Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!George Irwin Annand
Retired NASA engineer
George Irwin Annand, a 51-year Menlo Park resident and a retired aeronautical engineer, died Aug. 15. He was 92.
Mr. Annand began his 30-year engineering career at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View in 1946. He worked on aircraft design projects, including the X-16 prototype, one of the first airplanes designed to break the sound barrier. He retired from NASA in 1976.
Born in Manton, Calif., he attended U.C. Berkeley and graduated with degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering in 1928. During World War II, Mr. Annand served in the Army Air Corps, and after 20 years in the Air Force Reserves, he retired with the rank of liutenent commander.
Mr. Annand is survived by his wife of 54 years Helen; his daughters Susan Sbardellati and Cynthia Whipple; sons-in-law Richard Sbardellati and Edgar Whipple; and his grandchildren Timothy and Ann Sbardellati.
A memorial service was held at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church on Aug. 24, under the direction of John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel. The family prefers that memorial donations be made to the University of California School of Engineering, 102 Naval Architecture Building, Berkeley, CA 94720-1074.
Sister Dorothy Davis
Catholic nun
Sister Dorothy Davis, Religious of the Sacred Heart, died at Oakwood, Convent of the Sacred Heart in Atherton on August 17. She was 87.
Born and educated in Buffalo, New York, she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1939 and served in its educational mission at Sacred Heart Schools in the Northeast. She also spent 13 years as a missionary in Brazil. From 1979 to 1985 she served at St. Joseph's School in Menlo Park.
A memorial Mass was held in the Oakwood Chapel on August 19.
Memorial donations may be made to the Religious of the Sacred Heart, Oakwood, 140 Valparaiso Avenue, Atherton, CA 94027.
Edward L. Ginzton
Electronic pioneer
A celebration of the life of electronics pioneer Edward L. Ginzton will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, in the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center auditorium, 2575 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park.
A resident of Los Altos, Dr. Ginzton was a co-founder of Varian Associates. A display of his photographs will be on display starting at 10 a.m. A light lunch will follow.
Memorial contributions are welcomed by: The Parkinson Institute, 1170 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089; The Sempervirens Fund, Drawer BE, Los Altos, CA 94023; and The Urban Coalition, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20009.
Edward Joseph Derry
Beverage company executive
Edward Joseph Derry, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, died August 14 while traveling in Italy. He was 66.
Mr. Derry was general manager and part owner of Coors Distributing Company in San Francisco. He was also president of Western Beverage Company in San Jose, which he continued to run until his death.
The eldest of six children, he lived most of his life in Menlo Park, where his father was the owner of Derry's Feed and Fuel.
He attended Catholic schools throughout his life, graduating from Menlo Park's St. Joseph's Elementary School in 1945, Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose in 1949, and Santa Clara University in 1953.
He entered the U.S. Army and spent two years as a lieutenant in Fort Hood, Texas. Mr. Derry completed a year of medical school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., before opting to pursue a career in business.
After graduating from Santa Clara, Mr. Derry marriage Ellen Blaine Campodonico of Atherton at Mission San Carlos de Borromeo.
Mr. Derry was preceded in death by his wife in 1987. He is survived by his children, Mark Edward Derry of Gilroy, Tamra Eleanor Tehaney of Atherton, Blake Derry of Los Angeles and Matt Derry of San Diego; siblings Reverend Daniel Derry of Gilroy, Joan Derry of San Diego and Nancy Madigan and Gail Blach of Menlo Park; and six grandchildren.
A vigil service was held August 23. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Monday, August 24. Both services were held at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park.
Arrangements were made by John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel.
Contributions in Mr. Derry's memory may be made to Sister Helen Costello's Charitable Fund, Convent of Sacred Heart, 150 Valparaiso Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025; Holy Family Day Home, c/o Sister Maureen, 299 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94114; or Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf, 3518 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94062.
Margaret Jewell Mullen
62-year resident of Menlo Park
A memorial service will be held Thursday, September 3, at 5:30 p.m. for Margaret Jewell Mullen, who died August 28. She was 89.
Born in Emporia, Kansas, she earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Arkansas and a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin. She began teaching at San Jose State University in 1931.
Moving to Menlo Park in 1936, she taught at Stanford from 1937 to 1942 and founded the modern dance program there, an achievement for which the Stanford University Dance Division recently created a Distinguished Chair.
In 1941, she marriage James McLean Mullen and was a homemaker until 1967, when she founded the career education program at Menlo-Atherton High School. In 1972, she wrote the California state manual for career education, based on the model she developed at M-A. The city of Menlo Park awarded her a key to the city in 1974.
After her retirement, she began writing prose and poetry in 1979. Her first book, "An Arkansas Childhood -- Growing Up In the Athens of the Ozarks," was published in 1989. "Safe for Now," a collection of her poetry, was published in 1993. Her last book, "One Woman's Journey -- from 8 to 88," was published in 1998. She was an active member of many writing groups, including Waverly Writers.
She is survived by her daughter Sally Mullen of Menlo Park; her son Michael Mullen and his wife, Leta, of Seattle; and a granddaughter Melissa Stewart of Seattle.
