In Memoriam Wilfrid F. Roberge, Jr.

It is with great sadness that we announce that our colleague and friend, Wilfrid F. Roberge, Jr., passed away on December 18, 2022 at the age of 83. Wil served for two years as an enlisted attorney with the U.S. Army after graduating from Stanford Law School. Following his service in Vietnam, Wil joined legacy firm, Donahue, Gallagher, Thomas and Woods, in 1967. He became partner in 1971 and specialized in trusts and estate planning as a Certified Specialist in Probate, Estate Planning & Trust Law. He was the rarest of combinations in the legal field: an intellectual giant who could retain much of the tax code in his brilliant mind and a humble human being who treated everyone with kindness and respect. He exhibited a thoughtful and compassionate understanding of the law and its eccentricities,

of people, and of the interaction between the two. He was also a generous lawyer who gave his full attention to those who needed him for his experience, expertise and advice in estate planning and related tax issues.

When Wil wasn’t practicing the law, he enjoyed the social interaction and time spent with colleagues and friends.  One colleague recalls that during his infrequent golf outings, he would insist on using an impossibly mis-matched set of “vintage” clubs, representing most likely every decade of his life. Occasionally, he would connect on a shot or sink a nice put. And he would flash that jovial smile that told us, “These clubs are just fine.”

Wil was deeply trusted and liked by all who knew him and leaves his family, clients, and friends all the better for the time spent with him. He’d often say that he would keep working as long as he was still having fun and that he never officially “retired.”

Wil was devoted to his family. He is survived by his wife, Annette Roberge, and his children Wilfrid F. Roberge III, Nicole F. Roberge, and Edouard F. Roberge.

Wil positively affected the lives of many, both professionally and personally.  He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, and we are grateful for everything we learned from him as a leader, partner, mentor, and friend.

Wil’s visitation and funeral Mass will take place at Christ the King Catholic Church at 195A Brandon Road in Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Visitation begins at 10:00 AM and the funeral commences at 11:00 AM. For more on Wil’s legacy, his obituary is available here.