Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Col. Richard Ware Mabee
West Point graduate
Col. Richard Ware Mabee died July 26 of a massive heart attack at his home in Atherton. He was 86.
A 1940 West Point graduate, he fought in World War II in the Aleutian Islands and later served as battalion commander in the 11th Airborne Division in the Philippines.
Col. Mabee continued on to Japan for occupation duty at the end of the war.
He received a graduate degree in East European studies from Indiana University and taught military science at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Later he was selected as military attache for duty in Finland. Col. Mabee retired from active duty in 1962.
He settled in Atherton in 1962, working first in defense electronics and later becoming assistant director of personnel for San Mateo County.
He originally aspired to be concert violinist but his plans changed after he won an appointment to the military academy, family members said.
He is survived by his daughters, Anne E. Murase of Tokyo and Marie-Alice DuMabeiller of San Francisco; and one grandson.
A funeral Mass was held at the Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park on August 2. Burial will be in Warrenton, Oregon, beside his wife Mildred, who died in 1995.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to a charity.
Spangler Mortuaries of Menlo Park provided funeral arrangements.
Elizabeth F. Targ
Psychiatrist; medical researcher
Almost 150 people gathered at the Hayfields in Portola Valley on July 25 to mourn the passing of Dr. Elizabeth Targ, a leading researcher in the field of mind/body medicine, who died July 18 of a brain tumor at age 40.
After a service at the Targ house, mourners filed to the organic garden planted by her mother, the late Joan Targ, who died just four years ago.
Dr. Targ spent her last two weeks in Portola Valley, according to her father, Dr. Russell Targ of Palo Alto. She died at her mother's house, which has a beautiful view of San Francisco Bay. A flowering pear tree has been planted in her memory.
At the time of her death, Dr. Targ was a practicing physician, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and director of the Complementary Medicine Research Institute at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.
Elizabeth Targ was born in New York, grew up in Palo Alto, and attended Palo Alto schools before going to Stanford for 10 years. There she became fluent in Russian as a translator, completed medical school, and earned a master's degree in neuropharmacology.
While practicing psychiatry at UC San Francisco, Dr. Targ was drawn to probe the possible role of mind, body and spirit in medical healing. Her interests spanned the range from schizophrenia to the health benefits of meditation and contemplative prayer.
Based on a study of the use of alternative medicine in treating women with late-stage breast cancer, Dr. Targ helped create a center sponsored by the Department of Defense at UC San Francisco, which she helped direct.
According to her family, Dr. Targ's greatest passion was her continuing study of the possible efficacy of prayer in healing. Her study suggesting that victims of HIV and AIDS who received prayers from distant healers of a variety of faiths had better outcomes than those who did not receive supportive prayers, won wide recognition, her family said.
Results were reported and discussed widely, including in Time magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. The topic is expected to be addressed in a soon-to-be-published article in Oprah magazine.
Dr. Targ also translated her research in a monthly column, "Open Mind -- Open Heart" in Spirituality and Health magazine.
Dr. Targ had just received funding from the National Institutes of Health for a study intended to teach distant healing and prayer to nurses and other health professionals. The study would have examined the efficacy of prayer on patients with a rare form of brain cancer, the same kind that killed her.
Dr. Targ is survived by her father, writer and laser pioneer Russell Targ of Palo Alto; her uncle, chess champion Bobby Fischer; her husband, futurist Mark Comings; and brothers Alexander Targ of Palo Alto and Nicholas Targ of Washington, D.C.
The family suggests donations to the Institute of Noetic Sciences, 101 San Antonio Road, Petaluma, CA 94952, or www.noetic.org.
Dr. Targ's papers can be seen at www.etarg.net.
Wilfred 'Frank' Cavier
Former Hewlett-Packard vice president
Wilfred "Frank" Cavier, a resident of Portola Valley for 40 years, died June 24 at the age of 91. Mr. Cavier was born in California and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1933.
Mr. Cavier spent nearly his entire working life in the employ of Hewlett-Packard. He became secretary-treasurer and a member of the board of that company in 1947, when it incorporated, and became vice president in 1957. After retirement in 1976, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and golfing.
A small private funeral was held June 27. In lieu of flowers, the family asks well-wishers to make donations to a charity of their choice.
