Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Lynda Ann Brugge
Former Menlo Park resident
A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 2, in Menlo Park for Lynda Ann Brugge, who died February 1. The service is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, 950 Santa Cruz Ave.
A former Menlo Park resident, Ms. Brugge died in Baltimore. She was 49.
Born in Redwood City in 1952, she grew up in Menlo Park, graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School in 1970, and went on to the University of the Pacific, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1973.
In 1998, she received a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University in information and telecommunication systems.
She worked for the Social Security Administration in Sunnyvale, and in 1981 transferred to Baltimore to work in the Office of the SSA Systems. After 27 of service, she retired last year as a branch chief for managed projects. She had received the Commissioner's Citation for excellence, the agency's highest honor.
Ms. Brugge enjoyed travel, restaurants, reading mysteries, quilting, and watching ice skating, particularly the Olympics, family members said.
Ms. Brugge is survived by her parents, Edward and Anna Brugge of Menlo Park; a brother and his wife, Michael and Carol Brugge of Sunnyvale; and a niece and nephew, Michelle and Edward Brugge of Sunnyvale.
The family prefers donations to: Dr. Neil B. Rosensheins's Women's Research Initiative Fund, Mercy Medical Center, 301 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202; or to the American Cancer Society.
Louise Peterson
Community volunteer
Former Atherton resident Louise Boone Peterson died January 31 in Santa Barbara, where she had resided for many years. She was 90. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, March 1, at All Saints-by-the-Sea Church in Montecito.
A direct descendant of Daniel Boone, Mrs. Peterson was born in Schooley's Mountain, New Jersey. She grew up in New York City and graduated from Spence School in 1929. She marriage Thomas Green Terbell in 1932 and lived in Greenwich, Connecticut, until their divorce in 1944.
At the end of World War II, she marriage Francis Russell Cowles and moved to Atherton. After Mr. Cowles' death in 1952, she joined the real estate firm of Cornish and Carey.
In 1954 she marriage George Baltzer Peterson. They divided their time among Atherton, San Francisco, Palm Desert and the McKenzie River, finding time to fish and play golf.
Mrs. Peterson volunteered with many organizations, including the Woodside-Atherton Garden Club, Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, the Children's Health Council, and Menlo and Castilleja schools. She also was active with the International Hospitality Center and the Laguna Honda Home Volunteer Board in San Francisco.
"Weezie" will be remembered for her generosity, love of friends and family, and joie de vivre, say family members.
She is survived by her children Joan Terbell Knowles of Menlo Park and Thomas Green Terbell Jr. of Pasadena; step-children Mae-Jeanne McGanney of Atherton, Lee Cowles Taylor of Pasadena, and Marcia Cowles Dean of Chicago; nine grandchildren; nine step-grandchildren; and 11 step great-grandchildren.
The family prefers memorials to a favorite charity.
Henry Leander Walker
Local history buff, world traveler
Harry Leander Walker, a resident of Menlo Park for 46 years, died February 16 at his home.
Mr. Walker was born in 1918 in Galdwin, Michigan. He was a decorated World War II Army Air Corp combat veteran, and an active member of the Sheet Metal Workers Union No.104 until his retirement in 1982.
Mr. Walker was an avid local history buff and collected articles and photographs of Menlo Park. His travels took him to mainland China, Europe, Mexico and areas throughout the United States. He offered travelogues of his trips to local senior centers.
Mr. Walker is survived by his son, Donald Walker of Sacramento; a sister, Esther Horton of Aravac, Arizona; and brothers Charles Walker and Skip Walker of Parma, Michigan.
Mr. Walker will buried
in his home state of Michigan. Services were arranged by the Menlo Park Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries.
Bruce Baker
Master machinist
Bruce J. Baker, a longtime resident of Skylonda, died February 10 in Palo Alto. He was 55.
Mr. Baker grew up in Menlo Park and graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School. He became a master machinist and was the owner of Above Towing Service. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, Corvettes, boat racing and Machinist Beach, say family members.
Mr. Baker is survived by his sister Nancy Arington of Walnut Creek; brothers Eric of Menlo Park and David Jr., of Santa Cruz. His parents were the late Jean and David Baker.
A memorial service was held February 16 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Menlo Park. Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor's choice. Arrangements were under the direction of the Woodside Chapel of Crippen and Flynn, Redwood City.
Donald Blach
Certified public accountant
Donald Chapman Blach, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, died February 14. He was 68.
Mr. Blach was active in community organizations, such as the Sierra Club of Palo Alto. He was a eucharistic minister at St. Raymond Catholic Church. He also enjoyed playing bridge.
Mr. Blach was born in San Francisco, the ninth in a family of 12 children. In 1936 the family moved to Los Altos. He graduated from Bellarmine College Prep and the University of Santa Clara. He served in the U.S. Army stateside during the Korean conflict.
Mr. Blach was an accountant and worked for Diebels, Barkley & Donovan, and the Frank Rimmerman Co. He became a certified public accountant in 1967 and started his own CPA practice in Palo Alto in 1970. He retired in 1998.
