Bernard E. Esser, Jr. was born in San Francisco on December 27, 1930, to Bernard E. Esser and Gertrude Esser. A proud San Franciscan, Bernie was a baseball and basketball star at Lincoln High School, and a member of Lincoln’s Athletic Hall of Fame. After Lincoln, he attended the University of San Francisco on a basketball scholarship, graduating in 1951. Bernie then proudly served as a Lieutenant in the US Army in Korea for two years.
After his Army service, Bernie began a successful career at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale, California. He rose to the rank of Vice President of Operations, Missile Systems Division over the course of a 37-year career, before retiring in 1994. The highlight of his career was the 2 years in Charleston, South Carolina as Base Manager of the Navy Submarine Base.
Bernie was also actively involved in local government in Millbrae, serving on the Parks and Recreation commission, before joining the City Council in 1964. He remained on the council for a total of 14 years, and served three terms as the city’s mayor.
Besides his family and his work, Bernie’s great passion was baseball. He attended hundreds of Giants games over the years, but his interest went far beyond that of the casual fan. He devoted many hours to the Society of American Baseball research, helping to compile a database of baseball statistics going back over 100 years. He also amassed a large library of baseball books. He took particular delight in meeting with baseball old-timers, listening to their stories, and getting his books signed. He considered many baseball legends his friends (MercuryNews).
