Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!NEEDHAM
Thomas Needham (1st obit.)
Thomas Needham died peacefully in his sleep on Aug. 18, 2002. He was 87 years old.
Born in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 1915, he was student body president of Sequoia High School in Redwood City, earned his bachelor's degree in economics at Stanford University and graduated from Stanford University Law School.
He was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II and continued to serve as a reserve officer at Treasure Island.
After serving his country, he enjoyed serving his community as an elected member of the San Mateo County School Board for nine years, as commander of the American Legion post in San Francisco and as a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He loved practicing law, and reveled in intellectual challenges and helping people. He practiced law in San Francisco until 1963, when he helped form Pacific Standard Life Insurance Co. and served as its general counsel. He worked with the company and its successors until he retired. He was known for his legal knowledge and keen wit.
He enjoyed spending time with friends and family. He loved to dance and belonged to Peninsula Assembly and the Davis Dance Group. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was renowned for his stories and jokes. He also belonged to several bridge groups.
A wonderful and loving husband and father, he is survived by his wife of 56 years, Marilyn Needham; son, Steven Needham of Woodland; and daughters, Nancy McDonough and Jeanne Brewer of El Macero. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren, Ryan, Gwen, Erin and Dylan Needham; Kelly and Ryan Brewer; and Katelyn and Megan McDonough. Nieces Sue Thureson and Sally Cover of Houston further survive him.
The Davis Funeral Chapel, 116 D St., is handling the arrangements and will host the visitation from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
A graveside service will be held Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Davis Cemetery on Pole Line Road. A reception will follow.
Thomas Needham - Corrected date for Thomas Needham (2nd obit.)
Visitation will be Friday and a graveside service will be Saturday for Thomas Needham, who died peacefully in his sleep on Aug. 18, 2002. He was 87 years old.
Incorrect dates were published in Wednesday's obituary.
Born in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 1915, he was student body president of Sequoia High School in Redwood City, earned his bachelor's degree in economics at Stanford University and graduated from Stanford University Law School.
He was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II and continued to serve as a reserve officer at Treasure Island.
After serving his country, he enjoyed serving his community as an elected member of the San Mateo County School Board for nine years, as commander of the American Legion post in San Francisco and as a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He loved practicing law, and reveled in intellectual challenges and helping people. He practiced law in San Francisco until 1963, when he helped form Pacific Standard Life Insurance Co. and served as its general counsel. He worked with the company and its successors until he retired. He was known for his legal knowledge and keen wit.
He enjoyed spending time with friends and family. He loved to dance and belonged to Peninsula Assembly and the Davis Dance Group. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was renowned for his stories and jokes. He also belonged to several bridge groups.
A wonderful and loving husband and father, he is survived by his wife of 56 years, Marilyn Needham; son, Steven Needham of Woodland; and daughters, Nancy McDonough and Jeanne Brewer of El Macero. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren, Ryan, Gwen, Erin and Dylan Needham; Kelly and Ryan Brewer; and Katelyn and Megan McDonough. Nieces Sue Thureson and Sally Cover of Houston further survive him.
The Davis Funeral Chapel, 116 D St., is handling the arrangements and will host the visitation from noon to 5 p.m. Friday.
A graveside service will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Davis Cemetery on Pole Line Road. A reception will follow.
NEEDLES
Howard Lee Needles
Howard Lee Needles died July 30, 2004, while at Hospice House in Monterey. He was 67.
A native of San Bernardino, he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from UC Riverside in 1959, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1963. He became a professor of textiles and material science at UC Davis in 1969 and remained in that position until his retirement in 1994.
During his retirement years, he continued to serve as a consultant and expert witness in textiles and forensics. Over his career, he authored some 117 publications, including two books, and received 10 U.S. patents.
He joined the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists in 1969. He was also a member of the American Chemical Society, the Fiber Society and the Society of Forensic Engineers and Scientists. In 1994, he was named a Division Fellow of the Cellulose, Paper and Textile Division of the American Chemical Society.
