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Nan Elizabeth Townsend Degelman
Surrounded by her family, Nan Elizabeth Townsend Degelman died Jan. 19, 2003 at the age of 86. She lived a rich and varied life.
Born in Portland, Ore., on Feb. 15, 1916, she moved to the Bay Area with her family. During the Depression, she became aware of the suffering of many working people who became homeless. During the general strike of 1934, she also observed machine guns placed on the rooftops of San Francisco buildings. These experiences inspired a life dedicated to peace and social justice.
She attended Reed College and earned a master's degree in social work from the University of California. After graduation, she departed for New York City where she lived in Greenwich Village, worked as a social worker and pursued her love of photography.
In Manhattan, she met and marriage John Degelman, a ship's radio operator and organizer for the National Maritime Union. Both she and John were members of the Communist Party when the promise of socialism attracted the best and the brightest.
The couple moved to Boston in 1941, where she gave birth to Sarah and Charlie. In 1947, the family moved to Littleton, Mass., where John began a career in medical-based electronics. A son Norman was born in 1954.
Following the death of her husband in 1964, she returned to Manhattan, where she earned a master's degree in English as a second language from New York University. She and her son Norman moved to the Bay Area where she taught ESL. In San Francisco, her interest in writing and led to a productive output of poetry, essays and memoirs that she continued for the rest of her life.
She retired from teaching and moved to the Sierra where she lived with her companion, Merle Simmons, a well-known nature photographer. After Simmons' death, she moved to Davis, where she participated in community life and advocated on a number of social and political fronts.
During her stay in Davis, she began to notice physical symptoms she attributed to agricultural toxins. She worked to influence policy concerning pollution in the Sacramento basin until the emerging symptoms of amytrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) made it imperative that she leave Davis. She relocated to San Francisco.
Despite an inability to speak brought on by Lou Gehrig's disease, she interacted with great energy and enthusiasm with her family and friends. She lived her final months, days and hours with the same grace, beauty, enthusiasm and independence that characterized her entire life. Bringing her life full circle, she died during the largest anti-war demonstration since the Vietnam War, marking a resurgence of peace activism in San Francisco.
She is survived by her sister, Jane Brown; daughter, Sarah Fuhro; sons, Charles and Norman; grandchildren, Tikvah and John Fuhro, Jocelyn and Jacob Benford, and Julianna Degelman; and great-grandchildren, Brian and Lillian O'Leary, Nate and Eli Benford, and Emily Ahn/Benford. Nephew Peter Brown, niece Nan Brown Egloff and their spouses and children also celebrate her life.
A memorial gathering will be held in San Francisco on a date to be determined. Contributions in her name can be made to the San Francisco office of the American Friends Service Committee.
DEH
John Deh
John Deh died on March 14, 2000. Born on Sept. 12, 1923, he was 76.
On Monday, March 13, he was found unconscious at his apartment complex parking lot and taken to Sutter Davis hospital. It was thought he had fallen and hurt himself.
Later, when his family was notified, a CT scan was requested and it revealed that extensive damage was done to his brain. An autopsy indicated that a few days earlier he had suffered a mild stroke and the fall had compounded the hemorrhaging.
Born in San Francisco as Deh You Jung, he was better known as ``Uncle' John or John by his friends. At the age of 19, in December 1942, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving as a wireless operator, stationed mostly in the Pacific area and honorably discharged in October 1945.
Starting his career in Hawaii in 1946, he continued to be employed with the federal government in the communications field. In 1959, he transferred to Davis to return to the mainland because of his desire to be closer to family and friends. The station in Davis was deactivated in June 1968 and he was transferred to Battle Creek, Mich.
In May 1974, he retired from civil service due to a disability and returned to Davis.
He lived in the same apartment on Sycamore Lane for more than 26 years. He loved to be among the students and all the facets of college community life. He attended and enjoyed many of the campus events -- such as jazz, theater, lectures and sports -- and would invite his sister and their families to join him. Although his vision was impaired, he bicycled over Davis every day, visiting his large circle of friends.
He will always be remembered for his wisdom that he instilled in all who knew him, family members said. He will be dearly missed.
He is survived by his brothers, Bob, David and Harry; sister, Helen and her husband, Clifford Tom; two sisters-in-law; and several nieces and nephews as well as grandnieces and grandnephews.
His request was to be cremated with no services. He wished that his friends and family would come together one last time for a good time, share some food and remembrances. The celebration of his life will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at Hometown Buffet, 4300 Florin Road in Sacramento.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Susan B. Komen Cancer Foundation or to any of UC Davis' scholarship programs.
DEL CASTILLO
Sara Crawford del Castillo
Sara Crawford del Castillo, a second grade teacher who taught in California public schools before her retirement in 1992, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004. Ms. del Castillo was 82 years of age.
