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Raymond Louis Solari
Feb. 13, 1928 - March 17, 2023
Menlo Park, California

Raymond Solari passed away peacefully on March 17, 2023. His great heart finally gave out just before midnight, and he’s gone on to his next Big Game. Born February 13, 1928 in San Francisco, he was the son of Antonio and Vittoria Solari, immigrants from northern Italy. From earliest childhood, his dream was to play football at Cal and beat Stanford, a goal he accomplished in robust fashion. After graduation from Galileo High School, he went on to play guard and linebacker at Cal under the legendary Pappy Waldorf; the team played in three Rose Bowls. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and traded to the San Francisco 49ers, whose doctors advised that he not play professionally because of a back injury. He returned to Cal and earned a teaching credential, serving as a graduate coaching assistant under Pappy Waldorf. In 1952, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Korea, where he organized recreational programs, taught English grammar to NCOs, and ran the library. In 1954, he accepted a teaching and coaching position at South Pasadena High School, where he eventually led the Tigers to five Rio Hondo League championships, four CIF championships, and a perfect seas...

 

Angus William Gallagher
Sept. 3, 1928 - March 14, 2023
Menlo Park, California

Angus William (Bill) Gallagher, a long-time resident of Menlo Park, passed away on March 14, 2023 at the age of 94 at home with family. Bill and his fraternal twin brother Robert were born September 3, 1928 to Agnes Aabo and Peter Gallagher in Salt Lake City, Utah and were raised in Pasadena, California. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1946, he enlisted in the Navy. After completing his military service, he served a three-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Spanish-speaking Southern States Mission. He then attended college at Brigham Young University, where he pursued an accounting degree and met his wife, Dolly June Grotegut. In 1954, he graduated and married Dolly. Together, they moved to New York City where he worked as an accountant at Arthur Andersen and attended NYU Law School at night. He later received a Master of Laws degree from Yale University. He began his career as an attorney for Standard Oil Company in New Jersey before returning to Southern California. The couple moved to Menlo Park with their five children in 1965. Bill worked as tax counsel at Chevron Chemical Corporation for 24 years until he ...

 

Barbara A Ringham
Sept. 18, 1932 - March 6, 2023
Atherton, California

Barbara A. Ringham passed away peacefully at home after a long illness. She was the loving wife of Arthur J. (Jack) Ringham for just shy of 60 years. Born Barbara Ann Bower in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 18, 1932, she arrived quickly and was delivered at home by her father before the doctor arrived. She was the youngest of five children with four older brothers. In 1955 Barbara graduated cum laude from Downer College of Milwaukee, part of Lawrence University, with a Bachelor of Science degree. She went on to Massachusetts General Hospital where she completed a post-graduate course in Hospital Dietetics. She joined the dietetics department at Presbyterian-Saint Luke’s Hospital in Chicago where she spent four years managing the main kitchen. While in Chicago she met Jack, her future husband. In 1962 Barbara returned to Milwaukee where she planned, equipped and managed a new dietary research unit in Milwaukee General Hospital. Barbara and Jack married on July 20, 1963 and lived in La Grange, Illinois where their first child, Nancy, was born just before their first wedding anniversary. In late 1964 Jack transferred to San Francisco, with the family settling in ...

 

Andre Marion
Sept. 23, 1935 - March 6, 2023
Palo Alto, California

A LIFETIME OF INNOVATION AND INTEGRITY André F. Marion passed away peacefully at home on March 6, 2023, surrounded by his family. André was born in 1935 in Nîmes, France. Educated in France, he received his Diplôme d’Ingénieur from ENSIAM (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs, Arts et Métiers, Cluny ) in both mechanical and electrical engineering. For the rest of his life, he enjoyed attending reunions in France with his ENSIAM colleagues and hosting them on visits to California. After immigrating to Berkeley, CA in 1964, André held positions at Friden, Transaction Systems and Memorex. In 1972, he moved to Palo Alto, CA to join Hewlett-Packard, where he held various managerial positions in Research and Development until 1981. He held several patents related to digital printing, data processing and storage. André was deeply appreciative of the personal mentorship he received from William Hewlett and David Packard. In 1981, he joined Sam Eletr to start GeneCo – later renamed Applied Biosystems Inc. (ABI) – a pioneer in the field of gene sequencing. He served as COO, later president and CEO and finally chairman of the board until 1993, when the comp...

