Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Robert Paroli
40-year Atherton resident
A funeral Mass for Robert Paroli, the founder of Expert Building Maintenance and a resident of Atherton for 40 years, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, at St. Pius Catholic Church, 100 Woodside Road in Redwood City.
Mr. Paroli, 70, died of pancreatic cancer at his home July 7.
Born in San Francisco, he founded his building maintenance company in 1951, and retired in 1996.
His many community activities included service as a trustee of the Catholic Youth Organization, as a member of the board of directors of the Los Altos Hills Golf and Country Club, and as a past district governor of Rotary International.
He was a past president of the Menlo Park Rotary Club and volunteered with the Rotary Reading Club at Garfield Elementary School in Redwood City. Mr. Paroli was also a past master in the Menlo Park Masonic Lodge and a past worthy patron of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Mr. Paroli was a private pilot, a faithful fan of the San Francisco 49ers, and enjoyed hunting and golfing, family members said.
He is survived by Martha, his wife of 50 years; his children James Paroli of Stockton, Linda Klug of Minnesota, Sandra Dafinis of Redwood City, and Nancy Blank of Orange County; and seven grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations to Mission Hospice of San Mateo County, 151 West 20th Ave., San Mateo or PanCAN, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, P.O. Box 1010, Torrance, CA 90505.
@mug:Oppenheim
Morris 'Oppy' Oppenheim
Community volunteer
Morris "Oppy" Oppenheim Jr., a 30-year resident of Atherton, died peacefully at his home on June 30. He was 89.
Family said that Mr. Oppenheim led a robust and tireless life, continuously giving of himself for his community. He was a 29-year member and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Menlo Park. He was a passionate supporter of Stanford University as an alumnus and avid sports fan, attending nearly every home sporting event, family said.
A native of San Francisco, Mr. Oppenheim was born October 13, 1911. He attended Lowell High School and graduated from Stanford, where he was a Golden Glove boxer and member of the football team. He marriage Nadine Newbegin in 1937 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, receiving several medals.
Mr. Oppenheim worked for Paul Koss Supply Company since its inception until he retired at the age of 72.
Mr. Oppenheim touched the lives of all who knew him and will be dearly missed, family and friends said. Private services were held.
His wife of 55 years, Nadine Newbegin Oppenheim, preceded him in death. Mr. Oppenheim is survived by two daughters, Claudia Gardner and Sandy; a son, John; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Gifts in Mr. Oppenheim's memory may be made to: the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; the Kiwanis Club Foundation of Menlo Park, P.O. Box 311, Menlo Park, CA 94026; the Buck Cardinal Club Scholarship Fund, Stanford Dept. of Athletics, Stanford, CA 94305-6150; or a charity of your choice.
Michael Mullen
Associate broker
Michael J. Mullen of Menlo Park died suddenly June 27 while attending a conference. He was 54.
Mr. Mullen grew up in Menlo Park, the son of the late Margaret and James Mullen. He was a 1964 graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School and a graduate of the University of Washington where he was a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity.
He was a Realtor for 20 years, most recently as an associate broker with ERA American Brokers in the Seattle area.
An avid collector of fine wines, Mr. Mullen loved boating and salmon fishing in the Pacific Northwest.
Shortly after he and his wife Leta were marriage in 1997, they moved back to Menlo Park to care for his mother, Margaret, during her long illness. Their son, McClean, was born in October 2000.
They were planning to achieve their dream of moving to their coffee farm in Kona on the big island of Hawaii at the time of Mr. Mullen's death, say family members.
Mr. Mullen is survived by his wife Leta; son McLean; daughter Melissa Tomlinson of Seattle; and sister Sally Mullen of Belmont.
A celebration of Mr. Mullen's life was held July 9 at United Palo Alto Community Church. The family requests donations be made to the American Diabetes Association or a favorite charity. Arrangements were under the direction of Menlo Park Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries.
Laura V. Faith
Scholar of paranormal phenomena
Laura V. Faith, the Menlo Park woman who was struck and killed June 13 by a Caltrain locomotive, was employed as a research associate and Russian specialist for the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory in Palo Alto. She was 52.
According to curriculum vitae provided by Ed May, a friend and co-worker, Ms. Faith was born in Riga, Latvia, as Larissa Vilenskaya. She studied physics, engineering and psychology and went on to earn a master's degree in natural sciences at a university in Moscow.
