Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Barbara Ryan
Atherton native
Funeral services will be held Friday, July 8, for Barbara L. "Honey" Ryan, who died of emphysema on June 22. She was 79.
The service will start at 11 a.m. at White Oaks Chapel, 1696 El Camino Real, San Carlos. Interment will follow at Skylawn Memorial Park, San Mateo.
Ms. Ryan was born and grew up in Atherton. A graduate of Sequoia High School in the class of 1943, she was a bookkeeper for many years. Her last position before retiring was with the San Mateo Orthopedic Medical Group Inc.
Ms. Ryan was an expert seamstress and made each of her daughters' wedding gowns. She enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and was a good cook, noted for her potato salad, say family members.
She is survived by her children, Randie Burton of St. Jo, Texas; Patsy Milton of Carson City, Nevada; Laurie Balzarini of Fremont; and Doug Ryan of Belmont. Others survivors are a sister, Elizabeth; a brother, Ken Owens; 10 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and special friend from childhood, Teresa Peterson.
Her husband, Orlan Ryan, preceded her in death.
The family prefers memorials to the American Lung Association, 2171 Junipero Serra Blvd., Suite 720, Daly City, CA 94014.
Virginia Keller
Former president of Peninsula Volunteers
Virginia Bellas Keller, a resident of Atherton from 1948 to 2003, died May 29 at Stanford Medical Center following a short illness. For the past two years she had resided in Menlo Park. She was 88.
Ms. Keller was born in Hayden, Arizona. Five years later, the family moved to Phoenix, where she grew up and attended Phoenix Junior College. In 1941 she marriage George Keller and moved to the Bay Area where, during World War II, Mr. Keller worked for the 12th Naval District and met his future business partner, Phillip Gannon. Together they founded the San Francisco consulting engineering firm, Keller and Gannon.
The Kellers moved to Lindenwood in Atherton in 1948. Ms. Keller began her lifelong association with volunteer organizations by joining the PTA, where she served as president of the Encinal School chapter. In 1953 she joined the Peninsula Volunteers and served as president in 1958. She was active in the Peninsula Volunteers until her death, serving on the boards of Little House and Rosener House. She was given honorary life membership in the PVs and belonged to the Golden Circle of members with more than 50 years of service. She and her husband, George, will be remembered for their participation in the PV tent shows of the 1950s, say family members.
Ms. Keller was interested in gardening and flower arranging, and helped found the Atherton Garden Guild as well as the Atherton Dames. She was a longtime member of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and the Palo Alto Auxiliary to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. For devotion to her community, Ms. Keller received a 1997 Good Neighbor Award and a 1998 Gentry Magazine Community Stars Award.
Ms. Keller loved to travel, and made many trips throughout North America, the Pacific Islands, Europe, Africa and Asia, say family members. The Kellers' favorite destination was Mexico.
She is survived by her daughters, Susan Keller of Menlo Park and Candy Keller of Walnut Creek. Her husband, George, preceded her in death in 1986.
Private Interment took place at Alta Mesa Memorial Park. A reception to celebrate her life will take place later this summer. The family prefers donations to the Peninsula Volunteers Inc., 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025; Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation, 150 Watkins Ave., Atherton, CA 94027; or a favorite charity.
Rosaria A. Furneri
Longtime Atherton resident
A funeral Mass for Rosaria A. Furneri is set for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, at St. Raymond Catholic Church, 1100 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park, followed by entombment at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma.
Ms. Furneri died in Atherton on June 3 at the age 92.
She was born in Philadelphia and raised in Sicily, and had resided in the Atherton area for 60 years. She was a member of the Italian Catholic Federation. Family members remember her as strong-spirited, generous and warmhearted.
She was preceded in death by Luigi Furneri, her husband of 53 years. Ms. Furneri is survived by her children Niki Mustart and Connie Hayes; four grandsons; and five great-grandchildren.
A vigil service is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at the John O'Connor Menlo Colonial Chapel, 657 Oak Grove Ave. in Menlo Park. The family prefers that memorial donations be made to an orphanage of the donor's choice.
Former Woodside fire chief dies
Arthur James Kitto, former chief of the Woodside Fire Protection District, died August 15 in Redwood City. He was 66.
