Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!PIAZZA
James Charles Piazza
James Charles Piazza died in Woodland Tuesday, July 5 at age 78.
Mr. Piazza was born Sept. 14, 1926 in San Jose. He had been a Yolo County resident for 40 years. During World War II he was a MP staff sergeant with the U.S. Army and later was stationed in Japan. He had been a restaurant owner for 45 years and also owned the Koffee Hut in Woodland for 33 years. He was a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge.
Survivors include Mr. Piazza's wife of 38 years, Eva Piazza; his sons, James Piazza and his wife Linda of Dublin, Charles Piazza and his wife Krista of Woodland and Michael Millard of San Bernardino; his stepdaughter, Cheryl Smith of Woodland; his grandchildren, Mia, Jackie, Amanda, Danny, Tyler, Melissa, Tyler and Rachel; his great-grandchildren, Joseph and Brianna; and his brothers, Vince Piazza, Joe Piazza, Roy Cilia and Johnny Cilia. He was preceded in death by his sister, Teresa Jabin.
The family requests memorials in Mr. Piazza's name be directed to the charity of the donor's choice.
Services: A Mass of Christian burial is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, July 8 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 301 Walnut St., Woodland. Interment will follow the service at Monument Hill Memorial Park. McNary's Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.
PIERCE
Crystal Mae Bennett Pierce
Crystal Mae Bennett Pierce died in Woodland on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2004, at age 88.
Born Aug. 23, 1915, in Atkins, Ark., Mrs. Pierce was the six of nine children of the late Caleb Nathan and Hattie Sherrill Bennett. She grew up in Vian, Okla., and graduated from high school there often riding to school on a horse. She marriage Loren (Whitey) Pierce of Gore, Okla., on May 17, 1936. She was a member of the New Testament Church.
Survivors include her son, Norris Harrold Pierce; daughter, Lorena Sherrill Moutter; sister, Leona Reimer; five grandchildren and their spouses; 11 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Loren (Whitey) Pierce, in Dec. 25, 1983; and son, James N. Pierce.
Arrangements are under the direction of McNary's Chapel of Woodland.
Services: Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, Friday, Feb. 20, at McNary's Chapel, with the funeral service commencing at the Chapel at 2:30 p.m. Interment will follow the service at Monument Hill Memorial Park, Woodland.
BREWER
Leola 'Lee' Willes Brewer
Leola "Lee" Willes Brewer of Robbins died at UC Davis Medical Center Friday, Dec. 31 at age 70.
Mrs. Brewer was born Oct. 29, 1934 in Lehi, Utah to the late George and Ima Willes. She had been a Yolo County resident for 29 years. She had worked as a waitress, bartender, truck driver and U.S. Mail rural transporter.
Survivors include Mrs. Brewer’s children, Leola Fay Provencio of Manteca, Richard Brewer and his wife Tamara of Vallejo, Barbara Gyles and her husband Dennis of Elk Grove and Paul Brewer of Woodland; her grandchildren, Michael S. Kane and his wife Lynnette of Manteca, Victoria Tague of Citrus Heights, Aimeé Stacey Jr. and her husband Alfred of Sacramento, Monica and Steven Brewer of Vallejo and Meaghan Brewer of Woodland; her great-grandchildren, Jena Tague, Jessica and Michael Edward Kane and Alexandria Chensa Stacey; her companion of 26 years, Roy Chadwick of Robbins and her brothers, Fred and Frank Willes. She was preceded in death by her husband, William "Bill" Edward Brewer; her children, Donna, David and William Ray Brewer; her son-in-law, David Provencio; her parents, George and Ima Willes and her brother, Ralph Willes.
The family requests memorial donations in Mrs. Brewer’s name be directed to The American Cancer Society, 1765 Challenge Way, Suite 115, Sacramento, 95815.
Services: Respecting the wishes of Mrs. Brewer, no services are scheduled. Evergreen Memorial of Sacramento is assisting the family with arrangements.
STROUGH
Willis E. Strough
Willis E. "Bud" Strough died Feb. 19, 2001, in Omaha, Neb. Born Dec. 30, 1924, in Plattsmouth Neb., to Perry Everett and Viola Jane (Willis) Strough, he was 76.
He retired from working with the U.S. Postal Service in 1990, after a 26-year career. He then worked as a Quest Lab courier.
He attended Lincoln Berean Church and was a former member of North Star Lodge #227, F&AM. During his life, he was an avid woodworker.
He is survived by a wife, two sons, two daughters, 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, many of whom live in Nebraska, as well as a large extended family.
Locally, he is survived by a sister-in-law, Mary Gieber of Woodland.
A funeral service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Roper and Sons Chapel in Lincoln, Neb. Burial will be at Lincoln Memorial Park. Memorials can be made to Habitat For Humanity.