Before emigrating from the Soviet Union, she focused on parapsychological phenomena and human potential studies and worked with many prominent Soviet psychics, healers, and researchers, the statement said.
Ms. Faith immigrated to the United States in 1981 and worked at the Washington Research Center in San Francisco, where her interests included mental healing, fire-walking, shamanism, and altered states of consciousness, the statement said.
In 1982, she founded the Psi Research Journal, an international quarterly on psychic phenomena that she edited and published until 1986.
In 1991, she co-published "Firewalking: A New Look at an Old Enigma." All told, she was the author or co-author of more than 90 books, book chapters, scholarly papers and articles written in English, Russian, French, Italian and Portuguese, among other languages, the statement said.
Ms. Faith was an associate member of the Parapsychological Association with memberships in several other parapsychological organizations, the statement said. In 1987 she was awarded the second prize of the Swiss Foundation of Parapsychology for her contributions to the field.
Asked for a comment on his friend's death, Mr. May said, "She wasn't afraid of death and was a complete believer in the transcendence of bodily death."
Ms. Faith's death occurred while she was crossing the railroad tracks at Oak Grove Avenue just after a northbound train had left the Menlo Park station. She was apparently unaware that a southbound train was approaching the crossing. She died when struck by the locomotive.
Ms. Faith is survived by a brother in Israel and her parents, who live in a small village in Ukraine. Her remains were cremated by the Menlo Colonial Chapel and will be scattered at Big Sur by a close friend, Mr. May said.
Jeffrey Nelson
Former Menlo Park resident
Jeffrey Arthur Nelson, a Menlo Park resident from 1981 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1996, died of brain cancer August 14 at his home in Littleton, Colorado. He was 45.
Mr. Nelson was a graduate of Stanford University with bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial engineering and additional doctoral studies in finance and economics.
His 20-year career included consulting, mergers and acquisitions, general management and executive positions in finance, human resources and information technology.
He was an avid cyclist, golfer and tennis player.
Mr. Nelson is survived by his wife, Margot, and daughters, Laura and Lisa, of Littleton; parents, Mr. And Mrs. Jorgen Nelson Jr. of Bremerton, Washington; twin brother James S. Nelson of Bremerton; and brother Jorgen W. Nelson of Bremerton.
Christian Kane Ey
Architect and builder
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, August 3, at the Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley for Christian Kane Ey, an architect and builder who lived many years in Menlo Park and Woodside. Mr. Ey died July 22 in Palo Alto at the age of 63.
Mr. Ey grew up in Palo Alto and graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley.
In his early work as an architect, he designed education and medical facilities in the Bay Area, including buildings at Cabrillo College in Aptos and the Letterman Army Institute of Research at the Presidio.
Mr. Ey left architecture and joined the builder L.E. Wentz Co. in 1977. He was vice-president from 1981 to 1991 and had management responsibility for several projects, including the Opus One winery in Oakville, Metro Plaza in San Jose and the Pacific Athletic Club in Redwood Shores.
Mr. Ey is survived by his wife, Carolyn Eriksson-Ey; his mother, Eleanor Hill of Menlo Park; his step-daughters, Megan Moriarty of Woodside and Karen Coppock of Boston; and his stepson, John Coppock of Portland, Oregon.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the VA Hospice Care Center, 3801 Miranda Ave., Palo Alto, 94304; or to the Alzheimer's Association, 2065 West El Camino Real, Mountain View, 94040.
Valley Presbyterian Church is located at 945 Portola Road in Portola Valley. Funeral arrangements for Mr. Ey are being managed by Roller Hapgood & Tinney in Palo Alto.
Merrilyn Ann Mecham
High school teacher
Merrilyn Ann Mecham, a French teacher for the past 10 years at Woodside Priory School and a member for many years of the Peninsula Women's Chorus, died July 2 at her home in Palo Alto. She was 57.
Mrs. Mecham was born in Perth, Australia, on January 8, 1944. She grew up in what was then a quiet town, where her mother and most of her aunts, uncles and cousins still live, family said.
She and her mother were a two-person nuclear family because her father, George Bosworth, was killed in World War II before he could come home to meet his infant daughter.
