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Merlin Loring Snyder (1st of 2 obits.)
Merlin Loring Snyder was born Aug. 9, 1959 in Lakeport, and died Saturday, July 16, 2005, at the age of 45.
Merlin graduated from Woodland High School Class of 1978, and has been an integral part of the Robinson Rancheria and more recently worked in the Security. He will be missed by all that knew him.
He is survived by his mother, Barbara White of Scott's Valley; brothers, Ron Anderson, Arvid White, Bruce White and Wendell White; sisters, Elmira, Doris, Carmella and Quita White. He is also survived by nieces, Buffy, Theodora, Littlefawn, Larena and Melinda; nephews, Nicholas, David, Nathan, Richard, Bruce, Angelo; and many other relatives and friends.
Viewing will continue today, Thursday, at 4 p.m. at Chapel of the Lakes. Friends are invited to attend a funeral service at 11 a.m. Friday, July 22 at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 1625 High St., Lakeport. Interment to follow at Hartley Cemetery, Lakeport.
Merlin Loring Snyder (2nd of 2 obits)
Merlin Loring Snyder died Saturday, July 16, 2005 at age 45.
Mr. Snyder was born Aug. 9, 1959 in Lakeport. He graduated from Woodland High School in 1978. He worked for the Robinson Rancheria in Security.
Survivors include Mr. Snyder's mother, Barbara White of Scott's Valley; his sisters, Elmira, Doris, Carmella and Quita White; his brothers, Ron Anderson, Arvid White, Bruce White and Wendell White; his nieces, Buffy, Theodora, Littlefawn, Larena and Melinda; and his nephews, Nicholas, David, Nathan, Richard, Bruce, Angelo.
Services: Services were held Friday. Interment was at Hartley Cemetery, Lakeport. Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
SOARES
Velda I. Soares
Velda I. Soares died Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005 at Alderson Convalescent Hospital at age 90.
Mrs. Soares was born July 30, 1914 in Woodland. She had been a Yolo Country resident for 20 years. She graduated from Castlemont High School in Oakland and studied nursing afterwards. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include Mrs. Soares' daughters, Linda Fischer and her husband Victor, Vicki Facciuto and her husband Vincent and Jackie Soares; her granddaughter, Nicole Facciuto; her grandsons, Mark Eastman and Michael Facciuto; great-grandsons, Glen and Keith Eastman; her brother, Vernon Jerry Mathwig, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred Soares; her daughter, Diane Eastman; her infant son, Joseph Soares and her son-in-law, Alan Eastman.
The family requests memorials in Mrs. Soares' name be directed to the donor's church, parish or the charity of the donor's choice.
SOBBA
Eugene F. "Gene" Sobba
Eugene F. "Gene" Sobba passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004 at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Crystal City, Missouri. He was 76 years old.
Mr. Sobba was employed at General Motors in paint repair for 36 ½ years. He was a veteran of the United States Army in World War II and a member of Park View Baptist Church in DeSoto Missouri.
He is survived by his sons Timothy Sobba and Ted Sobba of DeSoto, Missouri, Pete L. Sobba, of Blackwell, Missouri, Mitch Sobba and his wife Laura, of Cadet, Missouri and a daughter, Meleah Paddock and her husband Ray, of De Soto, Missouri; a brother James Sobba and his wife Zelma, of Cameron Park; a sister Mary Hattabaugh, of Winters; grandchildren John Sobba and his wife, Shelly, Melissa Martin and her husband, Tim, Alesha Recar and her husband Mike, and Erin Paddock; great-grandchildren Megan and Anna Sobba and Allison Rose Recar.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemary Ellen Sobba, and grandchildren Katrina and Michael Ray Sobba.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Dietrich-Mothershead Chapel. the Reverend Brian Law officiated. He was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in DeSoto, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 9374 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132.
Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Dietrich Mothershead Funeral Home.
SODERQUIST
Charles "Charley" Soderquist
Charles "Charley" Soderquist, a businessman and philanthropist who donated countless amounts of time and money to UC Davis, other community organizations and environmental protection efforts, died Tuesday, March 3, 2004.
Soderquist, 57, suffered a brain hemorrhage and died
12 days later at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento. He lived next to the Sacramento River in the Natomas area.
A successful businessman, Soderquist founded the Technology Development Center, a business "incubator" that helped fund startup technology companies.
Soderquist was a generous UC Davis donor; among his gifts was $250, 000 to build the Buehler Alumni & Visitors Center. He also funded the Soderquist-Snyder Distinguished Speaker Series, which brought writer John McPhee to campus in the fall, and he spearheaded a campaign to build a new research center at Lake Tahoe.
His generosity extended far beyond money. He was chairman of the UC Davis Foundation, finishing a two-year term started in 2002. He served as president of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association from 1996-98 and was the UCD alumni representative on the University of California Board of Regents from 1997-98. He also served on the UC Davis Connect board of directors as well as numerous boards for community organizations and private companies.
UCD spokeswoman Lisa Lapin said today that Soderquist supported virtually every aspect of the university. In addition to his philanthropy and volunteerism, he taught entrepreneurship courses at the UCD Graduate School of Management.
"He was one of the biggest advocates for the university we have ever had, " Lapin said. "It was more than his money, it was the devotion of his time and energy and enthusiasm. Charley didn't do things for recognition, he did them for the possibilities of the future.
"He was just unbelievably kind and generous and gracious, " Lapin said. "At the same time, he had a cantankerous nature. When he saw things he thought the university wasn't doing well, he pointed them out. He didn't hesitate to do that."
The exact amount of his monetary contributions to the campus is unknown.
