Samuel Pesner, OD

January 6, 1947 – October 16, 2019

Dr. Samuel Pesner was born in Hollywood, California. Sam attended Inglewood High School where he served as Senior Honor Board and Senior Class President. He was a member of the James K. Polk Fan Club. He then attended UCLA where he earned both Bachelor of Visual Science and Doctor of Optometry degrees from the Southern California College of Optometry.

Sam was raised in Hawthorne and Inglewood California. After graduation Sam had no job and no money, so of course he went to Europe with classmates. During those early years Sam played lead guitar in local bands on his treasured 1957 Fender Telecaster.

Lou and Sam were married and embarked on a life of travel and adventure. They spent six months traveling through 36 states and seven provinces of Canada in their 1971 VW Westfalia camper. When you spend six months side by side all day and night, you really get to know that person – and yourself.

Sam worked with his close friends in their 7 Friends Winery joint venture crafting award winning wine. He had a love of music and enjoyed playing his ukulele and other instruments. Travel was his passion on sailing ships, cruises and river rafting to destinations around the world with family and friends.

The Pesners lived in San Francisco.

After their daughter Leah was born they moved down the peninsula to Mountain View to raise their family. Their son, Brian, came a few years later. Dr. Pesner opened a private practice in Los Altos in 1982 and moved in with Dr. Steve Anderson in 1987. He so enjoyed caring for his patients and the community until retirement in 2018.

Sam joined the Rotary Club of Los Altos in 1994. Over the next 24 years he was a very active member holding offices as: sergeant at arms, secretary, president of the Los Altos Rotary Endowment Fund, Los Altos Rotary AIDS Project, director of Fine Art in the Park and as Club president 2006 - 2007. He also was active in the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouts as Cubmaster for Pack 80 and assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 30.

Most importantly Sam and Lou were blessed with many lifelong friendships as a result of their active life in Mountain View and Los Altos.