Robert C Hendrickson's Obituary
Robert Hendrickson of Piedmont, California passed away unexpectedly on November 12th, 2025. Rob came into this world with a great zest for life and his enthusiasm was exhibited in all of his endeavors, relationships, and achievements. He was a man of routine and schedules, and believed in being generous, honest, and accountable. His family and community were very strongly impacted by his life force true to his wishes and his loss is felt deeply.
Rob was born in 1952 to veteran parents from the midwest and grew up in Sacramento, California next to a creek. From there he ventured to the nearby American River on his bicycle and the Sierra mountains working for the US Forest Service. He was a high academic achiever in his district, took an early interest in engineering, and developed lifelong friendships.
Moving to Berkeley, Rob graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering, and a law degree. There he met his fellow law school student and future wife Carola Ingram of Los Angeles, California, with whom he had three children. He got his pilots license and went sky diving, loved the Grateful Dead and photography, and researched earthquakes at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Center.
Working as an attorney based in San Francisco in civil engineering and construction cases, Rob found accomplishment in commercial litigation through his understanding of both engineering and legal aspects. He traveled across the country and internationally for work, most recently for the Duane Morris law firm. He said he liked solving problems and helping people solve theirs. He also worked as an arbitrator and was involved in many industry construction forums.
A tendency towards identifying right and wrong in law translated to Rob’s interest in sports. He was a coach and referee in his kids’ soccer games, and later switched to rugby as he and his sons played the sport. He was a referee or touch judge in most of his younger son’s high school and Cal rugby games. He was a dedicated member of the Northern California Rugby Football Union Referee Society (Pelican Refs) and helped bring on new refs.
Rob had a passion for backpacking, skiing, rafting, and scuba diving, often centering vacations around these activities. He loved spending time in Calaveras county, frequently visiting his mountain cabin with his family, friends, and pets. He collected local art and a personal library of history books about the surrounding areas and the goldrush. At home, Rob was also interested in gardening, cooking, wine making, reading about geology and evolution (often multiple books at the same time), and the comics.
Rob was predeceased by his wife Carola in 2017, and is survived by his sons David and Carl, daughter Katherine, granddaughter Jannah, sister Elisabeth Belle, and brother Lief. Donations to the Northern California Rugby Football Union Referee Society (Pelican Refs) can be made in his honor. A celebration of his life will be held at Piedmont Community Hall.
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