In Memoriam – W. Ronald Coale

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Former Stockton port commissioner W. Ronald Coale passed away April 17 at the age of 81.

He was born in Stockton, attended local schools, graduated from Stockton College and held a teaching certificate in the field of transportation and distribution from the University of California at Berkeley. A veteran of the Korean Conflict, he served in the United States Army from 1952-1954.

Mr. Coale helped establish and later taught transportation and distribution classes at San Joaquin Delta College. He was in charge of the California Public Utilities Commission's Stockton District Office, overseeing passenger and freight transportation matters, and later represented the California Trucking Association as its local government consultant.

He was appointed by the Stockton City Council to the Stockton Port District Board of Port Commissioners in 1991 and served in that position until March 2013, including terms as chairman in 1995 and 2000. As a port commissioner, he played an instrumental role in its acquisition of Rough and Ready Island from the U.S. Navy and the Marine Highway container-on-barge service between Stockton and Oakland.

Mr. Coale was active in the California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference, the International Association of Port Authorities and the Association of Pacific Ports. At various times, he also served as a Stockton city councilor, Stockton vice mayor, chair of the San Joaquin County Council of Governments, and as a member of the board of the Stockton Metropolitan Transit District.

W. Ronald Coale
1932-2014