OBITUARIES OF MEMBERS OF SIR's
The following are obituaries of members of Branch Number 1 of Sons in Retirement who have passed away within the past year. The obituaries have been obtained from the Obituary Column of either the San Francisco Chronicle or the San Mateo County Times. Please click on the person's name for additional details.
The following is a list of those who passed away in 2011:
Obituary Details of Deceased Members
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November 16, 2011 |
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James P. Brisbois of San Mateo passed away peacefully at home
with his family by his side on November 16, following a long struggle
with Parkinson's Disease. He was 78 years old. A native of Stockton,
Jim attended Serra High School and the University of Santa Clara. He
served in the United States Army. Jim worked for 32 years as an
investment trust officer with the Bank of California in San Francisco.
An avid lifelong sportsman, he was a hunter safety instructor with the
Department of Fish and Game for over 25 years. Jim was a long-time
member of the Nocturnal Adoration Society. Jim is survived by Bobby,
his wife of 46 years, and their children, Nick (Anna), Joe (Meighan),
Matt, and Sue (Tracy), as well as his sisters, Winnie Buckley and Mary
Rose. He was blessed with two granddaughters, Zoe and Lily. Jim was
preceded in death by his parents, Nicholas and Winifred Brisbois, and
sisters, Barbara Ogburn and Betty Norman. A rosary service will be held
at 7:30pm on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Sneider, Sullivan &
O'Connell's Funeral Home, 977 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo. A funeral
mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 10am at St.
Bartholomew Church in San Mateo. Burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma.
In lieu of flowers, please contribute in Jim's name to St. Peter's
School, 1266 Florida Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
or to the
charity of your choice
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No obituary yet.
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November 9, 2011 |
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January 25, 2011 |
Stanley Easter, a retired music professor from Canada College, passed away on January 25, 2011. An informal graveside funeral was held on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 10:30 A.M. at the Soquel Cemetery, 550 Ol San Jose Road, Soquel, California. Stan joined SIR's on February 9, 2005.
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December 30, 2010 |
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Edwin James Harvey
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December 3, 2010 |
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November 2, 2011 |
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No Obituary Yet.
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April 15, 2011 |
Funeral Services will be held at Temple Sholom Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 4:00 P.M. The Temple is located at 1655 Sebastian Drive in Burlingame. It is located one block south from the intersection of Sebastian Drive and Trousdale just off of Highway 280.
Morton Isaac Levinson A founder and principal of Levinson Bros. Insurance, died suddenly at his Hillsborough home of a massive heart attack on Friday April 15, 2011. Mort is survived by Barbara Levinson, his loving wife of 55 years. He is survived by his three children Kate Van Zanten (Mark), Daniel Levinson (Nora) and Elise Horwich; and his two brothers, Fred (Marlene), Jon (Diane), sister-in-law Lenore (David, deceased), brother-in-law Ron Israel (Linda) and many nieces and nephews. He is survived by his grandchildren, that he loved so very much, Lauren Cohen, Sarah Van Zanten, Alana Van Zanten, Jeremy Horwich, Katie Barrett and Kacey Barrett. One of the defining moments of Mort's life was, at the age of 17, serving as the youngest American volunteer in Israel's War of Independence. In the US Army he was stationed in Paris, France where he met his wife, Barbara, a teacher at the US Air Force base in Chatauroux. He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1954 with a degree in agriculture. He was active at Peninsula Temple Shalom and Congregation Beth Am where he enjoyed participating in weekly services. He served as a Peninsula Temple Sholom board member and was an active leader in the Saturday morning Minyan. He enjoyed working as a volunteer, in costume, at San Francisco Opera productions. Mort also served on the San Mateo County Grand Jury as a Deputy Sheriff. In retirement, Mort was a participant of Sons in Retirement and a peer counselor with Family Services of San Mateo County. He enjoyed playing tennis, gardening, traveling and reading but most of all he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. Mort loved his family and he loved his friends. He was a man of deep conviction and that is how he led his life. Mort will be remembered as a generous man of integrity and a loving heart. There will be a memorial service, Sunday April 17, at Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame at 4:00 p.m. If you would like to make a donation in Mort's name, the family suggests Peninsula Temple Sholom, Congregation Beth Am or Magen David Adom.
