Obituaries Obituaries (March 16, 2005)

Mariella Unnevehr

Community volunteer

Mariella "Scotty" Mossman Wolf Unnevehr, a Menlo Park resident for many years, died March 5 at Pilgrim Haven Retirement Community in Los Altos. She was 87.

Ms. Unnevehr was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from UCLA in 1946. A former personnel manager with Southwest Airways in San Francisco and West Los Angeles, she also worked as a buyer for the Emporium in San Francisco.

Ms. Unnevehr was a former president of the Menlo-Atherton branch of the American Association of University Women and a board member of the Stanford Mothers Club. She was active in political efforts, scouting and fundraising for the National Parkinson's Foundation and other health-related associations, say family members. She also served as a Pink Lady at Stanford Hospital.

Her husband of 38 years, Rear Admiral Clarence Unnevehr, U.S. Naval Reserve, died in 1989. She was previously married to Dr. Clare Wolf.

She is survived by her son, Stephen Wolf of Los Angeles; daughter Laurian Unnevehr of Champaign, Illinois; and brothers Frank D. Mossman of Vancouver, Washington, and John Mossman of Spokane, Washington.

Private services were to be held, with burial at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. The family prefers donations to the Parkinson's Institute, 1170 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089. Arrangements were under the direction of Roller Hapgood & Tinney in Palo Alto.
Lillian Fishman

Longtime Menlo Park resident

Lillian Fishman, a resident of Menlo Park for 45 years, died March 3 in Menlo Park at age 78.

A native of Philadelphia, she met her future husband in San Francisco, and they were married in 1953.

She enjoyed socializing and volunteering at the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, which she did for 25 years.

Ms. Fishman is survived by her son, David A. Fishman of San Jose; daughter Devora Ann Weinapple of Menlo Park; sister Ann Feinstein of San Francisco; and two grandchildren. Her husband, Norman Fishman, preceded her in death.
Thomas Stephens

Former business executive

Thomas Mattei Stephens, a 50-year resident of Menlo Park, died March 4 at Stanford Medical Center. He was 85.

Mr. Stephens was born in Woodland, California. He was a graduate of the class of 1942 at UC Berkeley, where he met his wife, Kathryn Rushfort, and became president of Zeta Psi fraternity.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy officers' training program, spending his first months at MIT learning the emerging field of radar. He served in several major naval battles in the Pacific during World War II and was discharged with the rank of lieutenant.

During his business career, he was service manager for Ford Motor Company's Richmond plant. He started an automatic garage door manufacturing business, and later became president of the Dohrmann Division of Envirotech in Santa Clara. He retired, then returned to become an investor and vice president of research for Xertex in Santa Clara.

An outdoorsman, Mr. Stephens enjoyed camping, taking care of the family cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains, and fishing at his house at Lake Almanor. He enjoyed gardening, working in his shop and fixing things around the house, say family members.

Mr. Stephens is survived by his son, Jack Stephens, of Pleasanton; and eight grandchildren. His wife, Kathryn, and his son, Thomas M. Stephens Jr., preceded him in death.

Services were held March 12 at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. Memorials in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 1 Almaden Blvd., Suite 500, San Jose, CA 95113. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Spangler Mortuaries.
Rachel Hines

Former Florida resident

Rachel Neighbor Hines of Menlo Park died March 5 at Stanford Medical Center. She was 88.

Ms. Hines was a longtime resident of Florida who recently moved to Menlo Park to be with her daughter, Sylvia K. Hines, executive director of the Support Network for Battered Women in Mountain View. She is also survived by her nephew, William Shiel of Akron, Ohio.

Services were held March 9 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Spangler Mortuaries.

Jeanne Polson

Community, school volunteer

Jeanne Evans Polson, a longtime resident of Portola Valley, died February 26 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. She was 84.

Ms. Polson was born in Bloomington, Indiana, and grew up in Palo Alto. She received a bachelor of arts degree with honors from Stanford University in 1942. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society.

During World War II, she volunteered to work for the Red Cross and was stationed in Tonopah, Nevada, where she met her future husband, Dr. Adam Borden Polson, a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

They were married in 1948 and lived in West Los Angeles, where Ms. Polson became the second president of the Junior Arts Council, which supported the arts and raised funds for the Los Angeles County Art Museum.

The family moved to Portola Valley in 1961. Ms. Polson was a member of the Conservation Committee for the town of Portola Valley and a president of the Portola Valley PTA.

She maintained interest in contemporary literature, as well as a passion for politics and current issues. She had a deep appreciation for the California landscape, gardens and the beauty in nature, say family members.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Dr. Adam Borden Polson, in September 2004. She is survived by her children, Janet Smith of Portola Valley and Adam Polson of San Jose; stepchildren Peter Polson of Boulder, Colorado, and Alex Polson of University Place, Washington; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Her family will celebrate her life at a gathering in Portola Valley in late spring, around the time of her birthday. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022; or the donor's favorite charity.

Roosevelt Moore Jr.

Menlo Park resident

Friends are invited to attend funeral services for Roosevelt Moore Jr. at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 16, at St. John Baptist Church, 1050 Bay Road in East Palo Alto. There will be a quiet hour from 7 to 8 p.m. on March 15 at the Chapel of Spangler Mortuary, 650 Live Oak Ave. in Menlo Park.

Mr. Moore, a resident of Menlo Park, died March 10 at Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City. He was 62. Born in Duncan, Mississippi, he was employed as a machinist.

He is survived by his five children, Alphonso Moore, Karen Moore, and Michael Moore, all of Menlo Park, Silva Moore of Hayward, and Roosevelt Moore III of Modesto; his mother, Rosie Lee Moore; brothers Joseph, William, Charles and David Moore; sisters Mary Lee Blocker, Debra Crawford, Minnie Kroger, Dorothy Moore and Christine Redmon; 13 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

His wife, Ernestine Moore, preceded him in death.

Arrangements were under the direction of Spangler Mortuaries.
Mary Ann Kaisel

A memorial service for Mary Ann Kaisel of Menlo Park will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at Stanford Memorial Church. Ms. Kaisel died March 8 of pulmonary disease. She was 77. An obituary for Ms. Kaisel will appear in a future issue of the Almanac.

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