William Michael Wade, Jr.

November 21, 1929 - June 20, 2017

William Michael Wade, Jr. died in his sleep, as he wished, early on the morning of June 20, 2017 in San Rafael, California. He is survived by his wife, Jane M. (Isaacs) Jervis, daughter Rebecca (Wade) Cate, son-in-law Martin Cate, and stepdaughter Patricia Farthing.

Bill was born on November 21, 1929 in Richmond, Virginia to William Michael Wade and Sue Browne (Briggs) Wade. He grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he attended Albuquerque High School, and in 1952 earned a BA in Journalism from the University of New Mexico. He then served in the United States Navy as a journalist during the Korean War, thus beginning a career of writing, editing, and publication management that spanned over 40 years.

Bill started out as a newspaperman at the El Paso Herald-Post covering city hall. After that, he worked at Lytle Engineering and Manufacturing Company in Albuquerque where he wrote technical manuals that instructed pilots on how to drop a nuclear bomb, a job which he always looked back on with bemusement because he knew nothing about the highly technical aeronautical engineering principles involved. In 1960, he “packed up everything I owned into my little Corvair and drove out to California,” to take a job as a Publications Supervisor at GTE Lenkurt in San Carlos, where he worked for the next sixteen years. During the 1960s, living in Menlo Park, he met many dear friends, and his first wife, Jacqueline “Jackie” (Lofthouse) Wade. He and Jackie married in 1969. Their daughter Rebecca was born in 1973. In 1976 Bill became a Publications Manager for the University of California, a job he considered the highlight of his career, and which brought him to Marin County, where he would live the rest of his life. Bill later worked in Novato for Harding Lawson Associates and for Crittenden, as well as for PRC Environmental Management in San Francisco. Throughout his career, Bill made deep and lasting friendships, many of which he maintained for decades.

Bill’s first wife, Jackie, passed away suddenly in 1986. In retirement, Bill was fortunate to meet and, in 2003, to marry Jane Jervis, a woman with whom he shared a love of good words, good laughs, and good meals. They would often be found dining out in Marin restaurants, especially at The Club Restaurant, and Joe’s Café where they were regulars.

One of Bill’s greatest passions was writing fiction. He was proud to have had a short story, “Cuff Link Boy,” published in Escapade, and in his lifetime wrote six novels: Out of All The Millions, Bells and Whistles, Nudges, Stuart Speaking, Elaine’s Way, and Again and Again. He also wrote a memoir entitled How to Drop the Big One. His greatest regret was that these seven books remained unpublished, but he pursued his dream to the very end, much to the respect and admiration of his family and friends, and only a few months ago sent his final novel to agents to in pursuit of publication.

Bill was a voracious reader, writer, and thinker, with a wonderful wit. He loved to listen to jazz while sipping on a good gin Martini and to engage in meaningful conversations with his family and friends. He was, in the words of one of his close friends, A Grand Man. He will be sorely missed.

There will be a private gathering with family and friends in September to celebrate his remarkable life.