Orinda

A memorial service for James Martin Quist, 75, of Orinda, will be held at 2:00pm on Sunday, October 9th at Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church in Moraga.

Born April 3, 1947, in San Francisco to Martin and Sylvia Quist, he died Sept. 29, 2022, at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek. He will be remembered by all for his intellect, character, and subtle sense of humor.

Jim, as he was best known, grew up in San Francisco and attended Lincoln High School. For college, he attended UC Berkeley for both his Bachelor's (‘69) and Masters (‘74) in Engineering, and was a member of Pi Tau Sigma. He was also a member of the Army Reserves, and went through a memorable bootcamp at Fort Ord near Monterey. An accomplished engineer, he worked for several major companies including Brown & Root, PG&E, Duke Energy, Chevron, and Bechtel - Bechtel being where he met his wife of over 30 years, Bonnie, after being set up on a blind date by a coworker. They married on September 16th, 1979 in Berkeley, CA and lived in the Montclair neighborhood of Oakland before moving to Orinda in 1985.

Jim was an active member of Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church serving as a Stephen Minister and participating in many study groups over the years, most recently Faith builders. In his spare time, he enjoyed learning about science, religion, and American history, tinkering with home improvements, and watching sports - particularly local teams (Go Bears, 49ers, Warriors, and Giants!). He also loved giving back - whether as a member of the Moraga Kiwanis Club or tutoring under-resourced students in math and science through his church.

Jim is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Emily Quist and Chris Brown of Chicago, IL, daughter and son-in-law Hilary Quist and Guneet Garcha of Dublin, and daughter Molly Quist of Orinda; sisters, Ann Quist of Casselberry, FL and Janet Schweitzer of Beaverton, OR.

He is loved and will be missed. Gifts in his memory can be made to Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church. He will be laid to rest next to his wife, at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito.