With profound sorrow, we at Ferrari Ottoboni Caputo & Wunderling share with you the sad news of the passing of our founding partner, esteemed mentor, and enduring friend, Clarence J. ("Bud") Ferrari, Jr. For decades, Bud was a titan in the San Jose legal community, and we grieve for the loss of his presence in our office and in our lives.
A San Francisco Bay Area native with deep roots in the region, Bud earned his bachelor's and law degrees at Stanford University, and was a longtime supporter of the school. As a partner with the influential San Jose law firm of Ruffo, Ferrari & McNeil, Bud attained a formidable reputation as a trusted and expert counselor and advocate, advising numerous individuals, businesses and institutions in their complex and sophisticated tax, estate and business matters. In 1985, together with matchless attorneys Edward Alvarez, Kent Olson and John Ottoboni, Bud established the law firm of Ferrari, Alvarez, Olson & Ottoboni, which earned a place among San Jose's preeminent law firms, and continues in that status today in its present formation.
Beyond his brilliant legal counsel, Bud worked tirelessly as a member of the bar and the community at large. He served as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a member of the board of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the founder and chairman of the board of Silicon Valley Bank, and an adjunct professor of taxation from 1963 to 1975 at Santa Clara University School of Law, among his many other accomplishments.
Bud was the ultimate optimist, and he loved helping others—not only his clients, but also his family, friends, colleagues, and anyone else who needed assistance or guidance. He was selfless and caring towards everyone he met. Amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, it was instead a broken heart that sadly took Bud from us, after Joan, his cherished wife of 62 years, passed away last August. Together they raised two beautiful daughters, Mary Lynn and Lisa, and were blessed with two lovely granddaughters and a wonderful great-grandson.
Words cannot express how greatly he will be missed.