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 2010:

John M. Basler

Frederic Buckley

Brozzo, Donald J.

Collins, David L.

Grenfell, George E.

Leslie, Dana D.

Meyerowitz, Basil R.

Mihalic, Frank J.

Pedersen, Arne H.

Schnapp, Raymond

Sabatino, Scialanga

William Walsh

Welch, Robert M.

For Obituaries of SIR's Branch Number 1 members in the past years, click on the following years:

2009 Obituaries

2008 Obituaries

2007 Obituaries

2006 Obituaries

2005 Obituaries

2004 Obituaries

Obituary Details of Deceased Members

Donald J. Brozzo

February 17, 2010

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Donald J. Brozzo

Donald J. Brozzo Unexpectedly, passed away peacefully in his sleep, on February 17, 2010. Donald is survived by his wife Maria of 42 yrs, his sons Joseph and Dennis, twin brother Ronald and his wife Valerie, siblings Rose and Bernadine, and the late Isabel and Chuck, in-laws Frank and Nancy Salemme, many nieces, nephews, and loved family members. Donald loved to travel with family, play bocce ball with his wife, and spent every day at his wife's side ensuring the old world Italian culture lived on in his home. As a loving father, he never missed an opportunity to be with his sons teaching them about fishing, boating, outdoorsmanship, and the family traditions of craftsmanship. He helped everyone he knew spending many days in his gardens, and the gardens of others bringing new life with every harvest and taught us to live life to the fullest. Friends may visit on Sunday after 4:00 PM and invited to attend the Rosary Service on Sunday at 7:00PM and the funeral on Monday at 9:45AM from the chapels of Valente Marini Perata & Co. 4840 Mission St., thence to St. Gregory Church in San Mateo where a 10:30AM Funeral Mass will be celebrated with Committal to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma. Online condolences may be offered at www.vmpandco.com

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on February 20, 2010

Raymond L. Schnapp

November 9, 2009

Raymond Louis Schnapp Mar. 29. 1927-Nov 9, 2009 Passed away on November 9, 2009 unexpectedly. He is survived by Laura, his wife of 58 years; daughter, Barbara Turner (Dennis); daughter-in-law, Mary Lasagna-Schnapp (widow of Raymond II); grandchildren: James Bullis (Jennifer) and Kristina Doyle (Timothy); and three great grandchildren: Jacob; Fox, and Emma. He was preceded in death by his son, Raymond II, and his parents, Luis and Mae Schnapp. Ray was born in San Francisco and attended Saint Anne's School and Sacred Heart High School. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. Upon his return, he attended business school and majored in accounting. He went to work in the automobile business and became CFO for Les Vogel Chevrolet and remained with them until he retired in 1991. One of his favorite pastimes was traveling with his wife. They spent many happy times cruising together until his death. The rosary will be on Friday, November 13, at 7:00 p.m. Visiting hours will be from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Mass will be on Saturday, November 14, at 10:00 a.m. at Saint James Catholic Church, 1086 Guerrero St, San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Veteran's Administration in his memory.

Dana Leslie

January 31, 2010

DANA LESLIE (1909 - 2010)

Dana Dale Leslie Resident of San Mateo It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, Dana Dale Leslie. Dana passed away January 31, 2010 of natural causes while traveling abroad with his dearest friends and his close companion, Margaret Good. Dana was 100 years old. Dana was born in Dunkirk, Ohio on July 17. 1909. He was the only son of Ralph D. and Evelyn (Garwood) Leslie. He graduated from Dunkirk High School, attended Ohio Wesleyan University (1927-29), Case School of Applied Science with BS and MS degrees in civil engineering (1929-33). Post-graduate study was conducted at Harvard Graduate Engineering School (1933-35). Dana was also an instructor in civil engineering at North Dakota State College from 1935 to 37. Dana was employed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in1937 and continued to work for them for the next 36 years. He served as an engineer in Ithaca, NY, Concord, NH, Cambridge, MA at MIT, Massena, NY, Washington, DC, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco, CA. In the South Pacific Division of San Francisco, Dana was the Chief of Geology, Soils, and Materials Branch in the engineering division from 1945 to 1973. In 1963, Dana presented papers at the International Conference in Brazil and in 1969, he again presented at the International Conference held in Mexico. In 1974, he was awarded the Army medal for meritorious civilian service. Dana married Georgia Washburn on July 15, 1938. She was the daughter of Elisha D. and Ethel (Staffin) Washburn. She died in 1999. Dana is survived by son Philip of North Salem, NY, daughter Jodi, of Missoula MT, son Stuart of Paradise CA, son Todd of Milpitas, CA and grandsons, David Leslie of Lodi, CA, Michael Leslie of Portland, OR, Jonathan Leslie, of London, England, and Daniel Leslie, of NY. Dana was very active in the Hillsdale United Methodist Church in San Mateo, CA. At one point in time, he served as a representative to the United Methodist Northern California-Nevada Conferences. In his leisure time, Dana enjoyed a good game of golf and dinner with close friends and family. He will never be forgotten. He will be missed. Thank you to all of those who have supported us through this difficult period. A memorial service to celebrate Dana?s life will be held 11:00am on Saturday, February 20th at Hillsdale United Methodist Church located at 303 36th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403, phone: 650-345-8514. The Rev. Steven Thompson will officiate.

