Peter McCrea Obituary

Peter McCrea passed away peacefully on June 18, 2025 with his wife at his side after a long and fulfilling life. He was a curious and lifelong world traveler, a gentlemanly and welcoming host with his warm smile, a great amateur chef, a committed community volunteer, and his love of the Napa Valley remained with him throughout his life. He was born in San Francisco on November 4, 1939 to Eleanor Wheeler and Frederick Hoyt McCrea, attended Miss Burkes kindergarten, Madison Primary, Roosevelt Middle School, and Lick-Wilmerding High School. He then went on to Dartmouth College where he studied civil engineering and was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity.

Starting his career, he flew off to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where he spent the next three years with ARAMCO, the Arabian American Oil Company. In 1964 he came home briefly to marry his sweetheart, Willinda McClung. They spent an adventuresome year together in Dhahran exploring the desert sands of the Eastern Province and the Persian Gulf, and then moved to The Hague, Netherlands for three years where their two children, Frederick and Sarah were born.

In 1969 Peter and family moved home to San Francisco. He joined the Chevron Corporation where he would work for the next 32 years, retiring finally in 2001. During those years Peter became a vice president at Chevron USA Products Company, was a member of the Chevron Corporation Management Committee and served on the board of CALTEX. In these roles he traveled frequently across the Pacific to India, Singapore and Australia.

In addition to Peter's business work, he showed a strong commitment to San Francisco community life serving on the board of the Planning Association of the Richmond and was a longtime member and past president of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, to which Mayor George Moscone appointed him in 1976. In addition, he was a trustee and past president of the Lick-Wilmerding High School board of trustees and as a classical music lover, he served on the board of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. He was a longtime member of the Bohemian Club and his beloved Medicine Lodge Camp where he served as captain, along with the Pacific-Union Club where he enjoyed the the company of his many friends.

In 1991 when his mother, Eleanor McCrea died, he inherited Stony Hill Vineyard in St. Helena, CA, which his parents had founded in the 1940s as one of the earliest new vineyards and wineries during the rebirth of the Napa Valley wine industry. After retiring from Chevron in 2001, Peter took an active role in running the vineyard and in the life of the Napa Valley community, serving on the boards of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, Music in the Vineyards, the St. Helena Star Editorial Board, and the Board of CommuniCare+OLE, the non-profit medical program for the underserved in Napa County. And in his free time, he volunteered with the Master Gardeners and became a fine amateur chef along with his devoted culinary friends, the Men Who Cook!

Peter is survived by his wife, Willinda, his son Frederick (Courtney), grandchildren, Harris and Quinn, daughter Sarah (Read Moore) grandchildren George, Carl and Jessica.

Peter's was a life well lived, always there with love and support for his family, his friends, and for the well-being of his communities. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Peter's memory to CommuniCare+OLE, 1141 Pear Tree Lane, Napa, CA 94558.

Peter McCrea