Sara was born on March 15, 1922 in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was the daughter of Harold E. del Castillo and Helen Graham Farrar. The family moved to Houston, Texas in 1932 where Sara was raised by her father and stepmother, Elizabeth "Bess" del Castillo and graduated from Lamar High School. She marriage Ernest William Goodwin on April 3, 1943 and moved to Albuquerque, N.M. after her husband left the Army Air Corps at the close of World War II. Sara and Bill Goodwin had seven children together. Sara was a busy full time mother active in church, scouting and other activities.
Sara and Bill Goodwin were divorced in 1970. Relocating to Monterey, Sara supported herself and her children taking in boarders (especially Japanese adults studying English) and started college with the goal of regaining her proficiency in Spanish and becoming a school teacher. She graduated from the University of California in Santa Cruz in 1976. Sara taught in elementary schools in Colorado and California before retiring in 1992. She loved teaching English to Spanish speaking children, but was also interested in teaching Spanish to her English speaking students.
After retirement, Sara moved back to Albuquerque to be near family. She moved to Portland, Ore. in 2001 to be near one of her children. Known to her siblings as "Sadie, " to many of her friends as "Sally" or "Sara, " known to her grandchildren as "Abuela, " Sara lived a rich and varied life throughout the western United States and touched many lives, young and old along the way. Following retirement, she visited her many cousins in Cartagena, Colombia. She stayed in touch with this part of the family until her death.
She is survived by her children Bill and his wife Gloria, Rafael and his wife Lea, Greg and his wife Michele, Marc and his wife Kay, Rebecca and her husband Wayne Graffis, Peter and his wife Doris and Stephanie and her husband Eden Showers, along with 20 grandchildren, three great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Also surviving are four of her seven siblings sisters Terry Fahrenthold of Houston, Texas and Alice Jackson and Penny Christensen, as well as brother David del Castillo of Albuquerque, N.M. Sara was preceded in death by her sisters Helen Brook of Davis and Laural Case of Albuquerque, as well as her brother Harold E. "Bud" del Castillo of Albuquerque.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. in the Palm Chapel of Strong-Thorne Mortuary, 1100 Coal Ave. SE, Albuquerque, N.M.. Officiating will be Sara's nephew, Tim Fahrenthold of First United Methodist Church in Big Lake, Texas. Contributions may be sent to the Apple Tree Foundation, PMB 104, 1296 East Gibson Road, Woodland, 95776, specifying the Sara del Castillo fund for the Dingle Elementary School Library.
DELGADO
Delfino Delgado
Delfino Delgado died at Cottonwood Healthcare Center on May 30, 2005. He was 74.
Visitation is from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Evergreen Chapel, 327 College St. in Woodland. A Mass of Christian Burial will be recited at 10 a.m. Friday at Holy Rosary Church, corner of Walnut and Court streets in Woodland. Interment will follow at Knights Landing Cemetery on County Road 102 in Knights Landing.
Born Dec. 22, 1930, to Carlos and Sofia (Arellano) Delgado in Buena Vista, Guanajuato, Mexico, he grew up and attended schools there prior to moving to Yolo County, where he lived for the past 35 years. He was employed as a laborer in Yolo County agriculture for more than 30 years.
He is survived by two daughters, Hortencia and Norma Delgado of Woodland; and six sons, Roberto, Delfino and Raul Delgado of Woodland, Danny Delgado of Sacramento, Gustavo Delgado of Esparto and Horacio Delgado of Bakersfield.
He is further survived by his brothers, Robert Delgado of Woodland, and Juan and Refugio Delgado of Guanajuato, Mexico; and a sister, Elena Campos Delgado of Guanajuato, Mexico; 29 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Arrangements are under the direction of Evergreen Funeral Service of Woodland.
Dela TORRES
Delfin 'Del' Dela Torres
On Friday, March 19, 2004 at the age of 86, Delfin "Del" Dela Torres, passed away in his home. His wife Caryl and a close family friend, Michael Neigg, were with him.
Del was born in Kalaheo, Kauai, Hawaii on May 1, 1917. He was the youngest of thirteen children born to Antonio Dela Torres and Maria Caba Dela Torres. Antonio and Maria, along with four siblings at that time, migrated from Roja, Granada, Spain in April 1907 to start a new life in Hawaii. There, they worked on the sugar cane plantations. In 1928 when Del was 11, the family moved to California where they started their own family farming business, first in Morgan Hill and later in Gilroy. In 1942, hearing that farmland was plentiful in Yolo County, Del moved to Woodland. It was here that Del met and marriage his first wife Frieda Glunz Linderman and had three children. Along with raising his own family, Del took care of his aging parents. He bought them their home in Gilroy and supported them until their death. His love of family was strong and he continued that love with his own wife and children.