Friends are invited to attend the September 3 service, which will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 751 Waverly Avenue in Palo Alto. Flowers are welcome, or memorial donations may be made to the Children's Home Society, the California Alliance for the Mentally Ill, or the American Cancer Society. Arrangements were made under the direction of Spangler Mortuary in Menlo Park.
Lee Marie Serre Leach
Filoli volunteer
Lee Marie Serre Leach, a 26-year resident of Atherton, died August 26. She was 76.
She was born in Springer, Ontario, on Easter Sunday in 1922, the eldest of three children.
After a chance meeting and a whirlwind courtship, she marriage J. Frank Leach and moved with him to the United States. The two moved to the area in 1972 and were marriage for 52 years. Mr. Leach died in August 1997.
Mrs. Leach's many interests included interior decorating, bridge, and gardening, family members said. Mr. and Mrs. Leach were both active supporters of the Filoli Trust: he was a member of the governing board, and she often volunteered at the estate.
Mrs. Leach is survived by her children J. Michael Leach of Clayton and Suzanne Lee Earnest of Pleasanton; a brother and sister; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services and Interment were private. A memorial service and reception were held September 1 at Christ Church on Portola Road in Portola Valley.
Donations may be made to the American Lung Association, 1469 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95126; or the Boys and Girls Club, 400 Market Place, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
Arrangements were made by Roller, Hapgood & Tinney of Palo Alto.
Berta Lindeman Rathbun
Peninsula Volunteer
After a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease, Berta Lindeman Rathbun died August 27, in Menlo Park. She was 85.
Born in Los Angeles, Mrs. Rathbun spent her early youth on her family's hacienda in Colima, Mexico. When she was 7, the family returned to California and lived in San Jose.
She and her sisters Clotilde and Elena Lindeman formed a Mexican folk-singing act, Las Tapatias, which became well known in Santa Barbara and the Yosemite Valley during the 1930s. They also starred in a film, "Triple Justice," with Randolph Scott.
In 1941, Ms. Lindeman marriage Gail Rathbun; in 1948, the couple became caretakers of the Sharon Estate in Menlo Park, but moved to Woodside when the land was subdivided in 1958. During the 1960s and 1970s Mrs. Rathbun became an accomplished floral designer associated with several Peninsula flower shops. In Woodside she was an active horsewoman and a Peninsula Volunteer.
She is survived by her son Galen B. Rathbun of Cambria, Calif.; her daughter Karen Rathbun of Menlo Park; sisters Emilia Rathbun of Palo Alto and Clotilde Gibbson of Portola Valley; a nephew; and two nieces.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor's choice. No services will be held.
Everett N. Dahl
52-year Menlo resident
Everett N. Dahl, a 52-year resident of Menlo Park, died Saturday, July 4. He was 88.
A native of South Dakota, Mr. Dahl was raised in Washington, D.C. After serving in the Army in World War II, he graduated from the Georgetown Law School. In 1946 he moved with his family to Menlo Park.
Mr. Dahl worked as a lawyer with the Veterans Administration in San Francisco for 30 years. A 30-year member of the Stanford Country Club, he was also a member of the Palo Alto Sirs #51 and the Palo Alto Elks.
Mr. Dahl was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Dahl and son, Everett Dahl. He is survived by his daughter Mary Louise Dahl of Menlo Park; and sisters Isobel Robinson and Frances Armentrout of Florida.
Friends are invited to attend memorial services at the Palo Alto Elks Lodge at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 25. Arrangements were by O'Connor Menlo Colonial Chapel.
Bridie Lynch
Nurse, native of Ireland
Bridie Lynch, a Menlo Park resident since 1970, died at home July 18 at the age of 100. Services are set for July 22.
A native of Ireland, Mrs. Lynch was a nurse in Ireland and New York before moving to Menlo Park. She worked as a registered nurse at College Park Convalescent Home in Menlo Park.
Survivors include her daughter-in-law, Dennie Lynch of Menlo Park, and two grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 22 at St. Raymond's Catholic Church on Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery.
The family prefers that memorial donations be made to St. Raymond's Church. Arrangements are being handled by John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel.
Lillian Judy Wolfinger
Member of M-A's first graduating class
Lillian Judith Wolfinger, a resident of San Jose, died July 2 in her home. She was 54.
Ms. Wolfinger grew up in Menlo Park and was part of the first graduating class at Menlo-Atherton High School. She taught in grade schools in San Jose's Almaden area.
Ms. Wolfinger is survived by her husband, Gary F. Wolfinger; son Terry Wolfinger of Canyon County; son Matthew Wolfinger and his wife Denise and grandsons Eric and Brandon of Boulder Creek; brother Scott R. Lapham of Harrisburg, Oregon; and father Robert V. Lapham, 50-year resident of Menlo Park.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Santa Theresa Community Hospital Kaiser Hospice in San Jose.
Cecilia B. Hicks
Portola Valley artist
Cecilia B. Hicks, a longtime resident of Portola Valley, artist and business woman, died September 8 at Stanford Hospital.
