Mark Stewart Pollock
October 25, 1949 - June 16, 2021
Mark S. Pollock
Longtime Napa Valley attorney, Mark Pollock, 71, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, June 16. In his professional life, he will be remembered as a dedicated legal practitioner, a bold crusader, a raconteur, and the last of a rare and truly irreplaceable breed.
Family and friends remember Mark as extraordinarily energetic and multi-talented, as a vibrant storyteller, an exceptional cook, a powerful Black Belt in Kung Fu karate, a gifted gardener, a lover of dogs, and an accomplished sailor. Ultimately, Mark was a man, who lit up every room that he set foot in.
Mark was born on October 25, 1949 in Burbank, Calif., the first son of Stella and Sol Pollock's three children. Mark attended Burbank High School, graduating in 1967, and from San Francisco State University in the 1970s, and later, San Fernando Valley College of Law, Woodland Hills, Calif, where he was President of the Law Review, and passed the California Bar in 1978.
As a young lawyer, starting out in the Napa Valley, he met his future wife, Alison Head, in Calistoga in 1982. The couple were married in 1989 by Napa County Judge John Quigley, while living on the Napa River in the late 1980s.
Mark joined and worked as a Napa Deputy District Attorney in Jerry Maunter's office while Alison pursued her Ph.D. at nearby U.C. Berkeley. Mark went on to Solano County District Attorney's Office, where he set up the Environmental Crimes unit.
In 1993, he set up a private practice in land use and environmental law in Napa, where Evangeline James joined the firm and later the two became partners in Pollock & James. In the Napa Valley, Mark was active within the legal community, a former president of the Napa Bar Association. and a widely respected litigator and champion of social and environmental causes.
The small firm was widely recognized as leading experts in defense of property owners involved in environmental and land use disputes. More recently they had grown the practice to advising local communities on fighting the stationing of small cell wireless technology.
A man of boundless energy and interests, Mark received his first Black Belt in Karate in August 2008 at the age of 59, the first of five Black Belts earned during his 32 years as a student at West Wind Karate School in Berkeley, Calif.
Mark was deeply creative with a penchant for remodeling and building homes and gardens. In the 1990s, the couple purchased a 13-acre property in Lovall Valley, above the town of Sonoma, building an authentic Palladian villa, designed by Mark and based on their many trips to Italy. For 17 years, the two worked tirelessly on weekends, planting a sweeping Italianate garden with fieldstone terraces. The magical estate became a popular gathering place for family and friends.
In 2013, the couple relocated to Santa Rosa, where they soon undertook a new project, creating a new garden space, replete with outdoor garden rooms, inspired by their volunteer work as volunteers each year in the iconic Sissinghurst Castle Gardens in Kent, England.
He is survived by his wife: Alison Head of Santa Rosa; two siblings, Jeffrey Pollock, Valencia, and Jill Pollock, Pueblo, Colorado; and his beloved rescue dog, Daisy. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to your Humane Society, https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Donation2?24225.donation=form1&df_id=24225
This is so sad... Back in 2007Jeanne Barron Aikman, Marilyn Miller and yours truly, Cathy Palmer visited Mark and his wife Alison Head at their Sonoma home which they designed and built. It includes a vineyard which provides the grapes for Mark's Stoneheath Winery.
A couple of photos from his FB page...
A FEW FACEBOOK COMMENTS...
- Dianne Postal-SimmonsJeff so sorry for your hurting .. sending hugsLinda Willson NelsonSo sad and sudden. I remember him well.Annette Dinolfo BennettOmg ! To many gone to soon! I’ve known Mark since grammar school. Prayers and thoughts to his family and friends
Nancy McNamara ZambranaRest In Peace, MarkDon RayOh no!!!Mark was my moral compass.Mary DurrerThat’s very sad he was so niceJulie GuttridgeDid not know him but condolences to his family. Sad to loose another Bulldog
Pamela SpangWhat a full life he lived, safe journey Mark' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='white' d='M12.162 7.338c.176.123.338.245.338.674 0 .43-.229.604-.474.725a.73.73 0 01.089.546c-.077.344-.392.611-.672.69.121.194.159.385.015.62-.185.295-.346.407-1.058.407H7.5c-.988 0-1.5-.546-1.5-1V7.665c0-1.23 1.467-2.275 1.467-3.13L7.361 3.47c-.005-.065.008-.224.058-.27.08-.079.301-.2.635-.2.218 0 .363.041.534.123.581.277.732.978.732 1.542 0 .271-.414 1.083-.47 1.364 0 0 .867-.192 1.879-.199 1.061-.006 1.749.19 1.749.842 0 .261-.219.523-.316.666zM3.6 7h.8a.6.6 0 01.6.6v3.8a.6.6 0 01-.6.6h-.8a.6.6 0 01-.6-.6V7.6a.6.6 0 01.6-.6z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Suzanne Lane RichardSo sad. Went all through school with Mark and connected with him a couple of years ago while visiting my son in Santa Rosa. Sweet guy, so accomplished and my thoughts and prayers to his family.Donna Luce Veatch NeitmanI am beyond heartbroken to hear of Mark’s passing. I loved his sense of humor and yes his love of the vino! I have fond memories of visiting him in Napa/Sonoma and going to his house (villa) he was building. He sent us on our way with wine from his vineyard! I still have the article from a magazine about him suing the Martha Stewart Organization in regards to those little silver cake and cookie decorations that were toxic and he won and they were taken off the shelf. I laughed to myself because I had a jar of them in my cupboard never to be used again! Ever the environmentalist Mark was! God bless you Mark and may you RIP! My deepest condolences to his family!
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Dani Marie KleistSorry to hear this. I remember Mark fondly.Shari Diane Goodstein EpsteinSuch sad news. Such a wonderful man. May his memory live on.Linda EverettI am so sad to hear of Mark’s passing. He was a brilliant, gifted guy with a great sense of humor. My prayers go out to his friends and family…….
