William Sachs Goldman

William Sachs Goldman died in a small plane crash that also injured his two children and their nanny, he was widely remembered as much more than just the grandson of prominent San Francisco philanthropists. Bill, the brilliant scholar who held a doctorate in European history from UC Berkeley. Bill, the assistant professor who livened up staff meetings at the University of San Francisco with his garrulous laugh. And Bill the pilot who loved flying his private five-seater plane, sometimes for Angel Flight West, a charity that transports critically ill patients. Goldman’s wife, Serra Falk Goldman, is an attorney at Falk, Cornell & Associates law firm in San Carlos. The Goldman surname is associated with millions of dollars in collective assets and a history of prestigious giving. Goldman’s grandparents, Richard and Rhoda, created the Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the “Green Nobel,” which gives out $150,000 awards to fund efforts to protect and enhance the environment. The son of Susan Sachs Goldman and the late Richard Walter Goldman, Bill was born and raised in Washington D.C. where he attended the Sidwell Friends School. He earned a B.A. in History from Yale University where he was a member of the Yale Glee Club and a photographer for the Yale Daily News. He received his master's degree and doctorate in history at the University of California, Berkeley. Since 2012, he was an assistant professor of international studies at the University of San Francisco, where he specialized in early modern Spanish history. Bill loved sharing his knowledge not only with his students but also with family and friends - on trips, at dinner parties, and wherever he could find an audience. He had previously taught at Stanford University and was a former research fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 2012, he and his siblings founded the Richard W. Goldman Family Foundation to help underserved children and communities gain access to education, health, and financial resources. He was treasurer of the International Board of Directors of the New Israel Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering civil rights and democracy in Israel. He served as president of the board of directors for the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, a family foundation that supports economic security, education, Jewish life, and the arts in the Bay Area. He also was a volunteer pilot with Angel Flight West, flying 13 missions since 2013 to transport critically ill adults and children to receive medical treatment. He is survived by his wife, Serra Falk Goldman, and their two children, George Richard Goldman and Marie Aliena Goldman. He is also survived by his mother, Susan Sachs Goldman; his brother Daniel Sachs Goldman and sister-in-law Corinne Goldman; his sister Alice Goldman Reiter and brother-in-law Benjamin Reiter; his brother-in-law Harry Falk IV and wife Rochelle Falk; and his brother-in-law Taylor Falk and his wife, Rachel Falk.