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Laurie Gaston
Laurie L. Gaston, 43, left this earth the afternoon of Nov. 3, 2000.
At the request of her family, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 2701 N. 16th Street, No. 103, Phoenix, AZ 85006.
Laurie would have left these words with all of her friends: "Pray for me as I will for thee, that we may merrily meet in Heaven;" St. Thomas More.
Charles McClure
Charles G. McClure, 74 of Fountain Hills passed away on Dec. 9, 2000.
A memorial service was held on Monday, Dec. 11 at Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills.
Mr. McClure is survived by his wife Carolyn; and his children, Charles, of Bloomfield Hills, Minn., Michael of Glendale, Ariz., John of Phoenix and Heidi Woerdeman of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a sister Virginia Wynne of Sugarland, Texas; seven grandchildren, two nieces and two nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer Association, Arizona Chapter, 1028 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85006-2622 or Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 84014.
Victor Feliciano
Victor Feliciano, Jr. 38, of Fountain Hills passed away suddenly on Dec. 12, 2000.
He was born June 9, 1962 in Bronx, New York. After living for more than a decade in California, he moved to Arizona with his family in 1990 and settled in Fountain Hills in 1994.
Victor worked as an aircraft maintenance mechanic for United Parcel Service since 1988. He was very active in youth sports as he coached soccer, Little League and Minor League teams. He was a former board member of Little League as well as equipment manager for three years.
His smiling face will be missed at McDowell Mountain Elementary School where he was a frequent volunteer. He loved to play on the Fountain Hills Men’s Softball League. His friends would like to share that they are glad they had a chance to know him.
Victor is survived and will be deeply missed by his wife Freda, daughter Jasmin and son Nicholas, all of Fountain Hills; his mother and stepfather Margie and Lou Lugo, Sr. of Glendale; father and stepmother Victor, Sr. and Maritza Feliciano of Bronx, N.Y.; brothers, David Lugo of Avondale, Ariz., Christian Feliciano of Bronx, N.Y. and Louie Lugo, Jr. of Glendale, Ariz.; sister Aida Feliciano of New York, and various cousins, aunts and uncles in New York, Connecticut and California.
Visitation was held Dec. 15, at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary. Services were held Dec. 16, at the Church of the Ascension, Fountain Hills. Interment is at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale.
Plans are being made to establish an account in Victor’s name for his children.
Betsy Norrick
Betsy Nelson Norrick, 70, of Rio Verde died Dec. 11, 2000. She formerly lived in Fountain Hills and New Canaan, Conn.
Born in Marietta, Ohio, she was preceded in death by her husband, George H. Norrick, of New Canaan.
Survivors include her daughters, Cynthia G. Bicking of Bridgeport, Conn. and Mary Elizabeth Hopkins of Crestview, Fla.; son, G. Clay Norrick of Fountain Hills; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Also, brothers Herb Nelson and wife Betty of Solon, Ohio and Ronald Nelson and wife Janet of Lancaster, S.C.; sisters, Sue Butts of Fleming, Ohio and Geri Lemely and husband Donald of Charleston, W.Va.; several nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at the Community Church in Rio Verde at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21.
At a later date a memorial service will be held at the Church of Christ in Trumbull, Conn. followed by interment at Lakeview cemetery, New Canaan, Conn.
Flowers accepted or donations may be made to Thomas J. Pappas School for Homeless Children c/o Erna Lee Phelps, 355 N. 5th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85003; phone, (602) 452-4750
Pearl Ruzich
Pearl Ruzich, born in Chicago, Ill. March 18, 1919, passed away Dec. 17, 2000.
Pearl was a very loving and devoted wife to Steve, a wonderful mother to Russ and Jeff and a caring mother-in-law to Linda and Denise, and a generous and loving grandmother to Lara, Kurt, Chad and Kyle.
Her ready smile, selfless character and courage will be greatly missed by all.
Lara, her granddaughter, wrote these thoughts to express what a wonderful grandmother Pearl was to her, Kurt, Chad and Kyle:
"As I reflect upon my childhood memories I find that you are within all the ones that I have come to cherish the most, the ones so joyous and dear that will embrace my heart forever, as your grandchild; As a grandchild who you taught to play cards and draw, as a grandchild who you read stories to and stuffed with so many sweets;
As a grandchild to whom you gave so much of your time to nurture and grow; As a grandchild who you filled with so many memories that your presence will always be near.