Chief Kitto was born in San Francisco, and his firefighting career began in 1960 when he served in the U.S. Navy, first at the Alameda Naval Air Station and then at the Treasure Island Naval Station in 1961.
In 1962, he joined the Redwood City Fire Department as a firefighter, and in 1966 was promoted to engine company captain.
In 1976, he joined the Woodside fire district as fire marshal, and in 1979 was promoted to deputy chief. He served as Woodside's fire chief from his appointment in 1983 until his retirement in 1992.
Thanks to his money-management skills, the Woodside fire district went from having to borrow money to meet payroll in 1983 to having nearly $3 million in reserves when he retired nine years later, colleagues said.
Woodside Fire Chief Mike Fuge praised Chief Kitto's skills in firefighting tactics and strategy, and credited him with developing the department's training program.
He is remembered as an avid 49ers fan who loved to go camping and fishing with his family, going on annual cruises with his wife and collecting guns of all types. He was known for his famous spaghetti recipe and for his pride in being an American.
He is survived by DeAnne, his wife of 46 years; his children Ardith Kitto-Gutierrez of Half Moon Bay and Connie Kitto of Redwood City; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Dori E. Kitto and his son Arthur Kitto Jr.
Services were held at the Redwood Chapel in Redwood City.
Georgene Doutre Jones
Singer and teacher
Georgene Doutre Jones, a longtime resident of Menlo Park and a special education teacher at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, died July 13 at age 79. She had been fighting diabetes for years, family members said.
Ms. Jones was born in Logan, Utah, in 1925, and began singing at a young age. When she was 12, she started performing in churches, concerts, and musicals throughout Utah, and at age 15, appeared as a guest soloist with the Los Angeles orchestra, relatives said.
After graduating from Utah State University in 1947 as a music major, Ms. Jones studied at Boston University and at the Juilliard School in New York City. She also sang with New York's Metropolitan Opera, relatives said.
In 1950, she marriage Fay Fuhriman Jones and moved to Palo Alto, where Mr. Jones was working toward a master's degree in business at Stanford University. In the 1960s, the couple built a home in Menlo Park.
Besides raising four children, Ms. Jones gave voice lessons in Menlo Park and Palo Alto, and continued performing. She sang in churches of all denominations, and in events and charity functions in California, Nevada, and Utah, relatives said.
After her children left for college, Ms. Jones taught students with learning disabilities at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton for 20 years.
She is survived by Fay Jones, her husband of 55 years, who still lives in the home they built in Menlo Park; sons Richard Doutre Jones of San Diego, Stanton Doutre Jones of Park City, Utah, and Marshall Doutre Jones of Coto De Caza, California; daughter Cynthia Jones Callahan of Seattle; sister Edith Doutre Snapp of Escondido, California; brother David Lamar Doutre of Salt Lake City; 14 grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
Services were held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Menlo Park. Interment was held at the Logan Cemetery in Logan, Utah.
Emile P. 'Frenchy' Pommes
World War II veteran, service station owner
A funeral Mass will be held Thursday, July 28, in Menlo Park for Emile P. "Frenchy" Pommes, who died July 24 at age 90.
The Mass will begin at 11 a.m. at the Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave.
Born in San Francisco on July 19, 1914, Mr. Pommes moved to Menlo Park when he was 10 years old, family members said.
In 1933, he graduated from Sequoia High School, where he played baseball and was the captain of the basketball team.
Mr. Pommes marriage high school classmate Irene Ventura in 1939.
Prior to World War II, Mr. Pommes opened a service station on the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue and El Camino Real in Menlo Park, and after the war, he owned a Phillips 66 station on the corner of Oak Grove and El Camino Real in Menlo Park. He retired in 1975.
Mr. Pommes was a Little League baseball coach and a member of the Church of Nativity and the Thursday Group. He also was active in the Peninsula Volunteers. He loved music, dancing, and traveling to Reno with his wife, family members said.
He is survived by a son, Rod of Menlo Park, and a grandson. He was preceded in death by his wife, Irene.
Following the services, Burial will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery, 1100 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. Additionally, a rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, also at the Church of Nativity.
