Frank Sawyer Bayley III

July 14, 1939 - November 12, 2022

Frank Sawyer Bayley, III, died peacefully on November 12, 2022 at age 83 at his home in San Francisco after a two-year illness. Family and old friends joined him in the “martini corner” of his living room surrounded by his many books and works of art, watching sailboats on the Bay and listening to Mozart. A son of Seattle, Mr. Bayley made his home on Russian Hill in San Francisco for over 50 years.

Mr. Bayley was born July 14, 1939, in Seattle, Washington, the son of Frank S. Bayley, Jr., and Frances Ann Stimson Bayley. His family was well established in Seattle at an early date; his great great grandfather was John Collins, an early mayor of Seattle. Throughout his life, Mr. Bayley took a strong interest in his family history. Mr. Bayley graduated from The Lakeside School, Seattle, in 1957, where he was a commencement speaker and National Merit Scholarship Finalist. That fall he entered Harvard College, where he was awarded a Harvard National Scholarship. He studied English History and Literature, and graduated in 1961.

Mr. Bayley was a lawyer, as were his father and grandfather for whom he was named. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1964, and received an LLM from The University of California at Berkeley in 1965. He practiced law in San Francisco, first with Chickering & Gregory until 1986, and subsequently with Baker & McKenzie until 2004. The focus of his professional career varied; initially he advised on trusts and estates; subsequently he worked on the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant in Southern California; and during the last half of his career he advised foreign investors in venture capital transactions. His work took him frequently to England, Japan and Korea, where he made many lifelong friends.

For nearly thirty years, Mr. Bayley served as a Trustee of the Invesco Funds and their predecessors, the AIM Funds, and the G.T. GIobal Funds, where he also served as Chairman of the Investment Committee. For decades he served as a Director and Chairman of the C. D. Stimson Company in Seattle, a family owned investment company established by his great grandfather. Mr. Bayley was an early supporter of the Nature Conservancy in Washington State. Together with a friend, Linda Henry, in 1979 he and his brothers, Tom and Doug, founded the San Juan Preservation Trust to preserve the natural aspect of the San Juan Islands. The Preservation Trust currently holds thousands of acres and many miles of shoreline permanently preserved from further development; it is the oldest and largest land trust in Washington State.

Mr. Bayley was a long time Trustee and subsequently Honorary Trustee of the Seattle Art Museum, to which he gave a collection of Korean Art to supplement the collections donated by his grandmother, Emma Baillargeon Stimson and other members of his family. Seeking to boost recognition of contemporary Korean potters, calligraphers and photographers, he gave works by these artists to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the British Museum. These artists became good friends, and visiting them was a focus of his annual trips to Korea. At the Philadelphia Museum he served on the East Asian Art Committee. At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, he served on the Visiting Committee for the Art of Asia, Oceania, and Africa. In addition to Korean art, Mr. Bayley collected Japanese paintings, Chinese and Danish ceramics, European prints and drawings, and rare books dealing with the exploration of the Pacific Northwest.

Mr. Bayley was drawn to classical music from an early age. In the 1970s he was a Director and acting President of Western Opera Theater, then the traveling and educational subsidiary of San Francisco Opera. In the 1990s he actively promoted the careers of Asian musicians, providing introductions and sponsoring recitals. In 1996 he became an Overseer of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and a few years later he became a Trustee. At Curtis he became acquainted with many who were established in the world of classical music, and more significantly with many students who have become the outstanding performers of their generation as well as good friends. For many years he was a Trustee, and for two years Chairman of the Board of San Francisco Performances,

Mr. Bayley was a member of The Phoenix-SK Club at Harvard College, The University Club in Seattle, The Knickerbocker Club in New York City, and The PacificUnion Club in San Francisco. Reflecting his many interests and his travels, Mr. Bayley had a wide circle of friends and acquaintances worldwide with whom he kept in close touch, and whose company was a central feature of his life.

Mr. Bayley is survived by his brothers, Thomas Bayley and Colby Bayley, his sister, Margaret (Meg) Bayley Rankin, his sister-in-law Mary Bayley and six nieces and nephews. His brother Douglas passed away earlier this year. Gifts in memory of Mr. Bayley may be made to San Francisco Performances, 500 Sutter St., Suite 710, San Francisco, CA 94105.