At the end of World War II, Del's brother Frank, joined him in Woodland where they farmed together for 34 years. When Frank retired in 1978, Del's son Ron Dela Torres became his partner and they farmed together until Del retired in 1986.
His love of farming started at the age of six, when to help his father get some rest at night, he would lie down in the ditch at the end of a row of tomatoes that was being irrigated. When the water reached him and got him wet, he would wake up and move to the next row. In those years everything was done by hand. No gadgets, no machines and no help, just hard, physical work and he truly loved what he did. He was the happiest when he was doing anything that had to do with farming. While most farmers took the winter months off, Del could be found in his shop fabricating equipment for the farm. He came up with several ideas that helped make farming a little easier.
Del was a unique person. He was a self made man. His education stopped at the sixth grade, but he could add a list of numbers in his head faster than a person with a pencil and paper and be accurate to the penny. He had a talent for music. He could pick up any instrument and teach himself how to play. The harmonica was his favorite. As a young adult, Del enjoyed flying airplanes. Although an automobile accident ended his ability to pilot an airplane, he never lost his love of aircraft. He would read anything that had to do with planes and could answer any questions about them. His word and his handshake was better that any contract because it could not be broken. He didn't lie, cheat or steal and if you were his friend, it was for life. He will be greatly missed after life.
Del is survived by his wife Caryl, son Ron Dela Torres and wife Linda, daughters Tina Tafoya and husband David, Sue Dela Torres, all of Woodland, grandchildren Ann Dela Torres of Reno, Ronda Neil of Oakley Ca., Allison Dela Torres, Stephanie Ruardado, Cory Acosta, all of Woodland, Melissa Tafoya of Sacramento, Chris and Margie Linderman of Dunsmuir, five great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Del was preceded in death by his first wife Frieda, his parents Antonio and Maria; twelve brothers and sisters and stepson, David Linderman.
Graveside services at Monument Hill Memorial Park are scheduled for Friday, March 26, 2004 at 11:30 a.m.
The family requests that remembrances be in the form of flowers or donations to the charity of the donor's choice. McNary's Chapel of Woodland is assisting the family with the arrangements.
DELAMARTRE
William E. DeLaMartre
William E. DeLaMartre died on the afternoon of Dec. 31, 2000. His wife of 53 years, Joyce, was at his side.
He was 75 years old. Born Oct. 7, 1925 in St. Paul, Minn., DeLaMartre had battled with the effects of a serious stroke for several years.
He was raised in St. Paul and served his country in the U.S. army during World War II. After his retirement from the Brown and Bigelow Company, he and his wife moved to Clinton, Minn., where they resided until 1998 when they moved to Topaz, Calif. The couple arrived in Davis in Sept. 1999 to be near their daughter.
DeLaMartre loved fishing, gardening and camping. He was active for years in the Davis United Methodist Church and sang in the choir.
DeLaMartre is survived by his wife, Joyce DeLaMartre of Davis; his daughter, Pat Gray and husband John of Davis; and son Bob DeLaMartre and wife Melissa of Duluth, Minn.; and a brother, Robert DeLaMartre and wife Audrey of Fridley, Minn.
Friends are invited to attend a memorial service on Friday, Jan. 19, at 1:30 p.m. at the Davis United Methodist Church on 1620 Anderson Road. In lieu of flowers, the DeLaMartre family requests that remembrances be made in his name to the Davis United Methodist Church Building Fund. Arrangements are under the direction of the Davis Funeral Chapel.
DELANO
Rosemond Belknap Delano
Rosemond Belknap Delano, a former Davis resident, died Aug. 1, 2003, at VacaValley Hospital after a brief illness. She was 96.
She was born March 19, 1907, in South Royalton, Vt. She attended the University of Vermont, Plymouth Teachers College in New Hampshire and graduated from Keene (N.H.) Teachers College in 1928.
As a young bride, she traveled with her husband to California, where she eventually taught for 29 years: first in Altura, then Quincy, where she was principal of Pioneer Elementary School for three years and finally in Red Bluff, where she taught kindergarten and reading for 18 years. She earned her California teaching credential and reading specialist certificate from Chico State College.
After retiring, she and her husband moved to Davis, then Vacaville.
Devoted first to her family and her church, was a member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, and the Order of the Eastern Star. A life member of the National Education Association, she was also a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma teachers honorary society. She enjoyed playing the piano, sewing, gardening and reading and also became involved in her husband's cycling hobby after retiring.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Edward R. Delano.
She is survived by son and daughter-in-law Edward and Karen Delano of Elk Grove, daughter and son-in-law Joy and Stan Newell of Folsom, daughter Joanna Eaton of Vacaville, 17 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.
At her request, no services will be held. Interment will be in the Belknap family plot at River View Cemetery in South Royalton.