Published in Inside Bay Area from February 17 to February 18, 2010

George E. Grenfell

March 26, 2010

George's memorial service will be held on April 6, 2010 at 10:30 A.M. at St. Gregory's Church in San Mateo.

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George E. Grenfell

George E. Grenfell Nov. 11, 1922 - Mar. 26, 2010 Resident of San Mateo George entered heaven on March 26 surrounded by his wife and daughters. George was the beloved husband of Lorraine for 58 years and loving father of Mary Ness (Robert), Sally Mrizek (Andrew), and Joan Kingery (Todd). He was the wonderful grandfather to Elizabeth, Matthew, Caroline, Ellen, and Michael. Born and raised in Yosemite Valley National Park he later graduated from Mariposa High, Santa Clara University, and University of Pacific School of Dentistry. For 30 years he practiced pediatric dentistry in San Mateo. He was a B-17 pilot in World War II. George was a wonderful husband and dad and he loved us with all his heart. He will always be embraced by his family's love and remain in our hearts forever. Friends are invited to a memorial mass that will be held on April 6 at 10:30 A.M. at St. Gregory Church in San Mateo. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Santa Clara University, St. Gregory Parish, or Yosemite Valley National Park. SNEIDER & SULLIVAN & O'CONNELL'S FUNERAL HOME (650) 343-1804

Published in San Jose Mercury News on April 2, 2010

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Robert M. Welch

March 28, 2010

Memorial services are planned for April 9, 2010 at 11:00 A.M. at Hope Lutheran Church in San Mateo.

Robert Marvin Welch

Robert Marvin Welch Aug. 12, 1936 - Mar. 28, 2010 Resident of Burlingame Robert Marvin Welch died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on March 28, after a 12-year courageous battle with multiple myeloma cancer. Bob was born in Dawson, MN, August 12, 1936 to Marvin and Leona Welch. Bob attended Dawson schools and was active in Boy Scouts, church activities, and athletics. He attended Augsburg College on athletic scholarship. Bob served as team captain in football both his junior and senior years, and was a Little All-American candidate. Bob married Martha Mattson in 1956 and they had two daughters, Robertta and Pamella. Bob enjoyed a successful and rewarding 38-year career in education as a teacher, coach, and administrator. Bob first taught in Round Lake, MN before moving to CA in 1960 where he taught in Burlingame. He spent 35 years at Hoover School, Franklin School, and Burlingame Intermediate School (BIS). Under Bob's leadership as Principal of BIS, the school was recognized as one of the first Distinguished Schools in CA. BIS was selected by the National Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development as one of 25 schools in the nation to develop plans to become a model middle school. Bob served on the original state committee that wrote "Caught in the Middle," a blue print for change in the middle school level. Under his leadership, BIS served as a mentor for schools up and down the state. In 1982, Bob became a founding member and served as president for two years of the California League of Middle Schools, an organization that grew to 40,000 members. He also served as a liaison to the Association of California High Schools. In 2007, Bob received the "Wall of Fame" recognition from the Burlingame School District for outstanding service to the children and community of Burlingame. In 1995, Bob retired from the Burlingame School District and took a position as Principal of Middle School at Hong Kong International School. He served in this position until soon after he was diagnosed with thyroid and multiple myeloma cancer. Bob and Martha returned to their Burlingame home in July of 1998. They continued to enjoy their love of travel, their involvement with Hope Lutheran Church (San Mateo), and avid support of their grandchildren's activities. Bob is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Martha. Their daughter Bobbi and her husband Bob Merrill and their two daughters, Jessi and Zoe, live in Arcata. Bob and Martha's daughter Pam and her husband Mike Bacciocco and their son and daughter, Christopher and Katelyn, live in San Carlos. Bob is also survived by his sister Donna Weibel and her husband Dean of Wayzeta, MN, sister Carol Langness and her husband Gary of Lilydale, MN, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Blessed be his memory. Friends are invited to a memorial service and celebration of Bob's life on Friday, April 9th at 11:00, at Hope Lutheran Church in San Mateo, 600 West 42nd Avenue. Memorial gifts may be given to IMMF, Augsburg College Athletic Dept., Hope Lutheran Church, or HKIS.