"You have touched the lives of many and blessed our family with happiness, you have made my childhood a dream come true that I will never forget, for every time I close my eyes I relive these treasured moments and think how grateful I was to share them with you.
"For a grandmother that makes your childhood memories so perfect, is in but only a few, and you were the best…"
Send any donations to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 5377, Phoenix, AZ 85010.
Rodger Wilcox
Rodger W. Wilcox, 77, of Fountain Hills died Dec. 13, 2000.
Born Feb. 3, 1923 in Grand Rapids, Mich., he had worked as a computer field engineer during his adult career.
Mr. Wilcox was a U.S. Army veteran from World War II and Korea and was a member of the Fountain Hills Car Club.
He leaves behind his wife, Alice Wilcox, of Fountain Hills.
A service and visitation were held Dec. 16 at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Interment will be at National Memorial cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.
Memorial contributions may be given to Azusa Pacific University, 901 E. Alosta Ave., Azusa, CA 91702; Sunshine Acres Children’s Home, 3405 N. Higley Road, Mesa, AZ 85205; or the Nature Conservancy, 333 E. Virginia Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004.
Carl Becherer
Carl Victor Becherer, DDS, died after a brief battle with cancer on Dec. 23, 2000.
Dr. Becherer was born in Belleville, Ill. on Aug. 6, 1925 and moved to Milwaukee at the age of 17 to attend Marquette University. His wife, Helen P. Hoffman, to whom he was married for 56 years, survives him.
His children, Sue Spalatin, Dr. Jeff Becherer, Bill Becherer, Mary Beth Stilp, Dr. John Becherer and Dan Becherer, also survive him.
He will also be missed by his grandchildren Jen Spalatin, Sally More, Ann and Chris Spalatin, Sarah, Joe, Dizzy, Katie, Julie and Alex Becherer, Peter Stilp and Ali and Sami Becherer and great grandchild Sorin Moore.
Also brother and sister-in-law Paul and Anita Becherer, Mary Lou Adeline, Juanita and Jack Grundy, James and Betty Becherer and a multitude of wonderful friends, nieces and nephews.
Dr. Becherer graduated from the Marquette School of Dentistry in 1948. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, receiving numerous military honors.
He was a Wauwatosa dentist for 40 years, Professor Emeritus at MUSOD, Dental Alumnus of the year in 1977, Past President of the Dental Forum-Milwaukee, Fellow in the International College of Dentists and a member of several other professional organizations.
Dr. Becherer, a devoted Catholic, tennis enthusiast and remodeling buff, sang like an angel every chance he got. Family and friends agree that with his many talents, abilities and energies, he left the world a better place even as he sang, "I Did It My Way."
A celebratory mass will be held today, Dec. 27, at 11 a.m. with a luncheon to follow at the Church of the Ascension, located at 12615 N. Fountain Hills Blvd. There is a life celebration planned in Milwaukee on Jan. 12, 2001.
Contributions can be made to the Church of the Ascension Building Fund or Hospice of the Valley, 1510 Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85014.
Michalena Petroff
Michalena Petroff, 83 of Fountain Hills died Dec. 24, 2000 in Scottsdale.
Born Feb. 13, 1917 in Detroit, Mich., she was a manufacturing factory worker during her working years.
Survivors include her husband, Edward Petroff of Fountain Hills; daughter, Rita Tinsley of Michigan; six brothers and sisters; and five grandchildren.
Marjorie Taylor
It is with sadness that her family announces the passing of Marjorie Joy Taylor, 82.
She was born in Shanghai, China, raised in England and moved to the United States in 1975.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Shirley Hampson Taylor, her daughter and son-in-law, Hilary and Goey Quinton, and her grandchildren, Toby, Victoria, Emma and Giles.
She will be greatly missed.
Debra Haas
After a long and enduring battle with cancer, Debra Haas passed away on Nov. 27, 2000. She was 48.
Her final days were spent at home with her family at her side. Right to the end she continued to amaze all with her courage and sense of humor, but none of her stars shone brighter than the love and caring that she constantly shared with all who surrounded her.
She always put everyone else first, especially her family and the children who she worked with at McDowell Mountain Elementary School, where she was often seen bent over or kneeling down to hug and comfort a child. Everyone was blessed for the time that she was here.
Mrs. Haas is survived by her son Michael, her greatest treasure, and her husband Rob, of Fountain Hills, her mother-in-law Doris of Mesa, her mother Florence Nash of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., her sister Darlene and brothers Vince and Doug and their extended families.
