Eveline T. Abraham
Eveline T. Abraham, 82, of Ojai, died Monday, July 14, 2003. She was born March 18, 1921 in Sommers, Conn., to William Abraham and Theresa Buckley Abraham. She had a sister, Nona. At age 7, she moved to Southwick, Mass.
She and her father raised champion beagles known as Congomod beagles. She graduated from Westfield High School and moved to Long Beach, Calif. in the early 1940s.
Miss Abraham worked as a supervisor for General Telephone for 20 years. When she retired, she moved to Ojai, where she ran Take a Break Pet Care. Her interests included animals and painting.
She is survived by her niece, Jane Burrier, of Huntington, Mass.; and grand-niece Amybeth Cummina and John William Cummina.
Miss Abraham's ashes will be buried in West Cemetery, Sommers, Conn. Memorial donations may be made to Help of Ojai or S.P.A.N. in Ojai.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 26, at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Leroy Melvin "Slim" Fleming
Leroy Melvin "Slim" Fleming, 79, of Ojai, died Saturday, July 26, 2003 of lung cancer in a Ventura hospital. He was born Aug. 12, 1923 in Rattan, Okla., and was a Ventura County resident for the past 57 years, coming from Bakersfield.
Mr. Fleming was an electrician, working for Rockie Mountain Drilling Company for 19 years. When they closed, he went to work for Cal Drill for five years, and also worked at Oil Well Supply. He worked for U.S. Steel for 20 years, retiring in 1991. His hobby was fishing.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Neola Fleming; stepson Robert Reynolds of Bullhead, Nev.; daughter Joann Tankersly of Tulsa, Okla.; brother Gilbert Fleming of Frasier Park; sisters Bernee Stevens of Oak View, Rosetta McKee and Lena Fay McKee, both of Oklahoma, and Durella Farmer of Florida; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Mr. Fleming was preceded in death by his son Jim and daughters Ann and Betty.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, July 31, at 2 p.m. at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura, with Pastor Dan Hull officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Joseph Reardon Funeral Home, 757 E. Main St., Ventura, where friends may visit today from 2 to 7 p.m.
Lillian May Mace
Lillian May Mace, 94, of Ojai, died Wednesday, July 23, 2003 in Ojai. She was born July 19, 1909 in Mountain Home, Idaho, and lived in Ojai for 15 years, coming from Maywood, Calif.
Mrs. Mace was a registered nurse, a graduate of Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Spokane, Wash. in 1932. She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She served in the Army Nursing Corp in Santa Barbara at Camp Roberts and in Okinawa during World War II. Her hobbies included cooking, knitting, sewing and watercolors.
She is survived by son Michael T. Mace and daughter Maureen Breton. She was preceded in death by her husband Howard T. Mace in 1998.
Private services will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sacred Heart School of Nursing, Spokane, Wash.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai. (805) 646-1451.
Lawrence Alan "Larry" Coke
Lawrence Alan "Larry" Coke, 52, of Falcon, Colo., died in his sleep Monday, July 28, 2003. He was born Dec. 21, 1950 at Foster Hospital in Ventura, and lived in Ojai for the next 18 years.
He attended school in Ojai, and then graduated from Santa Barbara City College in 1981. He worked at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara until he moved to Colorado Springs in 1985, where he was employed by County Health Partners. Mr. Coke was an X-ray technician.
He is survived by his daughter, Crystal Coke, of Ventura; his son, Michael Coke, of Colorado Springs; his parents, Merle and Wilma Coke, of Meiners Oaks; brother and sister-in-law Merle Jr. and Beverly Coke of Las Vegas, Nev.; and six grandchildren.
Robert Merkley
Robert Merkley died suddenly in Ojai on Friday, July 18, 2003.
Bob was born in Jasper, Indiana, on May 10, 1930, to Frances Eckert and Edwin Joseph Merkley. He had lived in the Matilija Canyon since 1976 and in Ojai on Fairway Lane since 1986.
Bob graduated from Jasper High School in 1949. He joined the Navy and served in the Korean War. A graduate of Denver University, Bob came to California in 1962 and taught in the Hueneme School District until his retirement in 1995.
Bob was very active in many community organizations. He loved helping with the Villanova events when his children were students there. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion, the Ojai Film Society and the Optimist Club of Ojai. He was co-owner of the Ojai Learning Center.
Bob is survived by his wife of 40 years, Dr. Fran Merkley; son Christopher; daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Jim McKittrick; granddaughters, Caitlin and Lauren; sisters Margaret Rush-Very and Mary Winkler; sister-in-law Edith Merkley; and several nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Mass was held for Bob at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Tuesday, July 22. Full military honors will be held for him at the Fort Roscrans National Cemetery in San Diego.
Bob was loved by so many. He will be truly missed by his wife, Fran, and his children, granddaughters, family, friends and all who were touched by his gentle and caring ways.
Anthony B. "Tony" Burgess
Anthony B. "Tony" Burgess, 92, of Ojai, died Saturday, July 26, 2003 at the Convalescent Care Facility of the Ojai Valley Community Hospital, surrounded by family and friends. He was born on December 27, 1910 at Duncan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, to Henry Lionell Brockett Burdett-Burgess and Ina Constance Burgess.