His post-retirement participation also included serving as Membership Committee Chairman for the Society of Forensic Engineers and Scientists. In 2003, he was awarded the prestigious Louis Atwell Olney Medal for outstanding achievement in the field of textile chemistry.
While living in Davis, Howard and his wife Deanna attended University Covenant Church, where Howard served as an usher and greeter. After moving to Pebble Beach, Howard continued to serve the UC Davis textile department as professor emeritus and often returned to Davis to visit collegues, to counsel graduate students and to assist where needed.
During his retirement, the couple were members of the Church in the Forest in Pebble Beach. They were also actively involved in the "Under-the-Tree Group, " which gathered for outdoor concerts at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and for other celebratory occasions.
Howard and Deanna enjoyed serving others through the local Meals-on-Wheels program and as volunteer docents for the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History and the Pebble Beach nature walk program.
He is survived by his wife, Deanna; two daughters, Ava Landee Daniels and Bob Carre of Fair Oaks, and Becky and her husband Tony and their children Brooke and Sadie of Davis; and three sons, Aaron, his wife Linda and their children Lucas and Sarah of Davis; Andy and his wife Lisa of Atascadero; and Dan, his wife Allison and their children Robby and Kyle of Folsom. He also is survived by a brother, Norman of Colton.
Howard and Deanna traveled broadly and touched the lives and hearts of many. As husband, father, grandfather and friend, Howard was cherished for his humor, generosity and devotion, his family says. He will be remembered with love and admiration and will be greatly missed.
His family is comforted by the compassionate care of Drs. Geiler, Hausdorf and Plainse as well as the staffs at Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula and Hospice House.
A memorial celebration will be held Friday at 3 p.m. at the Church in the Forest (Robert Louis Stevenson School Chapel) on Forest Lake Road in Pebble Beach.
At his request, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Hospice of Central Coast, 100 Barnet Segal Lane, Monterey, CA 93940.
NEEL
Dorothy Ilene Martin Neel
Dorothy Ilene Martin Neel passed away on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003, at Reston Hospital Center in Reston, Virginia, after a brief illness. She was born on Aug. 13, 1922, in rural Solano County to Allen and Lula Martin, local orchardists. She grew up in the apricot district of Winters and attended local schools. She graduated from Winters High School in 1940 as class valedictorian and went on to Healds Business School in Sacramento.
She worked for the PG&E before marrying Edwin E. Neel, also of Winters, on July 18, 1943. She accompanied him around the United States as a military wife and moved back to Winters in 1964 upon Ed's retirement from the Air Force.
While in Winters, Mrs. Neel was active in the Pioneer Presbyterian Church as a Sunday School teacher and member of the Ladies Guild, member of Fortnightly, Eastern Star and as a 4-H advisor. She was a published poet and avid baseball fan, following her favorite team, the Atlanta Braves. The Neels moved to Wenatchee, Washington in 1989 and resided there until Ed's death in 2001, when Mrs. Neel moved to northern Virginia.
She is survived by her son Edwin Jr. and his wife Cheryl of Sterling, Virginia; daughter Karen and her husband Robert of Chantilly, Virginia; and son Allen and his wife Donna of Nampa, Idaho; grandchildren Scott Neel and his wife Leah of Lorton, Virginia; Laura Brown and Timothy Brown of Chantilly, Virginia; and Sean Neel of Nampa, Idaho; sister-in-law Mae Martin of Winters; sister-in-law Virginia Yarberry and her husband Edgar of Willits, California; and nine nieces and nephews.
A graveside memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2003, at 11 a.m. at Evergreen Memorial Park, Wenatchee, Washington. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to central Christian Church, Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 1721, Wenatchee, WA 98807.
NELSON
Andrew H. Nelson
Andrew H. Nelson, age 91, died on March 4, 2006, at the UC Davis Medical Center.
A funeral begins at 2 p.m. Friday at Wiscombe's Davis Funeral Chapel, 116 D St., with interment to follow at the Davis Cemetery.