Albert A. and Mary E. Meyer
Former Peninsula couple
Albert A. and Mary E. Meyer, a former Peninsula couple, were killed on U.S. 101 near Ukiah on May 25. The two had lived in Menlo Park in the 1960s. Mr. Meyer served with the Menlo Park Police Department for eight years at that time.
Both were sergeants in sheriff's departments, Mr. Meyer in Lake County and Mrs. Meyer in Sonora County.
Mary Meyer was a graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School and attended the University of California at San Luis Obispo. She was preceded in death by her father, Sgt. Ed Pabalis of the Menlo Park Police Department. He retired in 1966 and died in 1967. A memorial Mass was celebrated on May 25 at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in Ukiah.
The couple is survived by a son, James, of Kansas; a daughter, Shannon, of Windsor; and three grandchildren. Mr. Meyer is also survived by his sister Alena, of Burlingame. Mrs. Meyer is survived by her mother, Betty O'Halloran of Menlo Park; and her step-brother, Thomas O'Halloran.
John Wirth
Professor, historian, author
John Wirth, 66, died June 21 in Toronto, Canada, while delivering a talk to the Friends of Fort York. The resident of Atherton and Santa Fe, N.M., suffered a heart aneurysm.
Mr. Wirth attended Harvard and received a doctorate from Stanford University in Latin American history in 1967. He taught contemporary Brazilian history, environmental history and Canadian history at Stanford until his retirement early last month. He held the Gildred Chair in Latin American history at that institution.
In addition to his work as a professor, Mr. Wirth served as president of the North American Institute in Santa Fe, an organization dedicated to fostering better relations among the United States, Canada and Mexico. He had served as president and was a board member of the Putney School in Putney, Vermont, where he had once been a student.
Mr. Wirth authored or co-authored 12 books and enjoyed fly-fishing.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy Meem Wirth; sons Peter Wirth of Santa Fe, Timothy Wirth of San Francisco, and Nicholas Wirth of Santa Fe; brothers Timothy Wirth and John Wiebenson; sisters Carla Henebry and Mary Gilland; and three grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be sent either to the North American Institute, 708 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501; or to the Putney School, Elim Lea Farm, Putney, Vermont 05436.
Albert Ciardella
Owned Ciardella Insurance
A memorial service for Albert Ciardella of Menlo Park will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 2, at Peninsula Bible Church, 3503 Middlefield road, Palo Alto. He died on September 26 at the age of 70.
Mr. Ciardella owned Ciradella Insurance Services on the Alameda de las Pulgas in West Menlo Park. He was an active member of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, the Italian American Club of Menlo Park, and was a co-founder of the Amici Club. He lived his life to the fullest, bringing great love and joy to all who knew him, family members said.
He is survived by his wife Sandy; two sons, Chris Ciardella of Cupertino, and Anthony Ciardella of Mountain View; three daughters, Cheri Gray of San Jose, Cathi Ciardella of San Francisco, and Michelle Ciardella of Redwood City; and 18 grandchildren.
Donations may be made in Mr. Ciardella's name to the Community Pregnancy Center of Santa Clara County, 1150 Hillsdale Ave, Suite 104, San Jose, 95118.
Arrangements were directed by the Menlo Park Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries, 650 Live Oak Ave, Menlo Park.
Martha Bartson
Former Las Lomitas teacher
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 5, at St. Denis Catholic Church in Menlo Park for Martha Bartson, a long-time resident of Menlo Park and a teacher in the Las Lomitas School District. Ms. Bartson died in her sleep at Menlo Park Place on September 9. She was 95.
Ms. Bartson was a native of Nebraska. During World War II, she worked in a civilian capacity for the Army at the Presidio. She attended Columbia University and graduated from San Francisco State University, where she received her teaching credential.
In 1955, Ms. Bartson moved to Menlo Park and began her teaching career at the Las Lomitas district, first at Las Lomitas School and then as part of the teaching staff that opened La Entrada School. She remained at La Entrada until her retirement in the mid-1970s.
Ms. Bartson loved art, music and literature, particularly works of history and fiction, said family members. While she actually traveled only to Hawaii, relatives said she learned about the rest of the world by reading travel books. As pets, she had many blue parakeets over her life, all of which she named "Bluebell," they said.
