William John Brady

June 30, 1930 - October 25, 2017

William John Brady passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Belvedere, California October 25, 2017. He was born on June 30, 1930 in San Diego, California, the son of the late Van William Brady and Opal Morehead. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Louise Jean Murphy Brady and their loving children; Van William Brady, Leslie Brady Thieriot, and Megan Louise Brady and his twin brother, Van Laurance Brady. He also leaves to cherish his memory his grandchildren, India, Juan and Antonio Thieriot: Ryan, Keiler and Robert Brady.

Bill attended San Diego’s Herbert Hoover High School. He received his B.A. from Stanford University in 1952 where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. An MBA from Stanford’s Business School followed in 1954. In 1955 he served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Europe in the Machine Records Unit operating IBM equipment. In 1957, Bill re-joined IBM to finish his sales training, and in 1958 was assigned San Francisco as his territory. Over the next ten years, he established himself as one of IBM’s top sales producers which allowed him to choose his preferred sales region --staying in his beloved San Francisco and skirting the acronym for IBM at the time: “I’ve Been Moved.”

While working at IBM, Bill and his twin brother Van vigorously pursued their shared interest in security market investments. Their success in investing in small high-growth companies served as the launching pad for their new endeavor, Presidio Partners in 1968. For the next 37 years, Bill and Van successfully grew Presidio Partners and were acknowledged as top in their field by Forbes, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal.

Bill engaged life with a curious mind and a gentle spirit. He was a loving husband and father and a good friend to many. He was a generous supporter of the Hoover Institution and an active member of The Bohemian Club, The Pacific-Union Club, and The San Francisco Yacht Club. Bill had a singular thirst for knowledge -- he was an avid reader, a travel enthusiast, a historian, and a life long learner. He welcomed many with his huge smile, loved a good in depth conversation and, even better, a good debate.

After his retirement, Bill continued to be active in the investment world. He also spent his time adoring his wife Louise and their children and grandchildren, traveling, attending lectures, dining out or having friends in, He lived a full life. His infectious curiosity, enthusiasm, and love of friends and family will be forever missed.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Monday, April 30th 2018, 3pm at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The family requests, In lieu of flowers that remembrances of Bill’s life be sent to:

Musicians On Call, India Thieriot (https://donate.musiciansoncall.org/IndiaThieriot)

Tiburon Volunteer Fire Department, 169 Tiburon Blvd. Tiburon, CA 94920