Issue date: October 07, 1998
Mary Helen Richards
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1921, she grew up with a mischievousness that stemmed from insatiable curiosity, optimism, and a gleeful sense of adventure, say family members.
In 1944 she graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in music. The following year she married Cedric W. Richards (Ricky) and began a career in teaching music in the public schools. In 1946 they moved to California, where they lived for the rest of her life.
In 1962, Mrs. Richards visited Zoltan Kodaly in Budapest, Hungary, where she studied his methods of teaching music. She based her own philosophy of teaching on Kodaly's methods.
As her work evolved, she established the Richards Institute of Music Education and Research, a nonprofit organization with branches in many parts of the world. She called her way of teaching "Education Through Music" or ETM, and wrote 17 books to support her ideas.
The University of Nebraska awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1978. As a result of her work, say family members, she will be remembered and loved by countless teachers and students throughout the world.
In addition to being dedicated to her work, Mrs. Richards was a "loving, exciting and often surprising wife, mother, and friend," says her son John Richards. "With her undying optimism and belief in the goodness of humankind, she managed to convey the concept of joy and a great love of life to many people."
She is survived by her husband Ricky; their four children, Trudi, John, Suzanne and Robin; and seven grandchildren: Galen, Katie, Jenny, Megan, Juan, Benjamin and Kara. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 17, at Ladera Community Church in Portola Valley.
Kent Auge Zimmerman
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Dr. Zimmerman received a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His interest in pediatric medicine and psychiatry developed during medical training at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and subsequent study at Johns Hopkins Hospital and New York Hospital.
During World War II he served in the Navy and Merchant Marine under the auspices of the U.S. Public Health Service. After the war he became the director of the U.S. Children's Bureau Mental Health Unit in Washington, D.C.
Returning to California in 1946, he joined the California Department of Public Health, rising to the position of chief of the Mental Health Service. In 1954, he began 23 years as chief of psychiatry and clinical director of family guidance services at Children's Hospital of the East Bay.
During this time, he also had a private practice specializing in working with children and families. He served as lecturer at Stanford and UCSF medical schools, and also held numerous positions in professional organizations with local, county, state and international scope.
He is survived by his wife Katherine Cook Zimmerman of Menlo Park; his sister Mary Roche of Springfield, Mass.; his daughter Katherine Miles Lincoln of La Canada; his sons Kevin of Berkeley, Eric of Potter Valley, and Jeff of Lafayette; four grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.
Services will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, October 11. Memorial donations may be sent to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Oakland.
Willard "Bill" Gere
A native of Kansas, Mr. Gere served in the U.S. Army during World War II. A graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in geology, he worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C., and Menlo Park for 30 years. He was a member of the American Association of Petro-Geology, and was known to have "liked the entire Earth, but preferred the crust."
Family services were held at Holy Cross Cemetery under the direction of John D. O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel. Memorial donations may be sent to ACT for Mental Health, a nonprofit organization for low-income adults and children who are mentally disturbed, at 441 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95111.
Elena Dovydenas Fiant
Ms. Fiant, longtime head librarian at the Half Moon Bay Library, died September 30 at her home in La Honda after a lengthy battle with ovarian cancer. She was 61.
She worked as a librarian in the San Mateo County library system since 1966, starting as children's librarian in San Carlos. Subsequently, she was bayside regional librarian for Portola Valley, Woodside, and Brisbane.
In Half Moon Bay, Ms. Fiant was librarian from 1978 until her retirement in 1995, which followed a serious fight against cancer in 1993 and 1994.
A native of Lithuania, she came with her family to the United States after World War II when she was 12 years old. She grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, attended Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, and received a master's degree in library science from Columbia in 1960.
Ms. Fiant began her library career while still in high school, working as a page at the age of 15 for 50 cents an hour. After graduate school and before coming to California, she served as librarian at E. Paterson Union High School in New Jersey, and as children's librarian at Brooklyn and Summit public libraries.
"Elena's great gifts of knowing truth and living with honor, to which all who knew her can testify, were attributable to her insight into things of the spirit," said her sister. "Another gift was her deep love of literature and reading and her passion for sharing that with others.
"Elena was a great believer in fostering a sense of community wherever she went, and the number of friends and acquaintances who survive her is countless."
Ms. Fiant is survived by her parents, Elena and Liudas Dovydenas of Vilnius, Lithuania; a brother, Jonas Dovydenas of Lennox, Massachusetts; a sister, Liuda Dovydenas of Brookline, Massachusetts, who stayed with her through her last days; and two nieces and a nephew; and many dear friends.
A potluck supper in the Pescadero church hall will follow the October 10 memorial celebration. Ms Fiant sang in the choir at Pescadero Community Church for many years.
In place of flowers, the family prefers contributions to the Sempervirens Fund, P.O. Drawer BE, Los Altos, CA 94023; the Pescadero Community Church; or a favorite environmental fund.
© 1998 The Almanac. All Rights Reserved.