San Francisco Examiner
Sunday, March 19, 2000
Section C, page 4

Death Notice

RIZNIK, Carl - Passed away at his home at Smith Ranch in San Rafael on March 7, 2000. He was 94.

Born Dec. 27, 1905 in Chernowitz, Austria (former Austro-Hungarian Empire). He arrived in San Francisco in 1907 with parents Leiser and Sara Risznik (sic) and older brother Joseph.

A graduate of Lowell High School, then to U.C. Berkeley in 1927. Carl was a source of interesting antecdotes about early days of San Francisco. Carl was instrumental in expanding the business his father started, selling notions from a basket on the street, into a family uniform business (L. Riznik and Sons) located opposite City Hall in San Francisco. He retired after more than 40 years in the business.

Riznik and his wife Matilde (Til) moved to Marin when they married in 1935, living in his parents summer home in Corte Madera. They later purchased 60 acres atop Mt. Baldy in Ross from Roger Kent where they built a home in which they entertained the members of their many groups: Marin Art & Garden Center, Ross Valley Players and the Masons. Carl often entertained friends with his renditions of jazz on the piano.

In 1976 (sic) Til died.

Carl married Margaret Tremayne McDowell of Kent Woodlands in 1977. She died in 1996.

He will be greatly missed at family gatherings where he served as the patriarch. He is survived by his nephew and wife, Barnes & Ba Riznik of Kauai, Hawaii, Margo McDowell, step-daughter, of Petaluma; and cousin Frances DeAtley of Lafayette and her three sons.

The staff at Smith Ranch said about Carl, 'The Soul and Heart still want to dance. The body will not let it.'

A memorial will be held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to Marin Art & Garden Center, PO Box 437, Ross, CA 94957, Guide Dogs to the Blind, PO Box 1200, San Rafael, CA 94915 or to the Masonic Homes Endowment Fund, 1111 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108.

Keaton's Redwood Chapel
Novato, CA