Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Sunday, October 05, 2008 at 03:51:10 :
Independent Journal
Monday, October 29, 1979
CARLOS FREITAS DIES
Former Marin judge
Carlos B. Freitas, San Rafael lawyer, former Superior Court judge and community leader, died Saturday at a local hospital after a brief illness. He was 75.
Freitas practiced law in San Rafael most of his adult life and participated in a variety of civic, philanthropic, legal, church and other activities.
He was the son of Manuel T. Freitas and Maria Bettancourt Freitas, who came to California from the Azores. The father, who arrived penniless and owing for his passage to California, amassed a fortune, much of it in Marin County property.
He owned a 1,200-acre dairy ranch in what is now developed as Terra Linda and Northgate. He also owned the nearby Butcher Ranch, the Black Point Ranch, a ranch in Solano County and the 2,000-acre C Ranch in Novato, which was sold for the development of San Marin.
Carlos Freitas was born on the home ranch in what later was named Terra Linda, or “beautiful land” in Portuguese, the language spoken at home by the Freitas family.
He attended St. Raphael’s School and when (sic) on to St. Mary’s High School and College, where he played varsity football in 1921.
He attended the Catholic University of America’s law school in Washington, D.C., and earned his law degree at Lincoln University School of Law.
In 1923, Freitas, then a law student, married the former Earida Weyburn Cooley, a native San Franciscan, and the couple lived all their married life in Marin.
They lived many years on Highland Avenue and later in Fairhills, both in San Rafael. In recent years, the couple lived in Greenbrae.
Freitas began law practice in San Rafael in 1925 and later was senior partner in various law firms, including most recently Freitas, Allen, McCarthy, Bettini and MacMahon.
He interrupted his law practice to serve as an undercover intelligence agent with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Portuguese East Africa, now Mozambique, and Angola during World War II.
In 1955 he was appointed by Gov. Goodwin J. Knight to the newly created Marin Superior Court judgeship, a post he held for a year.
He resumed his law practice after leaving the bench.
In addition to his long legal career, Freitas was involved in a host of other activities.
He was a longtime member of the San Rafael Rotary Club and had served as its president. In 1972 he was name Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
In addition, he had served as president of the Marin Music Chest, president of Marvelous Marin Inc., chairman of the board of Catholic Social Service of Marin, on the board of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, on the national board of Catholic University’s alumni association and as a member of the Marin County Historical Association.
Long interested in Portuguese affairs, Freitas was given one of the highest honors that Portugal bestows on foreign citizens in 1974. He was named commander in the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator in ceremonies in San Francisco for his work in promoting Portuguese culture in the Bay Area.
Freitas and his family gave various philanthropic donations through the years, including the gift of the home ranch property to the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1958. St. Isabella’s Church now stands on the site.
His legal memberships included the Marin County Bar Association, of which he had served as president, and the board of governors of the State Bar of California. He had been vice president of the Committee of Bar Examiners. He also was a fellow of the American College of Probate Counsel.
He long participated in alumni activities of St. Mary’s College and was named alumnus of the year in 1968. He also served on the college’s board of trustees.
He was affiliated as a lay brother with the Christian Brothers order.
Freitas was a director of the old Marin County Savings and Loan Association for 20 years and a director of the Marin County Financial Corp. He was a trustee of the Mother Mary Raymond Memorial Scholarship Fund of Dominican College.
In San Francisco he belonged to the Commonwealth Club and the Stock Exchange Club.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a sister, Helen Tichenor of San Rafael, and three brothers, Manuel Freitas of San Rafael, Walter Freitas of Pebble Beach and Louis Freitas of Borrego Springs, San Diego County.
Two sisters, Marie Freitas Crane and Rose Freitas Rose, and one brother, Edward Freitas, died previously.
Archbishop John R. Quinn and six priests will concelebrate the Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Raphael’s Church. Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery. The rosary will be recited at 8 tonight at the church.
The Marin County courts will close between 10 a.m. and noon Tuesday so that judges and other personnel may attend the Mass.
The family prefers memorial contributions to a favorite charity.
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