Submitted by GEORGE WAILES
I am deeply saddened to report STEVEN MEDLEY died in a car accident in Yosemite on October 5, 2006. GREG THYBERG and RON ROSEN were kind enough to let me know. Many of us remember Steve's humor and good nature. What you may not know is Steve's dedication to Yosemite including his long-term service as President of the Yosemite Association, author of many books about Yosemite and many other contributions. I am including the text of his obituary from the San Francisco Chronicle and an article about his memorial service in Yosemite from the Fresno Bee. We will miss you Smedley.
Saturday, October 7, 2006 (SF Chronicle) Steven Medley -- longtime leader of Yosemite support organization, by Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer.
"Publisher, writer and naturalist Steven Medley died in a car wreck near El Portal (Mariposa County) on Thursday on his way to his job as longtime chief of the Yosemite Association, a park support group. He was 57. Mr. Medley, whose friends say he had wit and boundless energy for his favorite park, led the group for two decades, taking it from a small collection of members to an influential organization of 11,000.
"The association, through the work of Mr. Medley, published hundreds of books and other materials, including "An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park" and the children's book "Two Bear Cubs." He wrote the widely sold "The Complete Guidebook to Yosemite" and "Antelope, Bison, Cougar: A National Park Wildlife Alphabet Book." Proceeds from the books go to the national park.
"He died after his car hit a tree between his home in Oakhurst (Madera County) and his office in El Portal. The California Highway Patrol is investigating why his car apparently went out of control on Highway 140 near the Savage Trading Post.
"'This is a huge loss for the Yosemite family,' said Mike Tollefson, Yosemite National Park superintendent, in a news release on the association's Web site. 'In addition to Steve's innumerable contributions to the park, he was known for his quick wit, dedication, and sense of accomplishment. This is a tragic loss, and Steve will be missed terribly.'"
"Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank, who got tips from Mr. Medley on the foibles of Yosemite bears, said 'Everybody's devastated. This is such a loss. He humanized the park service's message."
"The Yosemite Association published Frank's last two collections. Mr. Medley's choice of titles 'was indicative of his sense of humor,' Frank said. He called the books, "Fur and Loafing in Yosemite" and "Eat, Drink & Be Hairy."
Mr. Medley was born at the Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto in 1949 and grew up in Gilroy. He received a bachelor's degree in film and broadcast from Stanford University in 1971.
"After that, he took a job as a seasonal ranger at Yosemite. There, he met Jane Rowley, another ranger, who later became his wife. He received a degree in library science from the University of Oregon in 1975, a year before the couple was married. He worked as a librarian at the park's research library. He also received a law degree from UC Davis in 1981 and practiced as an attorney for four years in Oregon.
"The couple has three sons, Charles, 25, Joe, 23, and Andy, 20. Mr. Medley climbed Half Dome with each of them.
"'He had a good life,' Jane Medley said. 'He had so many interests, so many things he knew about and cared about. He had a kind of personality that just created more good for himself. There was nothing mean about him.'"
"Her husband loved Yosemite, and probably preferred the high country out of Tuolumne Meadows, she said. 'He'd go on annual backpacking trips with friends, trying to pick a place they hadn't gone. Over the years, they managed to cover a lot of different trails.'"
"One of his prized contributions was the publication of an illustrated flora, a book of 1,100 watercolors of the park's flowers, painted from specimens by Walter Sydoriak. The book serves as a guide to where the plants are found in the park."
"'Steve spent 20 years working on the book,' she said. "He did the editing and the index. He had to check the spelling on all the scientific names."
"It was truly a labor of love, and it's a remarkable thing for people to have available."
"Daniel San Souci, an Oakland children's book illustrator, praised Mr. Medley for coming up with the idea for the association's biggest seller, "Two Bear Cubs." San Souci created the illustrations, and his brother, Bob San Souci, retold the Miwok story.
"'He had the best sense of humor,' said Dan San Souci of Mr. Medley. 'He had an incredibly healthy lifestyle; he'd take off on a bicycle at any time. I can't think of anyone who was more liked.'"
"Besides his wife and three sons, Mr. Medley is survived by his mother, Hermie Medley of Santa Cruz, and his sister, Robin Medley of San Jose."
And from the Fresno Bee: Remembering many sides of Medley. Friends are full of stories about the life of Yosemite enthusiast. By Joan Obra / The Fresno Bee 11/05/06 05:53:14
"YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Steven Medley, the longtime president of the Yosemite Association, was portrayed by friends and family as the consummate jokester, a best friend to many, an editor obsessed with grammar, a bird watcher and a loving husband and father.
"More than 400 folks — including widow Jane Medley and the couple's sons Charlie, Joe and Andy — gathered Saturday afternoon in Wawona to share stories about the 57 years of Medley's life.
"Much of the celebration centered on Medley's dedication to the Yosemite Association, a nonprofit that supports education, museum, research and environmental programs in Yosemite National Park. There was little talk of his untimely death.