Mr. Blach is survived by his wife of 39 years, Virginia; children Donald and William Blach of San Jose and Mary Bach of Palo Alto; sisters Georgina Blach of Mountain View, Joan Blach of Monterey, Elizabeth Henriques of Salinas, and Mary Marquess of Sacramento; brothers Richard of Menlo Park, James of Mountain View, and Robert of Las Molinos; and five grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held February 19 at St. Raymond Catholic Church with Interment in Holy Cross Cemetery, Menlo Park.
Memorials may be made to St. Raymond's School Scholarship Fund, 1211 Arbor Road, Menlo Park 94025, or to St. Patrick's Cemetery, Menlo Park. Arrangements were under the direction of Menlo Colonial Chapel.
James Scott McCann
Raised, worked in Atherton, Menlo Park
A memorial service was held at the East Bay Fellowship in San Ramon, February 14, for James (Jim) Scott McCann. Mr. McCann died February 11, six days after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 57 years old.
Raised locally, Mr. McCann worked in Atherton and Menlo Park until 1994.
He completed a tour of duty in Vietnam aboard the U.S.S. Coral Sea, and returned to complete his studies at Menlo College in 1968, graduating with a bachelor's degree.
He worked in the insurance business. An active member of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, he led groups in the singles ministry.
In 1994 he moved his family to San Ramon, where he managed his employment placement and consulting businesses. Mr. McCann had a weekly radio segment offering career guidance advice on KPIX.
Mr. McCann devoted his free time to the East Bay Fellowship and community affairs, and often counseled individuals and families through difficult times, family members said. Many expressed their appreciation for his generous spirit at the memorial service.
Mr. McCann is survived by his daughter Audra McCann, stepson Josh McCann, and brother Jeff McCann.
John Andrew Zolezzi
Retired dentist
Dr. John Andrew Zolezzi, a Menlo Park resident, died February 1 with his family by his side. He was 92.
Born in San Francisco, Dr. Zolezzi attended Lowell High School, graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and got his degree in dentistry from the University of California at San Francisco.
For 52 years, he practiced dentistry in San Francisco's North Beach, where he grew up. He and his wife retired to Menlo Park, where he enjoyed golfing, reading, travel and dominoes, according to family members. He was a gentle and giving person who found joy and beauty in everything, they said.
He was a member of Cenacolo, the Dante Council of the Knights of Columbus, the Italian Catholic Federation, the Italian-American Social Club, the Amici Club, the San Francisco Dental Society, the California Dental Association, Psi Omega Fraternity and the Salesian Boys Club.
Dr. Zolezzi is survived by his wife Rosina of Menlo Park; his son Ronald of Menlo Park; his daughter Jane Wallace of Sunnyvale; his stepdaughter Laurel Cole of Gig Harbor, Washington; and three granddaughters.
Jack Sumner
Flood, Huddart park ranger
Jack Sumner of Santa Rosa, a longtime former resident of Menlo Park, died February 3. He was 83.
Mr. Sumner was born Oct. 22, 1918, in San Luis Obispo. He worked for San Mateo County for many years as the supervising ranger at Flood Park in Menlo Park and later at Huddart Park in Woodside before his retirement in 1983.
Mr. Sumner served in World War II as a Marine in the Fifth Division on Iwo Jima and was awarded a Purple Heart.
His wife Patricia Marie died in 1997. She was a descendent of Maximo Martinez, the first land-grant owner in Portola Valley.
Mr. Sumner is survived by his five sons: Richard Sumner of Ojai, Ronald Sumner of Santa Rosa, Donald Sumner of Portola Valley, John Sumner of Glen Ellen, and Robert Sumner of Guerneville. He is also survived by his two brothers, Richard Sumner of Atascadero and Red Sumner of Coos Bay, Oregon, and 11 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
A family memorial was held at Huddart Park.
Mildred Boss
Artist and volunteer
Mildred Lynette Boss of Menlo Park died February 15 at Menlo Park Place. She was 85.
Mrs. Boss was born in Ashland, Oregon. After attending the University of Oregon for two years, she became an artist, specializing in both portraits and landscapes, an interest she maintained throughout her life. She later developed an interest in bird watching and traveled extensively. Mrs. Boss was a hospital volunteer and supported many nature organizations.
She is survived by her daughter, Cathy Wentz of Atherton, and son, Gary Boss of Virginia; brothers Gene and Francis Doran; and four grandchildren. Her husband Halbert D. Boss died in 1979.
The family prefers memorials be made to Pets in Need, Crocket Fund for Seniors, or a favorite charity. Arrangements were under the direction of Menlo Park Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries.
Joseph DeScala
Member, Italian American Social Club
Joseph DeScala of Menlo Park died February 25. He was 81.
A native of New York, he was a property manager with Edward H. Heller, he was a member of the Italian American Social Club of Menlo Park, the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club, and Palo Alto Elks Lodge #1471.
Mr. DeScala was an avid golfer and was a member of the Hole in One Club and the Stanford University Golf Club.