The family prefers donations to the Nativity School Endowment Fund, 1250 Laurel Ave., Menlo Park 94025; or the VA Hospice Care Center, Building 100, Ward 2C, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Ave., Palo Alto 94304-1290.
Arrangements are being handled by the Menlo Park Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries in Menlo Park.
James E. Case
Geophysicist with USGS
Private services were held for James E. Case, former Menlo Park resident, professor and scientific researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey.
Mr. Case, 72, died after a heart attack May 22 in Las Vegas, where he had been living. He lived in Menlo Park from 1978 to 1992.
In 1956, Mr. Case joined the USGS, where he was recognized for his scientific contributions in geophysics in several regions. He made geophysical appraisals in the western United States.
He was the first to map the geological tectonic plates of the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands, said his family. He also did work in the geophysical expressions of the Canadian Shield, areas of Alaska, and the country of Colombia, in which he specialized.
After Mr. Case received his doctoral degree in geophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, he was a professor at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas; Texas A &M University at College Station; and the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Mr. Case is survived by his wife, Irma Isaza Case of Menlo Park; children, Catherine Liles of College Station, Texas, James Case Jr. of Sitka, Alaska, Marianne Jost of Lufkin, Texas, Stephanie Case of Pasadena, and Melanie Case of San Francisco; six grandsons; and a granddaughter. His brother, George Case of Charleston, Oregon, also survives him.
The family welcomes contributions to a scholarship fund to be established in the name of James E. Case through Florida International University, to which he donated his professional library.
Eileen B. Skrabo
Portola Valley homemaker
Eileen B. Skrabo, a longtime resident of Portola Valley, died peacefully at her home on Sunday, July 17, at the age of 92. A memorial service for Ms. Skrabo will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 29, at the Church of the Nativity at 210 Oak Grove Ave. in Menlo Park.
Ms. Skrabo will be remembered for her family traditions and gatherings throughout her life. For 60 years, she was marriage to John C. Skrabo, who died in 1996 and whose family was among the very early residents of Portola Valley. Ms. Skrabo's daughter Donna Gaetano died last year.
Ms. Skrabo is survived by sons Jack of Palo Cedro, Mark of Davis and Paul of Portola Valley; and 13 grandchildren, including Nicole Gaetano Hughes, Nino Gaetano and Carter Hughes of Menlo Park and Paige and Linsey Skrabo of Portola Valley.
Arrangements are by Spangler Mortuaries of Menlo Park.
The family prefers donations in Ms. Skrabo's name to: Students Rising Above, in care of the Peninsula Community Foundation, 1700 South El Camino Real, Suite 300, San Mateo, CA 94402.
David Gordon Sjostrom
Vice president, Dole Food Co.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, July 28, at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, for David Gordon Sjostrom, former vice president of sales for the Dole Food Co. and longtime resident of Menlo Park, who died peacefully in his sleep July 20. He was 73.
The service will begin at 2 p.m. at the church, located at 950 Santa Cruz Ave. in downtown Menlo Park.
A native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Mr. Sjostrom was an 1955 ROTC graduate of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He served as a second lieutenant and captain in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked as a management analysis officer until 1958.
That year he began his business career in packaged goods, distribution, and management with the Procter & Gamble Co.
In 1960 he joined Lehn & Fink as a grocery products sales manager, and in 1964 he joined the Dole Processed Pineapple Co., then a division of Castle & Cooke Inc., as a district manager. He was promoted to regional sales manager, rose to national sales promotion manager, and in 1972, was named vice president of sales, a position he held until 1992. He remained with Dole as an industry consultant until 1996, when he became a partner in an import/export firm where he worked until his death.
An avid golfer, Mr. Sjostrom was a member of the San Francisco Advertising Golf Association and its president in 1995. He also was a board member of the Northern California Golf Association. Serving as president of the Sales & Marketing Executives Association of the Bay Area for many years, he was also on the board of the Grocery Manufacturers Association of San Francisco.
Family members say he never missed a Little League game with his two young grandsons, Tyler and Will. He was also a longtime supporter of the Boy Scouts of America.