Born on July 22, 1914, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Andrew and Claudia McGlamerey Nelson, he marriage Ernestine Murray on June 14, 1937, in Los Angeles.
He retired as an engineering manager with the U.S. Postal Service following 42 years of service. The first 15 years of his postal career were spent transporting the mail by train from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Following his retirement, his love and fascination with the railroad led him to become a docent at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. He was a member of the Davis Masonic Lodge. His family said his grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought immense happiness to his life.
He is survived by his wife, Ernestine Nelson of Davis; his daughters, Dianne McSween and her husband John of Sonoma, and Linda Nelson of Davis; grandchildren, Karen Rosen and her husband Michael of Laguna Niguel, Kenton McSween and his wife Marywynn of Portland, Ore., and Debbie Johansson and her husband Dean of Davis; and great-grandchildren, Lindsay, Emilie, Andrew, Katurah, Autumn, Jake and Max.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the California State Railroad Museum.
NIEHAUS
Harry Niehaus
Harry Niehaus died on Thursday, April 3, 2003, at age 84.
Born Aug. 18, 1918, in Sacramento, Mr. Niehaus was marriage to Reta Niehaus on Valentine's Day 1975 and resided in Woodland. He served in the Pacific Theater during World War II as a member of the 184th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division. Participated in Aleutian, Kwajalien, Leyte and Okinawa Campaigns. He was a part member of the Woodland Elks Lodge, American Legion and had been active with his sons in the Boy Scouts of America and the Knights of Columbus. Citations included, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, American Defense Medal and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon.
Survivors include his wife, Reta Niehaus of Woodland; daughters, Judi Edwards and her husband Denis of Medford, Ore., and Kathy Anderson and husband Jim of Sacramento; sons, David Stotts of Chico, Chris Niehaus of Vacaville, Jim Niehaus and wife Evelyn of Sacramento, and Tom Niehaus and his wife Brenda of Orangevale; 10 grandchildren; and brother, William Walker of San Diego.
Arrangements are under the direction of McNary's Chapel of Woodland.
Services: A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 8, 2003, at St. John's United Church of Christ, 434 Cleveland St., Woodland.
NEIL
Anita "Toots" L. Neil
Anita "Toots" L. Neil, 92, born in Rocklin, California on June 23, 1912 passed away at her home in Winters after a brief illness on February 28, 2005 surrounded by her loving family. Visitation will be held at McCune Garden Chapel, 212 Main Street in Vacaville on Thursday, March 3, from 4 - 7 pm. And a funeral service is scheduled for 10 am. on Friday, March 4, at McCune Garden Chapel. Anita enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, sewing, golf and watching all the wildlife that visited her yard. She was a homemaker for 72 years. She leaves behind her husband of 72 years, Lewis Neil; sons and daughters -in-law, Walter and Sally Neil and Jerry and Janet Neil; four grandchildren, Sandy Neil, Laurie Hoskins, Clark Neil and John Neil; four great-grandchildren, Brock Neil, Ashlynn Neil, Sarah Neil and Katie Neil; all of Winters. She is preceded in death by thirteen siblings.
Donations can be made in Anita’s memory to: Yolo Hospice; P.O. Box 1014, Davis, 95617 or to Shriners Hospitals for Children; 2425 Stockton Blvd; Sacramento, 95817.
NELSON
Regina Nelson
Regina Nelson of Davis died March 27, 2004, at Cottonwood Healthcare in Woodland. She was 90.
Born Oct. 1, 1913, in Floresville, Texas, she was a Davis resident for 11 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Norborne Nelson, in 1996.
She is survived by her daughters, Marynell Nelson of New York and Laura Lei Hoskins of Dallas; and her sons, John Nelson of Davis, David Nelson of Washington, D.C., and Leland Nelson of Tucson, Ariz.
A private family service will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions in her name may be made to St. James Catholic Church, 200 W. 14th St., Davis CA 95616.
Arrangements are under the direction of Evergreen Funeral Service of Woodland.
