Obituaries

A memorial Mass was set for 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 26, at St. Denis Church for Isolde Constantini Mein, who died January 20 in Southern California. She was 66.

A native of Mannheim, Germany, Mrs. Mein came to the United States in 1955. She was married to William (Bill) Mein in 1957.

The Meins lived in Stanford Hills in Menlo Park for many years before moving to Southern California several years ago. Mrs. Mein was a member of the St. Raymond's Mothers' Club and the Peninsula Volunteers. She was a competitive tennis player and an avid duplicate bridge player. She was a member of the Menlo Circus Club, Palisades Tennis Club and the Phoenix Club.

A dedicated volunteer, Mrs. Mein worked at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop in Corona del Mar and Share Ourselves at Our Lady Queen of Angels parish. She loved music and sang with several choral groups. Travel was a passion for the Meins, and they visited places all over the world.

Mrs. Mein is survived by her husband of 41 years, Bill; her sons, John, Roger, and David, and daughter, Cynthia; daughters-in-law, Stephanie, Rose and Valerie; seven grandchildren; brothers, Rudi and Edgar, and sisters Ingrid, Lioba and Beatrix.

The family prefers memorials to a favorite Catholic charity, the American Cancer Society, or the American Leukemia Society.

Jennie M. Becken

Longtime resident of Menlo Park

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 27, at 11 a.m. for Jennie M. Becken, who died January 22. She was 83.

A native of Barnesboro, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Becker had lived in Menlo Park since 1960 and was a long-standing member of Grace Lutheran Church.

She was employed at Macy's department store for many years before establishing Able Tax Services with her husband, Joseph Becken. Family members said she was devoted to her family and enjoyed gardening and sewing.

She is survived by her husband Joseph Becken; children Richard Cusimano and Virginia Johnstone; grandchildren Deborah Tislau, Cameron Johnstone, Felisa Cusimano, Dana Cusimano-Bates, and Andrew Cusimano; great-grandchildren Evan Tislau, Noelle Tislau, Nicky Jones, Austin Hadley, and Trevor Johnstone; and sister Josephine Cusimano of Jamestown, New York.

The January 27 service will be held at the funeral chapel of Roller, Hapgood & Tinney, 980 Middlefield Road, in Palo Alto. Memorial donations may be made to the memorial fund of Grace Lutheran Church, 3149 Waverly Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

Nancy Kelley Thesing

Artist

Nancy Kelley Thesing, a painter who studied in the graduate program at the San Francisco Art Institute, died January 17 after an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 55 years old.

Mrs. Thesing lived in Palo Alto, then Atherton for 35 years. Family members said she participated in many community organizations and was a member of the Stanford Chorus for over 20 years.

She is survived by her husband, Richard Thesing; children Brian, Mark, and Alicia; and five grandchildren.

Friends are invited to attend a memorial service at 3 p.m. Monday, February 1, in Stanford's Memorial Church. A reception will follow at the Stanford Cantor Art Center. Donations may be made to the Stanford Cantor Art Center for the Nancy Kelley Thesing Memorial Fund, which will provide art education for children at the center.

Margaret Aspinwall Russell Environmentalist

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, January 29, at Portola Valley Presbyterian Church to honor Margaret Aspinwall Russell, who died January 21. She was 98 years old.

A resident of Woodside since 1932, Mrs. Russell was born in Washington, D.C., and attended the Holton-Arms School there before attending Bennett Junior College in Millbrook, New York.

Her life was centered on volunteer work of many kinds, family members said. She did volunteer work for the Travelers Aid Society of San Francisco, going on to become a director of the society, and later president of its board. Later she was also appointed to the society's national board of directors.

She served as deputy director of volunteers of the Pacific area of the National Red Cross for several years, and was the national chairman of the Redwood Grove Committee of the Garden Club of America, working closely with the Save the Redwoods League, which acquired several new memorial groves through her efforts.

She was deeply involved in environmental issues as a member and past president of the Woodside-Atherton Garden Club for over 50 years. She also served on the board of UCSF's medical research institute, and was a member and past president of the Town and Country Club of San Francisco.

An early marriage to the late Col. Carlisle V. Allan produced her only child, Donald A. Allan. She was married for over 35 years to John Glascock Baldwin and after his death to George S. Russell, grandson of author Gertrude Atherton. She is survived by her son Donald Allan of Woodside; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Peninsula Open Space Trust or to the Save the Redwoods League.

Marcel Lazzareschi

Atherton resident

Marcel Lazzareschi, a longtime resident of Atherton, died at his home January 17. He was 78 years old.