Survivors include his son, Doug Sjostrom of San Carlos; daughter Lesli Sjostrom of San Francisco; and sisters, Jane Sjostrom Wyman of Sterling, Virginia, and Nancy Sjostrom Williams of Richmond, Virginia.
The family prefers donations in his memory to the Peninsula Humane Society (peninsulahumanesociety.org) or Boy Scouts of America.
Lucy Jean 'Jeannie' Styles
Retired teacher
A memorial service for Lucy Jean "Jeannie" Styles, a retired teacher who worked for 24 years in the Palo Alto Unified School District, is set for 1 p.m. on Friday, July 29, at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, 950 Santa Cruz Ave.
Ms. Styles died July 20 in Menlo Park following a long battle with lymphoma. She was 71.
Born in Detroit, she graduated with an education degree from the University of Tennessee, then taught in Tennessee, Arizona and Massachusetts before moving to California to teach kindergarten and first grade at De Anza Elementary School in Palo Alto. She retired, but later was a substitute teacher and won the Palo Alto Unified School District's Outstanding Substitute of the Year award for 1998-99.
She followed her husband's career to Kansas City and Far Hills, New Jersey, before returning to California. She lived in Menlo Park from 1995 to 1999, family members said.
She is survived by her husband, Robert Styles; her children, Robert Styles Jr. of Redwood City, Cathy Powers of Los Altos, Debby deOlivera of Redwood City and Chrissy Heinz of San Ramon; her sister, Gerry Gilchrist; and 11 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son, Gregory Carl.
The family prefers memorial donations to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, P.O. Box 96024, Washington, DC 20090-6024; or to the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.
Funeral arrangements were by Spangler Mortuaries.
Denise Lynch
Community volunteer
Denise Lynch, co-creator of the "You, Me and Us" program that brought together able and disabled children in social, play, and school situations, died September 22 at age 65.
Most recently, Ms. Lynch lived in Menlo Park. She and her husband, the late John "Jack" Lynch, had resided in Atherton since 1968.
Ms. Lynch was born in Chicago and graduated from the University of Southern California. She was a credentialed elementary school teacher and did graduate work in recreational therapy at San Jose State University.
In addition to the "You, Me and Us" program, Ms. Lynch co-authored a musical production script dealing with the same issues. She was a member of Peninsula Volunteers and a volunteer at the Children's Hospital at Stanford. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and the Menlo Circus Club.
Ms. Lynch is survived by her sons, John Lynch of San Diego and Devin Lynch of Pleasanton; brother Michael Lackner of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania; sisters Patsy Pantelis Hastey of Lake Forest, Illinois, and Joanne O'Donohue Pasotti of Menlo Park; and a granddaughter.
Her husband, John "Jack" Lynch, died in 1991.
A memorial Mass was held October 1 at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements were under the direction of Menlo Park Colonial Chapel.
John Benetti
Food markets owner
John Urbano Benetti of Atherton, owner and developer of the Brentwood and Pak 'N' Save food markets of Northern California and Florida, died September 24 at age 89.
An avid hunter and golfer, Mr. Benetti was a member of Ducks Unlimited and Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Eleanor Benetti; daughter Joanne Lujan; son John J. Benetti; sister Giorgina Michelotti; brother Frederick Benetti; and three grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, 1710 Gilbreth Road, Suite 100, Burlingame, CA 94010-1311.
Arrangements were under the direction of Crippen & Flynn Woodside Chapel, Redwood City.
William Brock
Restaurateur
William "Bill" Brock of Menlo Park, former head chef and, later, a lead carver at Harry's Hofbrau in Redwood City, died September 23 at age 88.
As recently as November 2004, Mr. Brock was working at Harry's, where he greeted thousands of longtime customers.
Mr. Brock was a veteran of the Army Air Corps in World War II. He worked for more than 50 years in the restaurant business.
Mr. Brock is survived by his wife of 58 years, Verlene; sisters Lena Naulty and Edith Roman; brothers John Bracaliello and Joe Bracaliello; twin sons Greg and Ralph Brock; daughters Shirley Petersmeyer and Donna Schwartz; seven grandchildren; and three-great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Kaiser Hospice, Redwood City. Arrangements were under the direction of Redwood Chapel, Redwood City.