The grief in her passing is only overcome by the love and memories that she gave to family and friends during her lifetime and that she has left behind as her legacy. She is loved and will be missed.
Services will be arranged for Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001 with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be given to the special education department at McDowell Mountain School, 14825 N. Fayette Drive, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268, Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014 or any children’s charity.
Vernon H. Lent
Vernon H. Lent, 72, of Fountain Hills died Nov. 29, 2000 at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea hospital.
Mr. Lent was born April 18, 1928 in Aurora, Ill. He was a former employee of Pacific Bell where he worked as a systems technician and in network special services.
Mr. Lent is survived by his wife, Madeline, of Fountain Hills; one son, Donald (Anna) Lent of San Jose, Calif.; one daughter, Nancy; two sisters, Winifred (Don) Drake of Fountain Hills, and Lois (Fran) Bills of Scottsdale; four grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Two sons, Arthur and Reed, preceded Mr. Lent in death.
Interment will be at Los Gatos Memorial Park, Los Gatos, Calif.
Susan Head
Susan L. Head, 45, of Scottsdale died Feb. 16, 2000.
Born March 24, 1954 in Denver, Colo., she was nurse practitioner in healthcare service and a member of the St. John Episcopal Church in Freemont, Mich.
Survivors include her father and mother, Floyd Head Jr. and Betty Lou Head of Rio Verde; and three brothers, Ronald Head (Debbie) of Scottsdale, Daniel Head (Gabriella) of Tucson and Gary Head (Nancy) of Dewitt, Mich.
Visitation was held Feb. 20 at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary with a memorial service Feb. 21 at St. Anthony on the Desert Episcopal Church in Scottsdale.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Susan L. Head Memorial Scholarship Fund, Freemont Area Foundation, Freemont, Mich. 49412.
Cloyd Duff
Cloyd Duff, world-renowned timpanist, died at his Fountain Hills home on March 12, 2000 at the age of 84.
Originally from East Liverpool, Ohio, Mr. Duff had a distinguished career as an orchestral musician.
As the timpanist of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1942 until his retirement in 1981, he earned a reputation as one of the finest timpanist of the 20th century.
He was a graduate of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Recognition came early in his career, when he was chosen by Leopold Stokowski for the timpani position in the All-American Youth Orchestra.
During nearly four decades with the Cleveland Orchestra, Mr. Duff worked with many of the foremost conductors of his time, performed in concerts around the world and made dozens of recordings that continue to praised as they are reissued.
Mr. Duff served on the faculties of The Cleveland Institute of Music, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Baldwin-Wallace College and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Following his retirement, he started the Cloyd Duff Timpani Masterclass at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colo. This annual event has attracted both student and professional timpanists from around the world.
In retirement he became sought after as a teacher and clinician, presenting classes in conservatories, universities and music festivals across the United States, Europe and the Far East. In 1977 he was elected to the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret, of Fountain Hills; a son, Jonathan and his wife Joan of Atlanta, Ga.; a daughter, Barbara and her husband Andrew Flack of Minneapolis, Minn.; and by thousands of grateful students around the world.
Dr. Ray Kipp
Raymond J. Kipp, Ph.D., of Fountain Hills and Elm Grove, Wis. died March 10, 2000 after a long battle with cancer.
Dr. Kipp was a veteran of the U.S. Navy Air Corps in World War II. He also was a member of the Noon Kiwanis Club in Fountain Hills.
Dr. Kipp began his teaching career at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. in 1951. He served as chairman of the Civil Engineering Dept. from 1971 to 1975 and as Dean of the College of Engineering from 1975 to 1987.
He received many honors and awards, being named "Engineer of the Year" in 1972 by the Engineers & Scientists of Milwaukee and in 1981 Professional Engineer in Education by the Wisconsin Society for Professional Engineers.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Peggy; one son, Jerry (Lee Ann) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; one daughter, Carole McCarthy of Wauwatosa, Wis.; four grandchildren, Katie Kipp, John Brian McCarthy, James McCarthy and Jeffrey McCarthy; one brother, Charles (Joan) Kipp of Waterloo, Iowa; and one sister, Mary (Archie) White of Rockford, Ill.
Burial will be at the National Memorial cemetery in Phoenix Thursday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m. Contributions may be made to Marquette University, College of Engineering, Milwaukee, WI for scholarships in Dr. Kipp’s name.
