Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Mary E. Brumm
Longtime Menlo Park resident
Mary E. Brumm, who with husband moved to Menlo Park 43 years ago, died March 5 in her Menlo Park home after a brief illness.
Mrs. Brumm had worked as a medical technician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she met her husband, Dr. Harold J. Brum. They lived in St. Joseph, Missouri, before moving to Menlo Park in 1955. She enjoyed traveling and golfing, said family members, and she belonged to the Stanford University Golf Course Women's 9-hole group.
Born in Ogden, Utah, in 1911, she spent her youth in Wisconsin where she attended Ripon College and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in mathematics.
She is survived by her five children: Harold Jr. of Arlington, Virginia; Stephen of Missouri City, Texas; Nancy Walsh of Olympia, Washington; Richard of Aptos; Daniel of Pleasanton; and 10 grandchildren. Her husband died in 1997.
Donations in Mrs. Brumm's memory may be made to a local hospice.
Funeral arrangements in St. Joseph, Missouri, were made by John D. O'Connor's Menlo Colonia Chapel.
Maurice DeLano Fuller Jr.
Attorney, school board member
Maurice DeLano (Del) Fuller, a resident of Menlo Park and Atherton for 46 years, died of mesothelioma (respiratory cancer caused by asbestos exposure) on May 22 at his Atherton home. He was 68.
There will be a gathering of friends from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 13, at the family home.
A native of San Francisco, Mr. Fuller was president of his senior class at Lowell High School. He was a graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Law School. A member of Delta Upsilon and Phi Beta Kappa, he was editor-in-chief of the Stanford Law Review and graduated first in his class from law school.
In 1950 and 1951, he served as an aviation electronic technician with the Naval Air Reserve Squadron.
Mr. Fuller joined Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro law firm in San Francisco in 1956 and became a partner of the firm in 1964. During his 37 years of practice, he counseled clients, from international corporations to local businesses.
In the 1980s he founded the first Silicon Valley branch of Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro in San Jose, now located in Palo Alto.
He received many honors and served in various committee positions during his career. He was a member and officer in the Bohemian Club.
Mr. Fuller served as a trustee for the Menlo Park City Elementary School District in the 1980s.
He had many interests including photography, travel, music, his garden and stamp collecting, family members said.
Survivors include his wife of over 45 years, Martha Hewitt Fuller of Atherton; three children, Gwen Fuller of Menlo Park, Katie Fuller Chen of Carlsbad, and Dan Fuller of Santa Barbara; four grandchildren; a sister, Elizabeth Collins of Athens, Ohio; and two brothers, Charles Fuller of Hillsborough and Richard Fuller of Berkeley.
Contributions in Mr. Fuller's memory may be made to: University of California at San Francisco Foundation, c/o Dr. Michael Stulbarg, Pulmonary Division, University of California at San Francisco, CA, 94143-0111; or Thoracic Oncology Fund for Mesothelioma Research, c/o Dr. David Jablons, 2330 Post Street, Suite 420, San Francisco, CA 94115.
Esther M. Wildman
Dibble Hospital volunteer
Memorial services will be held on Friday, June 7, for Esther M. Wildman, who died May 21. She was 93.
Born in Searsmont, Maine, Mrs. Wildman served as a volunteer at Dibble Memorial Hospital in Menlo Park during World War II. After the war she served 35 years as an aide in the Sequoia Hospital Auxiliary.
She is survived by her sons Glenn A. Wildman II of San Jose and Russell Letson of Albany, Oregon; her stepsons Jack Savage Wildman and Francis Marion Wildman III of Prescott, Arizona; and granddaughter Nancy F. Smith of Hollister. Her husband Glenn A. Wildman preceded her in death.
Services will be held June 7 at Menlo Presbyterian Church, 950 Santa Cruz Ave., at 11 a.m. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Glenn A. Wildman Scholarship Fund, University of Arizona, Scholarship Development, Tucson, AZ, 85721; or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Ralph A. Hutchinson
Church sexton
Memorial services will be held Tuesday, June 1, for Ralph A. Hutchinson of Menlo Park, who died May 25. He was 81.