Mrs. Mecham received her bachelor's degree and teaching credential from the University of Western Australia with a major in French and a minor in German. In the United States, she later earned a master's degree in French and an English as a Second Language teaching credential.
Eager for adventure, she set out immediately after college for three years of teaching English in Paris while she studied at the Sorbonne, followed by another year of teaching English in Germany.
During this time, she met a young Californian, Doug Mecham, who was touring the world after graduating from Oregon State University. They were marriage six years later on July 7, 1976.
The family has lived in the Greenmeadow neighborhood of Palo Alto for the past 21 years.
Mrs. Mecham was named the modern foreign languages department chair at Woodside Priory School.
Mrs. Mecham is survived by her husband of 25 years, Doug; her children, Ross and Anne; and her mother, Thora of Perth. She also leaves many friends around the world, family said. Services were held July 7.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Woodside Priory School foreign language department or Stanford University School of Medicine Cancer Research Program, c/o Dr. Fisher.
Charles Fulton
Supervisor for United Airlines
Charles Noel Fulton, a resident of Menlo Park for nearly 50 years, died unexpectedly of pneumonia August 2 at Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City. He was 78.
Mr. Fulton was a native of Zion, Illinois. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and for 35 years he worked for United Airlines, serving as a supervisor of the instrument shop at San Francisco International Airport.
The Fulton family moved to Menlo Park in 1952, and Mr. Fulton lived in the family home until his death. He enjoyed building model ships and owned a racing sprint car in his younger days, family members said. Mr. Fulton traveled extensively and visited many countries.
Mr. Fulton is survived by his daughter, Cindy Winstead of Redwood City, and a grandson. Private family services will be held, with Interment in Zion, Illinois. Arrangements are under the direction of Roller Hapgood & Tinney.
Carl Leslie Hoag
Fly-fisherman and World War II aviator
Carl Leslie Hoag, a fourth-generation Californian who lived 40 years in Atherton and flew with the Eighth Air Force in World War II, died July 24 in Sonoma at the age of 78.
Mr. Hoag was born in San Francisco into a California family that had originally settled in Boonville, Mendocino County, in the early 1870s, according to relatives.
During World War II, he was a navigator of B-17 bombers in the European theater. His service medals include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal, relatives said.
After the war, he graduated from Stanford University. He began his career in the insurance business with AIG Corporation in New York and later in London, before returning to San Francisco to join Kelly, Kinkhead & Hoag as a partner.
Mr. Hoag was a family man who enjoyed being with his friends and being in the mountains, relatives said. He retired to Sonoma to fly-fish, which he did until his last days. Relatives said he will be remembered as a generous, understanding and caring man who lived life to the fullest and touched many people during his life.
Mr. Hoag is survived by his wife of 52 years, Simone Hotaling Hoag; his daughter, Holly Dietrich of Sonoma; his sons, Richard (Bo) of Dallas and Kirk of Austin, Texas; a sister, Mary Bardwell of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; and four grandchildren.
Mr. Hoag did not want a formal service. Donations in his memory may be made to the Salvation Army at 832 Folsom St., San Francisco, 94107; the Pacific Legal Foundation at 10360 Old Placerville Road, Suite 100, Sacramento, 95827; or the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305.
Avis McKinley
Former Woodside resident
A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, August 18, at Woodside Village Church for Avis Beveridge McKinley, who died July 22 at Channing House, Palo Alto. She was 89.
Mrs. McKinley was born in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from State Normal School and completed her bachelor of science degree in education at New York University. She taught kindergarten, and first and second grades in the Chatham, New Jersey, school system.
When her late husband, James T. McKinley, retired, the couple moved to Cape Cod, where Mrs. McKinley was an active community volunteer.
Mrs. McKinley moved to Woodside in 1987 to be close to her son and his family. There she became active in the Woodside Village Church and volunteered at both Filoli and Little House senior center in Menlo Park. Ten years ago she moved to Channing House.
Mrs. McKinley is survived by her daughter, Ruth M. Cahoon of Cotuit, Massachusetts; son James T. McKinley of Woodside; sister Merle Beveridge of Whiting, New Jersey; brother Milton Beveridge of Atco, New Jersey; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Woodside Village Church, 3154 Woodside Road, Woodside; or The Falmouth Hospital, Falmouth, Massachusetts 02540.
