Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Florence Greenfield McDonald
Longtime Menlo resident
Florence Greenfield McDonald, a native of Montana and longtime Menlo Park resident, died Thursday, July 2. She was 96.
The wife of the late Alex M. McDonald, Mrs. McDonald is survived by two children, Joan M. Buechner of Menlo Park and Justice Alex C. McDonald of San Diego, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services were held Saturday, July 11, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Menlo Park. Interment was at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Albert J. Mangini
Portola Valley native
Albert J. Mangini, a graduate of Portola Valley School and Sequoia High School, died June 29 in Orem, Utah. He was 85.
Mr. Mangini was born in Portola Valley in 1913. During World War II he served three years in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific.
After retiring from his hardwood flooring business, he divided his time between Portola Valley, Palo Alto and Hawaii. Prior to his death he was living with his family in Orem, Utah.
He is survived by his brother Jack Mangini of Portola Valley; sister Rose Baleri of Redwood City; daughter Sharlene Southwick of Orem, Utah; four grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
A memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady of the Wayside in Portola Valley on Friday, July 17 at 11 a.m.
Nadine Whiteaker
Former Sequoias head nurse
Nadine Whiteaker, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, died July 3 at the home of her son William in Medford, Oregon.
Born in Edgewood, Illinois, in 1910, she worked as a registered nurse for more than 50 years, including work as a private duty nurse, 30 years at Stanford Hospital, and as head nurse at the Sequoias retirement community in Portola Valley.
In 1941 while working as a private duty nurse in Monterey, California, she met and marriage Raymond Whiteaker. They lived in Menlo Park, where they raised three children, Robert, William and David. Mrs. Whiteaker also had a son, Donald Craig, before she marriage Mr. Whiteaker, now deceased.
She was an active member and Past Worthy Matron of the Menalto Eastern Star. After retirement from nursing, Nadine lived in Redwood City, San Jose, Sacramento and Coos Bay, Oregon.
She is survived by a brother, John, and a sister, Lois; her four sons; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Cards and letters may be sent to: William Whiteaker, 402 Ogara St., Medford, OR 97501.
Sylvia Sanders
Teacher
Sylvia Sanders, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, died September 27 after an 11-year battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She was 56.
Born Sylvia Rose Rankin in Vicksburg, Mississippi, she received a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Arkansas in 1963. She received a master's degree in education from San Jose State University and taught elementary school in the Ravenswood School District for several years.
In San Francisco, Mrs. Sanders taught at several elementary schools. For the last 15 years, she taught at Commodore Sloat School, where she mentored many student teachers and was designated acting principal. Mrs. Sanders was also recognized by the Who's Who Among American Teachers publication.
She is survived by her husband, Donald Russell Sanders of Menlo Park; daughters Jennifer McCullough Levine and Justine Rankin Webb; son James Coy Webb of Mountain View; brothers Dr. Mike Rankin of San Francisco and Dr. Gerald Rankin of Vicksburg.
Services have been held. Memorial contributions may be sent to Commodore Sloat School Scholarship Fund, 50 Darien Way, San Francisco, 94127.
Willard "Bill" Gere
Geologist
Willard C. "Bill" Gere died in Menlo Park September 20 at the age of 77.
A native of Kansas, Mr. Gere served in the U.S. Army during World War II. A graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in geology, he worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C., and Menlo Park for 30 years. He was a member of the American Association of Petro-Geology, and was known to have "liked the entire Earth, but preferred the crust."
Family services were held at Holy Cross Cemetery under the direction of John D. O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel. Memorial donations may be sent to ACT for Mental Health, a nonprofit organization for low-income adults and children who are mentally disturbed, at 441 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95111.
Lyla E. Fenton
Musician, Realtor
Lyla Eveline Fenton, who first moved to Menlo Park in 1945 with her family, died October 3 at Lytton Gardens Health Care Center in Palo Alto. She was 95.
Mrs. Fenton was born in Paris, Illinois, moving to Menlo Park from Madison, Wisconsin. Her husband, the late Dr. Leonard "Howard" Fenton, was a chiropractor, with offices in Menlo Park for many years.