 

Mahender P Mohllajee
Jan. 30, 1937 - March 6, 2023
Portola Valley, CA

Mahender Partap Mohllajee, a loving husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away on March 6, 2023, at the age of 86. Born in Lahore, India (present day Pakistan) on January 30, 1937, Mahender was an unyielding spirit that inspired all who knew him. Mahender's academic pursuits began at Panjab University Camp College in Delhi, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. He left Delhi and reached the United States by ship via France and Britain on January 21, 1960. He then went on to earn a BSME from Howard University where he spent time touring the Northeast to talk to other college students about non-violence, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. He was in attendance at the National Mall when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his powerful 'I Have a Dream' speech. He then moved to California and earned an MBA from Santa Clara University, paving the way for a successful career in real estate development. In 1966, Mahender started working with Joe Whelan at Leland Investment Company, and ten years later, they began construction on the first homes built in Portola Valley Ranch. He poured his heart and soul into his work and community and qui...

 

John Merrill Dorman
Feb. 7, 1942 - Feb. 26, 2023
Menlo Park, California

Dr. John Merrill Dorman passed on at his home in Menlo Park on February 26, surrounded by loving family, after a years-long struggle with Parkinsonism. Dr. Dorman was born on February 7, 1942, to Dr. Daniel and Dorothy Dorman in Philadelphia, PA, and spent most of his childhood in Pittsfield, MA and Orient, Long Island as part of a lively household with four siblings. He graduated Andover Academy in 1959 and Williams College in 1963. While at Williams, he met the love of his life, Charlene Diane Tropeano. They married at St. Brigid Church in her hometown of Lexington, MA. He went on to graduate Harvard Medical School, followed by an Internship at Strong Hospital in Rochester, NY. He joined the U.S. Public Health Service and served on Staten Island, NY, and at sea with the U.S. Coast Guard. He completed a Pediatric Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. In August 1973, he accepted a position at the Cowell Student Health Center at Stanford University, a role he held until his retirement 44 years later. Among his many other professional achievements, Dr. Dorman served as editor and executive editor of the Journal of American College Health and as a Stanfor...

 

Gertrude Marie Goodale
Aug. 15, 1923 - Feb. 24, 2023
Atherton, California

Gertrude Marie Goodale, age 99, passed away peacefully on February 24, 2023. She was born August 15, 1923, in Astoria Oregon to John and Laura Helstrom. Gertrude was a fine artist having studied formally in both Oregon and California. In California, Gertrude met and married Thomas Goodale. They shared a life-long love of dogs—especially cairn terriers and were generous doners to many animal organizations. Thomas preceded Gertrude in death in 1999. Gertrude is survived by her niece, Karen Grogan, her nephew-in-law, James Edward Grogan, her great nephew John Edward Grogan, and her cairn terriers, Robbie and Daisy. Additionally, she will be greatly missed by others whose lives she touched deeply--especially Rema, Alec, Gloria, Alma, Amy, Maria, Addy, Mireya, and Jocelyn. Gertrude and Thomas will rest in Ocean View Cemetery—in her beloved Astoria Oregon....

