Thomas R. Shearer Jr. ’58

Tom died Oct. 23, 2010, at home, surrounded by his family. He had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for 18 years.

He graduated from Scarsdale (N.Y.) High School. At Princeton, Tom majored in history, was a member of Campus Club, and was manager of the baseball team.

In his senior year he roomed over Blair Arch with a group named “Pause and Ponder,” which included Bob Brown, Hank Bruce, Jim Gilbert, Kit Rudge, John Dennis, Rel McCarroll, Gene Shahan, and Ed Midgley. Tom and his wife kept in contact with the roommates, holding mini-reunions in Paris, New York, and San Francisco.

Tom earned a law degree from Stanford, where he was admitted to the Order of the Coif. He was the first summer associate at the San Francisco law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in 1960, when the firm had only 20 lawyers. He went on to practice municipal-finance law with Orrick until his retirement in 1998.

Tom was a master bridge player and achieved his PADI Scuba certificate. He was a Cal Bears supporter despite having a Stanford degree, and a Chicago Cubs fan in spite of the Cubs not winning the pennant since 1948.

The class extends deepest sympathy to Madeleine, Tom’s wife of 50 years; his children, Michael and Carolyn; and his grandchildren, Timo and Elise.