Obituaries Obituaries (January 07, 2004)

Phyllis Stanford

Pioneer family member

Phyllis Ann Stanford, a 42-year resident of Portola Valley, died December 25 at the Sequoias retirement community in Portola Valley. She was 96.

Born in San Francisco, Ms. Stanford was a member of a pioneer family whose great-grandparents came across the plains to Mission San Jose in 1846. They had originally traveled with the Donner Party, but separated and went ahead of them to beat the winter.

Ms. Stanford graduated from Berkeley High School and worked for several years as a secretary at the Southern Pacific Railroad in the confidential department, where she remembered the secret planning for dangerous or valuable shipments, including moving gangster Al Capone to Alcatraz from an Illinois prison.

She married Eric M. Stanford, who later became executive vice president of I. Magnin & Co., and chairman of the board of what is now called Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

Ms. Stanford was active as a social services representative for the American Red Cross and a 50-year member of the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

She had a lifelong passion for growing and arranging flowers, which she had done for the last 20 years as a resident of the Sequoias, say family members.

Ms. Stanford is survived by her sons, Alan of Napa and James of Portola Valley; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

The family prefers memorials be made to a charity of choice. Private family services will be held.

Robert Starkweather

Former Atherton resident

Robert Gerber Starkweather of Reno, the first business administrator for the Menlo Medical Clinic, died of heart failure in Reno on November 27.

Mr. Starkweather was born in 1913 in Pacific Grove. He met his bride, Dolores Spamer, when they were students at Stanford University. They married in 1938 after he earned his MBA at the university. During World War II he worked for Sperry Flour Mills.

In 1949, Mr. Starkweather became business administrator of Menlo Medical Clinic, a new concept for doctors. He worked with the doctors in planning, building, and administering the clinic, which he managed for more than 20 years. Mr. Starkweather was president of the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce in 1955-56, active in the Rotary Club of Menlo Park, and president of the Medical Group Management Association in 1966-67.

The Starkweathers traveled and hiked California, Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, New Zealand and Mexico. Mr. Starkweather also enjoyed piloting a Cessna Piper Cub.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Dolores; children, Joan Zenan of Reno, Rich Starkweather of Reno, Cindy Peterson of Rohnert Park, and Bruce Starkweather of Sacramento; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Ruth Fleming

Former Menlo Park resident

Graveside services were to be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, January 6, at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, Palo Alto, for Ruth Drane Fleming who died December 28 at Channing House in Palo Alto. She was 90.

Ms. Fleming grew up in Tucson, Arizona. She was a graduate of the University of Arizona, and earned a master's degree from Stanford University. For many years, she worked for Westinghouse Corp. She was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto.

Ms. Fleming was preceded in death by her husband, Major Gen. Robert J. Fleming Jr. She is survived by two stepdaughters, Patricia Fleming Schwartz of Sunnyvale and Eleanor Fleming Skinner of Pebble Beach. Arrangements were under the direction of Roller, Hapgood & Tinney, Palo Alto.

Harold Wilcoxson

Retired dentist

Harold E. Wilcoxson of Sonora, who lived in Portola Valley for 30 years and practiced dentistry in Menlo Park, died December 29 at Stanford Medical Center. He was 78.

Dr. Wilcoxson was a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. He served in France at the headquarters of the 13th Armored Division's Surgeon's Office during World War II.

Dr. Wilcoxson is survived by his wife, Winifred; two children, Grant Wilcoxson and Nancy Court; and a granddaughter.

Albert Helsing

Native of Finland

Albert Erik Helsing of Menlo Park died December 24 at Kaiser hospital in Redwood City. He was 96.

Mr. Helsing worked as a carpenter in residential construction for most of his life. He enjoyed making violins and playing old-time Scandinavian music, as well as salmon fishing, say family members.

He is survived by his son, Nils of Oroville; a daughter, Alice Chapman of Menlo Park; five grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. His wife, Elna, preceded him in death.

Arrangements were under the direction of Roller Hapgood & Tinney, Palo Alto.

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