 

Cecily Merrill
1944 - Feb. 21, 2023
Portola Valley, California

Cecily left us on February 21 after a 15-year struggle with Lewy Body Dementia. She was a fearless and highly motivated person all her life even as demonstrated through her long final struggle. Although it has been a long slow departure, she will continue to be missed. She left her brothers Frank, Paul, and Jim Merrill and her husband, Frank Friedlaender, behind. Cecily was a California native and grew up in Northern California. Always interested in art, she enrolled and graduated from what was at that time the Oakland College of Arts and Crafts. Not only was she an artist in a traditional sense, but also a gifted musician and photographer, which she practiced throughout her life. However, to support herself she pursued a master’s degree in education at San Jose State University. She taught high school in Oakland. Although, initially she commuted by motorcycle to school from Felton in the Santa Cruz Mountains that that morphed into a Lotus Elan as economics allowed. This early interest in classic cars further developed into a shared interest with her husband, with whom she collected a small collection of 60’s era classic cars. She also loved to travel and usually traveled ...

 

Judith Koch
May 18, 1943 - Feb. 21, 2023
Palo Alto, California

Judith Hootman Koch, a longtime Palo Alto resident passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Three weeks earlier she was diagnosed with cancer. On the day she passed she waited until loved ones could arrive, including all six of her grandchildren, then she left us. She lived life on her own terms, and she left this world the same way. Judy was 79. Judy was born May 18, 1943 in Ottumwa, Iowa to Mernace Hootman and Daisy (Goemaat) Hootman. She was raised in Ottumwa and was a graduate of Ottumwa High School. Judy attended college in-state and graduated from Iowa State University. Post college Judy moved to California and began her first career as a junior high school English teacher in Los Altos, CA. She was a teacher from 1967-1979. It was during this time she developed a passion for children’s literacy and early childhood education. In 1979 Judy began her second career at RSP Manufacturing, a precision sheet metal fabrication company serving high tech companies in Silicon Valley. She worked along side her former husband and life long friend Ron Koch. In 1989 she acquired the company and became the CEO. Under her leadership sales grew d...

 

Nancy Margaret Pruitt Snideman
Oct. 6, 1942 - Feb. 18, 2023
Napa, California

Nancy Margaret Pruitt Snideman passed away unexpectedly at age 80 on February 18, 2023 in Napa, California. She was born October 6, 1942 to Maxwell and Margaret Pruitt in Savannah, Georgia. She graduated from St. Vincent Academy, Armstrong College, and UNC Chapel Hill. She married her love, Fritz Snideman, the day before Christmas Eve and spent 46 loving and exciting years with him traveling the world and living in Washington DC, St. Helena CA, Ovando MT, and Menlo Park CA among other places until losing Fritz in 2014. Even after living in California for 55 years, Nancy always maintained a slight Savannah accent from her childhood. Before starting her family, Nancy began her professional life in social work. Much of her life was devoted to helping others around her. While her children were in elementary school, she volunteered for the schools and worked with children with developmental delays. She also showed great care for those who were elderly and less fortunate, whether it was driving food to the elderly or staying close and connected to those who were sick. Nancy raised her two deeply loved children, Laura and Christopher, while serving as a gracious host for everyone w...

 

Edith Maxine Frost
Aug. 10, 1933 - Feb. 14, 2023
Mountain View, California

Edith Maxine Frost, 89, passed away on February 14, 2023 in Mountain View, CA where she lived most of her adult life. Edith was a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was known for her warm smile, infectious laugh, and kind heart. She loved spending time with her family and friends, and was always there to offer a listening ear and a comforting word. She was truly admired for her work ethic, her independence and her great passion for teaching. She was ahead of her time, doing so many things that no other moms in the neighborhood were doing - working and taking college courses, getting her pilot’s license, and was dressed fashionably for it all! She traveled, worked and volunteered well into her senior years. Throughout her life, Edith was a teacher, was passionate about flying her small airplane and traveling the world with her friends. She was an active member of Sunnyvale International Church and the mid-peninsula Widow & Widowers organization, serving as President for many years. Edith was known for her generosity, love of coffee and devotion to the San Francisco Giants. We can all rest assured this was a life lived to its fullest! Edith is...

