Rick was a generous, fun-loving and gregarious man... a wonderful friend and father. We laughed (a lot) together, we cried, we told stories and sat late into the night. Rick lived life to the fullest, giving himself over to each moment as a student of life--with lots of questions and conversation, attention and gusto. We will miss him a lot, our friend Rick, because above all he was a human being. Rick was a student of life--he had infinite curiosity about history, current events, and most of all--people. He might not have always gotten his facts or his pronunciation right, but his heart was in the right place. He adored traveling to foreign countries, sampling the delights (and the food and wine...), and finding a place to settle in and get to know the locals. His specialty was to sit at the local bar and introduce himself to the person next to him. He was a true storyteller, building trust almost immediately, and getting to know us better than we knew ourselves, but without judgment. He would make a new friend and always seemed to find that hidden gem or restaurant we had to visit… Rick was a foodie--always knowing about all the new restaurant openings in town, wanting to be one of the first to check it out for himself--and make friends with the staff. With a few pithy phrases or funny noises (a.k.a., "Huh-zah!" or "Whoop!"), Rick would burst into a tear-streaming chortle that would inspire the rest of the room to start laughing. He held a Ph.D. in Tequila (Thank you, Tommy’s). He was sometimes known as “chee-chee.” He was San Rafael’s unofficial mayor. He was an avid Cal Bears football fan (or should we say: optimist). With Rick, it was always “Movember.” Loyal to a fault, ever generous, and a good friend. Rick was a Bay Area boy, born in San Francisco, CA on March 14, 1946, the only son of Luci and Dick Bronson. He graduated from Town School as a boy, then Hebron Academy in Maine for High School ("Well, you can't get they-ar from Hee-ar..."), Occidental College, and Hastings College of the Law. Rick is survived by his daughter Sylvia Mason, son-in-law David Mason and granddaughter Lucy Mason (2 years old). They live in his old stomping grounds--San Rafael, CA. He is much loved and will always be remembered by his friends and family.