Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Joseph Becken
Longtime Menlo Park resident
Joseph M. Becken, who had his own tax-preparation business in Redwood City, died March 29. He was 80.
Mr. Becken was a native of Minnesota who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He worked for many years at the Royal McBee Corp. before establishing his tax-preparation business.
Mr. Becken is survived by stepchildren Virginia Johnstone of Menlo Park and Richard Cusimano of San Jose; sisters Lucy Barkovic of Springfield, Oregon, and Marie Hammer of Wahkon, Minnesota; six grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. His wife, Jennie M. Becken, preceded him in death.
Donations are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association, 2065 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View.
Ben Law
Attorney and community leader
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at Ladera Community Church, Portola Valley, for Ben Law, an early resident of the Ladera community and founding member of Ladera Community Church, who died at his home in Menlo Park April 9. He was 87.
Born in Bozeman, Montana, Mr. Law attended Montana State University before completing studies for a law degree at Hastings School of Law in San Francisco.
He was a practicing lawyer for 50 years and a pro bono attorney for Legal Aid.
Mr. Law retained his interest in Montana with a scholarship fund at Montana State University and support of Nature Conservancy projects to protect wildlife habitat and rivers.
In 1949, Mr. Law and his first wife, Alberta, built one of the earliest homes in Ladera. He served as the first president of the Ladera Community Association and was a member of the Las Lomitas School Board for several terms.
A docent at Filoli for 13 years, Mr. Law was a member of the County Retirement Board and the Menlo Park Kiwanis Club.
Mr. Law worked with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., until World War II when he served on a Navy convoy ship that sailed the globe.
His recent international travels often included hiking -- the most memorable in Patagonia. In his youth he hiked in the mountains of Montana; in California, he hiked the entire John Muir trail. He led many hiking and skiing trips for Boy Scout and church youth groups.
After the death of his first wife, Mr. Law marriage Anadel Smith Brown in 1975. In retirement, they visited many parts of the world, returning only last month from three weeks in Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos.
Mr. Law is survived by his wife Anadel; a son, Robert Law of Portland, Oregon; a daughter, Elizabeth Milhisler of Vacaville; and five stepchildren: David Brown of Danville; Dennistoun Brown of Billings, Montana; Adriana Cassani of Orem, Utah; Jeremy Brown of Los Altos; and Andrew Brown of Mountain View. Other survivors are his brother, Dana Law of Williamsburg, Virginia; sisters Dorothy Blackwell of Winslow, Maine, and Carolyn Cordes of Sun City, Arizona; and 16 grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers contributions to the Endowment Fund of the Ladera Community Church; the Scholarship Fund of the Menlo Park Kiwanis club, P.O. Box 311, Menlo Park, 94026; or World Neighbors, 4127 NW 112 Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73120.
Ruth O'Shea
Math teacher, community activist
A memorial service celebrating the life of Ruth O'Shea will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, May 7, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2124 Brewster Ave., Redwood City, for Ruth O'Shea who died April 10 at the age of 85. A reception will follow the service.
Throughout her life, three themes predominated: family, commitment and participation in social-justice issues, and interest in young people, especially teenagers, says her family. Many knew her as Gopa, a nickname bestowed on her by her first-born grandchild.
Mrs. O'Shea was born in Sunnyside, Washington, and moved to Santa Barbara as a young child.
In 1936 she graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was president of the women's student body, a member of Mortar Board Society, Prytanean Society, and the women's varsity tennis team.
She marriage Robert Legallet and they had four children: Jok, Jon, Suzanne and Lana. After his death in 1940 she marriage Charles Larson, the father of Mara and Lloyd. She took great pride that all her descendants and all of their spouses graduated from college, many from Cal, and have successful careers, says the family.
When her children were small, she was active in the League of Women Voters, a member of the Parent Teachers Association at Encinal School, and a Brownie leader.
In 1960, after a divorce, she became a teacher in the Ravenswood School District in East Palo Alto, and, later, the district's math consultant. She served as president of the Ravenswood Teachers' Association. During those years, she contributed to efforts to desegregate schools on the Peninsula, including the Tinsley case.
In recent years she worked as a volunteer math tutor at a continuation high school and helped many students pass their GED test. In 1994 she was named "Education Volunteer of the Year."
Mrs. O'Shea was also active in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and president of the San Mateo County chapter of the Hemlock Society. She served on the Grand Jury of San Mateo County and the board of the Menlo Park Historical Society. She was also a world traveler.
