Obituaries Obituaries (November 16, 2005)

Richard Anderson

Lockheed engineer, trails advocate

Richard "Dick" Anderson of Portola Valley, an engineer, outdoorsman, and traveler, died October 30 at age 73.

Mr. Anderson was born in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA with an engineering degree in 1957.

For 33 years he was employed at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Co. in Sunnyvale, primarily designing electro-optical sensors for spacecraft. He served on many NASA and Air Force advisory and review boards.

After retiring in 1994, Mr. Anderson and his wife, Barbara, traveled overseas three to four times a year, visiting both developed and exotic locations, say family members. Mr. Anderson documented more than 20 trips to 30 locations on a Web site, dickandbarb.net.

A longtime hiker and backpacker, Mr. Anderson enjoyed all aspects of providing and maintaining public trails, say family members.

After moving to Portola Valley Ranch in 1983, he organized maintenance events to upgrade the trail system. While a member of the town of Portola Valley Trails Committee, he worked about 250 hours a year on the trails, designed and drew the town trails map, and laid out new trails on property being developed within the town.

Mr. Anderson, with his friend Marilyn Walter, also prepared the yearly hiking program for Portola Valley Ranch and led hikes all over the Bay Area.

Mr. Anderson is survived by his wife, Barbara of Portola Valley; son Victor Anderson of Burlingame; daughter Stacey Peradoto; and two grandsons.

Memorials may be made to Peninsula Open Space Trust, 3000 Sand Hill road, Menlo Park, CA 94025; or to a favorite charity. Services have been held.

Don Noren

Engineer and inventor

Don Wesley Noren of Atherton died November 3 after a three-year illness with pancreatic cancer. He was 73.

Mr. Noren was born in Santa Cruz, where he was a high school honor student and Eagle Scout. He graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in chemical and electrical engineering. In college he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and played varsity basketball. After graduation, he served for two years in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Noren met his future wife, Merillyn, in 1951 and proposed on their second date. They waited a year, however, to announce their engagement and were married in 1953.

Mr. Noren worked at Litton Industries until 1968, when he founded Noren Products; he served as the company's president, CEO and chief design engineer. He held more than 50 patents, most for thermal transfer devices.

Mr. Noren was active in many community organizations including the PTA, Toastmasters of Redwood City, the Suburbans, Menlo Park Rotary Club, and Peninsula Children's Theater Association.

He is survived by his wife, Merillyn of Atherton; brother Dean Noren of Cool, California; children Cheryl Lynn Webster of Aptos, Kimberley Dawn Findley of Larken Valley, California, and William Wesley Noren of Niles; and four grandsons.

A memorial service was held November 14 at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. Memorials may be made to the Don Noren Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, c/o University of California, San Francisco, 1600 Divisidero, San Francisco, CA 94115.

Edward Hanson

Former Menlo Park resident

Edward Harry Hanson of Chico died November 3 at a care facility in Chico. Mr. Hanson, who lived in Menlo Park for 55 years, was 88.

Mr. Hanson was born in Redwood City and graduated from Sequoia High School in 1935. He graduated from San Mateo Community College. While working at Yosemite National Park he met his future wife, Frances (Jane). They were married in 1942 in San Diego.

During World War II, he worked for Consolidated Voltee Aircraft Co. in San Diego.

After the war, the couple moved back to the Bay Area, where he worked in the offices of Union Oil Co. for 35 years.

For 50 years, Mr. Hanson also worked directing traffic, parking cars and ushering at Stanford University football games.

Mr. Hanson was a scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America in Menlo Park. He received many honors and attended National Jamborees in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and Idaho. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping, hiking and fishing in Yosemite, Lassen and other national parks, say family members.

Mr. Hanson is survived by his wife of 63 years, Frances Hanson; son Robert Hanson of Chico; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Another son, Richard Hanson, died in 1982.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 19, at Bidwell Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chico.

Anna Heidbreder

Longtime Menlo Park resident

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 19, at Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Ave. in Menlo Park, for Anna Heidbreder. A reception will follow in the church hall.

A resident of Menlo Park for 67 years, Ms. Heidbreder died November 12 in San Jose. She was 93.

Ms. Heidbreder was born in Russellville, Missouri, and moved to California in 1935. In 1937 she married Arthur Heidbreder. Mr. Heidbreder, who was employed at Peninsula Creamery in Palo Alto for 35 years, died in 2003.

Until she retired at age 72, Ms. Heidbreder was in the catering business, preparing and serving food for private dinners and parties. She also taught her three daughters to be cooks. They sometimes helped her with dinner parties.

Bethany Lutheran Church was an important part of Ms. Heidbreder's life, say family members. She was a charter member of the church, which was founded in 1950. She was an active member of the Mary Martha Guild, and helped put on many church dinners.

Ms. Heidbreder is survived by her daughters Pat Cisneros, Marilyn Galla and Carol Barikmo, all of San Jose; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025; or to a favorite charity.
George L. Dragan

Woodside resident

Woodside resident and high school district official George L. Dragan died Monday, November 14. He was 80. The Almanac will run an obituary in a future issue.

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