She was born March 18, 1923, in Nashville, Tennessee, and attended the Peabody Demonstration School. She regularly visited California with her family and entered Stanford University in 1939. She majored in drama and after graduating in 1944, moved to Los Angeles, where she became a director at the Pasadena Playhouse, gave play readings and staged productions for worthy causes. She later worked for Universal Studios and the Los Angeles Times. She loved the arts and was heavily involved in the script selection process for the studios where she worked.
On a trip to the Bay Area, she became reacquainted with Harry Hicks, whom she had met at Stanford, and the couple marriage in 1951, living first in Menlo Park before designing and building a home in Portola Valley's Westridge area.
Mr. Hicks purchased Peninsula Lumber Co., and later established a number of construction and development businesses in Northern California that often were administered by Mrs. Hicks. One of the firms developed The Cove, a waterfront housing community at Belvedere, near Tiburon, and another firm, the Olympia company, built many developments in Monterey. Mr. Hicks was an avid polo player and one of the couple's companies purchased and donated a polo field to the Santa Barbara community. Mrs. Hicks was a consummate hostess, and became heavily involved in the operation of the Santa Barbara Polo Club, which at the time catered to teams from all over the world. She also supported her husband's polo team, which played at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton for many years.
Mrs. Hicks had a passion for travel, and during a trip to the Far East the couple met the Sultan of Johor in Malaysia, who arranged for the U.S. government to permit Mrs. Hicks to accept the title of Datin (equivalant of Lady). She became a good friend of the Sultan's family and often entertained them at her Westridge home.
She also served on the boards of the Westridge Company and the Hicks Foundation for Cultural Preservation and was instrumental in the formation of Wildlife Convervation International, which later evolved into the African Wildlife Foundation, one of the largest conservation foundations operating in Africa. She was also a member of the Portola Valley Garden Club.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by Roland Arthur Hicks and grandchildren Kristina and Roland Hicks Jr., all of Foster City; and her god-daughter, Starr Cecile Potts, of Natick, MA.
The family requests that memorials be made to the Foundation for Cultural Preservation, P.O. Box 111, Menlo Park, CA 94026, or to the charity of the donor's choice. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
John Stuart Perkins
Public accountant
A funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, September 16, for John Stuart Perkins, who died September 9. Mr. Perkins, who lived in Atherton for 33 years, was 77 years old.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Perkins graduated from the University of Kansas in 1942. That same year he marriage Jeanne, his wife of 56 years.
He was an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II and attended Harvard Business School before going overseas to serve in the invasion of Okinawa.
In 1946 Mr. Perkins accepted a position with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co. as a certified public accountant in their Kansas City office, and transferred to the firm's San Francisco office in 1955. He became partner in charge in 1962, and retired from the firm in 1977.
Mr. Perkins was a member of the Bohemian Club's Aviary Chorus and Thalia Camp, and eventually served on the club's board of directors. He was a member of the Palo Alto Club and the Peninsula Investors Group, and was a board member for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and the Menlo Country Club. He was an active parishioner and choir member of the Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park.
He is survived by his wife Jeanne Sunderland Perkins; sons John S. Perkins of San Jose and Thomas D. Perkins of Portland, Ore.; grandchildren Bradford Thomas Perkins, Rachel Anne Perkins, and Todd Stuart Perkins; and sisters Dorothy Crooks of Overland Park, Kansas, and Suzanne Clevenger of Kansas City.
The Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 16, at the Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave. in Menlo Park. A private Burial wll follow the service, with a memorial gathering afterward at Menlo Country Club.
Arrangements were made by Roller, Hapgood & Tinney of Palo Alto.
Winifred Serafine
28-year resident of Atherton
Winifred Serafine, who lived in Atherton from 1968 through 1996, died in McMinnville, Oregon, September 8. She was 81 years old.
A native of Chicago, Mrs. Serafine was a benefactor of Santa Clara University while she lived in Atherton. Family members said that she loved flowers, painting, and interior design.
She is survived by her husband, Daniel Serafine of Oregon; her children, Terry Allie of Oregon, Judy Jackson of Atherton, and Frank Serafine of Menlo Park; and sisters Margaret Lavery and Mary McDonald of Chicago.
Friends are invited to attend a recitation of the rosary on Thursday, September 10, at 5 p.m. at John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel, 657 Oak Grove Ave., in Menlo Park.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, September 11, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Raymond's Catholic Church, 1100 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery will follow.
Contributions may be made to the Santa Clara University Scholarship Fund, Development Office, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053, or to Sacred Heart Schools, 150 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton.
Arrangements were made by John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel.
Lavinia Bombaci Busa
Menlo resident for 40 years
Lavinia Bombaci Busa, who was a resident of Menlo Park for 40 years, died September 8. She was 88 years old.
A native of Messina, Italy, Mrs. Busa was preceded in death by her husband, Santi Busa, and her daughter Maria Frassisca. She is survived by her children Anthony Busa, Eleonora Puglia, Coralla Accurso, Giovanna Busa, and Linda Easley; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services have been held. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1720 S. Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo. Arrangements were made by the San Bruno Funeral Home.