The family lived in both Menlo Park and Atherton, moving to Scotts Valley when Dr. Fenton retired. Mrs. Fenton returned to Menlo Park and lived at Glenwood Inn for several years after her husband died in 1984.
A real estate agent with the Joseph Beh Company, Mrs. Fenton was a member of the Menlo Park Business and Professional Women's Club and the Children's Home Society. A musician, she sang in the Presbyterian Church choir and as a soloist at weddings when living in Wisconsin. She also played the piano and mandolin.
Mrs. Fenton is survived by her daughters Ferne Calcaterra of Atherton and Faye Rhodes of Santa Clara, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Private services with Burial at Skylawn Memorial Park were under the direction of Crippen and Flynn Chapel in Redwood City. Donations may be made to a favorite charity.
Dalton Hoskins
Retired Naval commander
Dalton Hoskins, a career officer in the U.S. Navy, died Oct. 6 in Menlo Park. His ashes were scattered from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by the Navy.
Retiring as a commander, he moved to Menlo Park in 1968. He is survived by his widow, Anne Rose Hoskins. Private family services were held at John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel.
August H. Schilling
Scion of Schilling spice family
August H. Schilling, grandson of the founder of Schilling spice company August Schilling, died October 9 in Woodside after a brief illness. He was born in San Francisco September 15, 1915.
Mr. Schilling, who grew up in San Francisco and Woodside, served as president of the Schilling Estate Co. and of Leslie Salt Co. For many years, he was on the board and executive committee of the Pacific Lighting Corp.
He was a 50-year member of the Pacific Union Club, a longstanding member and past president of the McCloud River Club, and served as president and director of the Peninsula Symphony Association.
After attending The Tamalpais School, he graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1937. He was twice decorated for service as a Naval intelligence officer during World War II. He returned to the Bay Area with his family in 1946 and has been a resident of Woodside since 1954.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Tracy Schilling; five children; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother, Alexander H. Schilling of Portola Valley.
Private services have been held. The family prefers that memorial contributions be made to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Peninsula Symphony Association, or a charity of choice.
Harold H. Johansen
Cattleman
Harold H. Johansen of Atherton, a self-employed cattleman, died September 25 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Livermore. He was 57.
Mr. Johansen attended Las Lomitas School, Menlo-Atherton High School and Menlo College. He was a member of the San Mateo County Horsemen's Association and one of the original members of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Junior Posse.
Mr. Johansen is survived by his mother Dorothy Johansen of Atherton, daughters Marie Stuber of Livermore and Kirsten Johansen of Gilroy; sister Diane Seifert of Atherton; brother David of Orland, and three grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Clint Eastwood Youth Program, CHOMP Foundation, P.O. Box HH, Monterey CA. 93942, or to the Veterans Administration Hospice, 795 Willow road, Menlo Park 94025.
John A. Clark
Engineer and teacher
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, October 26, at Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford University, for John A. Clark who died suddenly at his residence in Menlo Park on September 2. He was 63.
An engineer and former teacher at Foothill Community College, Mr. Clark was owner of Clark Plumbing and Electric in Menlo Park.
All friends and colleagues of Mr. Clark are invited to attend his memorial service and are asked to bring written memories of him to be made into a commemorative booklet. Donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Edwin Hoffman
War, news photographer
Veteran news photographer Edwin Hoffman, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, died October 14 at Kaiser Hospital. He was 74.
A native of San Francisco, Mr. Hoffman first became interested in photography at age 12, and taught himself to take pictures with a "Baby Brownie" and later, a 4x5 Speed Graphic. He shot photos for his high school yearbook, and took commercial and news jobs.
After graduating from high school, he went to work for the Associated Press, then enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942. During World War II, Mr. Hoffman did experimental color photography and later ran an intelligence photo lab.
After the war, he went to work for Acme Photos and later for United Press International.
His professional work included graphic images shot during his three years covering the Korean War, photos from the Squaw Valley and Tokyo Olympics, and the Berkeley student riots.
Mr. Hoffman left UPI in 1967 to work in industrial and aerial photography, shooting pictures for the airlines and FAA, and documenting plane crashes.
He is survived by sons Brent Hoffman of Portland, Oregon, and Mark Hoffman of Novato. He was preceded in death by Eugenia, his wife of 46 years, who died in April.