He is survived by his wife Mildred of Menlo Park; daughter Carolyn Paul of Menlo Park; son Joseph DeScala Jr. of San Anselmo, and daughter-in-law Elizabeth; siblings George, Emily, Angelin and Jean; and grandchildren Laura and David Pauli.
Services were held March 3. Arrangements were by Menlo Park Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries in Menlo Park.
Helen Virginia Lencioni-Urban
Native of Menlo Park
Helen Virginia Lencioni-Urban of Menlo Park died February 22. She was 82.
She is survived by her brothers Gene Lencioni and Robert Lencioni Sr.
A Mass was held February 27 at St. Raymond Catholic Church in Menlo Park. Funeral arrangements were by Spangler Mortuary of Mountain View.
The family prefers donations to the Mid Peninsula Home Care and Hospice, 201 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View, CA 94040.
Shirley Brandon
Retired teacher
Shirley J. Brandon, a resident of Portola Valley for 43 years, died February 25. She was 71.
Mrs. Brandon was born in Glendale and attended Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She earned a master's degree in special education at San Francisco State University.
Her 20-year teaching career included teaching for the Mountain View Whisman School District.
Mrs. Brandon enjoyed bridge, folk dancing. theater, ballet, opera and the symphony, say family members. She also belonged to a book club.
Mrs. Brandon is survived by her husband of 49 years, Earl T. Brandon of Portola Valley; sons Mark of Bethany, Connecticut, Jack of Pacific Palisades, Jim of Zurich, Switzerland, and Paul of Portola Valley; and three grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held March 1 at St. Denis Church, Menlo Park, with Burial at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, Palo Alto.
Memorials may be made to the Forbes Norris Foundation, MDA/ALS Center, 2324 Sacramento St., San Francisco 94115. Arrangements were under the direction of Roller Hapgood Tinney Funeral Home, Palo Alto.
George Paddleford
Early Palo Alto car dealer
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Roller Hapgood and Tinney, 980 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, for George Stetson Paddleford of Menlo Park, who died February 28. He was 93.
Mr. Paddleford, owner of Paddleford Oldsmobile in Palo Alto, was founder of the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance. His lifetime almost spanned the history of the American motorcar. He first became fascinated with cars when he learned to drive his uncle's 1916 Stutz Bearcat.
In 1935 he founded Paddleford Cadillac LaSalle Oldsmobile, which stayed in business for more than 50 years. The original building at 774 Emerson St. in Palo Alto is now the site of Whole Foods Market.
His General Motors franchise was the oldest in the United States, operating continuously under the same ownership. Throughout his career, it is estimated he sold more than 50,000 cars, says longtime friend Vic Befera.
After he retired in 1987, Mr. Paddleford was able to spend full time on the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance, which he founded in 1967 with fellow members of the Palo Alto Host Lions Club. He devoted himself to the show for 34 years. The first couple of years were financial flops, according to Mr. Befera, however, Mr. Paddleford helped save the event with commitments of time, personal funds and determination.
Mr. Paddleford was born in Los Angeles and attended Harvard Military Academy there. In 1931 he graduated from Stanford University and continued to be a lifetime Stanford sports booster. He was a season ticket holder for its football and basketball games and regularly attended the "Council of Chiefs" breakfasts for coaches and players at Stickney's restaurant, Town and Country Village.
Mr. Paddleford was a 65-year member and served as president of the Palo Alto Lions Club, and was a founder and charter member of the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club.
Throughout his career he received many honors including the Avenidas Senior Center Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a joint founder of the Peninsula Executive Association and the Palo Alto Club, and a member of the Palo Alto Historical Association.
Mr. Paddleford is survived by his wife of 30 years, Esther; children George S. Paddleford of Port Ludlow, Washington, Diane Palmer of Ocala, Florida, and Donna Miller of San Anselmo; step-children Commander David D. Cameron of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Victoria J. Hall of Fresno; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Lions Hearing Foundation, 1030 Gettysburg Ave., Suite 100-D, Clovis, CA 93612, and the Lions Eye Foundation, P.O. Box 7999, San Francisco 94102. Burial will take place at the Presbyterian Cemetery in Mendocino.
Theodore Cosgrove
Kaiser physician
A celebration of the life of Dr. Theodore J. Cosgrove will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at the family home, 1012 Cotton St. in Menlo Park. Dr. Cosgrove died March 2 at the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 68.
Dr. Cosgrove was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, with his family as an infant.
In 1957 he graduated from the University of British Columbia Medical School and served in the U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1964.
He joined Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in 1968 as chief of pathology at the Redwood City facility and remained there until retiring in 1998.
Dr. Cosgrove enjoyed art, opera, symphony and theater, say family members. He was an avid reader with a special interest in war history. He was an expert in bird life and accomplished amateur painter, according to his wife Britt-Marie Cosgrove of Menlo Park.
In addition to his wife of 20 years, he is survived by children Scott and Lorraine, and cousins in California and South Dakota.
