Obituaries Obituaries (June 02, 2004)

Rt. Rev. John Raymond Wyatt
Holy Trinity rector

A memorial service will be held for the Rt. Rev. John Raymond Wyatt, rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Menlo Park from 1957 to 1967, on Monday, June 7, at 4 p.m. at Holy Trinity, 330 Ravenswood Avenue. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. Bishop Wyatt died in his sleep on May 23 in Portola Valley. An obituary will appear in a future issue of the Almanac.

Mary Kathryn Preuss
Longtime resident

Services will be held Thursday, June 3, for Kay Preuss, a 55-year resident of Menlo Park and Los Altos, who she died March 24 after a long illness. She was 91.

Services will start at 1 p.m. at Spangler Mortuary, 650 Live Oak Ave. in Menlo Park.

Born in Walt Hill, Nebraska, she was a graduate of Saint Catherine's Nursing School in Omaha, and was a registered nurse.

Her husband was a longtime owner of Preuss Pharmacy in Menlo Park.

She is survived by her son, Thomas of Long Beach; and two sisters, Beatrice Bruce of Redwood City and Margaret Merriman of Walnut Creek. She also leaves companions Norma Trance and Apolonia Garza.

Rex Rice
Computing pioneer

Rex Rice, a resident of Sharon Heights for more than 40 years, died May 16 in Menlo Park after a short bout with stomach cancer. He was 86.

Mr. Rice was born in Douglas, Arizona, and graduated from Stanford University in 1940 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He joined Douglas Aircraft and later Northrup Aircraft and conducted research in stress analysis of sloped-wing design. At Northrup he became assistant director of computer services.

In 1955, Mr. Rice joined the IBM laboratory in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he took part in the development of the first fully transistorized digital calculator. His expertise in high-level language computing led him to join Fairchild Instruments, where he co-invented the dual-in-line package that became the industry standard. During his career with Fairchild, he became director of memory development with 16 patents to his credit.

Mr. Rice received the prestigious W. Wallace McDowell Award for highest professional achievement presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

During his younger years, Mr. Rice and his wife, Janet, were sports enthusiasts and had a ski boat they took to Lake Berryessa for water skiing. Loyal Stanford Cardinal football fans, they held season tickets to the games for many years. Until his last illness, Mr. Rice walked the hills of Sharon Heights every day.

When Janet Rice became hospitalized with Alzheimer's Disease, Mr. Rice visited her daily for several years. She died in 1998.

Mr. Rice is survived by his sister Mayanne Kirk of Evergreen, Colorado, and nephews Richard Orr of Hillsborough, David Orr of Tucson, Arizona, and Stephen Orr of Perth, Australia.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula, 1109 Hopkins Ave., Redwood City, 94065, where Mr. Rice's wife, Janet, had been a founding board member.

Theda Darley
Retired teacher

Theda M. Darley, a longtime Menlo Park resident, died May 8 at the home of her son, William Darley, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, of complications resulting from multiple strokes. She was 83.

Ms. Darley was born in Clarksville, Cache County, Utah, and graduated from Utah State University. She taught elementary school in Cache Valley before marrying William M. Darley on the eve of World War II.

In 1957 Ms. Darley moved to Menlo Park with her husband who had been accepted for doctoral work in educational studies at Stanford University. She taught at Hoover Elementary School and, later, at Kennedy Junior High School in the Redwood City School District, specializing in English and art. She retired in the early 1980s.

Ms. Darley was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is survived by son William of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; brother Conrad McBride of Boulder, Colorado; and five grandchildren.

Services were held May 13 at the Church of Latter-day Saints, Menlo Park Stake. Arrangements were under the direction of Roller Hapgood & Tinney, Palo Alto.

Nina Wells Cochran
Formerly of Atherton

Services were to be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, for Nina Cochran, a former resident of Atherton. She died on May 22 after a brief illness at age 91.

Born in Texarkana, Texas, she attended Texarkana College and Sacred Heart Convent in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In 1931, she came in second for the title of Miss Missouri.

She and her husband Ottis Wells moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, to pioneer Coca-Cola in New England, say family members. Later they lived in Salt Lake City, Oakland and Palo Alto. Mr. Wells died in 1970. She later married Fred Cochran. Ms. Cochran was a member of PEO Sisterhood, Peninsula Volunteers and the Palo Alto Auxiliary. She served on the boards of the San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Opera and was a member of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and the Menlo Country Club. In 2000 she moved to San Mateo.

She is survived by her daughter, Carolyn Wells of Menlo Park; stepdaughter Beverly Aarts of Washington, D.C.; three granddaughters; and five stepgrandchildren. Her daughter Susan died in 1987.

The family prefers donations be made to the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, Peninsula Volunteers, or the charity of the donor's choice.

Arrangements were under the direction of Roller Hapgood & Tinney.

Helen M. Beikman
Retired geologist

Helen Beikman died May 19 at her home in Columbus, Indiana. She was 75.

A retired geologist for the Department of the Interior, she served 34 years in various locations including Menlo Park.

Born in Seymour, Indiana, she was a graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor of arts degree.

She is survived by sister Mildred Graves of Seymour, Indiana, and several nieces and nephews.

Services were held at the Riverview Cemetery, Seymour, Indiana. Memorials may be made to the Hospice of South Central Indiana.

Iole Bruno
45-year Menlo Park resident

Iole Bruno, a 45-year resident of Menlo Park, died on May 23. She was 78.

Born in Ceva, Italy, she was an electrologist for 20 years. She is survived by her son Ermanno Bruno of Berkeley.

Private services were held at Woodside Chapel of Crippen & Flynn in Redwood City. At a later date, interment will be held in Italy.

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