A longtime AA counselor, Mr. Hutchinson served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was for many years a sexton at St. Raymond's Church in Menlo Park.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Hutchinson of Menlo Park; a sister in Florida, a brother in Rhode Island; and a half-brother in New Jersey.
The memorial Mass will be celebrated June 1 at 6 p.m. at St. Raymond's Church, 1100 Santa Cruz Ave.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1720 S. Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo, CA; or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Father Christopher Hites, Woodside Priory School co-founder
The Rev. Christopher Hites, a co-founder of Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, died at St. Martin's Abbey in Pannonhalma, Hungary, on May 26. He was buried
there June 1.
His death was a result of complications following a bad fall. He was 85.
A memorial Mass for Father Christopher, a Catholic priest and Benedictine monk, will be held on Tuesday, June 8, at 7 p.m. in the chapel of the Woodside Priory School, 302 Portola Road, Portola Valley. A reception will follow in the Father Christopher Room.
Father Christopher left Hungary shortly after World War II to escape the growing Communist repression in Eastern Europe. Like the other six young priests who co-founded Woodside Priory School 41 years ago, Father Christopher was known for his European academic standards and his belief in the American free spirit.
He was headmaster at Woodside Priory School from 1960 until 1975, and had a strong influence on establishing the academic character of the Benedictine college preparatory school.
"His expertise in curriculum development was invaluable in preparing our fledgling school for its first accreditation," recalled Father Pius Horvath, who came to the campus in 1960. "His energy at times seemed inexhaustible."
Father Christopher studied philosophy, theology and philology at colleges and universities in Prague, Budapest, Bratislava, and at Cornell University. He taught at several high schools in Europe and the United States.
Besides his academic and spiritual interests, Father Christopher was a sports enthusiast. He helped introduce the European sport of soccer to the Bay Area. He and several students built the school's first soccer field, providing the labor for removing rocks, grading the land, and planting and maintaining the grass. With no local high school leagues, the first Priory teams initially played against Stanford freshmen and newly formed college soccer teams.
Father Christopher was the unofficial pastor for the Bay Area Hungarian Catholic community for many years. Many gathered at Woodside Priory chapel to hear Sunday Mass in their native language, a tradition that continues at Woodside Priory under the guidance of Father Maurus Nemeth.
Father Christopher remained active in ethnic Hungarian affairs in both the free world and behind the Iron Curtain. His rich knowledge of languages and his passion for reading and writing made him an expert in international political issues, said Father Pius.
After the end of the communist regime in Hungary, Father Christopher helped establish a new Hungarian Catholic University in Budapest. A friend and benefactor to many people, he was actively involved with many local parishes before his retirement.
As his eyesight and health began to fail, Father Christopher found joy and relaxation in his small garden. In 1994, he returned to St. Martin's, the monastery he had entered in 1934. He was a role model, informal English teacher and spiritual adviser to the younger generation of monks until the last days of his life, those who knew him said.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Father Christopher Scholarship Fund at the school. Call Pat Reed at 851-6139 for more information.
Warren W. Weeks, former Stanford Medical Center designer
Warren William Weeks of Woodside, who played a role in designing the neonatal care unit at Stanford Medical Center, died May 29 after a brief illness. He was 54.
Born in Santa Cruz and raised in Portola Valley, Mr. Weeks graduated from Woodside High School as a member of the "First All Woodside Class." He graduated from the California Maritime Academy and spent 18 months in Vietnam as a merchant marine.
From 1970 to 1983 Mr. Weeks worked in various capacities at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, Stanford University and at Stanford Medical Center. For the university, he designed an underground chilled-water storage system.
In 1983 the family moved to Arizona, where Mr. Weeks worked as assistant director of facilities for the University of Arizona. After seven years the family returned to Woodside.
For the past five years, Mr. Weeks served as the chief of operations and maintenance at the San Jose Convention and Cultural Center.
