Rodney James (RJ) Pimentel was taken too early from us on May 28, 2023 at 25 years old.

RJ’s kind, positive nature, his ability to bring people together, his amazing smile, and his sense of adventure touched all who knew him. The joy he took in the moment was infectious and has helped many of us gain a greater appreciation for what the world has to offer.

“This is the best day ever” or “this is the greatest day of my life,” he would often say during various childhood adventures, which gave those with him a brighter outlook.

Although RJ was taken from us too soon, he lived his life to the fullest while pursuing his many interests. He was a skilled sailor, an incredible golfer, a world traveler, a video game aficionado, and an avid concert-goer. RJ was always on the move, planning new adventures, events, and trips with his friends.

RJ continued his family’s sailing legacy as a member of the Encinal Yacht Club. He skippered the family’s Cal 28, “Osituki”, on many sailing outings and races. He loved taking friends out to Angel Island, exploring the bay area and teaching them how to sail.

RJ was born in New Zealand on Feb 5, 1998 while his parents, Jane and Rodney Pimentel, were sailing in the South Pacific. His mom, Jane, likes to say, “He was born in the land of the Kiwi under the sign of Aquarius in the year of the Tiger.”

RJ grew up in Alameda, CA and attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School where he excelled as a member of the golf team and band for four years.

He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Computer Science and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. While at UC Berkeley RJ taught computer programming and IOS development as a student instructor in DeCal program.

After graduating from UC Berkeley, RJ worked for Apple Computer as a software engineer. While at Apple, RJ worked in the retail group and developed a feature to connect and personalize Apple customers to use their iPhone to instantly pass checkout information to retail employees while shopping. Teammates said, “it transformed our perception of future customer experiences at Apple Stores. His unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence drove us to new heights.” Everyone agrees that RJ had prolific expertise in Apple’s shopping experience, both personally and professionally.

RJ is survived by his mother, Jane; father, Rodney; and brother, Leo. Uncles Jim, Tim, Den, Rich, Gary, aunties Cora, Jean, cousins Nick, Emily, Jennifer, Joey, Hannah, Jack, Milo, Sasha plus Grandma and Grandpa, and girlfriend Alex. The family greatly appreciates the amazing support from our community of friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Encinal Sailing Foundation or the Alameda Food Bank.

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