Obituaries

Maria, known to her family and friends as Marisa, was born in Rome, Italy on July 31, 1919 and died in Scottsdale on January 4, 2012. She is preceded in death by parents, Ugo and Valentina, and sister, Renata. Survivors include her 5 children: Maria Pomeroy (Tom), Stefan (Nancy), Dennis (Ann), Leslie Cantrell (Paul), Jeffrey (Marta), niece, Giuseppina “Giusy” Tedesco-Gueli...

Died January 7, 2012 in Scottsdale. Born December 26, 1919 in Dayton, Ohio to Grace E. and Edward J. Regan. She was the eldest of three children. Virginia married John J. McMahon in April 1948. Preceded in death by her husband Jack, son Jim, brother Bill and son-in-law Pete Chapas. Survived by her children Molly Chapas, Elaine McMahon, John McMahon...

Spickler, Viola “Vi”99, of Phoenix, was born Viola Pohl, July 26, 1912 and was raised in Portland, MI. She passed away peacefully on January 2, 2012. Viola was the last surviving member of her family of nine. In 1936 she married her husband Ralph J. Spickler. She and Ralph had a diverse life on their farm in Romeo, Michigan and...

61, fun loving father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend passed away December 24, 2011. He was born May 8, 1950 in Petatlan, Mexico. Carlos proudly served his country in the Vietnam War from 1970-1972, Carlos could warm a room that he entered and make people laugh with his funny jokes and singing and could relate to people at all levels...

Died December 29, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ. Mary was born on January 25, 1927 in Hamilton, OH. Her family moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1953. On February 6, 1971 she married Floyd Auckly who preceded her in death on August 2, 2006. Mary and Floyd lived in Payson. After Floyd died, Mary moved back to Phoenix. She leaves her brother...

Richard Manuel Alvarez, 43 ofPhoenix, went to join our Lord on December 27, 2011. He was born in Germany on January 9, 1968. A Commercial Truck Driver for 14 years, his passion was music and playing his guitars, camping with his friends and smoking fine cigars and always by his side Malaki his German Rottweiler. Ricky’s strong belief in God...

Michael Bauer, 54, passed away December 25, 2011. Born on August 31, 1957 in Phoenix, AZ to Dick and Nancy Bauer. He is in heaven to meet his namesake maternal grandfather, Kent Moody and reunite with his grandmother, Von Moody, along with his beloved Samoyed, Beau, whom he “adopted” after dog-sitting and “forgot” to return him back to his sister-in-law,...

93 years, died peacefully on December 19, 2011. She was born in New York City to George and Mary Lavender on September 27, 1918. After graduating from St. Barnabas High School, she attended secretarial school and then worked at Sherman Ellis Advertising Agency in NYC where she met her husband of 66 years, Marshall Taylor. After marrying in 1941, and...

Art Canez Jr. “Doobie” passed away peacefully the morning of December 24, 2011 at the age of 36 in Phoenix, AZ. Art Jr. is survived by his father, Art Canez, Sr., his mother, Norma Bennett, his step-father, Frank Bennett, his sisters, Annette Canez and Courtney Canez and his brother Kevin Canez. If you had the honor of knowing Art Jr....

After a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, Helen Schilling passed away peacefully on December 15, 2011. It was her strong faith that enabled her to face this illness with such a positive outlook and she was an inspiration to us all. She was born May 28, 1924 in Merrillville, Indiana and married to her husband, John, almost 53 years until...

95, of Phoenix, passed away December 25. Born May 5, 1916 in San Francisco, CA and brought to Phoenix at the age of 5 when her parents purchased a farm on the outskirts of Phoenix on 44th Street near Roosevelt Road. Josephine was in the first graduating class of St. Mary High School. She was preceded in death by her...

Norma Blanche (Butler) Stafford was born October 1st in 1926 to James Richard Butler and Agnes Blanch Crane Butler in Hartford, Connecticut. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Howard Ernest Stafford, and two daughters, Sr. Terri Stafford and Eileen Stafford Frazier, son-in-law, Patrick Frazier, grandchildren Jenna Frazier and Brendan Frazier. She is also survived by her sister...

Alyce Grace Burns, 81, of Scottsdale, died December 3, 2011 at her home with family by her side. Though she struggled with rheumatoid arthritis for over fifty years, she died of natural causes.Mrs. Burns was born December 27, 1929, in Del Rapids, South Dakota, to Dennis and Ellen Loretta Flanagan. She was the fourth of four children. Alyce, her mother...

age 50, passed away on December 5, 2011 in Roswell, GA after his second long battle with cancer. Mark was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. Mark married his soul mate Debra Montagnari-Stephens in 2001 and together they raised a son and a daughter from Mark’s previous marriage. A graduate of Arizona State University, Mark spent 14 years in the...

Margaret K. Ritter of Phoenix died December 13, 2011. Our dear Margaret was born in Berlin, Germany and, at the age of 2, came to this country with her parents and sister Eleanor Rossi (deceased) to live in Buffalo, NY. When she married John Ritter in 1943, they made their home at Schenectady, NY. After WWII, when John had a...

Maureen Lynne Beck-Wells, 54, passed away on Dec. 12, 2011 after a long battle with cancer. A dedicated Catholic, Maureen has joined our Lord in heaven but will continue to be with us as a guardian angel that watches over her amazing children, extensive family and many, many friends. Maureen loved her children, Michael and Sarah above all else and...

Blanche E. Duggan, 91, born July 31, 1920 in Fullerton, Nebraska, went to be with Our Heavenly Father on December 8, 2011. She was preceded in death by her husband Tom of 58 years and will be greatly missed by sister Bessie Rudman and children Joan (Fred) Felkins, Jean (Paul) Boyce, Kay Duggan, Mike (Darlene) Duggan, Patty (Tom) Lynch, grandchildren,...

Longtime Phoenix attorney and community leaderRaymond M. Hunter: A Man of Great Accomplishment; A Model of CourageBy Greg O’BrienTo say that Raymond M. Hunter was a loving husband and father and a man of resolute courage is to say the sun rises in the morning by chance. The understatement is lost in the greatness of the man and the moment.Ray,...

Gustavo Facundo Costales, 46, passed away on Tuesday, December 6, 2011. He is survived by his loving and adoring wife, Martina, his daughter, Lucia, and his son, Julian. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gustavo and Martina moved to Arizona in 1997 to further their education and careers. He is a 1998 graduate of Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale,...

Sister Esther Ann Reyes IBVM, member of the Loreto Sisters’ Religious Community at Ss. Simon and Jude Convent, Phoenix, Arizona died peacefully on Monday, December 5th. Sister Esther will be greatly missed by her Religious Sisters and friends, and, especially, by her immediate family: her sister, Frances Holguin, her sister, Gloria Viramontes, her brother, Frank L. Reyes, and her brother,...