Newsom was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Christine Anne and William A. Newsom II. He was known as Bill to all friends and family. A lifelong San Franciscan, Newsom had longstanding political and financial ties. His father ran Pat Brown's campaign for San Francisco district attorney, who then later became governor of California. Newsom's late sister Barbara was once married to Ron Pelosi, brother-in-law of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. He was also a close friend of Gordon Getty, son of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, who lived in his house during the 1940s while attending St. Ignatius Catholic prep school in San Francisco.
Judicial career
Newsom went to University of San Francisco, followed by Stanford Law School and was admitted to the California Bar in 1962. He worked as legal adviser to the Italian division of Getty Oil and then as a tax attorney for the Getty family. Newsom helped to deliver the ransom money for the release of John Paul Getty III. In 1967, he married Tessa Menzies, and had two children before divorcing after five years. In 1968, he ran unsuccessfully against State SenatorMilton Marks, a popular Republican. In 1975, Jerry Brown appointed Newsom to the Superior Court bench in Auburn and later to the state Court of Appeal in San Francisco, where he served until his retirement in 1995. In this role he ruled on several prominent cases including the right of privacy for sufferers of HIV, the liability of the San Francisco 49ers for a player's injury and ruled against the prestigious Bohemian Club's ban on employing women. An advocate of rehabilitative justice, Newsom was also part of a panel of judges that ruled that the perpetrators of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping would be eligible for parole.
Investment management
Newsom served as a financial advisor for the Getty family businesses. He directly managed the Gordon P. Getty Family Trust, which is estimated at more than $2 billion. The trust earns about 2 percent a year resulting in approximately $40 million in annual income. He screened potential investments and made recommendations on real estate, stocks, bonds, and other ventures. "I make my living working for Gordon Getty", Newsom said in 2003.
Other interests
Newsom was a keen environmentalist and served on the boards of both the Sierra Club Foundation and the Environmental Defense Fund. He helped to found the Mountain Lion Preservation Foundation and was also a member of Earth Justice. He was also an advocate for otters and had one as a pet. During his judicial career he had had to curb his advocacy for environmental protection to maintain his professional neutrality. Newsom was also a keen walker and would take Gavin backpacking along the rivers of California. He had a large collection of books and would often read while in the bathtub. Newsom was married to Tessa in 1966 and their son Gavin was born the next year; a daughter followed in 1968. Newsom was divorced shortly afterwards and Tessa died in 2002. In 2004 he administered the oath of office to Gavin upon his appointment as mayor of San Francisco.
Death
Newsom died on December 12, 2018, at his home, in San Francisco, California, less than a month before his son Gavin took office as governor. He was 84 years old.