 

Paula Luna
Jan. 25, 1926 - Feb. 12, 2023
Mountain View, CA, CA

January 25, 1926 – February 12, 2023 Resident of Mountain View, California Paula Luna, passed peacefully on February 12, 2023, at age 97. Paula was born into a large family (13) in Los Angeles on January 25, 1926. After high school, she relocated to Mountain View where she raised her family, she took courses at local colleges, (West Valley College, San Jose City College, Foothill Community College, and San Jose State). She worked as a Community Outreach Coordinator for the City of Mountain View Low-Income Housing Projects and Planning Department, and as a Community Worker and Case Load Manager for the County of Santa Clara Department of Social Services for over a decade. After she retired, she worked as a private caregiver for seniors. Paula was a prolific painter and shared her love of nature with renderings of landscapes, forests, deserts, lakes, oceans, Yosemite, and other places she had visited. She also participated in various needlepoint and quilting groups at the Mtn. View Senior Center. But perhaps, in addition to her great love for her family, she was a devout student of the Gospel and a longtime parishioner of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto. It has been said...

 

Denise Lynn Haley
May 2, 1953 - Feb. 11, 2023
Pacifica, California

Denise Lynn Bernadette Haley, beloved daughter, sister, former wife, mother, niece, aunt, cousin, friend, teacher and grandmother, passed away suddenly at 69 years old on February 11, 2023 with her two daughters Haley and Laura by her side singing her into heaven. Denise was born on May 2, 1953 to Clifton and Janet Haley in Detroit, Michigan. Denise attended St. Brigid Catholic school in Detroit, Ecole Montjoie school where she learned and became fluent in French while living in Brussels, Belgium at age 10. After graduating from Thurston High School in Detroit in 1971, she received her Bachelors degree from Michigan State University in 1975, including a study abroad in France and then received her teaching credential from San Francisco State in 1991. Denise married her high school sweetheart Bill Dapkus in 1978. They moved to California in 1976 and were partners for 30 years since high school. Together they had two daughters, Haley in 1982 and Laura in 1986. Denise held many jobs in her life: waitress, entrepreneur in college selling advertising space on student desk blotters, campaigning for the National Women's Political Caucus in Washington DC in 1975, rental car manag...

 

Wilbur Erskine Mattison
July 11, 1922 - Feb. 9, 2023
Ellijay, Georgia

Dr. Wilbur Erskine Mattison Jr., fondly nicknamed Dr. Billy, Flash, Pop, Will, and most recently Doc, passed from this earth for a Heavenly view on February 9, 2023. He was 100 years old. Wilbur lived the last nine years of his life with his daughter Patti in Ellijay, Georgia. on a beautiful property he called Pop’s Place. He most loved to host his grandchildren and great grandchildren and delighted in watching them play in the creek and enjoy the beauty of nature. Wilbur was born in Anderson, South Carolina on July 11, 1922. His parents were Wilbur Erskine Mattison and Marguerite Henry Mattison. He enjoyed a happy southern childhood with his sisters, Marguerite (Punky) Mattison Rice and Mary Louise (Weesie) Mattison McLaurin. He attended the Citadel and served in The United States Army during WW2 from 1943-1947. He was wounded in France and was honored with a Purple Heart. He was an active member of the Purple Heart Society in Ellijay. Following his military service, Wilbur attended Johns Hopkins Medical School, graduating in 1952. He married Patsy Conroy on September 8, 1951. Wilbur and Patsy had two children, Patti (Mattison) O’Dell and Wilbur (Billy) Mattison. Followi...

