Obituaries Obituaries (June 08, 2005)

Virginia Keller

Former president of Peninsula Volunteers

Virginia Bellas Keller, a resident of Atherton from 1948 to 2003, died May 29 at Stanford Medical Center following a short illness. For the past two years she had resided in Menlo Park. She was 88.

Ms. Keller was born in Hayden, Arizona. Five years later, the family moved to Phoenix, where she grew up and attended Phoenix Junior College. In 1941 she married George Keller and moved to the Bay Area where, during World War II, Mr. Keller worked for the 12th Naval District and met his future business partner, Phillip Gannon. Together they founded the San Francisco consulting engineering firm, Keller and Gannon.

The Kellers moved to Lindenwood in Atherton in 1948. Ms. Keller began her lifelong association with volunteer organizations by joining the PTA, where she served as president of the Encinal School chapter. In 1953 she joined the Peninsula Volunteers and served as president in 1958. She was active in the Peninsula Volunteers until her death, serving on the boards of Little House and Rosener House. She was given honorary life membership in the PVs and belonged to the Golden Circle of members with more than 50 years of service. She and her husband, George, will be remembered for their participation in the PV tent shows of the 1950s, say family members.

Ms. Keller was interested in gardening and flower arranging, and helped found the Atherton Garden Guild as well as the Atherton Dames. She was a longtime member of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and the Palo Alto Auxiliary to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. For devotion to her community, Ms. Keller received a 1997 Good Neighbor Award and a 1998 Gentry Magazine Community Stars Award.

Ms. Keller loved to travel, and made many trips throughout North America, the Pacific Islands, Europe, Africa and Asia, say family members. The Kellers' favorite destination was Mexico.

She is survived by her daughters, Susan Keller of Menlo Park and Candy Keller of Walnut Creek. Her husband, George, preceded her in death in 1986.

Private interment took place at Alta Mesa Memorial Park. A reception to celebrate her life will take place later this summer. The family prefers donations to the Peninsula Volunteers Inc., 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025; Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation, 150 Watkins Ave., Atherton, CA 94027; or a favorite charity.
Rosaria A. Furneri

Longtime Atherton resident

A funeral Mass for Rosaria A. Furneri is set for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, at St. Raymond Catholic Church, 1100 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park, followed by entombment at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma.

Ms. Furneri died in Atherton on June 3 at the age 92.

She was born in Philadelphia and raised in Sicily, and had resided in the Atherton area for 60 years. She was a member of the Italian Catholic Federation. Family members remember her as strong-spirited, generous and warmhearted.

She was preceded in death by Luigi Furneri, her husband of 53 years. Ms. Furneri is survived by her children Niki Mustart and Connie Hayes; four grandsons; and five great-grandchildren.

A vigil service is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at the John O'Connor Menlo Colonial Chapel, 657 Oak Grove Ave. in Menlo Park. The family prefers that memorial donations be made to an orphanage of the donor's choice.

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