Published in San Jose Mercury News on April 3, 2010

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Willliam Walsh

April 10, 2010

A memorial mass celebrating Bill’s life at 10 A.M on Monday, April 19, 2010 at Our Lady of Angels Church, 1721 Hillside Drive in Burlingame.

William James Walsh

September 27, 1915 – April 10, 2010

Bill was born in Chicago, attended grammar and high school there, but moved to California to pursue higher education. He graduated with a degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1938 and continued the next year in order to receive his California teaching credential. Bill was a perennial student and attended Northwestern University to continue his work in Chemistry; received training courtesy of the US Navy at Cornell University, was awarded a Ford Fellowship to study at Columbia University and received an MS in Chemistry from Montana State University.

Bill is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Donna and his children: Barbara (Bruce) Hansen, William Jr. (Sue), Michael (Cecilia), David and Virginia (Gary) Gottlieb. He is also survived by his eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Bill was predeceased by his son, Jim.

Bill began his teaching career at Oroville High School but soon moved to Burlingame High where he taught from 1942 to 1956 with a short break for service in the U.S. Navy during WWII. Bill joined the San Mateo Junior College District in 1956 and served as Dean of Men at CSM until 1968 when he became Director of Student Services at Canada College. Bill retired in 1977 and has spent his time since then traveling the world with his wife, Donna and his many SIR’s friends.

Please join us in a memorial mass celebrating Bill’s life at 10 A.M on Monday, April 19 at Our Lady of Angels Church, 1721 Hillside Drive in Burlingame.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Bill’s name to Pathways Hospice Foundation, 395 Oyster Point Blvd., Ste 128, South San Francisco, CA 94080.

Basil R. Meyerowitz

April 20, 2010

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Basil Meyerowitz

Basil Ralph Meyerowitz, MD Sept. 29, 1929-April 20, 2010 Devoted husband and father, and esteemed surgeon, Basil passed away after suffering a massive stroke. He was surrounded by his wife of nearly 47 years and four children. He was 80 years young. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to Lithuanian-born immigrants, Louis and Ray. Known by his pals as "Sarge," Basil studied medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand and completed his surgical training at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He then moved to New York City to teach at Einstein Medical College where he also served as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve. Two weeks after meeting Miriam Lewinsky, they were engaged and six months later they were married. They moved to California in 1967 where Basil became the Director of the Stanford Surgical Service and Chief of Surgery at Chope Community Hospital. He opened a private practice in San Mateo where he was a pioneer in bariatric surgery. He also served as Chief of Staff of Mills Hospital. In his retirement he volunteered at Filoli, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, and Samaritan House. He relished gardening, playing bridge, working out at the Peninsula JCC, and any opportunity to walk on the beach. He is survived by his wife, Miriam; his four children: Robin, Eric, Lisa (Danny), and Jennifer (Dennis); his four grandchildren: Solomon, Sarah, Kate, and Bella; his younger sister Dorothy; and numerous family members in South Africa and Australia. A service will be held on Friday, April 23 at Skylawn Memorial Park, Fireside Chapel at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to: Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Recording for the Blind, Peninsula Sinai Congregation, or Samaritan House.

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on April 23, 2010

Frank J. Mihalic

April 15, 2010

No Obituary at the present time.

Memorial service for Frank Mihalic will be on Sunday, May 2 from 1 to 4 pm at Skylawn Memorial Park in the Lifemark Center, Vista Room. Skylawn is at the juncture of Hwy 92 and Skyline Blvd.

John M. Basler

June 30, 2010

John Basler

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John Mitchell Basler

Resident of Hillsborough, CA

October 25, 1926

to June 30, 2010

"The Man With a Smile" As a Christian, by the grace of God, and his own energy he effectively contributed excellence and honesty to his work during his 43 years with Pacific Bell and the AT&T system. A retired vice president, he appreciated the value of each person. He recognized the value of our community and served with dedication. Present and past commitments included Commissioner, Senate Commission on Cost Control in State Government; Interfaith Network for Community Help (INCH); Open Door Church; 15 years, Board, San Francisco Opera Co.; Committee to Restore the Opera House, past chair, Western Council of Construction Consumers. Service to our country included Navy V-12 program, World War II and a Marine in the Korean Conflict.

Born in L.A., attended Glendale Hoover High, is a graduate of University of Southern California, BS, Electrical Engineering, a MBA and affiliated with SAE. His utmost dedication was to his wife, sons, grandsons, and family.

Service will be held Wednesday, July 7, 12 noon, Open Door Church, 4150 Piccadilly Lane, San Mateo, reception at his home follows. Continuing his work, remembrances may be made to USC Scions Scholarship Fund, USC Alumni Assn., 635 Childs Way, L.A., CA 90089-0461, Attn: Danielle Harvey; INCH, 1600 Adams Dr., #131, Menlo Park, CA 94025; or San Francisco Opera Co., 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco.

Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on

Frederic Buckley

July 6, 2010

Frederic Buckley

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Frederic Buckley October 15, 1913 - July 6, 2010 Resident of Millbrae Passed away in South San Francisco on July 6, 2010. Father of Craig Spilman and Mary S. Buckley. Also survived by his loving nieces and nephews Barbara Christianson (John), Cindy Spurgeon, and stepdaughter Beverly Roark (Joe) and family. A native of Texas, Fred grew up in San Francisco. He attended UC Berkeley and later owned F.S. Buckley Door Company. Fred traveled the world with his wife Madelene and loved donning the chef's apron at family barbeques. He enjoyed his final years with good friend Rosemarie Thompson. A Memorial Service will be held at 11am (TODAY) Saturday, July 10, 2010 at Crosby-N. Gray & Company, 2 Park Road in Burlingame, CA. Donations preferred to CARE or the American Cancer Society .

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on July 10, 2010

Arne Pedersen

July 19, 2010

Arne Pedersen

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Arne Hans Pedersen Was born September 8th, 1943, in Copenhagen Denmark, the youngest son of Adolph & Anna Pedersen, brother to his identical twin, Anker and older sister Annie. After serving as a sergeant in the Royal Danish Army, he enrolled in the Culinary Academy of Copenhagen where upon graduation he was awarded a silver medal for excellence. In 1965, he was chosen as a chef for the Danish delegation to the Worlds Fair in Queens NY. From this starting point, he began his culinary career in the United States that would eventually lead him from NY to Chicago to San Francisco and the Moonraker Restaurant, where in 1969 he met the love of his life, Mary Alice Dowdle. Arne continued his professional career in the Bay Area as well as Los Angeles with stints as the executive chef of the Sir Francis Drake, executive chef at the Plaza Airport Inn and executive chef and General Manager at the world famous Scandia restaurant on the Sunset strip before opening his own restaurant, the Little Mermaid, in 1985 which he operated successfully until he retired in 1996. He enjoyed a life-long love of golf and soccer, especially when he was able to involve his children as he did when he and his son Christian won the father & son golf tournament at Golden Gate Park. He was known professionally as a hard driving perfectionist with little patience for those that could not keep up to his standards. Personally, he was known to be a kind hearted, soft-spoken individual that loved animals, gave time and money to charity, and volunteered in his community. He passed away peacefully on July 19th after a long struggle with lung cancer. Arne is survived by his loving wife and best friend of 40 years, Mary Pedersen, his two sons Christian (Peggy) Pedersen of Burlingame and Bob (Angela) Pedersen of San Carlos, and his grandchildren, Christian and Julia Pedersen. A celebration of his life will be held at St. Gregory's Catholic Church in San Mateo CA. on Saturday the 24th at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

David L. Collins

July 25, 2010

David Collins

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David Leo Collins 6-25-1936 to 7-25-2010 Died suddenly at his home. Rosary/Visitation services 6 to 9 PM, with the rosary at 7 PM, Thursday, July 29, 2010 - Sneider, Sullivan and O'Connell's funeral home at 977 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA. Funeral mass at St. Bartholomew Church, 300 Alameda de las Pulgas in San Mateo at 11:00 AM, July 30, 2010; reception to follow. Donations to: American Life League, P.O. Box 1350, Stafford, VA 22555.

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on July 28, 2010

Sabatino Scialanga

July 23, 2010

Sabatino Scialanga

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Sabatino Scialanga Known as "Tino" to his family and many friends, passed away on July 23, 2010 at the age of 91. He was born in Italy and immigrated to the United States in 1948. Tino had a long and successful career in the retail fish and poultry industry. In fact, he began his career at the age of eight when he went to work for his uncle in Rome. In 1977, he and his son opened Mission Market Fish and Poultry in the Mission District of San Francisco. Tino was an extremely hardworking man and his Italian charm will be greatly missed by his customers, his friends, and his family. He was preceded in death by his wife Evelyn in 1988 and is survived by his son Robert Scialanga, his daughter-in-law, Kip Scialanga; granddaughters, Michelle Scialanga and Jillian Scialanga, his loving soul mate, Rose Camilli, his adopted granddaughter, Aida Camilli, his niece Barbara Bonanno (her husband, Ed) and his great-nephew and great-niece, Nathan Kundert and Gina Kundert. Family and friends may visit after 4 PM, Monday, July 26, 2010 and attend the Vigil at 7 PM at CHAPEL OF THE HIGHLANDS, 194 Millwood Dr. at El Camino Real in Millbrae. The Funeral will leave the Chapel on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 10:45 AM for St. Dunstan Church, 1133 Broadway, Millbrae where the Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM. Committal will follow the Mass at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on July 25, 2010