 

Helen Sweyer
Dec. 10, 1924 - Feb. 8, 2023
Woodside, CA

HELEN SWEYER aka “Helen of Woodside” It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our Mom, Helen Sweyer, also known as “Helen of Woodside” in her community of Woodside, CA on February 8, 2023. Born and raised in San Francisco to Edwin and Helena Larson. She was the eldest of 4 siblings: Bob Larson, Florence Leale (both passed in 2020), and Claire Calvo, who currently resides in Pleasanton, CA. Mom was predeceased by our Dad, Robert (Bob) Sweyer, in 1991, and son Robert (Bob) Sweyer in 2020. Remaining in Woodside is her son Mark Sweyer, grandson Adam Sweyer, and daughter, Jan Sweyer, who recently relocated to Grass Valley. She also leaves a team of nieces and nephews and their extended families: Kathryn Rose, Frank Calvo, Christine Bouyea, David Calvo, Linda Brown, Valerie Andersen. Along with many dear friends. Mom’s younger years in San Francisco were filled with baseball (team captain), Editor of her Commerce High School Year Book. Worked at Hunters Point at the Naval Offices during WWII. Camping trips filled weekends along the coast and full summers in our beloved Yosemite. Her teen years were spent dancing to the big bands of Count B...

 

Rodger Scott Rickard
Aug. 26, 1932 - Feb. 8, 2023
Woodside, California

Rodger Scott Rickard was one of a kind. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 26, 1932, he wore many hats throughout his life. He proudly wore a naval aviator hat in Pensacola, Florida in the early ‘50s and a graduation cap at Springfield College in the late ‘50s but, in the end, it was his coaching hat that he talked about the most, whether it was sports, young entrepreneurs or non-profit corporations. Rodger had two loving mothers, Florence Rickard and her sister Hazel. Hay, as she was known, took over the care of Rodger when he was 2 as Florence was hospitalized with tuberculosis. Hay, her husband Elmer “E.L.” Groth and their son John, welcomed Rodger into their home and raised him as their own. One of Rodger’s earliest memories was having to stay in at recess to eat graham crackers and drink milk, as his teachers felt he was too skinny and frail to play with his peers outdoors. He devoted the rest of his life to getting out and playing hard, whether it was on the golf course, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro for his 65th birthday or in the board room - for Rodg there was no line between work and play. Drive is the word that comes to mind when reflecting on Rodger. ...

 

Maria Francesca Cuevas
Oct. 29, 1920 - Feb. 7, 2023
Palo Alto, California

Maria (nee Codemo) Cuevas Born Maria Francesca Codemo, 10/29/1920, Klamath Falls, OR. Died 2/7/2023 Palo Alto, CA. 102 yrs. Marie revered her Northern Italian heritage, had a passion for opera, made the lightest most delicate gnocchi, enjoyed an occasional nip of grappa, knitted with rapid-speed clicking needles and sewed like a seamstress. At 9 yrs old, she lost her gentle, sweet mother. Yet, despite this early loss, her life was enriched with culture, family and good friends. Immediately following the death of her mother, Marie's father placed her and her siblings in the care of relatives in the Italian Veneto region near the Dolomites. There, she experienced poverty and witnessed the horrific aftermath of post WWI and the rise of fascism. This left her with a lifelong bitterness and abhorrence of war and its consequences. Returning to America (Santa Barbara, CA) at 13 speaking only Italian, she relearned English, a challenge that inspired her fluency and literacy in both languages. Marie was an avid reader who preferred the hard classics. She was devoted to the arts and made sure her children were exposed to cultural events at an early age. Caught up in the all...

 

Bernard A. Newcomb
Nov. 10, 1942 - Jan. 29, 2023
Palo Alto, California

An angel funder who loved life, family, adventure, and giving to help others, Bernard A. Newcomb passed away Sunday, January 29, at his home in Palo Alto, CA, with his wife Gerry (Marshall) Newcomb by his side. Known to many as Bernie, but to his family, community, and college, he was “Bing.” He will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to cross his witty path. Newcomb grew up in the small town of Scio, Oregon, the middle child of Lyle and Agnes Newcomb. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his brother, Jerry, stepson Forbes Marshall, his close friend, David Lowe, cousins, nephews, nieces, caring neighbors, and many dear friends of a lifetime. Although born with congenital cataracts and legally blind, nothing held him back. A pioneer in systems development, Newcomb co-founded E*TRADE, the online brokerage firm, with Bill Porter. When the company went public in 1996, Newcomb described it as a “14-year overnight success.” He took his earnings and invested them heavily in persons, causes, and charities, “giving people a hand up rather than a handout.” Though a businessman, Newcomb was most comfortable giving his resources to improve the lives of others....

