Born Rudolf Hans Michaelis on July 28th, 1916 in Allenstein, Prussia (now Poland) to Dr. Willy Michaelis and his wife Marie nee Italiener. Rudy was married for 67 years to Annemarie Welder Michaels, who passed away last month. Rudy’s childhood was spent in Leipzig, Germany. In 1938, Rudy fled the Nazis and arrived in San Francisco using Michaels as his surname. His parents and three younger siblings fled separately to London. Drafted in 1940, Rudy was assigned to the 5th Armored Division after the U.S. entered World War II. In 1944, Rudy was selected for training at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. He was proud to be one of the “Ritchie Boys,” who gathered military intelligence from captured German soldiers in the European Theatre. Upon returning to San Francisco, Rudy was a distinguished law student at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1949). His son Peter was born in 1950 and his son Lawrence was born in 1952. In 1956, the family moved to Sacramento, where Rudy was a respected judge, successful attorney, and revered law professor. Rudy was a pillar of community service. Rudy also contributed tirelessly to Sacramento’s Jewish community. Judge Michaels was brilliant, generous, engaging, and above all else, devoted to his beloved Ann. He took his last breath on May 13, 2009. Rudy will be especially missed by his sons, Peter and Lawrence, his daughter-in-law, Catherine, and his granddaughter, Elisabeth. Services will be held on Friday, May 15, 2009, 12 noon, at Congregation B’nai Israel, 3600 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento. Interment will be private. For further information, or to send a message to the family, contact Mandel Funeral Services of Northern California at 866-962-6335 or www.mandelfuneralservices.com.