While his father was in France fighting in World War I, his younger years were spent in the company of his mother. As a young man, he studied civil engineering and became a surveyor, working first for logging operations on Vancouver Island, and then for many years for the city of Vancouver. In 1940, he married Phyllis Anderson.
In 1967, Mr. Burgess and his family emigrated to the United States where he found his true home in Ojai. He was employed as the caretaker for the rose garden at the Krotona Theosophical Institute. His interests included gardening, reading, music and naturalist activities such as bird-watching and hiking in the Ojai backcountry, an activity which he continued to pursue into his late 80s.
Mr. Burgess is survived his daughter, Barbara Burdett; his son, Richard and daughter-in-law Patricia; three grandsons; and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Phyllis Burgess, in 1991.
The family wishes to express thanks to the doctors and nursing staff at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Convalescent Care Facility for their kindness and courtesy.
In accord with his wishes, there will be no funeral of memorial service. His request was that those wishing to remember him, take a walk in the backcountry in his memory.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Edward Charles Dolde
Edward Charles Dolde, 84, of Ojai, died Wednesday, July 30, 2003 of natural causes. He was born Dec. 9, 1918 in South Bend, Ind., and lived in Ojai for five years. He had lived in South Bend for more than 50 years.
Mr. Dolde served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He is survived by his son, Doug Dolde, of Payson, Ariz.; brother Bill Dolde of South Bend, Ind.; and granddaughter Melody Montbleau of Payson, Ariz.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Dorothy Dolde, in 2000. Their ashes will be scattered together in the Pacific Ocean.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Frances Elizabeth Peacock
Frances Elizabeth Peacock, 85, of Carson City, Nev., died Tuesday, July 29, 2003 at Evergreen Care Center. She was born Jan. 4, 1918 in Ventura, Calif. to Bessie Dickerson and Frank Williams.
She graduated from Oxnard High School in 1935, and then worked for the city of Oxnard's water department. She married William R. Peacock on May 30, 1941 in Carson City, Nev. They lived in Oxnard and Ventura for a few years, and then moved to Ojai, where they lived for almost 50 years.
Mrs. Peacock worked for the state of California and Ventura County for a total of 38 and a half years. Her interests included traveling, doing volunteer work, playing bridge, going to stage plays and the symphony and reading mystery books.
She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Thomas V. and Laura Williams, of Gardnerville, Nev.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 45 years, William R. Peacock.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Capitol City Cremation and Burial Society in Carson City.
Walter L. Tilson
Walter L. Tilson, 83, of Camarillo, died Monday, Aug. 4, 2003 at Ojai Valley Community Hospital following a lengthy illness. He was born Dec. 14, 1919 in Corona, Calif., and lived in Ventura County for 32 years coming from Long Beach. He was an aeronautical engineer.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Dorothy Tilson of Camarillo; children George, Faith and Hope; grandchildren Conner, Shay and Jake; and sister Romayne.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Blair Linton Hainer
Blair Linton Hainer, 74, of Ojai, died Sunday, Aug. 3, 2003 at St. Joseph's Health and Retirement Center. He was born Jan. 24, 1929 in Austin, Minn., and lived in Ojai for four years coming from Cambria, Calif.
Blair achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, was one of the top State Farm Insurance agents in Southern California, and a commander of American Legion Post 432 in Cambria.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou "Mo" Hainer, of Ojai; three daughters, Debby Hellmich of Hacienda Heights, Calif., Terry Murphy of Hacienda Heights, Calif., and Suzanne Gunion of Rowland Heights, Calif; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Ellen Hastings and Ann Sanderson of the Midwest.
A Mass of Christian Burial was recited Thursday, Aug. 7, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Chapel, with Father Carroll Laubacher officiating. Interment
will take place at Riverside National Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Andrew Devin Pace
Our sweet Andrew Devin Pace, returned to our heavenly home and into the presence of our Father in Heaven on August 2, 2003 at the tender age of 20 months.
Andrew was brought into this world to the loving, open arms of his eternal family on November 19, 2001. He was always strong in spirit and loved by everyone he met. Andrew loved life. He was always full of happiness and possessed a love for all of Heavenly Father's creations. His smile and laughter were contagious. All were charmed by his unique and beautiful personality.
He loved his family and will always have an everlasting love from his family. We are so grateful to have had the privilege and blessed opportunity of having Andrew, a truly choice spirit, as a part of our family.
We will miss our sweet, precious little man who was perfect in every way. We will remember him for his happy spirit, his "giving five" to anyone who would receive it, his kisses, his hugs and all the energy and life that filled our Andrew's soul.
Andrew, we love you and are so thankful that you are eternally ours. We cannot wait for the happy reunion we know we will have with you soon.
Andrew was loved by so many and touched a lot of lives during his short life here on earth. He is survived by his parents, Devin Lane and Suzanne Rebecca Pace; his big sister, Cybill Rebecca Pace; his great-grandparents, Joseph Gutierrez and June Lowry; his grandparents Rosemary Wilkinson (Dean); Randall Jay Lowry (Ashley); Gary and DeLores Pace and his many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Services will be held at 12 noon, Thursday, August 7, at the Fillmore Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1017 First St., Fillmore, with Bishop David Starr officiating. A viewing will precede the services from 10 a.m to 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in Bardsdale Cemetery in Fillmore.
Arrangements are under the direction of the privately owned and operated Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