Published in San Francisco Chronicle on April 17, 2011
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December 29, 2011 |
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Hugh A. Moncur, November 6, 1919 - December 29, 2011. Age 92.
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April 11, 2011 |
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Alto C. Moorbrink Born in S.F on May 1, 1922, passed away peacefully at
home on April 11, 2011. Al is survived by his loving wife of 63 years,
Esther; sons Ron and Marty, daughters Randy, Vicky, and Katy; 6
grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren; his sister in law Pauline Newton;
4 nephews and their families. As a US Naval Aviator, Al flew the
Hellcat. He is a graduate of Poly Tech High, U.S.F., and Stanford. Al
was a lifelong learner: a word wizard, a Scrabble master, a "Rube
Goldberg" problem solver. His sense of humor and dry wit were infamous.
In his professional life, as teacher and administrator for the SFUSD,
Al made many friends. Hiking, and a love of nature, lead Al to build a
family cabin on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe in 1957 where he spent
treasured time with family in the warm, renewing sun and water. Many of
his SFUSD colleagues built cabins as well. A lifelong contributor to
the Boy Scouts of America, Al was also an Eagle Scout. Later, he was an
avid member of SIRS. "Poppy" loved sports (golf, waterskiing, and HIS
teams: the Giants, Niners, and the Cardinal). Musically, he played the
piano daily; read music and played by ear. Trumpet, jazz, and Broadway
musicals rounded out this love. Service will be held on April 19, 2011
at 1:00 p.m. at the CHAPEL OF THE HIGHLANDS in Millbrae, El Camino Real
at 194 Millwood Drive. Remembrances may be made to the Boy Scouts of
America.
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April 1, 2011 |
No Biography at the present time.
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January 2, 2011 |
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January 5, 2011 |
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Albert Gabriel Ratto Born July 20, 1920, passed peacefully at home with
family by his side on January 5, 2011. Throughout Al's colorful life of
90 years, there was always one consistency, his 'love of family and
friends'. Al was the loving husband of Josephine Ratto for 62 years,
the adoring father of Joan Tezak (Bill Tezak) and John Ratto (Helen
Ratto), the proud grandfather of Sage Tezak and Jeffrey Ratto (Kim
Ratto) and the caring uncle of many nephews and nieces. Al leaves
behind many fond memories that forever will be cherished in the hearts
of many. Al was an All-American football player, a soldier, a florist,
a nurseryman and a school teacher whose profound sense of humor brought
smiles to everyone who knew him. Al was an alumnus of Galleo High
School in San Francisco and one of the eleven 'Men of Iron' from the
class of 1938. He graduated from Saint Marys College in 1942 and was
inducted into the Saint Mary's Football Hall of Fame. Al was a veteran
of the U.S. Coast Guard and was an
active member of the San Mateo Elks, the SIRS, Old Timers Association
and St. Bartholomews Church for over 50 years. A Rosary will be held at
Sneider & Sullivan O'Connell's at 977 S. El Camino Real, San
Mateo, CA on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. A funeral mass will
be held at St. Bartholomews Church at 300 Alameda de Las Pulgas, San
Mateo, CA on Monday, January 10, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.
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December 19, 2011 |
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Robert
"Bob" Shoemaker, at 86, passed away peacefully at his home in
Burlingame CA, surrounded by his 3 children on December 19, 2011. Bob
was born in Chicago, Illinois, the 3rd child of Frank Ogle Shoemaker
and Francis Morrison Shoemaker. Bob joined Boy Scout Troop 608 and
earned his rank of Eagle Scout. His family moved to Berkeley, CA in
1939, returning to Chicago a year later. In 1943 Bob enlisted in the
Army and served with the 96th Infantry Division and served in the
Pacific where he was wounded in Okinawa and convalesced in Daytona
Beach, FL. In 1950 he graduated from the University of Illinois with a
BS in Mech Eng., later obtaining two MBA's from USC, one in Finance,
and the other in Industrial Management.
