Michael Knox Bosworth
Obituary

“Missions accomplished!” Those were among the final words of Michael Knox Bosworth, 79, who passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on August 13, 2026. Mike lived a life characterized by curiosity, adventure, and a deep interest in the world and the people around him.

Mike was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 16, 1947, the oldest of Otis William Bosworth and Clara Louise (Knox) Bosworth’s four children. Mike spent most of his childhood in Houston, where he was an avid swimmer, and lived for a year in Bogotá, Colombia. After graduating from Jesse H. Jones High School, he attended college at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He took enough breaks from playing bridge to earn his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 1970. He then took a position with Universal Oil Products Company in Chicago. While working as a chemical engineer by day, he attended law school by night, earning his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago in 1977. Mike then made his way to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lived on a houseboat in Sausalito's Yellow Ferry Harbor before becoming a father to Alysia and Daniel and reluctantly moving to solid ground. He practiced as an intellectual property attorney specializing in patents and trademarks, first as counsel at Chevron Corporation and later as a partner at several law firms and co-founder of IPxLaw Group LLP. Over the course of his career, he filed over 1,000 trademark applications, represented several wineries in protecting their trademark portfolios (and sometimes sampled their wine, too), and helped inventors to patent new technologies.

Mike was passionate about whitewater rafting. He owned a raft, and every summer for decades, he would take family, friends, family of friends, and friends of family (basically anyone who could hold a paddle and agreed to sign a waiver) on whitewater trips down the South Fork of the American River. On river trips, he loved instigating water gun fights and enjoying a Skor bar and an ice-cold Pepsi for fuel between rapids.

A nature enthusiast, Mike especially loved sailing, hiking, and camping. He escaped to Yosemite whenever he could, where he scaled Half Dome many times. He also loved growing and eating fresh fruit and was a member of the California Rare Fruit Growers. Though he loved all fruit, his favorites were apricots and peaches picked at the peak of ripeness. Mike was an award-winning ice cream maker, once helping his family sweep the ribbons in the ice-cream-making competition at the Marin County Fair.

Mike also loved spending time with family and friends (especially his longtime best friend Jade Jones), reading (particularly science fiction and the local paper), learning new things, helping others, engaging in intellectual discussions (don’t call it arguing), talking about consciousness, and hunting for bargains at garage sales and flea markets. Monday nights were reserved for listening to bluegrass music on his favorite radio station, KKUP. Mike never turned down an opportunity to travel, most of all to national parks and anywhere he could explore a cave.

Mike will be remembered as a loving and patient father, brother, uncle, and friend whose smile came easily and often and who was always willing to share his knowledge or embark on an adventure.

In addition to his children, he is survived by his siblings, Miki Karg, Mark Bosworth, and Marty Jopling; and many nieces, nephews, and other extended family members. In keeping with his wishes, no formal service will be held, but please consider going whitewater rafting or eating a peach in his honor.