Louise Barbour
Louise Saunders Jones Barbour, the last original resident of Edgewood Lane in the Oakdell Manor development in Menlo Park, died Nov. 9 at Stanford Medical Center, surrounded by her children. She was 91.
Ms. Barbour was born in Morganfield, Kentucky, and moved to Yuba City with her family as a child. The family lived on a ranch before moving to Woodland, where she graduated from high school. Ms. Barbour attended Mills College, UC Davis, and San Jose State University.
Before World War II, she worked in the editorial department of the Woodland Democrat newspaper. During the war, she was a Red Cross volunteer at a U.S. Army hospital near Auburn, where she met her husband, Richard Barbour, who was recovering from wounds received in the Battle of the Bulge.
They were married in 1947, and in 1949 moved to Oakdell Manor in Menlo Park. Ms. Barbour was known for her devotion to the neighborhood, where she lived for 60 years, say family members. She saw many generations come and go and, for as long was she was physically able, welcomed newcomers with a smile and a pot of homemade soup, they say.
She is survived by three daughters, Liz Barbour of Redwood City, the Rev. Ellen Steele of Campbell, and Molly Lashmett of Hot Springs, Arkansas; son John Barbour of Gloucester, Massachusetts; an aunt, Mildred Davis of Atlanta, Georgia; and two grandchildren. Her husband, Richard Barbour, died in 1984.
Robert Marsh Rowe
Robert “Bob” Rowe of Menlo Park, who spent 24 years traveling the world in his sailboat, died peacefully Sept. 26, surrounded by family and close friends. He was 89.
A lover of the ocean, Mr. Rowe was not only a sailor, but a scuba diver and body surfer for most of his adult life.
Mr. Rowe was born May 13, 1920, and raised in Rochester, New York. He served as an instructor at the Coast Guard Academy in Groton, Connecticut, during World War II.
Following the service, Mr. Rowe entered Tufts University, where he graduated summa cum laude in electrical engineering. Pursued by a number of prestigious companies, Mr. Rowe decided to accept a position at Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International) in Menlo Park, say family members.
He set off for California by car with his first wife, Pauline Rowe, and their daughter, Helen. There were many adventures along the way, say family members.
Mr. Rowe worked and consulted for a number of companies, ultimately working for Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) until his retirement at age 60.
A “tinkerer,” Mr. Rowe collected and restored antique clocks and enjoyed doing home and auto repairs.
After retiring at 60, Mr. Rowe sailed the seas with his wife, Jeanie. They circumnavigated the Earth, often living on their sailboat for months in exotic ports.
Mr. Rowe is survived by his wife, Jeanie; daughters Helena Rowe and April Holman; and two grandchildren.
Audrianne Conyers
Audrianne “Audrey” Conyers died peacefully on Dec. 3 at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View. She was 84.
Born in Michigan, Ms. Conyers attended the Edison Institute in historic Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. The school was founded by Henry Ford, who attended morning chapel on most school days. Ms. Conyers knew Mr. Ford personally and shared many stories about her unique education, say family members.
She attended St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and graduated from Michigan State University. While taking graduate studies at the University of Michigan, she met her future husband, John Conyers. They were married in 1953 and moved to Menlo Park in 1960, where they raised their four daughters.
For the past 18 years, Ms. Conyers has been a resident of Los Altos.
She is survived by her children, Betsy DePangher, Deborah Winter, Janice Chambers, and Jaci Beering; and eight grandchildren. John Conyers died in 1983.
Services will be private. A tribute fund in Ms. Conyers’ name has been set up at City Team Ministries, 2304 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA 95131. Donations should be made in memory of Audrianne Conyers.
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