 

Thomas Salvador Jordan Jr.
Sept. 3, 1933 - Jan. 6, 2023
Chico, California

Thomas Salvador Jordan Jr., a Bay Area environmentalist, Palo Alto attorney and civic advocate passed away on January 6, in Chico, CA, surrounded by all his children. He was 89 years old. Born September 3, 1933 in Panama City, Florida, Tom was the only child to Beatrice Callahan Jordan and Thomas Salvador Jordan, Sr. After graduating from Princeton University ( Class of ’55 ) Tom served as an officer in the Korean war for two years before receiving his law degree from Harvard Law School ( Class of ’60 ). He took his first job with McCutchen Doyle Brown & Enersen LLP in San Francisco, and soon after arriving to S.F. met his wife Linda Frances Pfiffner.  They married November 25, 1961, and had four children: Amy, Annie, Tommy and Kate. Tom moved to Palo Alto when he accepted an offer from Hopkins & Carley LLP.  During this time he was the third president of The Committee for Green Foothills, which preserved the watershed hills between Highway 280 and the coast between San Francisco and San Jose. Also notable was the victory he and his law partner Sherwood Sullivan attained on the famous Save the Bay case, establishing public’s right to protect wetlands from privat...

 

Mary Foley Cooper
April 2, 1947 - Dec. 17, 2022
Portola Valley, California

Mary Foley Cooper, of Portola Valley, CA died unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism on December 17, 2022 at Stanford Hospital. She was 75. Mary lived her life with passion and purpose. Her exceptional energy and commitment were infectious, bringing out the best in people, communities and organizations in which she took part. From the beginning of her career to the present, human development was always her focus: from her early days as a teacher in St. Louis, to her executive roles in Human Resources, to her leadership on non-profit boards including Manhattanville College (where she attended), The Peninsula College Fund, The Girls’ Middle School, and the Women Donors Network. Mary was an ardent supporter of progressive causes and candidates. She was also a passionate sports enthusiast – as a fan and a participant. She played in a senior women’s basketball league, and was an enthusiastic tennis and pickleball competitor. Family and friends knew Mary as a cheerleader, mentor and unflagging supporter. Her energy and optimism brightened the hearts of those who knew and loved her, as did her humility in all that she accomplished. From her delight in her grand...

 

Bobbe Jordan
March 2, 1936 - Sept. 23, 2022
Portola Valley, CA

She was born and raised in Piedmont, CA with 3 younger brothers. After Piedmont High, she went to UCSB and earned a degree in Biology. While there she met the amazing Bob Jordan who claimed to have ‘saved her from drowning in the shallow end of the pool .’ As his wife she became mother of four lucky children, Tim, Kevin, Jill, and Becky. She raised her own kids along with running an in-home daycare that opened her home and heart to all of Portola Valley’s children. Bobbe rarely sat down, hosting athletes and students from abroad. Bobbe also had a strong love for the outdoors. She enjoyed traveling near and far, whether in Lake Tahoe, Sedona or visiting state and national parks. She loved tapping into her imagination influenced by the work of Muir, Steinbeck, and Bob Jordan. Bobbe shared her limitless love of life with close friends, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She lived by her values shaped by faith and love of nature. Step lightly on the earth. Don’t judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Leave a place better than when you arrived. We will meet again Bobbe , maybe on Windy Hill....

 

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