Obituaries are based on information provided by families and mortuaries.
Heather Claire Broome
Services for Heather Claire Broome will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Our Lady of the Wayside Church, 930 Portola Road in Portola Valley. A reception and buffet in the redwood grove behind the church will follow. Ms. Broome died Aug. 15 at Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City. She was 83.
Her lifetime achievement was continuing her career as a chemist, with special training in technical information services, while raising six children, say family members.
A resident of Woodside, Ms. Broome was born in Paignton, Devonshire, England. She attended Newnham College at the University of Cambridge, studying chemistry. She received a master’s degree in 1946.
In 1946, she married Kenneth R. Broome . Her early professional career included work as a research chemist for the Distillers Company in Tonbridge, Kent.
The Broome family immigrated to the United States in 1951, moving to Los Angeles, where Mr. Broome joined the aerospace industry. Ms. Broome became a technical librarian working with the U.S. Borax and Chemical Co. in Anaheim.
In 1964 the family moved to the Bay Area. Ms. Broome worked for Stanford Oil, and later, for Chevron Research Corp. In 1972 they moved to Reading, Pennsylvania, where they lived for the next 20 years. The couple became land developers, developing more than 100 residential lots in subdivisions in Berks County. They started a consulting engineering firm, K.R. Broome & Associates, which they relocated to Woodside in 1994.
Ms. Broome contributed to both the community and her church. She held leadership roles in the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters (learning computer skills to produce their newsletter at age 70). She was a member of the San Mateo County Grand Jury, a position she held until last December. She was a longtime member of the parish choir at Our Lady of the Wayside Church.
Ms. Broome is survived by her husband of 62 years, Kenneth; her children, Claire of Berkeley, Stephanie of Palo Alto, Rosemary of Woodside, Beth of San Diego, Jenny of Davis, and Martin of Newbury Park; and seven grandchildren.
The family prefers that memorial donations be made to the education fund of the League of Women Voters of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Harry Kirkwood
Harry Kirkwood, a resident of Menlo Park for 45 years, died at his home on July 14 due to heart complications. He was 90.
Mr. Kirkwood was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and attended local schools. He joined the U.S. Air Force during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946 as a captain and a U.S. Field Artillery liaison pilot. After the war, he served as a captain in the New Jersey National Guard from 1947 to 1952.
Mr. Kirkwood married Laura Elizabeth Craig in 1948, and they celebrated their 60th anniversary with family this year.
He graduated from New York University with a bachelor of science degree in 1951, and began work for AT&T in New York City.
In 1963, the family moved to Menlo Park, and he continued to work for Pacific Telephone in San Jose, Hayward, and Menlo Park. After almost 25 years, he retired in 1975. After retirement, he formed a number of successful real estate ventures, family members said.
Mr. Kirkwood was a member of the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club, San Francisco Marines Memorial Association, New York University Alumni Association, and Portola Valley Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include his wife, Laura Elizabeth Kirkwood of Menlo Park; sons Craig R. Kirkwood of Palo Alto and Douglas F. Kirkwood of Menlo Park; daughters Joan E. Cronin of Atherton and Elaine A. Watkins of Saratoga; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Max & Marion Caldwell Foundation, P.O. Box 1653, Capitola, CA 95010.
John Neves Brown
John Neves Brown, a resident of Woodside for 43 years before moving to San Martin, died July 22 at Santa Teresa Hospital in San Jose. He was 88.
Mr. Brown was born in Santiago, Chile. His father was American; his mother a native of Chile. He first came to the United States to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
He received a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago and his master’s degree from Northwestern University.
A teacher in the Palo Alto Unified School District for 30 years, Mr. Brown taught Spanish and French to generations of high school students.
He and his wife, Florence, were active in equestrian circles and owned the Rohn Stables on Canada Road in Woodside for 13 years. They were also members of the Los Altos Hunt (now Hounds).
Mr. Brown belonged to several dance clubs with his wife, as well as Woodside and Menlo Park tennis groups. He enjoyed travel in Europe, South America, and other locations during summer vacations. The Browns moved to San Martin in 1999.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Florence; and a brother, Harold Brown of Evanston, Illinois.
Jim D’Arcy
A requiem Mass for Jim D’Arcy of Menlo Park will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at St. Raymond Church, 1100 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. Mr. D’Arcy died peacefully at home on Aug. 14 at the age of 92.
A rosary will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, with visitation from 4 to 7 p.m. at Spangler Mortuary, 650 Live Oak Ave. in Menlo Park. Interment will be private at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma.
A complete obituary for Mr. D’Arcy will appear in a future issue of The Almanac.
Gary Kurtz
A funeral service for Gary Kurtz will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 1835 Valota Road in Redwood City.
Mr. Kurtz, a former resident of Woodside, died Aug. 13 at his home in Redwood City at the age of 70. As a teenager, he lived in Woodside and worked at Why Worry Farm. He was a member of Carpenters Union Local 217 and worked as a carpenter for 30 years, retiring in 1992.
Mr. Kurtz rode in the amateur rodeo circuit for many years and was a judge for the Woodside Junior Rodeo for 15 years. He enjoyed collecting classic cars and took part in car shows throughout California.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Diane; son Greg; and grandson Jake.
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