Horse owner, entrepreneur Pascoe passes

June Casagrande

Entrepreneur and horse-racing association founder William T. Pascoe

III died Wednesday at his Newport Beach home at the age of 87.

The founder of Pascoe Metal Building and eventual chairman of

parent company American Cement, Pascoe was also a decorated soldier,

an accomplished pilot and sailor and a noted breeder and trainer of

thoroughbred horses. He helped found the Oaktree Racing Assn. and

served as president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Assn.

Pascoe was born in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., on June 23, 1916. After

graduating from Roosevelt High School in St. Louis, Mo., Pascoe

worked for a year at the Ralston Purina Co. to earn money for

college. He studied engineering at the University of Illinois at

Urbana, where he also became president of his fraternity, Sigma Phi

Epsilon.

He moved to California in 1940 to work at the Long Beach Shipyard

designing ships. When World Word II broke out, Pascoe, a reserve

officer, joined the army and spent 5 1/2 years in the South Pacific,

earning the Bronze Star.

In 1948, he founded metals firm Pascoe Metal Building in Pomona.

The company was purchased in 1967 by American Cement, which Pascoe

eventually took over, steering the company out of financial crisis

and overseeing the company’s renaming to Amcord.

In 1970, he moved to Linda Isle, where he continued to pursue his

lifelong interests in sailing and airplanes.

Pascoe was a pilot of twin-engine and jet airplanes, as well as

helicopters. A self-taught sailor, he was member of the Newport

Harbor Yacht Club. His racing wins include the St. Francis Big Boat

Series in San Francisco, the Southern Ocean Racing Circuit in Florida

and the Los Angeles Whitney series. In 1972, he married Sally. The

couple moved to Cameo Shores in 1984.

A longtime horse-racing expert, Pascoe housed about 750 horses at

a time at his farm in Murietta. He served as member of the board of

directors of Hollywood Park and Bay Meadows and was one of the

founders of the Oaktree Racing Assn. and a president of the

California Thoroughbred Breeders Assn.

“He had such an incredible life, he didn’t miss anything,” his

wife said. “One day, he said, ‘The one thing I haven’t done yet is go

to the moon.’ And his friend said, ‘Don’t worry, Bill. You’ll pass it

on your way to heaven.’”

He is survived by his wife, Sally; sons Bill, Michael and Marc;

daughter-in-law Dana; grandson Willy; granddaughter Sofia; niece

Connor Limont; and unofficial adopted daughter Lani Cordero.

Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday at Pacific View Memorial

Park & Mortuary in Newport Beach.