John Pearson
John Roger Pearson passed away unexpectedly at the age of 81 in the early morning of June 3, 2023, due to complications from surgery.
John was born on August 9, 1941, to Carrie and John Pearson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the last of seven children. When he was young, his parents moved to Sacramento, where John grew up. John excelled in school. He graduated with highest honors and served as valedictorian and commencement speaker at both Hiram W. Johnson High School and Sacramento State University. He later pursued studies at the Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management at the prestigious Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
John began his professional career at Price Waterhouse & Co. He later moved to the Bank of California and became senior vice president. In his forties he co-founded Pearson, Caldwell and Farnsworth, a boutique search firm that quickly gained recognition in the industry. The firm’s excellence led to its acquisition by Korn Ferry in 1999.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, John found love and companionship at different stages of his life. At the age of 22, in 1963, he married LeeAnn Dependener, and together they had three children — John (known as Jay), Kirsten and Landon. When his first marriage ended, John found happiness again and, at age 40, married Kathleen Dowd and embraced her two children, Jay and Lindsey Dowd, as his own.
John loved to travel and to eat. Because of his work, he spent so many days at his New York office that his friend Barbara Gnoss, editor of The Ark newspaper at the time, convinced him to write restaurant reviews for the paper. He adored that part of his life.
John was an active member of the community. He served on the Belvedere Planning Commission in some form for over 30 years. Along with Dan Gale, he dedicated his time and expertise to shape the growth and development of the city.
John is preceded in death by his oldest son Jay. John will be remembered as a remarkable man whose drive, sense of humor, intelligence and kindness touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be greatly missed.