Edwin Tolles Obituary

TOLLES-Edwin Leroy Tolles (Roy), Age 85, of San Marino and Montecito, California passed away in his sleep early Monday morning, January 28th, 2008 at the Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, with his beloved wife, children and grandchildren at his bedside. The cause of death was Cardio-pulmonary failure, with a recent diagnosis of P ancreatic cancer. Known for his ready wit and pleasant disposition, he lived a full and busy life and was dearly loved by his family and friends. He had a long and happy marriage of sixty-three years to his wife, Martha, and together they raised a family of six children. By his deeds and high standards he was an inspiration to his family and others who knew him. A distinguished lawyer, he was one of the founding partners of the Los Angeles firm now known as Munger, Tolles and Olson LLP, which began with sev en lawyers in 1962 and has grown into a nationally regarded firm of over 200 lawyers today. He practiced there for thirty years until his retirement in 1992. Roy was much admired by his colleagues for his wisdom, judgment, and vision. "Roy's common sense and quick wit undergirded our firm for thirty years," said partner Ron Olson. "Respect for clients and colleagues, was in his DNA, and that DNA remains at the core of our law firm's culture." From the beginning of his legal career, Roy was an avid student o f the stock market and became a successful investor and partner in the investment firm of Wheeler, Munger & Co. He thoroughly enjoyed both careers, his work with colleagues, shareholder annual meetings, and informal gatherings with investor friends. His friend and partner, Charles T. Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, said: "Roy was a man of great courage, in both his military career and his business life, and was blessed with a rare mixture of shrewd insight and good humor. He was a gifted lawyer and businessman, and a wonderful colleague." Roy was a member of the State Bar of California for over fifty years. He was a member of the Athenaeum, the Valley Hunt Club and the Society of Fellows of the Huntington Library. He supported many local philanthropies, including the Huntington Hospital, the Crowell San Marino Library, the Pacific Asia Museum and the Pasadena Playhouse. He was and ardent sports fan and had a wonderful time following his children's athletics and pursuing his own- tennis, cycling, boating, and water skiing. Roy was born in Winstead, Connecticut in 1922 and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. His father worked for the Singer Sewing Machine Company in New York City, and his brother, Winton, now deceased, was the dean at Hamilton College for many years. Roy graduated from Trinity Pawling School, from Williams College cum lade where he majored in mathematics, and from Harvard Law School cum lade. During World War II he was a fighter pilot in the Marine Corps, stationed in the Marshall Isl ands in preparation for the invasion of Japan. He is survived by his wife, the former Martha Gregory, his sons, Stephen of Pasadena, Roy III of Piedmont (Carol), and Thomas of Santa Monica (Kristen), his daughter, Cynthia Tseng of Palo Alto and eleven grandchildren (Heather, Christopher, Michael Tseng, Natalie, Jocelyn Tseng, Peter Tseng, Nathan, Andrew, Amelia, Catherine, and Claire). His son Henry predeceased him. He will be greatly misssed by his family and friends but fondly remembered with a smile beca use of his many quips and jokes. When he entered the hospital a nurse asked, "How old are you?" "A hundred and fifty," he answered. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, February 5, at 3:00 p.m. at the Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, CA 91108. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made either to the Huntington (attn: Kimberley Valentine), or to the Stanford Hospital and Clinics, 2700 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025.