James B. Landreth
Community leader
James B. Landreth, who lived in Atherton for 37 years, died of a heart attack July 12 at his home in Inverness in Marin County. He was 76.
Mr. Landreth owned Menlo Sport, a bicycle shop on El Camino Real, from 1974 to 1984.
While residing in this area, Mr. Landreth was a member of the Menlo Park Rotary Club and the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce. He was a fan of Menlo-Atherton High School athletic and music programs. He played banjo and trombone and enjoyed jazz jam sessions with his wife and children, all of whom play musical instruments, says his family.
A self-described "do-gooder," Mr. Landreth began recycling before the movement started. Neighbors in Atherton dropped off glass, aluminum and tin in the family's back yard, where it was hauled away by other "do-gooders," said his son.
Mr. Landreth was born in Pasadena, attended Midland School in Los Olivos, and graduated from Occidental College. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Tulagi during World War II.
When the war ended, he became a coffee importer in San Francisco. After marrying Louise Burpee, the couple moved to Atherton, where they lived until moving to Inverness in 1992.
Survivors include his wife, Louise, of Inverness; sons George of Benit Valley, Gordon of Mountain View, and Harold "Hobey" of Palo Alto; daughter Katherine Landreth of Fairfax; and one granddaughter.
A memorial service was held July 28 in Inverness. Memorials may be made to the Midland School Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 8, Los Olivos, 93441.
Stanley Davenport
Shipping consultant
A memorial Mass will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 14, at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park for Stanley Joseph Davenport of Menlo Park who died July 27 following a lengthy illness. He was 71.
Mr. Davenport was born in New York City and raised in Brooklyn. He was a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, and New York University. He also attended Stanford University.
Mr. Davenport moved to Menlo Park in 1964. He worked for SRI International, American President Lines and Seawinds Shipping Company, and as a private consultant.
He is survived by his wife, Janie Davenport of Menlo Park; daughters Nancy Davenport of Menlo Park and Catherine Barry of Manhattan Beach; son Michael Davenport of San Francisco; sister Irene Fairclough of Westport, Connecticut; and two grandsons. His son, Arthur Davenport, died in 1976.
Contributions in memory of Stan Davenport may be made to St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room, 3500 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park.
Sharon Lee Davis
Former Portola Valley resident
A memorial service for former Portola Valley resident Sharon Lee Davis, who died August 3 after battling cancer, will be held on Saturday, August 11, at 10 a.m. at St. Raymond's Church, 1100 Santa Cruz Ave., in Menlo Park.
Mary Anhaltzer
Owner of Mary Moo shops
Mary Anhaltzer, a 42-year resident of Portola Valley, died of a heart attack in her sleep July 20 at her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was 62.
Mrs. Alhaltzer was well known locally for the Mary Moo gift shop she opened in Ladera Country Shopper in 1961. Before she sold the last store in 1978, she had expanded Mary Moo to three other locations: downtown Palo Alto, the former Mayfield Mall and Eastridge Mall.
Entrepreneurship came naturally for Mrs. Anhaltzer, whose father, Miles Kimball, developed one of the first mail-order catalog businesses in the country in 1934. As a child in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, "Mary Louise" was often featured in the company catalog.
In 1958 she marriage Herb Anhaltzer while attending Cornell University. Mrs. Anhaltzer, who had embroidered, knitted and sewed since she was a child, became absorbed in quilting after taking her first quilting class 26 years ago. She converted space in their Westridge home to a quilting studio.
Two years ago she opened the Thirteen Moons gallery in Santa Fe, which showcases contemporary art quilts, including works by Mrs. Anhaltzer. A portion of profits from the gallery are donated to the Katalysis foundation with the hope of helping women in Central American start their own textile art businesses. Mrs. Anhaltzer also served as a director of the Alberta Kimball Foundation, named for her mother.
Mrs. Anhaltzer is survived by her husband Herb, sons Greg Anhaltzer of Santa Ana and Jeff Anhaltzer of Lake Oswego, Oregon; and six grandchildren. A daughter, Carrie Sanders, preceded her in death.
Memorials to Mrs. Anhaltzer may be made in her name to Katalysis Partnership, 1331 N. Commerce Street, Stockton, CA 95202.
