Joe Cross Creason III

Joe Cross Creason III, known as "Cross", passed away suddenly on the morning of January 27, 2023 at his family home in Piedmont, California.  He was 52 years old. 

Cross was born in San Francisco on June 22, 1970 before moving to Piedmont.  Cross went to school in Piedmont through middle school.  For high school he went to and graduated from the College Preparatory School in Oakland.  Cross went on to attend UC Santa Barbara and graduated from UC Davis.  He earned his law degree from the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California, where he was a staff writer for the Law Review and earned numerous scholastic honors including three American Jurisprudence Awards, as well as being a member of the Roger J. Traynor Honor Society and the Order of the Coif.  For the next 20 years, Cross practiced law at Dillingham and Murphy in San Francisco where he became a partner.  He was known to be an outstanding lawyer, a tenacious researcher and a thoughtful advocate. 

Cross was a true renaissance man with an expansive intellect and curiosity.  He immersed himself in each of his interests and achieved a level of expertise that would have been impressive for the focus of just a single subject.  There was hardly a string instrument that Cross didn't know how to play.  His musical passions started as a child with the bass and guitar, before expanding his abilities to the ukulele, banjo, mandolin and much more later on in life.  Cross's language skills were as impressive as his musical talents.  He was fluent in Spanish and read a range of books from novels to non-fiction.  Cross had expanded his repertoire to include parts of Mandarin and French as well.  He was a gifted writer and lover of literature.  Cross enjoyed an eclectic group of authors including Faulkner and Asimov.  He was deeply informed on history and politics.  He closely followed debates regarding public policy and played a limited but engaged role in local Alameda politics where he had resided for over 10 years.

A life-long sports enthusiast athlete, Cross was a talented tennis player and former member of the Berkeley Tennis Club.  More recently he had taken up the sport of Pickleball, displaying his advanced skills and superior strokes, as well as returning to golf.  He was a long-time basketball player, following in the footsteps of his father and winning a CIF title for College Prep during his senior year in 1988.  Piedmont basketball courts were a favorite of his, where he frequently shot baskets and played pick-up games.  On weekends Cross enjoyed cooking using various techniques, cooking methods, and cookbooks as he carefully learned new recipes.  Cross had a green thumb and was able to produce beautiful vegetables and seasonings for his dishes. 

Cross loved his son Joe Cross Creason IV very much.  They played guitar, hiked in the Oakland hills, and kayaked in the bay together.  While the glow of his brilliance and caring heart faded far too soon from this world, he lived a life of passions, achievements and dedication that we will always remember. 

Cross was predeceased by his father, Joe Cross Creason Jr. but leaves behind many family members, Mother, Alice Creason, Sister Winnie Creason, Son Joe Creason, Aunt Estelle Hood, Uncle WIlliam Creason, Aunt Louise Creason, Cousins Hunt Cochrane and Harriet, Herbert Cochrane and Posey, Phillippe Patat, Scott Creason and Mollie, Lyman Creason and Sharon and many more loved ones and friends.

A memorial and graveside service will be conducted 11:30 AM Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the Longview Cemetery in Bethel with Reverend Bill Kincaid officiating. 

The Michael R. Gray Funeral Home in Owingsville is caring for all the arrangements for Joe Cross Creason III.