Attorney Eustace Cullinan, friend and confident of several generations of mayors, Governors and Senators and one of the last surviving links to San Francisco's most storied era, died yesterday.

Death touched the 86 year old lawyer and community leader as he slept in his apartment at 1966 Pacific Ave.

A native San Franciscan, he had practiced law here for 64 years.

Until stricken with another in a series of heart attacks a few weeks ago, Mr. Cullinan was at his Shell Building office every morning.

Latest Attack

He had seemingly recovered from the latest attack, enteretained at a small dinner party Sunday evening and planned to resume the practice of law yesterday. He was senior partner of the firm Cushing, Cullinan, Hancock and Rothert.

Mr. Cullinan was a close advisor to the Late James "Sunny Jim" Rolph during Rolph's 22 years as Mayor of San Francisco and his four years as Governor of California. He was a member of U.S. Senator Hiram Johnson's inner circle and a consultant to many another important public figure. But he never accepted a salaried job from any of them.

Mr. Cullinan began his career as a reporterwith the San Francisco Bulletin in 1895 after graduating from the University of Notre Dame.

Stayed on Staff

He received his law degree from the University of California's Hastings College of the Law in 1898 and a master's degree from the University of San Francisco (then St. Ignatius College) in 1907.

But he remained on the Bulletin staff as chief editorial writer until 1910.

Mr. Cullinan figured in many celebrated legal battles.

After the fire and earthquake of 1906, he represented a group of property owners who had been "burned out." A European company defaulted on their insurance, Mr. Cullinan went to Europe with about $300,000 in claims and returned with a full settlement on all.

Proxy Fight

Again, the early 1930's, he reprsentated the late James A. Bacigalupi in an historical Transamerica proxy fight for the Giannini side with the late Matt I. Sullivan, who had been Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court and law partner of Hiram Johnson.

Sullivan alwas an uncle of Mrs. Eustace Cullinan.

Mr. Cullinan was a devoted member of his profession. He was a member of the Committee of Bar Examiners for seven years, a co-author of the State Bar Act and a 1951 volume on Preparation for Trial of Civil Cases.

Same Table

He was a member of the Bohemian Club since 1904, served two terms as president and lunched there at the same table almost daily for 40 years.

He was the father of the late Superior Judge Eustace Cullinan Jr. and the late Matt I. Cullinan. His wife, Mrs. Katherine Lawler Cullinan, died in 1960, eight years after their celebrated their golden anniversary.

Mr. Cullinan is survived by two sons, Attorney Vincent Cullinan, a member of his father's law firm; and Gerald Cullinan, a Washington, D.C., public relations consultant, who flew here last night; and four grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted from the Carew and English mortuary tomorrow, with a Requiem High Mass in St. Brigid's Church, Van Ness Ave. and Broadway at 10 a.m.