"It's not something we've tabulated, " Lapin said, adding that Soderquist was known to give money whenever he noticed a need. Lapin said he once walked into a university department, saw a broken-down copy machine and donated money on the spot to buy a new one.
UCD Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said in a statement that Soderquist decided more than a decade ago that he was going to add the university to his "causes."
"He went at it analytically, like the good businessman that he was, learning through service on the Foundation and Alumni Association boards, " Vanderhoef said. "We laughed many times together about what he one time called the 'blundering, boggling, bungling' policies and academic traditions of the university to which he was giving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"He seemed noticeably more understanding, though never entirely, after his two-year stint as a UC regent," Vanderhoef continued. "One thing was certain, though - through it all he had proud, grateful, fond feelings for the faculty, the history and the hopeful intentions of UC Davis. He was generous with his time and money and he wanted to help."
"That, finally, was what Charley was - a caring man who wanted to help. I can't quite imagine our campus without him."
Celeste Rose, vice chancellor of university relations, said today, "The university has lost a true friend."
"There's no question that he cared for the university and he gave very generously of his time and his treasure and his talent, " Rose said. "He always wanted us to be better, so he was also generous in his constructive criticism. He will be sorely missed."
Rose recalled the way Soderquist, with his ponytail and relaxed attitude, contrasted sharply with other UC regents. But he quickly gained the respect of all, she said.
UCD English professor Jack Hicks, a close friend of Soderquist, noted his many interests from science to business to the environment and literature.
"Charley Soderquist was a renaissance man in the true sense, " Hicks said.
Among his many talents, Soderquist was also an author. He wrote two books, "The Waring Blender" and "Sturgeon Tales: Stories of the Delta, " a series of meditations and essays about life on the river told through conversations with characters including a sturgeon and a beer-drinking river rat.
Soderquist's wife, Jan Goggans, said he was dedicated to the university because "it changed his life." Goggans said the university helped him develop a clear sense of his own value and what he could do in the world.
"He had the biggest heart of anybody I've ever met, " she said. "He was very funny, he delighted in breaking rules and getting things done."
Family and friends said Soderquist also loved the Delta and the natural environment.
"He loves the river passionately, like a wife," Goggans said.
In recent years, Goggans said he put his heart and soul into environmental work. He became very active with the Nature Conservancy and was instrumental in a large land purchase for the Sacramento Valley Conservancy. He was also a consultant with the Resources Law Group, where he helped to negotiate buffer zones and land purchases, and he donated to the Sacramento Regional Community Foundation to provide grants to community land projects, Goggans said.
Born on Jan. 9, 1947, in San Carlos, Soderquist completed his undergraduate work at San Francisco State University. At UC Davis, he earned a master's degree in 1973 and a doctorate in environmental chemistry in 1978.
He was the founder and handyman at East Davis Hot Tub Works and then, along with Paul Taylor and Tony Wong of UCD, founded Cal Labs, which he epitomized on his license plate as "BMF LAB."
Soderquist started the Technology Development Center and associated seed-stage investment funds. He also founded and led several dozen companies, many spin-offs from UCD endeavors.
He served on boards of community organizations including KVIE Channel 6, the PBS station in Sacramento; the California Historical Society; and Audubon California. And he served on numerous boards for private companies including Lipomics and Hayes Medical. He received several dozen awards for his university involvement, business and philanthropy.
Soderquist is survived by his wife, Jan Goggans; his daughter, Jessica and her husband Paul Giannini and their children Olivia, 3, and Henry, 1, of Portland, Ore.; his son Chris and his wife Karen and their children Scott, 4, and Ty, 1, of Sacramento; his stepdaughter, Ellen Probst of Sacramento; and his brother, John and his wife Lisa.
SOETEN
James Howard Soeten
James Howard Soeten died in his Woodland home Tuesday Aug. 27, 2002, at age 66.
Born June 27, 1936, in Van Nuys, Mr. Soeten was a Yolo County resident for 10 years. He was the son of Mabel (Howard) Soeten and James Kenneth Soeten.
Mr. Soeten was a Regional Ombudsman. His family said he was loved and respected by many people throughout the community and he was honored with a perpetual plaque from the Ombudsman Services of Northern California for his extraordinary contributions for 2001 and 2002.
Mr. Soeten was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, in 1996.
He is survived by his sister, Marsha Weeks of Woodland; brother, George Soeten of Chino Hills; sons, Bret Soeten of Brigham, Utah, and Robert Soeten, Jeff Soeten and John Soeten, all of Bakersfield; daughters, Kim Halwax and Missy Wiseman, both of Bakersfield; grandchildren, Amy Camenish, Beth Wiseman, Jacob and Sam Wiseman, Matt Halwax, Christopher Goatchard and Ashland Nicole; and several nieces and nephews.
Mr. Soeten's grandson, Joshua Goatchard, died on the same day, Tuesday, Aug. 27.
Services for Mr. Soeten are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, at North Sacramento Funeral Home, 725 El Camino, Sacramento. Remains will be returned to the family.
SOLOMON
James Marcelle Solomon
James Marcelle Solomon, aged 32, died in Willits, Ca. in an automobile accident on Sunday, May 25, 2003. He is survived by his wife, Katie and also by his three children, Lakiea, 8; Julie-Annah, 5; and James Jr. Solomon, 2; and their loving mother, Tina, all residing in Eureka, Ca. their home. Also bereft are his Woodland grandparents, Wallace and Essie Solomon; brother Raymond, and a host of other family members. I, Josie Solomon, mother of James invite all my friends to join my family in celebrating the life of my beloved son, James from 1 to 3 p.m., on Saturday, June 14, 2003, at the Community Room of Sycamore Pointe Apartments (521 Pioneer Ave., Woodland).
