John Abrahams

JOHN ABRAHAMS passed peacefully in his Windsor home with his family at his side on the morning of January 29th, 2017 at the age of 71. He will be deeply missed by his wife of 29 years, Brenda, his daughter Holly, and his son-in-law Dan. John is also survived by his large and loving extended family. John practiced law for over 30 years in Sonoma County. While he worked on California legislation, and was a law professor at Empire College, the majority of his career was spent at the Sonoma County Public Defender's Office. John served on several committees and held two distinguished board positions, most dear to his heart, the California Public Defenders Association. From 2005 to 2012, John served as the Chief Public Defender of Sonoma County, which he considered to be the greatest privilege of his career. Justice was a passion and a calling for John. He believed people should not be defined by their worst moment, and for that reason he dedicated his life to those who needed representation and compassion in our community. At times a realist bordering on curmudgeon, John lived by the saying "hope springs eternal", which was the ultimate juxtaposition and rather fitting with his perspective on criminal justice and his clients. While John's career served as both his job and his personal hobby, he found time to become an expert in many other areas of life and the world around him. A total technophile, John was always ahead of the buzz surrounding the latest gadgets, and read everything he could about computer science and Steve Jobs-a personal hero of his. Texas BBQ, Indian food and tacos were also great passions for John, and if he wasn't watching the History Channel, you could be sure The Food Network was on the TV. A great researcher, John taught himself much about the world, and even through a casual encounter, friends of John had the pleasure of learning something they didn't know. Ever humble and unassuming, John never accepted that he was a source of inspiration for his colleagues, friends and family, but he most certainly was. John left this world too soon, but his impact on the community and the good he has done in the lives of so many will never be forgotten. At his request, no service will be held. In honor of John, we are asking for donations to be made to the Innocence Project, ACLU, or Sutter Hospice of Santa Rosa.