Rodney Guilfoil Obituary

Of Carmel, a descendant of the California pioneer Carrillo, de la Guerra and Oreña families, died February 9, 2013 after a brief illness. He was 93. His wife of almost 60 years, Betty, pre deceased him February 7 last year.

Born in Boston, Guilfoil grew up and lived the greater part of his life in San Francisco. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1941 and then went to work for the San Francisco News. In 1943 he joined United Press, later United Press international, where he remained for 30 years.

During his news career Guilfoil covered many stories, among them the founding of the United Nations in 1945 and many of its commemorative sessions, national political conventions, and several extensive interviews with John F. Kennedy. He was Pacific Division broadcast editor when he retired from UPI in 1972.

He married Betty Jacobsen Guilfoil in 1953. They had no children.

The Guilfoils moved to Carmel after retiring from UPI, where he entered the real estate business. Affiliating with The Mitchell Group in 1979, he served as vice president and a director of the Carmel Association of Realtors, and as a director of the California Association of Realtors. In 1990 the Carmel Board named him Realtor of the Year.

Guilfoil served on the boards of the Historic Garden League, Monterey Museum of Art, Friends of La Mirada, Friends of Hospice, and the Family Service Agency of the Monterey Peninsula, as well as the Florence Crittenton Home in San Francisco. He was active in the Society of California Pioneers and the Old Capital Club in Monterey. He was involved in the affairs of Carmel Valley Manor where he resided at the time of his death.

He leaves a sister, Maria Teresa Siebert of Carmichael, a brother, Thomas of Olympia, Washington, and nine nephews and nieces. There will be no funeral services.