"Medley, an Oakhurst resident, was on his way to work Oct. 5 when his car veered off Highway 140 near the Savage Trading Post and hit a tree. Investigators still don't know why he lost control of the car, says Beth Pratt, Medley's longtime colleague and now the association's interim president.
"But this was not an afternoon to dwell on unanswered questions.
"'He was a big brother, a favorite uncle, a friend,' Pratt says. 'We are going to miss our 'Smedley' in so many ways.'
"Those ways are listed in "The Complete Guidebook to Steven P. Medley," a take-off on Medley's award-winning publication, "The Complete Guidebook to Yosemite National Park."
"In the imitation guidebook, Pratt offers 'important tenets of the "Smedley philosophy."
"Among the advice: 'If at first you don't succeed, a cold beer sure helps before you try again.' Or: 'A bad joke is better than no joke at all.' Or 'Meetings are optional and trainings are for the weak.'"
"Other stories exhibited Medley's humor in his own words.
"Len McKenzie, a retired chief of interpretation for Yosemite National Park, shared postcards he had received from Medley. Using fake names, Medley wrote stories about his time as a park ranger, such as this one from a supposed Otis Flammeolus (Medley's multi-layered humor depended in part on his rich knowledge of the critters around him — otus flammeolus is the Latin name for an owl that is flammulated, or flame-shaped):
"'Sounds that I used to take for granted — like the slamming of a door or the honking of a horn — proved to be not what I thought them to be. Each was associated with a bird and identified ably by Mr. Medley. In one case, I could have sworn someone was audibly flatulent, but the Ranger was quick to identify the red-whiskered bulbul.
"'All in all, it was a morning well spent, particularly in light of the fact that the walk lasted only 20 minutes. What a good idea to end the walk with a leisurely breakfast at the Wawona Hotel. Mr. Medley indicated that there's always someone on his walk willing to pick up the tab...
"'P.S. I also joined the bird walk in the Valley. The wimpy ranger with glasses there was too long-winded and pompous.'
"Another friend of Medley's conjured up more than one spirit. Ron Rosen, a law school classmate of Medley's at the University of California at Davis, read an old gem from Herb Caen, the San Francisco Chronicle's late columnist.
"Medley was the "Prince of Gilroy" in Caen's columns, including one from 1980. In it, Caen points out that the initials GGNRA stand for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
"'Or do they?' Caen added: 'One of my favorite correspondents, who signs himself the Prince of Gilroy, thinks GGNRA means, 'Good God, Not Reagan Again!''
"The memorial service was also marked by poignant details of Medley's life.
"Folks assembled in front of the Grey Barn, the site of Medley's first job in the park as a living history demonstrator. Leis from the Hawaii Natural History Association decorated pictures of Medley. Martha Eads, a family friend, played "Let There Be Peace on Earth" with fellow musician Sandra Stocking. And the music at the reception afterward was a mix of Medley's favorites: The Beatles. Neil Young. The Mexican rock group Maná.
"Surrounding themselves with all things Medley seemed to make his friends and family smile more.
"Greg Moore, head of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, put it best: 'Most of all, he just made us happier to be alive.'"
Our reliable correspondent recorded RON ROSEN'S comments at the Medley Memorial:
"Steve Medley will always be one of my favorite people ever. I often thought about him and I often told people stories about him. One of my favorite things about Steve was his annual Winter Letter, which sometimes came in the spring. I saved them and here are a few selections:
"From the winter of 1990, arrived in spring 1991: 'Before we get into the juicy person-by-person narratives, here are some 'teaser' highlights of the year: Joey broke his finger in a soccer game; the skunk moved back into our garage for a month or two; somebody backed into our basketball hoop's pole and really bent it; Steve brewed his first batch of Magpie Ale in years; and acorn woodpeckers have placed in excess of 65,000 acorns under the shingles at the edge of our roof. Can't wait to read more, huh?'
"From the winter of 1991, arrived in spring 1992: 'We thought our friends would be envious when we told them about our spring schedule this year. You see, all three of the Bozo Brothers are playing Little League baseball (the first time that's happened.) The other night, we got out the calendar and wrote in all the dates and times. Exclusive of practices and exhibition games, we get to attend 43 (count 'em, 43) Little League games this season (assuming nobody qualifies for the playoffs.) Don't bother dropping by on April 28 - it's a triple header! Three games in three different towns. Or how about the week that features five games in five nights? If you were wondering how we get our jollies, need we say more?'
"From 1998: 'Jane (she's the short one) had a dream realized this summer when we installed a swimming pool in the back yard. At once, Oakhurst was transformed from an insufferable, overheated hell-hole, to an insufferable, overheated hell-hole with a pool.'
"From Herb Caen, August 5, 1980. Steve was known to Herb as the Prince of Gilroy: 'Several whimsical visitors wish to know if GGNRA is a social disease. Right. Amusing, but the initials, to be found at several of our choicest tourist sites, stand for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, of course. Or do they? [Now remember, this is 1980.] One of my favorite correspondents, who signs himself the Prince of Gilroy, thinks GGNRA means, "Good God, Not Reagan Again!'