He was a member of the Pebble Beach chapter of the Native Sons of the Golden West. He was a supporter of youth organizations, including the future Farmers of America, the Safari Cub program of the Boy Scouts of America, and youth programs at Elkus Ranch.
He is survived by his wife, Henrietta, and son, Brian Weeks, both of Woodside; his father, Gene Weeks of Portola Valley; and his sister, Diane Long of San Diego.
A memorial service was held June 5 at Our Lady of Refuge Church in La Honda.
Irmgard Peterson, seamstress
A "Celebration of Life" service will be held for Woodside resident Irmgard C. Peterson on Monday, June 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Michael's Restaurant near Shoreline Park in Mountain View. Ms. Peterson died May 3. She was 58 years old.
The Almanac originally ran a notice saying the service would be held in Sunnyvale. We regret the error.
Ruth M. O'Neil, homemaker
Ruth M. O'Neil, a self-employed homemaker, died at Stanford Hospital May 23. She was 82.
A native of San Francisco, Mrs. O'Neil was a veteran of World War II and an alumnus of Lowell High School in San Francisco.
She is survived by her son, William C. O'Neil of Menlo Park, granddaughter Megan O'Neil of Redwood City, and cousins Beverly and Jim Jordan of Vallejo.
Services have been held under the direction of Spangler Mortuaries in Menlo Park.
Frances Bohley, director with SRI
Frances Evangeline O'Grady Bohley, who worked for Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park for 25 years, died May 21 in Mountain View. She was 85.
Mrs. Bohley was born in Fort Kent, Maine. In 1939 she marriage Martin Bohley, a Naval architect, and traveled to what was then the Territory of Hawaii. During the war, she and her husband relocated in San Mateo, then to Palo Alto. Mr. Bohley died in 1947.
Mrs. Bohley worked for the law firm of Crist and Stafford, then for the U.S. Navy at Moffett Field Naval Air Station until 1954.
She was employed at Stanford Research Institute as director of the "international secretariat" until her retirement in 1979. In her job, she organized hundreds of high-level business conferences, traveling to over 25 countries.
Mrs. Bohley is survived by her sons, Peter R. Bohley of Palo Alto, a former mayor of Woodside; Carl M. Bohley of Cupertino; sisters, Geneva Sawyer and Marie Daigle of Mountain View, and Kathleen Bouchard of Bangor, Maine; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held June 3 at St. Cyprian's Catholic Church, Sunnyvale. Interment was at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto.
Catherine Leblanc, retired office manager
Catherine E. Leblanc, who was born at home in Menlo Park and lived her entire life in the city, died May 30 at the age of 64. Services were held June 5 at St. Denis Catholic Church, of which Mrs. Leblanc was a member.
Mrs. Leblanc was office manager for Bay Advanced Techonology, formerly Bay Pneummatic, in Menlo Park for 15 years, before retiring two years ago. Her greatest interest was her grandchildren, according to her daughter, Rory Erickson.
She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Emile (Chuck) Leblanc; daughters Denise Leblanc of Menlo Park, Rory Erickson of San Jose, and Suzy McNay of Elk Grove; brothers John Patterson of Menlo Park and Edward Patterson of Modesto; a sister, Barbara Hardie of Cotati; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Hospice Department of Kaiser Hospital, 1150 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City 94063; or The American Cancer Society, San Mateo County Unit, 1720 S. Amphlett Boulevard, San Mateo.
Margaret Tice, Menlo Park resident
Private family services were held for Margaret D. Tice, who died May 29 in Menlo Park. She was 87.
A resident of Menlo Park for 23 years and a homemaker, Mrs. Tice was a native of Omaha, Nebraska.
She is survived by her daughter, Mary M. Tice of Menlo Park. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles J. Tice.
Donations in her memory may be made to the American Heart Association, San Mateo County, 1710 Gilbreth Road, Burlingame, or The Peninsula Humane Society, 12 Airport Blvd., San Mateo.
Phil H. Reilly Jr.