Mrs. O'Shea is survived by her six children: Jok Legallet of Burlingame, Jon Legallet of Greenbrae, Suzanne Legallet of Atherton, Lana Wilson of Del Mar, Mara Melandry of Berkeley, and Lloyd Larson of Madison, Wis.; and six grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Planned Parenthood, Golden Gate chapter, 815 Eddy St., San Francisco 94109; American Civil Liberties Union, 1663 Mission St., Suite 460, San Francisco 94103; NAACP Legal Defense Educational Fund, 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215; and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2124 Brewster Ave., Redwood City 94602.
Clifford W. Moles
Architect
Flags flew at half mast last week in Woodside in honor of Clifford W. Moles of Woodside who died from a massive stroke on April 5. He was 72.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at Los Altos Golf and Country Club, 1560 Country Club Drive in Los Altos.
For the past two years, Mr. Moles had served as a volunteer consultant to the Woodside Elementary School Building Committee. He was also a two-term member of the Woodside Architectural & Site Review Board.
Mr. Moles was born and raised in Iowa, graduating from the University of Northern Iowa. He taught high school before joining the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict.
After completing Officers' Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island, he was an explosive ordinance disposal officer stationed at Indian Head, Maryland. After his discharge from the Navy, he attended the University of Southern California, graduating in 1961.
Mr. Moles worked as an architect in Los Angeles for 13 years before moving to Woodside and establishing Clifford Moles Associates A.I.A. in San Francisco. He was an active member of the Los Altos Golf and Country Club, where he was a current member of the board of directors and chairman of the long-range planning committee.
His memberships included The American Institute of Architects, Bankers Club of San Francisco, Commonwealth Club of California, California Library Association, International Conference of Building Contractors, International Council of Shopping Centers, and the Urban Land Institute.
Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Flo Anne; daughters Elizabeth Ellis of La Selva Beach and Melinda Stoker of Woodside; and two grandchildren.
Donations may be made in his name to the Community High School Foundation, 67 Tum Suden Way, Woodside 94062.
Alexander Cereghino
Retired Marine Corps colonel
A memorial Mass will be said at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 21, at Church of the Nativity, Menlo Park, for Col. Alexander Davidson Cereghino, USMC retired, of Menlo Park who died April 6. He was 81.
During his years as a Stanford University student, Col. Cereghino received the "Mint Howell Award for Outstanding Athlete" and was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
After graduation, he began a 27-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps that included duty in World War II, in the First Marine Division in Korea, and in Vietnam, where he commanded the Fourth Marine Regiment, third Marine Division.
In 1947 he helped launch the Marine Corps annual "Toys for Tots" service program. The same year he worked with Col. William Hendricks to produce the Oscar-winning Marine Corps documentary, "Force and Readiness."
During the Kennedy administration, Col. Cereghino served the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1962 to 1964. During his time at the Pentagon, he also assisted in the development of the National Youth Fitness Program. He was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his contributions.
Col. Cereghino's leadership was recognized by Commandant General David Shoup and President Lyndon Johnson. Throughout his career, Col. Cereghino was awarded 26 medals for service to his country.
After retiring from the Marine Corps, Co. Cereghino began a property investment company and was president of Felix Mining Group.
He enjoyed sports, especially playing golf at Stanford and at courses throughout the British Isles and Europe. He touched many lives with his love and compassion, says his family.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Martha; daughters Dr. Diane Salyer of Piedmont, Nancy Vichit-Vadakan of Elk Grove, Susan Schneider of Del Mar, and Kathryn Vercelli of Burlingame; sister Alberta Foster of Fort Bragg; and three grandchildren.
Contributions may be to a charity of the donor's choice.
Lori Truett
Proprietor, Addison-Fields
The business community of University Heights in West Menlo Park was grieving last week at news of the death of Lori Truett, proprietor of Addison-Fields home and garden at 2091 Avy Ave.
A vivacious, outgoing woman, Ms. Truett had made many friends in the community since opening her shop nearly two years ago.
Ms. Truett, 54, drowned April 2 in Puerto Vallarta in the pool at a villa owned by her brother, Chip Truett. Ms. Truett had arrived that day and invited a neighbor over for a swim. When her friend came to the villa she found Ms. Truett in the pool, says Mr. Truett.
