Issue date: July 21, 1999
Mae Bancroft
Mrs. Bancroft was born in Georgia and raised in Quincy, Florida. She worked for the State Department in Washington, D.C., for several years, also in both Germany and Korea.
In 1955 she married Paul Bancroft III of Hillsborough. After their wedding in Japan, the couple moved to New York City. The family moved to Atherton in 1962, then to Greenwich, Connecticut in 1968.
Mrs. Bancroft moved to Menlo Park in 1975 and, after working there a few years, bought the European World Travel Agency in Menlo Park in 1979.
After retiring in 1992, she continued to enjoy travel. Family members said she took great pride in her garden and in helping families awaiting surgery results in the intensive care unit of Stanford Hospital.
Mrs. Bancroft is survived by her four children, Bradford of Los Angeles, Kimberly of Berkeley, Stephen of Barcelona, Spain, and Gregory of Winchester, Virginia; a brother, James Godwin of Panama City, Florida; and five grandchildren. Memorial donations in her honor may be made to the Stanford University Medical Center Auxiliary, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305.
Jonas Herman Bernelov
A native of Sweden, Mr. Bernelov was a self-employed master builder who worked in the Bay Area for many years.
He is survived by his children, Ingrid De La Torre of Menlo Park, Elsa Bernelov of San Jose, and Lennart Bernelov of Sweden; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association, One Almaden Boulevard, Suite 500, San Jose, CA 95113-2214. Arrangements were made under the direction of Spangler Mortuaries in Menlo Park.
Shirley Boeddiker
A third-generation San Franciscan, Mrs. Boeddiker attended Marin Junior College and San Francisco College for Women. She was employed as a dental nurse, as well as at I. Magnin and the Schilling Spice Company.
She was married to Robert Boeddiker in 1944. Mr. Boeddiker is a director of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District.
The mother of seven, Mrs. Boeddiker also found time for volunteer work for Stanford Hospital Auxiliary, the Children's Health Council, Kiwanis Club of Menlo Park, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Family members said she enjoyed gardening, family vacations and traveling around the world with her husband.
In addition to Robert, her husband of 55 years, Mrs. Boeddiker is survived by her sons, Bob of Hawaii, Jim of Elk Grove, Tom of Menlo Park, Bud of Hillsborough, and Bill of San Francisco; daughters Kitty Lorenz of Livermore, and Carol Boeddiker of Livermore; and seven grandchildren.
David Willis
Mr. Willis was born in Palo Alto and raised in Pasadena. After graduating as an ensign from the Navy's V-12 program during World War II, and from Stanford University with a degree in engineering, he took part in geophysical exploration of Alaska's north slope. He obtained an MBA degree from Harvard and earned a master's degree in geology and a doctorate in geophysics from Stanford University.
As a research geologist for Shell Development Company in Houston in the 1950s, he was involved with some of the earliest uses of computers for commercial and research applications. He directed the design of special computers used in defense applications while working at Lockheed Missiles and Space Corp.
Believing in the computer as a new business and scientific tool, in the early 1960s he founded Systems Analysis, the first software company in the Bay Area, family members said. After selling the company, he devoted his time to his family, personal scientific research and publishing.
His scientific research developed new theories in both geophysics and computer design. His geophysical research covered several topics, including the role of groundwater movement in forming petroleum deposits. He also published on artificial intelligence, automata and switching theory in the Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery. He was a member of Sigma Xi, a scientific research society.
Mr. Willis was active in his family's educational, sports and community activities. He traveled extensively and was the enthusiastic leader of family expeditions. He enjoyed spending time at Rancho del Oso, the family's property near Davenport. He was buried at the ranch, alongside his parents and grandparents.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Jean; three sons and their wives: Beau and Astrid of Davenport, Cornelius and Anne of Seattle, and Parker and Anne of Atherton; a sister, Anne Willis Briggs of Davenport; a brother, Theodore Hoover Willis of Sierra Madre; and five grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to a favorite educational or charitable cause.
Barbara Jones
At her request, there were no services.
Born in San Francisco in 1928, she moved at a young age to Mill Valley, where she lived with her parents until she went to Stanford University. She began studying violin at an early age, and took lessons from the well-known violinist Henri Temianka.
She graduated from Stanford, where she majored in political science and was concertmistress of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra.
Later, she studied the Zoltan Kodaly method of teaching vocal music under the late Mary Helen Richards of Portola Valley, who adapted the Hungarian composer's method to teaching classroom music.
Mrs. Jones taught mainly vocal music in the early years and stringed instruments up until the time she retired from the Portola Valley School District around 1991. She also played violin in the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra and other groups in the Bay Area.
She lived in Portola Valley for about 40 years in the house the family built on Stonegate Road before she moved to Cupertino in 1988.
She is survived by three children: twins, Ronald Jones of Mountain View and Alan Jones of Medford, Oregon; a daughter Ruth Jones; and three grandchildren.
Friends of Barbara Jones, who wish to contribute to a music memorial fund, may contact Ronald Jones at 968-3039.
William Cutter
Mr. Cutter was a native of Loveland, Ohio. During the years he lived in Menlo Park, he was employed by Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agency. Prior to moving to Folsom, he lived in Columbus, Ohio, where he retired as vice president of S.M. Flickinger Company.
Mr. Cutter was a world traveler, an ardent birder and a back yard gardener, family members said. He was a member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, the Scottish Rite and Sertoma.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Gertrude; daughter Judy Jones of Citrus Heights; sisters Gladys Swanson, Lois Doll, Elizabeth Nisbet, Jean Tracy and Ann Bell; and two grandsons.
Donations may be made to the Sacramento Audubon Society, P.O. Box 160694, Sacramento, CA 95816-0694.
Pauline Simington Newcomer
A native of Brooklyn, New York, she graduated from Wheaton College and was an active member of the Center for Research for Women at Stanford University, of Friendly House, and the Menlo Park Public Library.
She was a supporter of women's rights and was involved with the National Organization of Women. With her husband, she was a supporter of Johns Hopkins Medical School, from which he graduated in 1918.
She is survived by four nieces and nephews. Her husband, Dr. H. Sidney Newcomer, preceded her in death. At her request, there were no services and her ashes were scattered at sea.
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