OBITUARIES

Walter Francis Skees, a singer who provided entertainment in the White House for 28 years, died October 23 in Carmel at age 64.

A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Mr. Skees lived in Atherton for the past 15 years.

Mr. Skees' career as official White House singer spanned seven administrations -- from Eisenhower through Reagan, according to his friend, Nan Chapman, mayor of Atherton. During his tenure with the government, which included performances for State Department, embassy, and Diplomatic Corps functions, Mr. Skees performed live for millions of people, Mrs. Chapman said.

He also appeared regularly on the television shows of such entertainers as Bob Hope, Steve Allen, Dinah Shore and Merv Griffin, and recorded several albums, she said.

Mr. Skees is survived by his wife, Patricia Skees; his children, Walter Skees Jr., Melanie Harrison, Laurie Kightlinger, Christopher Skees and Kelly Katz; step-children Sherry O'Donnell, Mark Balestra and Katie Walter; and 13 grandchildren.

Burial will be in Arlington Cemetery.

William 'Bill' Neylan

Menlo businessman

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 28, for William F. "Bill" Neylan, who died October 24.

Mr. Neylan was a partner in the Menlo Park advertising agency Wank, Williams and Neylan, for more than 25 years.

Services will be held at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, 473 Lincoln Ave., in Los Altos.

Lorraine Tietzen

Southern Pacific employee

A memorial service was to be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, October 26, at Redwood Chapel, 847 Woodside Road, Redwood City, for Lorraine A. Tietzen of Menlo Park who died October 20. She was 78.

Mrs. Tietzen was honored as a 55-year employee of the Southern Pacific Railroad. An active member of the Order of the Easter Star, chapter 213, for 50 years, she also enjoyed traveling with her good friend Betty Wirth.

Mrs. Tietzen was the widow of Homer Tietzen. She is survived by a brother, Henry Arneson, of Excelsior, Minnesota; niece Jill Krantz, and nephew James Arneson.

Private interment will take place at Golden Gate National Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to the American Heart Association, 1710 Gilbreth Road, #100, Burlingame, California, 94010-1311.

Dr. Evelyn Schilling Thomas

Teacher, Stanford alumna

Dr. Evelyn Schilling Thomas died October 7 after a long illness. She was 83.

Dr. Thomas was a resident of Portola Valley before moving to Sharon Heights near the end of her life. She studied at Stanford, became involved with music, and served four years on the California Youth Authority Board. She worked as a teacher, counselor and interpersonal-relationships facilitator in Bakersfield, at Stanford, at San Francisco State University, and at New College.

Family members say she found deep satisfaction and fulfillment with her husband of 36 years, Dr. Lawrence G. Thomas, a professor of educational philosophy at Stanford.

Arrangements were directed by Roller, Hapgood & Tinney in Palo Alto.

Crystal 'Alyne' Roderick Nonnemacher

Portola Valley resident

Crystal "Alyne" Roderick Nonnemacher, a Portola Valley resident, died October 3 at the age of 72.

Born in Eagle River, Wisconsin, Mrs. Nonnemacher attended school in Eagle River and graduated from Milwaukee Business College. She married Maynard Nonnemacher in 1951 and moved to California the next year.

Family and friends say they will remember Mrs. Nonnemacher as "a bubbly and vivacious character."

She is survived by her husband, Maynard; a daughter, Kimberly; and a grandson, Eric Berlin. She is also survived by two sisters, Margaret Brown of Sunnyvale and Thelma Wilber of Milpitas; and two brothers, John Roderick of Sunnyvale and Tom Roderick of Santa Clara.

Memorial services were held October 6 at the First Congregational Church in Redwood City. Memorial donations may be sent to the American Lung Association or to the First Congregational Church, 2323 Euclid Ave., Redwood City, CA 94061.

Miriam Kotin

Co-owner, Paper Chase

Miriam Kotin, co-owner of the Paper Chase in downtown Menlo Park for more than 20 years, died Sunday, October 17. She was 76.

Mrs. Kotin co-owned the Paper Chase with her sister Isabelle Leon.

She is survived by her husband Bertram; daughters Stephanie Tebbutt, Lisa Kotin and Gwen Watson; son Geoffrey; and six grandchildren.

Contributions may be made in her name to George Mark Children's House, Hospice for Children, 220 Sansome St., Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94104.

George Lawrence Steinhardt

Woodside-born entrepreneur

Retired business owner and entrepreneur George Lawrence Steinhardt died in Santa Clara on October 15.

Mr. Steinhardt was born in Woodside to the late Lawrence J. and Mildred W. Steinhardt of Woodside.

A longtime member of the Palo Alto Elks Club, he will be remembered for helping people and for having a sense of adventure, family members said.

Mr. Steinhardt is survived by his wife, Julia S. Steinhardt; daughters Deborah Steinhardt-Alloro, Mindy Steinhardt of Palo Alto, and Gigi Williams of Menlo Park; son Larry Steinhardt of Fairfax, Calif.; sister Virginia S. Buckmaster of Chula Vista, Calif.; and grandchildren Chris, Talia, Christine, Michael and Somone.

A memorial service was held on October 22 at the Chapel of John O'Connor's Menlo Colonial Chapel in Menlo Park.

Scott D. Wilton

Woodside resident

Services for Scott D. Wilton of Woodside were held October 18 at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, Palo Alto. He was 46.

Mr. Wilton died October 10. He was born in Denver and lived in Woodside for the past 10 years.

A graduate of St. Francis High School in the Class of 1971, he was a service technician for Savin Corporation. He was a member of the National Rifle Association.

Mr. Wilton is survived by his parents, James and Ellen Wilton of Woodside, and two sisters, Shelley Surrence of Los Banos and Leslie Rose of Half Moon Bay.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mid-Peninsula Hospice Foundation, 65 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

Crippen & Flynn Chapel in Redwood City handled the arrangements.



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