Dance instructor
Phil H. Reilly Jr. of Menlo Park, who with his wife Polly taught ballroom dancing locally for 40 years, died May 17. He was 85.
Mr. Reilly and his wife taught dance classes for children and adults in the Midpeninsula area from 1955 until their retirement in 1996.
A native of Denver, Mr. Reilly earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1936 and moved to San Francisco that same year. He worked in the heating equipment manufacturing business until taking up dance instruction in 1955.
The Reillys taught dancing and entertained aboard ships of the Matson Steamship Lines -- the S.S. Monterey and the S.S. Mariposa -- traveling through the South Pacific and Australia. The couple later worked for American President Lines, Royal Viking Lines and Delta Lines, and traveled to Africa, Europe, South America and the former Soviet Union.
He also worked for many years at Wright and Company real estate firm in Menlo Park.
He is survived by his wife, Pauline Burton Reilly; sons Phil Reilly III of Larkspur and Tom Reilly of St. Helena; his daughters, Denise Guidry of San Jose and Madelon Cloud of Petaluma; and seven grandchildren.
No services are planned. Contributions may be made to the Midpeninsula Hospice, 201 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View 94040.
Jenica Rosekrans
Dartmouth student
Services are scheduled for Tuesday, June 15, for Jenica Ann Rosekrans, daughter of Kathleen Ann Alexander of Menlo Park and Peter and Pamela Rosekrans of Woodside.
Ms. Rosekrans, a 21-year-old junior at Dartmouth University, died unexpectedly last week of a meningitis-related blood infection, said her stepmother, Pamela Rosekrans.
Ms. Rosekrans was admitted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, with flu-like symptoms on the morning of June 10, and died later that night. Her death occurred "almost without warning," said a family friend.
Ms. Rosekrans, a Menlo School graduate, lived in Menlo Park with her mother when she wasn't away at college. She was interested in journalism and had an internship at Vogue magazine last summer, said Pamela Rosekrans. "She was just a really kind, wonderful girl," she said.
Tuesday's services will be held at Sacred Heart Prep, from which her brother Alec graduated just last week. The outdoor memorial Mass will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Palm Court on the school's campus, 150 Valparaiso Ave., in Atherton. A private family service will be held the following day.
Ms. Rosekrans is the granddaughter of John and Dodie Rosekrans, Woodside residents whose Runnymede Sculpture Farm is visible from Interstate 280.
In addition to her parents and paternal grandparents, Ms. Rosekrans is survived by her siblings Alec, Samantha and Spencer Rosekrans and Sommer Snyder; grandparents Rosemarie Wagner, and Marilyn and David Doak; and aunts and uncles Gaila and Benton Olander, John S. Rosekrans, Charles Volk and Caroline Dyer.
The family asks that contributions be made to the Dartmouth Scholarship Fund in Jenica's name, c/o Bursar's Office, HB 6015, Hanover, NH 03755. Funeral arrangements are being handled by John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel in Menlo Park.
Francis Le Brun
Electronics engineer
Francis V. Le Brun, a resident of Mountain View and Ladera for the last 37 years, died May 25. He was 76.
Mr. Le Brun was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and attended the University of Minnesota on his return from duty with the Army Air Force during World War II.
He was an electronics engineer with specialization in the field of printed circuits, and in the development of some of first prototypes for computers for General Electric.
Mr. Le Brun was instrumental in the development and initial production of a number of medical devices, including the first EKG machines for Hewlett Packard. He was also a quality assurance professional working with federal, California and Arizona agencies in water and air quality management issues.
He is survived by his son Marc, daughter-in-law Marian, and grandchildren Jacqueline, Danielle, David of Novato; and son Philip, daughter-in-law Sharon, and grandchild Jennifer of Fremont.
Family members said he was a loving parent and grandfather, bestowing a legacy as a model of strength and determination, intellectual curiosity and the importance of individual service and achievement.
A memorial service was held for family and friends at the Palo Alto Unitarian Universalist Church.
