Obituaries

Born, June 4, 1911 in Riverside, Iowa, passed away March 10, 2013 in Mesa, Arizona.  Born to Charles and Agnes (Schnoebelen) Strabala.  Married Orville Gauthier February 25, 1944 and worked as a rural school teacher in Iowa, volunteered with the USO during WWII and spent many years as a supervisor at the Arizona Employment Commission.  Preceded in death by five...

Passed away on March 5th, 2013,  born in Wisconsin and moved to Phoenix, AZ.  Preceded in death by her husband Charles, son Michael, mother Isabelle Hopper, and sisters, Demaris Ristau, Dawn Snow.  Cherie is survived by daughter Janet Velasquez (Richard) & loving grandmother of Virginia Valenzuela (David), Cynthia (Billy), Richard (Marissa), 4 great-grandchildren, brother Jack and several nieces and nephews....

Blake, Margaret Thérèse “Peggy”,Beloved Peggy passed away on March 4th, 2013 at 59.  She was born to the late Harold and Ida Wyatt on April 16, 1953 in Phoenix, AZ.  Peggy was a loving and caring grandmother, mother and sister.  She put her life into her family and enjoyed traveling with her fiancé and spending time with her grandchildren.  She...

Born in Superior, AZ on October 11, 1926.  Charlie has joined his wife Maria Cruz of 59 years on March 4, 2013.  Charlie retired from Capital Foundry with 30 years of service and enjoyed watching sports, listening to music and reading.  Dad is survived by 6 children, Luis, Dahlia, Ruth, Cathy, Debbie and Robert, 19 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, 3 great,...

Died on March 8, 2013.  She was born in 1940 in Utica, New York, the daughter of Robert and Emily Gillson.Her childhood was spent in Hamilton, New York, and she moved with her family to Phoenix in 1954.  After graduating from Xavier High School and the University of San Diego, she taught second grade in the Scottsdale School District for...

88, passed away March 1, 2013 at Hospice of the Valley Dobson House. Born in Phoenix on September 3, 1924, Jean was the only granddaughter of early Phoenix pioneers, George H.N. and Catherina Luhrs, who emigrated from Germany in the mid 1800’s and later built the Luhrs Properties in down town Phoenix. Jean attended Stanford University from 1944- 1953, where...

Marcia Rae (Trunkey) McHaney was born December 18, 1939 to Neil and Nora Trunkey in Waterloo, Iowa.  She began her career as a bank teller in Iowa.  After wintering in Arizona with her parents for several years, she moved to Phoenix and began working at The Arizona Bank in 1964.  She then worked as an EMT and receptionist in the...

Esther Mills passed away in Phoenix on February 28th, 2013. She was born on December 1st, 1926 to Damasius (Nick) and Martha Bluma in a rural area of Portage County Wisconsin. She moved to Phoenix in her thirties and has resided there since. Esther was an amazing seamstress, creating beautiful pieces came naturally to her, as she was a truly...

Mary Patricia Sullivan (Honey) James, a lifelong Phoenix resident, passed away March 3, 2013.  She was born on October 29, 1924, to Charles and Lamberta Sullivan, graduated from North High School and attended Mills College in Oakland, California She was married to David C. James, M.D. who preceded her in death in 1986. Honey was a long time member of...

passed away on March 1, 2013 at the age of 90. Nivea is preceded in death by her husband, Eugene F. Kosak and son, Robert “Bobby” Kosak. She is survived by her loving son Daniel M. Kosak (Rose) and daughter Joneé McIntosh (Steve). Nivea will be dearly missed by her brother, Dan Scarpone, sisters-in-law Gloria Scarpone and Reneé Rose, 10...

Drury, Colleen Bootz58, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away from ovarian cancer surrounded by the love of her beloved daughters on February 23, 2013.Colleen was born on October 2, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois. She is the third of eight children born to Stan and Donna Bootz.  Colleen moved to Phoenix, Arizona when she was two months old.  She graduated from St....

of Glendale, AZ passed away on February 27, 2013 at the age of 59.  She was born on June 22, 1953 in Kanab, Utah and moved to Arizona as an infant with her parents Max and Mella Duran.  Jennifer was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, cousin and friend.  Jennifer is preceded in death by her father Max Duran. ...

TRIBUTE TO ROBERT W. FAIRBURNMay 17, 1921 – February 22, 2013They always called himRenaissance Man, because that is what he was.He excelled in everything he did. He was brilliant. Bob was born in Wilson, New York, in 1921, to John Henry Fairburn, an American soldier of WWI, and Ethel Furnis, an English volunteer nurse from Dublin, Ireland. He was raised...

was born July 2, 1923 in Clarkrange, Tennessee, a  decendent of first Tennessee Governor John Sevier.  As a young wife she followed her husband Harry D. Schwartz on their first adventure to Alaska from Dayton, Ohio in 1946.  From that time they raised their family from a homestead near Anchorage to Seward, and then later Seldovia, Anchorage again, and finally...

67, of Tempe, AZ passed away February 23, 2013.  Born in Chicago, IL, on December 28th, 1945.  Robert served in theU. S. Navy.He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Jo Ann, son Bobby, daughter Michelle, grandson Dylan, sisters, Darlene Griggs, Nor Rene Gillette and Pauline Seal.A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00am, Thursday, March 7that Whitney &...

74, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away Saturday, February 16, 2013 at home.  She was born in San Diego, California on August 15, 1938 and graduated in 1956 from Burros High School in Ridgecrest, California.   She enjoyed her road trips around the Phoenix area and traveling with John and also her lifelong friend, Jackie McPheeter.   Dena loved and enjoyed her neighbors...

99, passed away peacefully on February 21, 2013 with the comfort of his family by his side.Tommy, a native of Arizona was born on December 29, 1913 in Phoenix.  He is survived by daughters Sally, Rachel, Frances and Mary, son Tommy Jr., 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren and 14 great, great-grandchildren.Tommy’s sole purpose in life was his family.  Leading by example...

Mary Ann Baranowski passed away as peacefully as she lived her life on February 1, 2013 in Tucson, AZ. Born September 27, 1931 in Galveston, TX, she moved to Phoenix with her parents in 1949. Mary Ann graduated from St. Mary’s High School and started her career at Merrill Lynch. She worked as a manager at Mountain Bell before retiring...

Our beloved father, son and brother left this life and entered eternal life on Friday, February 22, 2013.  Danny was born in Phoenix on August 7, 1960.  He attended Brophy College Prep and graduated from the University of Santa Clara in 1982.  Danny worked his entire career as a financial consultant.  Danny is survived by his beautiful children, Dylan and...

85, of Phoenix, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2013. Born in Hayden, Arizona to Jose Romero and Carmen Sierras Romero. He is reunited with his parents and brothers Ramon, Felizardo, Ignacio and Jose. He will be missed and affectionately remembered by his beloved wife of sixty years, Rafaela, and five children, Stella (Fred Ollarsaba), Norma, Margie (Steve Wolf), Arthur...