Ms. Bartson is survived by her sister Esther Dwyer of Menlo Park; her sister-in-law Lucy Bartson of San Mateo; and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
Chester Johnson
Electronics executive, hiker
Chester (Chet) Johnson, a resident of the Midpeninsula for almost 60 years, died Sept. 23 from complications of blood clotting. He was 85.
He received his bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1940, where he met his wife of 62 years, Ruth Martin Johnson.
After spending the war years in Los Angeles working for Lockheed, he returned to Palo Alto in 1945 and was one of the early employees at Varian Associates, initially in production control and later as director of public relations.
In 1958, his family moved from Menlo Park to a home he personally designed on Westridge Drive in Portola Valley.
He left Varian in the early 1960s and became a management consultant to the emerging electronics industry. He was a founder of Applied Technology, one of the early technology firms in the Stanford Research Park.
Throughout his life, he set out to improve whatever he saw or experienced. In the mid-1960s he devoted himself to designing and patenting an innovative teaching machine based on the theory that students learn best when they immediately find out the correctness of their answers to test questions. The device recorded the number of multiple choice answers selected prior to the correct one and only allowed the student to continue on to the next question after giving the correct answer.
He and Ruth were avid travelers, especially in Europe. They spent several summers boating with family and friends on rivers and canals in France after purchasing the first motorized houseboat in the country. For over 15 years, they led hiking tours in the Swiss Alps, sharing with family, friends and others their love for the people and scenery of Switzerland.
In recent years, he devoted himself almost exclusively to caring for his wife, a victim of Alzheimer's Disease, at The Sequoias in Portola Valley, where they have resided the last 10 years.
In addition to his wife, Ruth, he is survived by his sons Mark of Seattle, and Bill of Palo Alto; and four grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held on October 12 for family and friends.
Those who wish may contribute to the Macular Degeneration Research Fund, P.O. Box 531313, Henderson, NV 89053, an organization dedicated to finding a cure or treatment for a degenerative eye disease that leads to the loss of central vision.
Robert C. Speicher
Real estate developer
A memorial service for Robert C. Speicher of Woodside will be held in the garden of his home October 5. Mr. Speicher died September 20 of melanoma. He was 55.
Born in Miami Beach, Florida, Mr. Speicher graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology and Harvard Business School. He was president of Castle Group, a residential real estate development company. His passion was landscape design.
A 14-year resident of Woodside, Mr. Speicher is survived by his wife of 33 years, Susan, and his children Stephen and Allison.
Robert Louis Consani Sr.
Retired Menlo Park firefighter
Robert Louis Consani Sr. died October, following a long battle with lung cancer. He was 67.
Born in San Francisco and raised in Palo Alto, he was a graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School and the College of San Mateo. A resident of Menlo Park and Grass Valley, he was a firefighter with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District from 1955 until he retired in 1989. He was also a professional painter.
After his retirement, Mr. Consani worked for RediWheels in San Mateo County, the Stanford golf course and the Gold Country Stage Bus Shuttle in Grass Valley, his family said. He was an active member of the Palo Alto chapter of the Elks Club.
Mr. Consani is survived by Sue, his wife of 45 years; his son Robert L. Consani Jr., a member of the Woodside Fire Protection District; his daughter Kathleen Consani of Menlo Park; his sister Evelyn Trentadue of Healdsburg; his brother Albert of Antioch; and three granddaughters.
A funeral Mass was held at St. Denis Church in Menlo Park. The family prefers memorial donations be sent to the American Cancer Society.
Forrest Fraser Tiffany
World War II vet, Woodside resident
A memorial service for Forrest Fraser "Tiff" Tiffany is set for Saturday, October 12, at 4 p.m. in the chapel at the Woodside Village Church, 3154 Woodside Road.
Mr. Tiffany died September 24 following a brief illness. He was 86.
Mr. Tiffany attended Montclair Academy in New Jersey and the University of Virginia, and earned his pilot's licensed by the age of 18.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and received a field commission while in Germany.
Before moving to Woodside in 1963, Mr. Tiffany held executive positions with Reynolds Metals Corp. and Olin Corp. He founded and served as executive director of the California Clinical Laboratory Association until 1985.
