Thaddeus “Tad” Taube, a major figure in Bay Area real estate and philanthropy, has died at age 94. According to Taube Philanthropies, he passed away at his home in San Mateo County.
Taube was born in Poland in 1931 and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1939, just before the Nazi invasion. The family settled in California, where as a child Taube appeared as a Polish boy in the wartime film “The Greenie” (1942).
He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University before serving in the U.S. Air Force and working for semiconductor companies. He later shifted his focus to real estate.
“If you were to draw a road map of my life, it would have multiple forks,” Taube said. “I often find myself driving along several paths at the same time.”
Taube co-founded The Woodmont Companies with his Stanford roommate Benjamin Johnson. The firm became one of the largest privately owned investment real estate companies on the West Coast.
He then served as chairman and CEO of Koracorp Industries—the successor to Koret of California—leading it from 1973 until its sale to Levi Strauss & Co. in 1979.
After selling Koret of California, he created the Koret Foundation for charitable work and led it for about 25 years.
Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz said about him: “What struck me then, and has continued to stand out through two decades of watching Tad in action, is the depth of his philanthropic pursuits. Beyond his generosity of spirit, Tad actively works to make a difference. He wants to see results.”
In Poland, Taube helped found and fund the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw.
In California, he supported projects such as renovating the San Francisco Opera’s performance space and reinstalling Bay Bridge’s “Bay Lights.” He funded Stanford athletics facilities like the Taube Family Tennis Stadium and launched programs for at-risk youth with local sports teams including “Hoops for Kids” with the Golden State Warriors, “Touchdowns for Kids” with the San Francisco 49ers, and “Goals for Kids” with the San Jose Sharks.
His support also extended into health care initiatives such as funding pediatric hospital pavilions at Stanford and backing research into youth addiction, concussions, cancer, maternal health, mental health issues—and establishing collaborative neurodegenerative disease research among universities like Stanford.
Taube is survived by his wife Dianne—president of Taube Philanthropies—and their children Mark, Paula, Sean, Juddson, Travis and Zakary.
“His impact will shape the world for years to come,” Dianne said.
