Clinton H. Coddington
July 8, 1939 to June 4, 2015
Loving, devoted husband, father, grandfather and exceptional trial attorney, Clinton Hays “Bud” Coddington, of Menlo Park, California, passed away on June 4, 2015, in Palo Alto, California. Born July 8, 1939 in Honolulu, Hawai’i, he is survived by his beloved wife of 44 years, Marty, son Clint (Kristen), daughter Cathy (Tiki), and five grandchildren, Grace, Claire, Clinton (aka “Buddy”), Elena, and Belen, and his sister, Carol Lynn Coddington of Jacksonville, Florida. Bud’s family was everything to him. Bud adored his wife, treasured his children and when his grandchildren came along, he was enthralled.
Bud was a Pearl Harbor survivor. His father, L. Clinton Coddington, who was a Captain in the Army Air Corps stationed at Hickam Field at the time of the attack, later became a general in the Air Force. His late mother was Patricia Richer Coddington. As a young man Bud loved the Boy Scouts and became an Eagle Scout.
Bud graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point, and was proud to be a member of the Long Gray Line. At West Point, Bud was a member of the Debate Team and traveled across the country participating in collegiate debate tournaments. After service in the United States Army, Bud attended the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall), and graduated in 1969.
Bud started his legal career at the venerable San Francisco law firm of Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon. He then joined the Redwood City law firm of Ropers Majeski where he later became a partner.
In 1977, Bud founded the firm that would become Coddington, Hicks & Danforth. In his four and a half decade career as a trial attorney, Bud proved a gifted advocate and respected aviation law attorney. Nationally he served as chief trial counsel for the target defendants in many mass air disaster cases, three of which were tried to verdict, including Pan Am in the litigation that arose out of the bombing of Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Often Bud would be asked to serve as trial counsel at the eleventh hour, just before the commencement of trial. He was a member of many legal organizations including the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Equal measures dialectician, tactician, wordsmith and performer, Bud had a particular and rare comfort in the courtroom. He was equally at ease speaking to the aeronautical engineer who was his client and the transit operator who was his juror. With charm, grace, a keen intellect (and a subtle resemblance to Spencer Tracy), judges and jurors alike found themselves wanting to hear what Bud had to say. And he was never, ever, at a loss for words. His words could be prophetic, irreverent or humorous. But they were inevitably chosen with much precision and skill. Nor was Bud starved for strongly held views. Yet he could always appreciate and persuasively advocate the position in tension with his own.
Over the years, Bud served on a variety of boards and charitable organizations. Blessed with keen intuition and an innate ability to solve nettlesome problems, Bud was urged into positions of leadership where he would serve with distinction. Bud was a lifelong Episcopalian and served often as a Vestry member or senior warden in the parishes where he worshipped. Bud viewed both Ludwig van Beethoven and Johnny Cash as iconic. And perhaps that, as much as anything, is illustrative of the complex, talented and loving soul we have lost.
Funeral services will be held on June 12th, at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church Episcopal, 815 Portola Road, Portola Valley. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Christ Church Episcopal – Portola Valley or your favorite charity.