Janet Rice
Community volunteer
Janet Orr Rice, a past member of the board of directors for what is now the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, died in Menlo Park of Alzheimer's disease Oct. 27. She was 77.
Mrs. Rice was born and raised in Globe, Arizona. She attended the University of Arizona for three years and, after marrying her husband Rex in 1942, transferred to the University of Southern California where she graduated.
The Rices lived in Palos Verdes Estates in Southern California until 1954 when they moved to Poughkeepsie, New York. While in California, Mrs. Rice worked as an assistant librarian for Northrup Aircraft in Hawthorn. In Poughkeepsie she was a "pink lady" volunteer at Vassar Hospital and active in the American Association of University Women.
The Rices moved to Sharon Heights in Menlo Park in 1963. Mrs. Rice continued her activities with the Menlo-Atherton branch of AAUW and joined the Menlo-Atherton Newcomers Club, and, later, Atherlons.
As a representative of Atherlons, she, together with Carolyn Miller and Margo Ritter, served on the board of the newly formed Herbert Hoover Boys Club, now the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, for several years. She was also a gourmet cook and dedicated homemaker.
Mrs. Rice is survived by her husband Rex; sister Letty Howard of San Diego, and brother David Orr of San Mateo.
Arrangements were under the direction of Redwood Chapel, Redwood City.
Memorials may be made to the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, 1109 Hilton Street, Redwood City.
Beatrice Colthorpe
Homemaker
A vigil service will be held Tuesday, November 3, for Beatrice Colthorpe, who died October 28. She was 88 years old.
A native of Macon, Georgia, Mrs. Colthorpe lived in Menlo Park for 32 years. She was preceded in death by her husband Albert Edward Colthorpe, who died in 1995.
The vigil service will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Crippen & Flynn Funeral Chapel, 400 Woodside Road in Redwood City. On Wednesday, November 4, a funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Wayside Church, 930 Portola Road, in Portola Valley.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Peninsula Humane Society, 12 Airport Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94401.
Melanie Carrillo Laugesen
Orchidist
Melanie Carrillo Laugesen, a sixth-generation Californian and resident of Menlo Park for 40 years, died October 23. She was 80.
A native of San Francisco, Mrs. Laugesen was an avid flower arranger, orchid aficionado and cook, family members said. She was a past member of the Junior League and the Outdoor Art Club of Mill Valley.
She is survived by her daughter, Elyse L. Barca of Atherton; her son Kau C. Laugesen of Redwood City; grandchildren Dane Christian Barca, Whitney Nicholson Barca and Cortney Laugesen; siblings Carlos E. Carrillo and Frank Carrillo; and son-in-law David B. Barca.
Services have been held. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022, or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Walter L. Bray
Furniture store owner
Walter Lauren (Larry) Bray died October 1 at his home in Portola Valley after a long battle with leukemia. He was 71.
Mr. Bray was a native of San Francisco and a graduate of San Francisco Polytechnic High School. He served in the U.S. Army and owned and operated Bray's Maple House in San Mateo for 40 years after taking over the family business.
The Bray family moved to Portola Valley in 1966. After retiring in 1986, Mr. Bray enjoyed golfing, woodworking and cultivating his bonsai trees. A member of Sons in Retirement, he also spent time learning about his Native American Yurok heritage.
Mr. Bray is survived by his wife of 47 years, Marie, of Portola Valley; son Michael of Campbell; daughter Linda Smith of San Mateo; and two grandchildren.
A private family memorial service was held. Donations may be made to MidPeninsula Hospice Foundation, 65 El Camino Real, Menlo Park 94025.
Maxine Kieninger
Michigan native
Maxine Kieninger died at her Menlo Park home October 21. She was 68.
A native of Michigan, Mrs. Kieninger cared for the nuns at Menlo Park's Sacred Heart School as a nurse for 15 years.
She is survived by her husband Albert; six children; three siblings; and 12 grandchildren.
Services have been held. Arrangements were made under the direction of John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel in Menlo Park.
Friedrich Valschitz
Native of Austria
Friedrich Valschitz, 74, died October 1 while vacationing in his native Austria.
Mr. Valschitz arrived at Stanford University in 1957 to become an administrator in the school's material science department.
He is survived by his wife, Adelheid.
Services have been held.