In 1955 he married Francine Adele Draper, and moved to Southern
California where they raised 3 children. Over the next 20 years Bob
started his career as an Engineer, which evolved into Finance,
eventually landing in Santa Barbara/Goleta in 1977 where they retired.
His wife Francine predeceased him in 2005. Bob is survived by his 3
children - Larry (Jennifer), Susan (William), Julie (Vince) and 5
grandchildren - Kevin, Stephen, Amanda, Hannah, and Andrew. He had 4
brothers - Frank (deceased), Ralph (deceased), William (Norma) and John
(Mary Louise).
Bob loved to Sail, play Bridge, and avidly followed Politics and the
Stock Market.
His great wit and positive spirit will always be remembered by all that
had the pleasure to be in his company. We love and miss you DAD.
Published in San Francisco Chronicle on December 19, 2012
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April 5, 2011 |
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Paul J. Six passed away on April 5, 2011 at 2:00 A.M. Visitation will be on Friday, Apr 8, 6-9pm including rosary prayer at 7pm at: Snyder & Sullivan FH 977 El Camino, San Mateo, 343-1804
A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Sat, Apr 9 at 1pm: Saint Luke Catholic Church, 1111 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City, 345-6660
Paul
Joseph Six October 5, 1932 - April 5, 2011 Born in Chicago, IL and
resident of Foster City, CA for 38 years. Devoted husband to Dr. Ellen
Six for 47 years and father of Laura, Michele, and Renee. Brother of
Alyce Forgue and Larry Six. Beloved grandfather of Robert, Kyle and
John-Paul Lim and William and Tommy Jessen. Son of Harriet and Paul
Six, Sr. (deceased). Paul was an Electrical Engineer for 55 years. He
was the proud owner of Accurate Engineering and Title 24. He graduated
from USF with a Bachelors of Science in Business and continued his
education with many electrical rating certifications. Paul was a
political candidate for City Council for Foster City and State
Legislature. He was a distinguished Life Senior Member of IEEE. Paul
judged the Science Symposium for SCVSEFA, educating youth in the fields
of engineering and science. He was also an active member of SIRS,
Branch One. Paul attended daily mass at St. Luke's parish, where he was
a lector and choir member. Paul was active in many charities including:
St. Vincent dePaul, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, WWF, and Nature
Conservation. In the past 5 years he learned to balance his technical
abilities with his newly found passion of the arts. As an artist, he
won the 2010 Community Choice photography award in FC. He had multiple
gallery showings for his international travel and landscape
photography. Paul we thank you for the joy, love and home you provided.
The corny jokes, the smiles and the basketball games you guided. But
mostly thank you for the prayerful way you lived your life as a
grandfather, father and husband to your wife. Please join us in a
Prayer Service and Rosary on April 8th at 7pm at Sneider + Sullivan +
O'Connells Funeral Home @ 977 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo. There
will be a funeral mass on April 9th at 1pm at St. Luke's Catholic
Church @ 1111 Beach Park Blvd in Foster City. This will be followed by
a reception. Published in the San Francisco Chronicle from April 8 to April 9, 2011.
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July 29, 2011
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Hello to all friends and acquaintances of Richard. Dad passed away at about 9:00 a.m. at Gordon Manor in Redwood City on Friday, July 29. In the last two or three weeks Richard had a very quick decline in his health.
Over the weekend of July 23 he was taken to Kaiser for extensive testing and was found to have a massive white blood cell count. The doctors suspected that he might have leukemia but could only confirm that with a bone marrow biopsy. The doctors and the family agreed not to take any extraordinary measures to treat him as the treatment would be worse than the disease, he was in very bad shape by this time. He was not eating, drinking or communicating very well. Hospice care was set up immediately at Gordon Manor with only comfort care.
Annette, my younger sister and I spent a lot of time with him during his last few days. He was not awake the last couple of days and passed quite peacefully. He was still playing music up until 2 months ago with his last gig being with the Elk's Lodge Band up in Yountville.
He was 95 years old. Not a bad way to go. Those of you who knew him well know that he lived for playing music, 65 years of that being in the San Francisco Bay Area, and that he lived exactly the way he wanted to.
