosing; his children, Ruth Harvey (Larry Pinkus), Daniel Harvey (Karen Harvey) and William Harvey (Josepha Fath); his grandchildren, Michelle Martin (Ricky Martin), Jay Harvey, Matthew Harvey, Alex Pinkus, Elizabeth Bear (Benjamin Bear), Andrei Pinkus and Camern Pinkus; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Presbyterian Church at a future date. Donations in Fred’s memory can be made to St. John’s Presbyterian Church (https://www.stjohnsberkeley.org/), The Angelman Syndrome Foundation (https://www.angelman. org/), the Oakland Symphony (https://www. oaklandsymphony.org/) or a charity of your choice.

Bob Pestoni, a third generation Napa Valley native son, died on Sunday, December 26th, at his home in St. Helena, CA. He was 84.

Bob was born on September 4th, 1937, at St. Helena Hospital into two pioneer winemaking families – the Pestoni family, originally from Monte Carasso, Switzerland, and the Domingos family from St. George Island in the Azores. Bob was raised by his parents, Henry and Lena Pestoni, on the Pestoni family ranch on Whitehall Lane in St. Helena. As a young boy and then as a teenager, Bob’s greatest joy was playing Carpy Gang Football, coached by Al Carpy. Bob often referred to the character-building advice from Coach Carpy as the core lessons that molded him into the man he became. One of his favorite teachings that he carried for the rest of his life was from a wrestling coach, “For every pin, there is a counter move to free yourself. It’s your job to figure out what that move is.”

His love of sports continued through St. Helena High School, where he graduated in 1956, and went on to Napa Valley College, where he played football and ran track. In 1957, Bob joined the Army and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. Of course, he immediately found his way onto the Army football and wrestling teams.

After his father’s death in 1958, Bob turned the family farm’s focus from dairy and chickens to hogs. Ultimately, this launched Bob’s future in the recycling industry. He soon had 600 hogs and contracts in place to haul unusable food and produce from all over the Bay Area, including the Veterans Home of California in Yountville. At a hog auction, Bob met a garbage man from Pleasanton who would change the course of his life. Recognizing Bob’s strong character and entrepreneurial spirit, John Petronave, a fellow hog-farmer and franchise garbage hauler, took a chance by mentoring and backing Bob to secure a waste-hauling contract for the upper Napa Valley. In 1963, Upper Valley Disposal Service was born. Bob, along with his brother, Marvin Pestoni, expanded the company to include the Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park, South Lake Refuse & Recycling, Quackenbush Compost, and a partnership with Napa Recycling & Waste Services. His work creating a system for processing wine grape pomace into certified organic compost won him recognition from National Geographic, Organic Materials Research Institute, and the state of California, to name a few. Today, Bob is regarded as a pioneer and visionary in the waste industry, having tested and built a fully integrated company specializing in recycling, composting, waste collection and disposal, and renewable energy production. Bob was a lifelong member of the state trade association, Resource Recovery Coalition of California. This association represents hundreds of California waste haulers, waste industry experts, and the supporting industries. In 2001, Bob received the prestigious John P. Moscone Award given “for long-term exemplary commitment and dedication service to the waste industry.” He also sat on advisory committees at Napa Valley College and Pacific Union College, was a former Rotarian, and St. Helena Volunteer Fireman.

Nearly a century after his grandfather, Albino Pestoni, founded his original Howell Mountain winery in 1892, Bob brought his family back into the wine business on a property adjacent to the original Pestoni ranch. The Pestoni Family Estate Winery farms approximately 56 acres of vineyard and produces estate wines honoring the family’s history and traditions.

Never one to forget the people who lifted him up along the way, Bob lived his life doing the same. Giving countless people a second chance by believing in them when they had difficulty finding their own path, he provided a reliable job, health insurance, good pay, and a sense of doing the right thing.

Bob will be remembered for his warmth, generosity, and infectious smile. He was quick to greet anyone who walked into a room and made them feel welcome at his table. Most of all, he genuinely loved people and life. He will be deeply missed.

Bob is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sylvia; his four children Andy, Greg (Aimee), Christy (Eric), and Jon (Wendy); six grandchildren Rico, Matteo, Lucia, Dominic, Ennio and Massimo; his brother Marvin (Charlene); and his best friend since the second grade, George Steinauer.

Donations in Bob Pestoni’s memory can be made to: Saint Helena Athletic Association, Carpy Gang Football, and The Boys & Girls Club of Saint Helena and Calistoga.

A celebration of life will take place in the spring at Pestoni Family Estate Winery.