After his retirement he joined his wife in collecting antiques and participating in local antique shows. Mr. Tiffany collected antique cars and chauffeured Woodside's mayor in his 1939 Packard touring car in several May Day parades, family members said. He was also devoted to his family's cats, dogs and horses, they said.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Margaret; his children Gretchen Hensel of Cincinnati, Ohio, Joseph R. Tiffany II of Menlo Park, and Beverly Tiffany of Los Angeles; and four grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Peninsula Humane Society, 12 Airport Boulevard, San Mateo, CA 94401; or the Woodside Village Church in Woodside.
Edna F. Andrews
Longtime Menlo Park resident
Edna F. Andrews, a resident of Menlo Park since 1956, died September 26. She was 83.
Mrs. Andrews was born in Tuolome, California. In 1939, she marriage Russell C. Andrews. He preceded her in death.
She is survived by a daughter, Frances D. Holbrook; a son, Robert R. Andrews; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Private family services were held. Arrangements were directed by the Menlo Park Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries.
The family prefers that donations be made to the Pathways Hospice Foundation, 201 San Antonio Circle, Suite 104, Mountain View CA 94040.
Jean Low
Stanford graduate
Jean Low died in her Atherton home September 9 at the age of 85.
She was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, and moved to the Bay Area to attend college. In 1938 she graduated from Stanford University with a degree in history.
Her endeavors and accomplishments included world travel, designing and making clothes, photography, and writing and publishing several books on ancient artifacts.
"Jean's unique spirit and generosity were unparalleled and her outlook on life was infectious to those who surrounded her," said her granddaughter Melissa.
Mrs. Low is survived by her husband Remington Low; their son Remington Low Jr.; three grandchildren, Melissa, Jordan and Whitney; and daughter in-law Kerry Low.
A memorial service will not take place.
Rear Admiral Donald Gay
Decorated bomber pilot
Rear Admiral Donald Gay Jr., a decorated World War II bomber pilot, died of Parkinson's disease October 5 at the Forum in Cupertino. He was 88.
Admiral Gay lived in Menlo Park for 30 years with his wife, Micky, before moving to The Forum. His last tour of duty before retiring in 1969 was as commander of Fleet Air Wings, Pacific, commanding anti-submarine patrols for the Pacific Ocean.
A native of Newport News, Virginia, Don Gay grew up loving the water and all things naval. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1937 and won Naval aviator wings in 1941.
At the outbreak of the World War II, he commanded Bombing Squadron 105 and flew 60 combat missions. On D-Day, he led his squadron of B-24 bombers to help protect the invading force from attack by submarines. He received two distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, and two Air Medals.
Admiral Gay's military career included 20 assignments and 31 houses over 32 years. While he was director of service testing at the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River in Maryland, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Scott Carpenter were test pilots. They went on to make history on the moon, and become the subject of the book and movie, "The Right Stuff."
He also commanded the aircraft carrier USS Ranger when it was the Navy's largest vessel.
His first job as admiral was to command a carrier division through the Suez Canal and back on a goodwill tour to participate in international maneuvers in the Indian Ocean. On the way over, he recalled in a 1984 interview, hostile Egyptians lined the banks making ugly signs, while, Egyptian bombers made mock bombing runs over the ships. Soviet ships did not respond to goodwill messages.
Just before the last day of maneuvers, a Pakistan admiral informed Admiral Gay that President Kennedy had been shot. The task force steamed away in the night. "Coming back was a different story altogether," Admiral Gay, a noted raconteur, recalled in a gravelly voice. "There were messages from the Russian ships. The Egyptians lined the banks with great sadness."
His toughest and most frustrating assignment, he said, was as plans officer for the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific, during the Vietnam War.
Family members remember Admiral Gay as an accomplished golfer, tennis player, horseman, sailor, carpenter, artist, and storyteller. "He could bring hardened Marines to tears," says his daughter, Sunny Scott of Stanford.
Admiral Gay was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Mildred "Micky" Chamberlain Palmer, his son Don Gay III of Stanford, and a granddaughter.
Survivors include two daughters, Priscilla "Sunny" Scott of Stanford, and Tracy Cowperthwaite of Portola Valley; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held October 11 at the Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley. The family prefers donations the Parkinson's Institute, 1170 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089.