A native of San Francisco, Mr. Lazzareschi graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1942 and served as a member of the President's Ambassadors. He fought in the South Pacific during World War II.

Mr. Lazzareschi is survived by his wife of 48 years, Lula; children Linda Friedel of Healdsburg, Larry Lazzareschi of San Mateo, Bart Lazzareschi of Fremont, and Lisa Beeso of Tracy; sister Leona Tarantino; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service has been held. Donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 150 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA 94612.

Violet M. Tesszary

Left native Hungary

A memorial Mass for Violet M. "Bogar" Tesszary, who left her native Hungary in 1948, was held at the Woodside Priory Chapel on January 17.

She died January 5 in her home in Portola Valley.

Miss Tesszary left Hungary with her companion Elizabeth Dioszeghy and immigrated to New Zealand. With the assistance of Vassar College and the sponsorship of Elizabeth Chamberlain of Woodside, they came to the United States in 1959.

She was employed by Stanford University for many years and lived in Ladera for many decades.

Miss Tesszary is survived by her half-brother Jozsef Makrai Jr. of Hungary and her close friends, Park and Elizabeth Chamberlain of Woodside and Marcie Singhaus of Ladera.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Hungarian Catholic Mission, 302 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028.

Marjorie Brown

Homemaker

Marjorie "Midge" Brown, a homemaker and native of Rumsey, California, died January 17. Family members said she was an avid golfer and an active member of the Atherlons.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Edward Brown of Menlo Park; son Stephen Brown of Mt. Shasta; and brother Chester Lloyd of Fremont.

Services have been held.

Maunie (Mary) D'Arezzo

Retired Laurel School secretary

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 30, at a Redwood City residence for Maunie D'Arezzo, who died January 19. She was 69 years old.

Mrs. D'Arezzo lived in Redwood City and Menlo Park for 41 years before moving to Aptos in 1994. She worked for the Menlo Park Elementary School District as a secretary at Laurel School for 14 years and, later, retired from the law firm of Brobeck, Phelger and Harrison in 1993 after many years of service.

She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and in-laws: Rob, Linda, and Jamie D'Arezzo; Judy and Antoinette Evans; Betsy D'Arezzo and Stephen, Dillon and Beau Baiocchi; Ken D'Arezzo and Beth Davis; and Jim, Kevin, and Kendal Roach. She is also survived by her brothers Richard, Lane and Bruce; and sister Dolorous King.

The service will be held at the home of Carol Moore at 1921 Kentfield Road in Redwood City from 2 to 5 p.m.

Donations may be made to the Cuddler Program at Stanford Hospital, the National Scleroderma Foundation, or to the MidPeninsula Hospice.

Rosamond Clarke Bacon

Well known at Stanford

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 2, for Rosamond Clarke Bacon, who died January 20 at Sharon Heights Convalescent Hospital in Menlo Park. She was 90.

The service starts at 4 p.m. at St. Bede's Episcopal Church, 2650 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park.

A longtime resident of Stanford, she was affectionately known to generations of students as the "dean of the Lower Row," and was admired for the collection of roses she tended along the circular driveway in front of her white Classical Revival home on Mayfield Avenue. She was the widow of mathematics Professor Harold M. Bacon.

Born in Ventura, Calif., she spent much of her childhood in Los Angeles, where her father served as a judge. She enrolled at Stanford in 1926, and quickly became involved in women's activities. As president of the Women's Athletic Association, she helped persuade the men's athletic board to build the Roble Gym for women. To win their case, the women paraded around campus with signs and attached them to cars, impressing some and annoying others.

After eaming her bachelor's degree in history in 1930, she taught elementary school in Lindsey in the San Joaquin Valley, then returned to Stanford as the first graduate student of history professor Thomas Bailey.

She earned her master's degree in 1932, then taught in Ventura for three years.

In 1938, she returned to Stanford and over the next eight years served a director of several women's dormitories.

After her marriage in 1946, she left the university payroll, but remained active in campus life and organizations.

A member of the Cap and Gown women's honor society, she is one of only three women who have been honored with a named Cap and Gown scholarship fund (Sandra Day O'Connor is another).

Her deep interest in campus history led her to suggest creation of the Stanford Historical Society, which was formed in 1976. She was particularly interested in pioneering women scientists, and in her later years extensively researched the life of early 20th-century biologist Nettie Stevens.

Mrs. Bacon is survived by her son, Charles; daughter-in-law, Cynthia Dusel Bacon; and grandson, Ian, all of Menlo Park.



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