CANEVARI
John Charles Canevari
John Charles Canevari died Monday, June 17, 2002, at Woodland Memorial Hospital at age 82.
Mr. Canevari was born May 19, 1920, in Santa Rosa. He served in the U.S. Army for four years and the Enlisted Reserve Corps for two years.
After a career as an accountant at Fort Douglass, Salt Lake City, Utah, he moved his family to Woodland in 1955. He retired in 1996 from Canevari Brothers to care for his ailing wife.
He was a member of Woodland Elks Lodge No. 1299, Woodland Pedro League, and Holy Rosary Parish. He was also active with the Babe Ruth Baseball League, Yolo Post No. 77 baseball League, and the Northern California Softball League.
According to family members, he loved coaching softball.
He is survived by daughters Sheri Canevari of Woodland, Therisa Friedrich and husband Bill of Woodland; and sons John C. Canevari II and wife Deborah of Woodland, Tony Canevari and wife Kay of Santa Rosa, and Brett Canevari and wife Tonya of Woodland.
He is also survived by grandchildren Tina Ehrke, Stephanie Burns, Courtney Friedrich, Kristopher Canevari, Chase Canevari, all of Woodland; Niki Kougher of Los Angeles, and Hailey Canevari and Emily Canevari of Santa Rosa; six great-grandchildren, brother Charles Canevari; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Mr. Canevari was preceded in death by wife Marguerite in 1997 and son Douglas John Canevari in 1994.
A vigil is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 20, at McNary's Chapel. Graveside services are scheduled at 11 a.m. Friday, June 21, at Monument Hill Cemetery on Highway 16 west of Woodland.
The family requests donations be directed to Yolo Hospice.
McNary's Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.
VARGAS
Jose Damian Vargas
Jose Damian Vargas died in Woodland Memorial Hospital Thursday, March 20, 2003, at age nine months. Jose was born June 1, 2002, in Woodland.
Survivors include his parents, Jose and Elena Vargas of Woodland; brother, Adrian Vargas and half-brother, Ruben Vargas Jr. of Woodland; grandparents, Ruben and Estella Vargas of Knights Landing and Manuel Gonzalez of Mexico; aunts, Aurora Vargas and Sandra Vargas of Knights Landing; uncles, Antonio and Felipe Gonzales of Woodland and Mario and Raul Vargas of Knights Landing.
The family requests memorials be directed to Wells Fargo Bank, c/o Jose Gonzales, Trustee, 444 Court St., Woodland, 95695 in his behalf. Arrangements are under the direction of McNary's Chapel.
Services: Mass was conducted Wednesday, March 26, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, with a burial followed at St. Joseph's Cemetery of Woodland.
WEST
Dorothy Lillian West
Dorothy Lillian West died on Feb. 12, 2003, in Snohomish, Wash. Born on Aug. 25, 1916, in Central North Carolina to Henry and Beth West, she was 86 years old.
In 1922, the family moved to Miltonview, Kan., where her father joined the teaching staff at Wesleyan Methodist College. In 1931, her father accepted the position of president at Marion College in Marion, Ind., and it was from there that she graduated in 1938 with a double major in music and English.
She subsequently completed a master's degree in musicology at Ball State University and enjoyed an impressive career as a music teacher in Indiana where her performing groups won innumerable regional and state competitions.
In 1968, she moved to Davis to join her brother, who had accepted a faculty position at the UCD School of Medicine. She remained in Davis until 1999 when she rejoined her then-widowed brother in Snohomish, Wash.
The years between 1968 and 1999 were glory years for her. Early on, she was hired as the music and art teacher at Emerson Junior High School, where her choral groups achieved impressive success. She founded a junior high barbershop quartet, unique at the time, paving the way for boys to join performing groups such as the Madrigals and the Jazz Choir.
She was extremely active in musical activities throughout the community, serving as Davis Comic Opera Company pianist for countless productions, as well as with other local music groups. After her retirement, she served as organist and choir director in several local churches, most notably St. James Catholic Church, a position she held until her move to Washington.
She was not only an excellent teacher, a dear friend to many and a staunch supporter of aspiring musicians, but also a generous human being who gave of her time, talents and possessions beyond measure.
She will be remembered as a gracious, mild-mannered person always giving credit to others, never assuming the center of attention. In fact, she was a multi-talented person who wrote beautifully and created wonderful works of art in many media. In her earlier years she was a performing vocalist. She loved music, family, nature and her many friends.
She is survived by her brother, Theodore West; two nephews, David and Donald West; a niece, Lynn West Hereth; a grand-niece and three grand-nephews, all residents of Washington.
A Requiem Mass and memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 22, at St. James Church in Davis. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. Remembrances can be sent to Ted West, 8807 72nd St., S.E., Snohomish, WA 98290-5871.
