These descriptions all represent facets of a man who juggled more careers than most people would complete in three lifetimes, and one who was said to be as sharp as ever up until his death on March 17. Boccardo died in his sleep at the age of 91.

Boccardo's grandson, James "Jim" Rees, can attest to his grandfather's vitality and resolve. "He died when he wanted, where he wanted, and how he wanted," he said. Rees lives in Los Gatos, where Boccardo had lived since 1950 with his wife of 67 years, Lorraine.

Leanne Rees, a renowned pianist and Boccardo's only daughter, says her father had a "tremendous amount of determination and follow-through" as well as a "larger than life personality" that filled up a room.

Boccardo was born on July 1, 1911, in San Francisco to parents from Genoa, Italy. His father, John H. Boccardo, was instrumental in the Italian community and was the vice president of the Bank of Italy, now referred to as the Bank of America. Boccardo grew up in Los Altos, where he was privately tutored until he attended San José State University. After receiving a degree in chemical engineering, Boccardo went on to Stanford University to receive his L.L.B. (bachelor of laws) and J.D. (doctorate of jurisprudence) degrees.

From that point on, Boccardo became a tour de force of knowledge and prestige. Unlike the majority of his contemporaries, Boccardo practiced all aspects of law, and became best known as one of the top trial and personal injury lawyers. He was well-known for the Talle murder case of 1946, which was highly publicized due to Boccardo being both the lawyer and a witness for the defense, and because of a reversal of the guilty verdict on a technicality.

He was also known for his representation of San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto in a libel suit against Look Magazine, in which the magazine suggested Alioto was connected to the Mafia. Boccardo even made the Guinness Book of World Records in 1970, when he won his client the greatest amount in damages to date—$3.6 million—for a personal injury case.

"He always said that it wasn't the size or the amount of the award that he won that mattered but winning a case that nobody else had been able to successfully try or one people said he couldn't win. That gave him the most satisfaction," Jim said.

Santa Clara County District Attorney George Kennedy remembers being in law school in Southern California and "hearing about big Jim Boccardo," he said. "His reputation was one of the first things I knew about this area." Kennedy said that several of Boccardo's cases have set precedent for the courtroom and are leading cases within law schools. "He is the legal skyscraper of this area—and in the country, really. He was at the top of his game in criminal law and pioneered the way civil cases were handled in court," he said.

Boccardo is said to have been one of the first attorneys to use visual aids, models and videotape to help explain cases in court.

Jim believes that Boccardo's chemistry degree "enabled him to analyze a lot of details in accident cases very well. He had quite a knack for it," Jim said. "He was just better than everybody else."

He also changed tax laws concerning attorney-client fee contracts through his 1987 case in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. His case caused the government to reestablish the rules by which clients were charged and the deductions law firms were able to take on monetary transactions with those clients.

After establishing his San Jose­based law practice, Boccardo simultaneously ventured into other pursuits, which quickly became full-fledged professions. During World War II, he contracted with the government to produce 105-mm gun carriages for the U.S. Army, which allowed business to grow in a lagging San Jose economy. In addition, he formed the Western Gravel Company, which later merged to become the largest supplier of concrete and building materials in Santa Clara County. In the mid-1960s, Boccardo established the Community Bank of San Jose, now called the California Commerce Bank, which is part of Banamex, the bank of Mexico.

Boccardo's interest in philanthropic ventures peaked after retirement. He provided generously to San José State University, giving $2 million in 1997 to create the foundation for the renovation of the business classroom building. The facility has since been renamed The James F. Boccardo Business Education Center. He also donated to the gate project at San José State University. The gate at Fourth Street and Paseo de San Carlos is now called the Boccardo Gate.

"Jim Boccardo was a fighter, a great litigator and someone who loved to be challenged," said San José State University President Robert Caret, also a personal friend. "He served as a model for other graduates, and, more importantly, constantly challenged the university to think outside the box. He will be missed. The university needs more Jim Boccardos."

In 1998, Boccardo and Lorraine were given the Tower Award by the university for their support and donations.

Ending homelessness was also an issue important to Boccardo. To help push this effort, he donated a building to the San Jose Emergency Housing Consortium in 1997, named The James F. Boccardo Regional Reception Center. The center provides 250 shelter beds for families, as well as transitional housing for those looking to get off the streets permanently. He also endowed the John. H. Boccardo Family Living Center in memory of his father to help displaced Santa Clara County families get back on their feet.

In 2002, Boccardo created the Boccardo Trail Corridor at Alum Rock Park, which added a hiking and equestrian trail while doubling the size of the protected land. The trail is named after his parents, John and Erminia.

"He was definitely an action type," Leanne said. "He always wanted to do something, to put something together. He was community-oriented, and certainly in the last 20 years he had an urge to give back."

Dennise Carter and her husband, Peter, were friends of Boccardo. Although Dennise did not know Boccardo in his younger years, she said she was fortunate enough to hear vivid tales of his past, which he loved to tell.

"It struck me that I wished I had known him when he was making these memories," she said. "Just the vibrancy of the man, the range of his emotions and his incredible energy. He was incredibly entertaining and so engaged in life—what a brilliant person. His memories will continue to inspire me throughout the years."

Boccardo is survived by his wife, Lorraine, of Los Gatos, son John Boccardo II of Sausalito, Calif., daughter Leanne Rees of Maryland, grandsons James "Jim" Rees of Los Gatos and Evan Rees of New Mexico, and great-grandson Zachary Rees. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Boccardo Reception Center, c/o The Emergency Housing Consortium, 2011 Little Orchard St., San Jose, 95125.