He stayed independent up until 2 months ago when the family moved him into Gordon Manor. Not too many people get to stay in their home for that long and at that age.
The family will have a private ceremony up at Skylawn in San Mateo County on August 8th. His ashes will be interred in the Veterans Columbarium next to his wife, our mother. He will also receive a military ceremony.
Thanks all,
Janice, Suzanne, Gordon and Annette
My mail contact is
Gordon Snyder
609 Maple Street
Aptos, CA 95003
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May 15, 2011 |
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Our newest member, Archer Summers, passed away on May 15th.
The Rev. Dr. Landon Tracy Archer Summers, 51, died May 15, 2011.
Born Dec. 31, 1959, in Parkersburg,W. Va., Summers will be remembered as a loving father and husband, for his positive spirit, gentle manner, undying faith in God and overall love of life.
Summers graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in classics and later returned to complete a law degree. He also graduated from Harvard University with two master’s degrees and a doctorate in divinity and education.
Summers traveled to all seven continents by the age of 24. He served as a Methodist minister to churches in Maine, Connecticut and California. He spoke and read Hebrew, Russian, Greek, Latin and some Korean to impress his in-laws. Summers served as program manager of the USDA Graduate School. He received a congressional award for his work to promote peace in the Middle East and in 2008 was given the Unsung Hero award from the San Francisco Jewish Community Relations Council. Summers was a member of the Washington State Bar Association, and served on the Washington State Board of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education, as a member of the District of Columbia Bar and was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.
Summers is survived by his wife, the Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee, and his children, Clara Elaine and Landon Jack.
A celebration of life will be held 2 p.m. June 25 at the Burlingame United Methodist Church, 1443 Howard Ave., Burlingame. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the L.T. Archer Summers Memorial Education Fund at the Burlingame United Methodist Church, or to the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem for its Christian Leadership Initiative at www.shalomhartman.org or Shalom Hartman Institute, 1 Penn Plaza, Suite 1606, New York, NY 10119.
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June 17, 2011 |
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William Wanat
Resident of San Mateo
Bill died peacefully on June 17, 2011, with his wife Camele by his
side, after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's disease.
He is preceded in death by his parents Frank and Josephine Wanat as
well as his sisters Joan Wanat and Celine Kryznel. He is survived by
his loving wife, Camele of 31 years: brother-in-law Stanley Kryznel:
nieces, Kathleen Furman (David), Carol McClellan (Shane) and
grandnephews, Daniel and Michael Furman and grandnieces Ashley,
Catherine and Bridget McClellan.
Bill was born in Poland and moved with his parents and sister Celine to
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force,
and then went on to earn a BS and then a Master's Degree in Engineering
from the University of Alberta in 1953.
He worked at a petroleum refinery in Vancouver, BC and in 1960 was
transferred to Chevron Research Co. in Richmond, CA. He was a process
design engineer, specializing in petroleum refinery and chemical plant
problem solving and trouble-shooting. His assignments took him to 19
countries besides the US and Canada. He worked for Chevron for 32
years, took early retirement, then worked as a consultant for 10 more
years. He loved his job and continued to correspond with many business
associates and acquaintances after taking full retirement.
Bill will be remembered for his generous and meticulous nature, his
quiet dignity, diverse talents and interests. Among his hobbies were
creative woodworking and gardening. He loved the outdoors: ice-skated
and played hockey when he lived in Edmonton then took up tennis, golf,
bridge when he moved to California. He could dance a great polka and
beautiful waltz. Bill volunteered for many years at Filoli and was a
member of the Elks Lodge, and Sons in
Retirement in San Mateo.
Friends are invited to visit with the family, on July 6, 2011 at 10:15
am and are invited to attend a Memorial Mass at 11:00 am, Saint Gregory
Church, 2715 Hacienda Street, San Mateo, CA 94403. A reception will
follow.
In his last generous act, Bill donated his brain to Parkinson's
research. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to
the Parkinson's Institute Clinical Center, 675 Almanor Ave.,
Sunnyvale, CA 94085 or St Jude's Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 50,
Memphis, TN 38101 or the charity of your choice.
Published in
San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on
June 23, 2011
