San Francisco County
Biographies
CLYDE E.
HEALY
Known widely as one of the most competent and skillful civil engineers in California, Clyde E. Healy now holds the position of assistant city engineer of San Francisco, and is accredited with many local and state building projects of importance. He was born in Oakland, California, August 30, 1882, and is a son of the late Edmund and Ada (Goosage) Healy.
Mr. Healy is descended from an old Illinois family on the paternal side, members of which came to this country from England. The ancestral line is traceable to 1600, when there were Healys in Kent. The progenitor of the family in America was Calvin Healy, who came from England and settled in Massachusetts, and the grandfather of Clyde E. came to California by way of the Horn in the late ‘60s. He brought with him his family, including Edmund Healy, and first settled near Auburn. He subsequently became a miner. Edmund Healy was a pioneer oil developer and promoter, and was one of the first to operate in the Polings district during the early days of that field. He was a highly educated man, and as a youth had engaged extensively in the study of art. His death occurred January 20, 1925. His wife, Ada (Goosage) Healy, was born to her parents while they were crossing the plains to California. They settled in Sonoma county, where the father was a prominent agriculturist and extensive landowner during his life. Mrs. Healy survived her husband only two months, her death having been attributed to grief over his passing. They were the parents of four children, namely: Clyde E.; Ethel, who is the wife of W. A. Lewis of San Francisco; Myrtle, the wife of H. K. Brainerd, who is city manager of San Rafael, California; and Virginia, deceased.
After completing his studies in the public schools, Clyde E. Healy entered the University of California, from which institution he received the degree of Civil Engineer in 1906. After his graduation, his first work was locating a railroad route across the coast range between Monterey and Fresno, in which he was engaged for one year. In 1909, he became connected with the engineering department of San Francisco, first in humble capacity, but rapidly he progressed in the department, one promotion following another as his ability was demonstrated, and finally he was named as assistant engineer. He is a registered civil engineer in the state of California, and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Healy has always displayed uncommon energy, and in the years prior to his education in engineering he worked in various capacities. He was in Petaluma for a time, and was in the commission business also. His boyhood ambition was to be a doctor, but circumstances later altered this plan, which change, however, he has never had reason to regret.
In 1914, Mr. Healy was united in marriage to Miss Ruth Battles, a native of Alameda, California, and a daughter of Ward and Mary (Cherry) Battles, both of whom were old settlers of Alameda. To Mr. and Mrs. Healy there have been born four children, namely: Clyde E., Jr., Warren, Carol and Ward, the last two being twins.
Mr. Healy has given his support to the republican party, and has at all times been loyal to his duties as a citizen of San Francisco.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of San Francisco 3 Vols”, S.
J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1931. Vol. 2 Pages 164-166.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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BIOGRAPIES