Obituaries Obituaries (August 25, 2004)

Ellie Myers Bell
Teacher, counselor

Ellie Myers Bell, who lived in Woodside for the past 34 years, lost her battle against pancreatic cancer August 18 when she died peacefully at home with her family at her side. She was 73.

Services will be held on Wednesday, September 1, at 5 p.m. in Valley Presbyterian Church, 945 Portola Road, Portola Valley.

Mrs. Bell, described by her son as a "part-time school psychologist and a full-time mom," married architect James Knox Bell in 1963. They met during a graduate psychology course at Stanford University, where she received a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in education.

She was elected student body vice president at Stanford, and in 2003 enjoyed her 50th class reunion on campus, said her family.

The Bells lived in Los Altos Hills before moving in 1970 to Woodside, where they raised their two children, Tarni and Mark.

Mr. Bell, who died in 1990, designed such local landmarks as Founders Hall at Woodside Priory School and the Thomas Fogarty Winery, both in Portola Valley. He also was the architect for the remodeling of Roberts market in Woodside.

After her husband died, Mrs. Bell returned to school and earned a master's degree in psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto. She worked with children with learning disabilities, did educational testing, and, more recently, became involved with pain management.

Born in San Francisco, she graduated from Mountain View High School in 1949.

She is survived by a daughter, Tarni Bell Haberkorn of Oakland; a son, Mark Bell of West Vancouver, British Columbia; and three grandchildren.

The family prefers memorial contributions to: Johns Hopkins University, Pancreatic Cancer Research, c/o Dr. Ralph Hruben, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Weinberg Room 2242, 401 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231; and the National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy, 5001 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.

Richard L. Davis
Labor attorney

Richard L. Davis, a labor attorney who argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, died August 15 in Reno. The former Portola Valley resident was 70.

Mr. Davis was born and grew up in McCloud (Shasta County), California. He graduated from Chico State University and received his law degree from the University of San Francisco.

He practiced labor law for more than 30 years. After working as an attorney for Saga Foods Corporation for 14 years, he went into private practice in Menlo Park.

He was the lead attorney in Barnett vs. US Air, which was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2001.

Mr. Davis was an outdoorsman, often returning to the Mt. Shasta area where he was raised. He enjoyed traveling and inventing new gadgets, family members say. He received a patent for one of his inventions, the California Fly Snapper, a spring-loaded fly swatter.

In 1999, Mr. Davis and his wife, Sharon, moved from Ladera, where they lived 28 years, to Surprise, Arizona. Mrs. Davis died in 2001. Mr. Davis moved to Reno shortly before his death.

He is survived by four sons, Matt Davis of Stockton, Steve Davis of Scottsdale, Arizona, Chris Davis of Frisco, Texas, and Paul Davis of San Francisco. Services were held at St. Raymond Church in Menlo Park.

The family prefers memorials to the American Cancer Society.

Christina Luiz
Menlo Park Realtor

Funeral services for Christina Luiz of Menlo Park will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, August 26, at Peninsula Bible Church, 3505 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Ms. Luiz, a real estate agent with Cashin Company in Menlo Park, died August 18 after a battle against cancer. She was 54.

Ms. Luiz was a top producer in the Bay Area, specializing in marketing and sales of new construction and the restoration of old homes, according to business associates. She had been with Cashin Company for three years, and previously worked for Coldwell Banker.

She is survived by her husband, John Lopes, and daughter Alexia Da Silva. There will be a visitation from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by a prayer service at 7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, August 25, at Roller Hapgood & Tinny, 980 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. The family prefers donations to Pregnancy Community Center, 20 Great Oaks Blvd., Suite 150, San Jose, CA 95119; or to Green Pastures, 730 Condia Court, Mountain View, CA 94040.

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