A service was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church with her ashes scattered over Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta.
Ms. Truett was born and raised in Hillsborough. She attended Christian College in Missouri and studied at universities in Mexico City, Madrid and Malaga. An interior designer, Ms. Truett had an earlier shop, also named Addison-Fields because it was located on Addison street in Palo Alto.
Ms. Truett flew to Puerto Vallarta April 2 where she had a contract to do the interior design of a large home there. "She was really excited about the project," says her brother.
"She loved life. She had so many friends and touched so many people," says Denina Morgan, owner of the neighboring Colli Umbri shop, who has had to tell customers why Addison-Fields is closed.
Ms. Truett is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Truett of Carmel; daughter Chase Johnston of Monterey; and brother Chip Truett of San Carlos.
Sheila Wineman
Longtime Menlo Park resident
Sheila Wineman, a resident of Menlo Park since 1963, died April 6 following complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Mrs. Wineman was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1931 and attended Stanford University. While at Stanford, she met Paul Wineman, whom she marriage in 1953.
Mrs. Wineman was an active volunteer with the Palo Alto Auxiliary to Children's Hospital at Stanford, Peninsula Volunteers, Stanford Mothers' Club, and the Adult Literacy Program.
She was an avid tennis player at Ladera Oaks Swim and Tennis Club and an accomplished back-packer. She will be remembered for her willingness to help others, positive attitude and constant smile, says her family.
Survivors include her husband Paul; children, Kathleen Prior of Palo Alto, Bruce Wineman of Lafayette, and Scott Wineman of Mountain View; and eight grandchildren. There will be no services.
Robert D. Hirschboeck
Executive and family man
A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 18, at St. Raymond's Church in Menlo Park for Robert Damian Hirschboeck, who died April 10 at Stanford Hospital. He was 92.
Mr. Hirschboeck grew up with 10 brothers and sisters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He marriage Margaret Schultz in 1935 and began his career in merchandising and sales at the Johnson Cookie Co.
In 1954, Mr. Hirschboeck moved with his family to Menlo Park to help open the West Coast plant for the Hamm's Brewing Co. He retired from Hamm's in 1969 as a vice-president.
Mr. Hirschboeck enjoyed bridge, golf, traveling and cooking; he was famous for his Caesar salads. Golf was a particular passion, which he began at age 9 with borrowed clubs. He eventually joined the Olympic Club in San Francisco and was president of the Palo Alto Men's Senior Golf Club.
Mr. Hirschboeck is survived by his wife Margaret; sister Rhea Shea of Miami, Florida; son Robert of Ashland, Oregon; daughters Sandra Adams of Berkeley and Mary Reiter of Santa Rosa; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Donations in Mr. Hirschboeck's memory may be made to the St. Raymond's Homeless Family Fund or a charity of your choice.
Harvey Wilson Richards
Labor activist and documentary filmmaker
A memorial service for Harvey Wilson Richards will be held May 26 at 2 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House, 957 Colorado Ave., in Palo Alto.
Mr. Richards, whose career included work as a merchant seaman, a union organizer, a journeyman machinist, a photographer and a documentary filmmaker, died April 20 at his home in Menlo Park at the age of 88. He had lived in Menlo Park and Atherton since 1954.
Mr. Richards was born in 1912 in Oregon. At the age of 14, he left school and went to work to help support his family, relatives said. At 18, he joined the crew of a freighter and spent four years as a merchant seaman traveling to ports in Asia, Europe and North Africa. While at sea, he joined the National Maritime Union and eventually earned the position of shop steward, which is the crew's representative to management.
He came ashore in Boston in 1934 and found a job with the Works Progress Administration (WPA), relatives said. He soon joined the Workers Alliance, a union for WPA workers. Between 1934 and 1940, he worked as a union organizer in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. This job earned him friends in the labor movement and enemies among management groups. During organizing efforts, it was not unusual to face company "goons" who would break legs on street curbs to discourage labor activities, relatives said.
Mr. Richards marriage Hodee Waldstein in 1936, and in 1940 they moved to the Bay Area, where he worked in warship construction. He started as a ship's painter and machinist's apprentice and worked his way up to journeyman machinist and chief shop steward for the Bethlehem Ship Yards. In 1946, in a postwar wave of labor strikes throughout the nation, the strike at his union was broken and he lost his job. His labor activism continued through the 1950s, however, to the point where he was being harassed by the House Unamerican Affairs Committee, relatives said.