"Steve, I'll never forget you, buddy."
While GREG THYBERG and I were talking about Steve, he reported that he had started his own law practice in Sacramento, practicing plaintiff's employment and workers compensation law. What a switch from his insurance defense work! He enjoys the change. His boys are growing by leaps and bounds, and doing well.
After 14 delightful years of law practice, DAVID SIMON acquired some rudimentary computer programming skills and became an entrepreneur. In 1999 he founded WeComply ( http://www.wecomply.com/) which develops web-based training programs for corporate employees on law-related compliance topics such as preventing workplace harassment/ discrimination, avoiding insider trading, antitrust basics, etc. Having achieved moderate success in the training business, David is now embarking on a new venture – a YouTube-like video-sharing website where employees and managers can view and submit how-to videos on work-related topics.
When last heard from DIANE DILLON was on her way to Maui. We think she may have extended her vacation since we haven't heard from her since. She is serving her second term as Napa County Supervisor; apparently the voters liked what they saw.
MARC SCHNEIER keeps on writing. His most recent publication is "Understanding and Applying Construction law" in Essentials of Construction Management (Informa Center for Professional Development 2006). Marc also writes for Thomson West's Construction Law Reporter which is now on Westlaw (Database search box: CONLITR). He and Justin Sweet have begun work on the 8th edition of Legal Aspects of Architecture, Engineering and the construction Process (Thomson Nelson 7th ed. 2004) in anticipation of major changes by the AIA to their standard form contracts, currently projected for late 2007. Check out Marc's website at www.buildlinglaw.org. Marc misses his classmates from King Hall days and being able to get everywhere on a bike; he doesn't miss the summers. His girls are in middle school and elementary school. Marc's favorite story from STEVE MEDLEY from Rabin's first year property class. The topic was something about the effect of marriage on property relations. Steve's punchline was something like "As far as I'm concerned, when I married my wife, she didn't lose anything." It brought the house down.
ANNE MEYER is a third grade teacher now. Anne still represents some special long-term clients, but enjoys teaching more. Anne was deeply saddened to hear the news about Steve Medley. She has shared his books with her students and always felt Yosemite was in good hands due to his guidance.
SANDRA WICKS sends her best to everyone.
SPENCER HOSIE'S San Francisco firm is now Hosie McArthur. The plaintiff's contingency firm primarily represents emerging tech companies and their venture capital backers in IP suits, patents, misappropriation, etc. Spencer lives four months of the year in Ketchum, ID, where he is taking the bar in February 2007. He's been doing two to three trials a year and still enjoys it. His wife, a former Brobeck defense trial attorney, has also gone to the dark side (Spencer's words!) doing plaintiffs' work too. They have three children, ages 7 to 13. The Idaho months allows him to spend time with his children while they are still children.
ERIC NEWMAN is now one of five partners in KP Public Affairs, the largest public affairs (lobbying and PR) firm in Sacramento. The practice is booming and Eric doesn't have to do timesheets anymore as KP operates on retainers; he has one word for that: "Yeah!" Eric lobbies primarily on environmental issues in the Legislature and Cal-EPA agencies. Eric's regulatory work consists of assisting Fortune 100 to small business clients on environmental compliance including permits, clean-up, enforcement and almost any other kind of environmental regulatory issue you can imagine. Eric says the work is rarely boring. Eric's oldest, Chris, is now 23 and graduated a year ago from U.C. Santa Cruz. He is an excellent surfer and budding documentary filmmaker and plans on pursuing a master's degree in social documentary filmmaking. Keenan is 21 and a senior at Stanford on a full-ride swimming scholarship where he is majoring in film and psychology. He will graduate in his fifth year. Sara is at a prep school in Montana.
DOUG FOUT has joined the ranks of former practitioners and embarked on his second career - teaching high school history in Illinois. Because he teaches, he was able to spend most of the summer goofing off, horseback riding and white water rafting in his favorite area - Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Doug has been writing science fiction novels in his spare time and is currently working on getting one of them into print. Doug will let us know when something actually gets published. He's learning a little about copyright law along the way. Comments for his classmates: Hug your lover. Listen to your muse. Sip wine at a curbside table on the Champs in the late afternoon's sunlight. Act! The clock's ticking.
Ginny and the boys and I are doing well. My practice is booming, with businesses still suing each other, and I have been enjoying mediating more disputes as well. I enjoyed serving on the board of the Conference of Delegates of the California Bar Associations and am now moving through the officer positions of our San Mateo County Bar Association. I spent the fall refereeing lots of soccer games. Andrew is a junior and will soon be applying to colleges and Peter is enjoying seventh grade. We still backpack every summer, ski every winter and enjoy trips around the US and abroad during school breaks and summer vacations. Keep in touch, I always enjoy hearing from mateys.