Mr. Richards divorced and marriage Alice Meigs in 1953. He took up photography in 1955 and made his first documentary film in 1958, going on to make 22 documentaries in the Bay Area covering the peace movement, civil rights marches, California farm workers, and environmental subjects. Mr. Richards shot, recorded, edited and distributed his films himself, with some help from his wife and close friends. His films and photography are available through his son, Paul Richards, from Estuary Press, P.O. Box 577, Oakland, CA 94604.
Mr. Richards is survived by his wife Alice; sons Steffen of Berkeley and Paul of Oakland and stepson David Meigs of Soquel; and four grandchildren.
Donations in his name may be made to The Nature Conservancy.
Dorthea Bogue
Nurse and nursing instructor
Dorthea Bogue, a nurse and nursing instructor at Stanford Hospital, died March 21 at the age of 94.
Ms. Bogue was a graduate of the University of Washington and the Providence School of Nursing, where she taught for several years before moving to Menlo Park with her husband and children in 1952. She worked as a nurse at Stanford Hospital and became an instructor when the hospital opened a nursing school. After her retirement, she moved to Portola Valley.
Ms. Bogue is survived her daughter, Patricia Johnson of Santa Clara; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held at Our Lady of the Wayside Church in Portola Valley.
Paul G. Sedlewicz
Developed patents for Hewlett Packard
A memorial service is set for for Paul G. Sedlewicz of Menlo Park is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, May 11, at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. at 950 Santa Cruz Ave. Mr. Sedlewicz died at home of lung cancer on May 2 at the age of 61.
Born in Nashua, New Hampshire, Mr. Sedlewicz worked for Hewlett Packard for 34 years in research and development. He developed a number of patents for the company, and he served as president and chief executive officer of Avantek, a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard.
During the mid-1960s, Mr. Sedlewicz and two friends purchased the Matrix, a San Francisco nightclub, whose performers included the legendary rock group Jefferson Airplane. Other groups that performed at there included The Grateful Dead, The Mamas and the Papas, and Big Brother and the Holding Company.
Mr. Sedlewicz was twice elected president of New Hope International, a missionary organization that works in central Europe. He and his wife, Suzanne, traveled many times to central Europe to visit missionaries.
He is survived by Suzanne, to whom he was marriage for 35 years. He is also survived by a son, Peter Sedlewicz; a daughter, Dana Corvallis; his mother, Stella Sedlewicz ; and a sister, Nancy Caruso.
The family requests that memorial donations be made to New Hope International, P.O. Box 110, Colorado Springs, CO 80901; or to Mid-Peninsula Hospice at 201 San Antonio Circle, Suite 135, Mountain View, CA 94040.
David Charles Lloyd Jones
Research scientist
David Charles Lloyd Jones, a physiologist and resident of Menlo Park for 52 years, died April 22 at the age of 78.
During World War II, Mr. Jones served as a lieutenant in the combat infantry in the European theater. After the war, he earned advanced degrees in physiology from the University of California, Berkeley and went to work for the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory at Hunter's Point in San Francisco.
Dr. Jones' career continued at Stanford Research Institute, now SRI International, where he served as project manager for environmental physiology, then as director of the toxicology laboratory.
Dr. Jones especially enjoyed the five years between 1965 and 1970 he spent as scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop #109, his family said.
He is survived by his wife Betty; daughter Marsha Jones Moutrie of Thousand Oaks, California; sons David of La Paz, Baja California, Mexico, and Daniel Charles of Boulder, Colorado; and six grandchildren.
Al and Judy Sroka
Longtime Atherton residents
Al and Judy Sroka, residents of Atherton for many years, both died recently.
Mr. Sroka was born in 1919 in Augsburg, Germany. After immigrating to the United States, he graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio with a degree in chemical engineering. He went on to work as an engineer, eventually becoming a divisional vice-president at Ampex Corporation. He retired in 1981.
Mr. Sroka enjoyed flying, sailing, and sports, family members said.
Judy Sroka was born in Chicago, where she met Al while working as a draftswoman. The Srokas had six children: Judi, Fred, John, Maria, Elisabeth and Bill.
Mrs. Sroka was a talented singer and enjoyed playing the cello and writing poems. She especially enjoyed working with children at St. Raymond's School in Menlo Park, her family said.
Donations in their names may be made to St. Raymond's School.
