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Joy Kerr
Joy Kerr lost her courageous battle with cancer on Dec. 21, 2002.
She is survived by her husband Gordon Kerr; her daughters Sue Stevens and her husband Dave, Debbie Lukens and her husband Bob; granddaughters Shannon, Tiffani Rollins and her husband Tim; Tami Garrett and her husband Todd; and great-granddaughter Madisyn.
Other survivors include sister Joan Norrie; dear family members Bob and Cathy Starkey; Bob and Carolyn Norrie; Pat and Carl Doerfler.
She was preceded in death by her brother Jack Starkey.
Joy and her husband lived in Arizona for over 34 years. In 1980, they retired to Fountain Hills and built their own home over the course of the next two years. Within a few years, both daughters and their families had moved to Fountain Hills as well.
Joy was a very talented seamstress, sewing for many Fountain Hills neighbors, friends and family members over the years. Joy loved sewing and enjoyed visiting with her friends who came to her home, trusting their garments to her very capable hands. In recent years, Joy worked part-time at Crazy Coyote.
On a daily basis, even when she was ill, neighbors and friends could find Joy and her beloved husband walking their dog Tippy out in the desert behind their home.
A private family service will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to Hospice of the Valley or the American Cancer Society.
Lawrence S. Tribbey
Lawrence S. Tribbey (1937-2003) of Fountain Hills, AZ, passed away on Jan. 15 after a courageous three and one-half year battle with lung cancer.
Lawrence was born on April 29, 1937 in Rockford, Ill. to Lucile and Stanley Tribbey. He attended Beloit College, University of Illinois, and graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Science degree. He spent 40 years in the capital equipment industry, inventing and designing packaging machinery in the Midwest and San Francisco Bay area.
During these years, he worked for Machine Development (Dublin, CA), was owner/President of Disc Machinery, Inc. (Phoenix, AZ), and Vice-President of Owens Design (Fremont, CA). Upon retiring in 1998, he moved to Fountain Hills. Never idle, Larry obtained his real estate license, then received his broker’s license last spring. He was employed by Premier Sales where he was designated broker.
During his lifetime Larry was written up for his inventions in various journals and was a member of numerous professional and social organizations including the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce, Pinetop/Lakeside Chamber of Commerce, Fountain Hills Historical Society, Valley Board of Business Brokers, and Business Brokers’ Network. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, Valley Presbyterian Church, the Men’s Club of Fountain Hills, the Voyagers of VPC, Who’s Who Marrieds, Arizona, and was past president of the Country Pines Homeowners’ Association (Pinetop, Ariz). He also enjoyed belonging to the Scottsdale Symphony Chorale, the White Mountain Chorale, the Valley Presbyterian Men’s Singers, and the Spinnaker Yacht Club of San Leandro, Calif.. Larry had a lifetime interest n music, history and religion. He enjoyed reading, singing, travel and a good Scotch. He was an avid skier and golfer; yet his greatest love was sailing the open sea. Larry’s determination, perseverance, pride and quiet courage throughout his illness mirrored the way he lived his life. A class act, generous with his time and talents, forever our "project man," he leaves us better people for knowing him.
He is survived by wife, Julie of 14 years; daughters Kathleen Fitzgerald (David) and Laura Tribbey; son Kevin Tribbey (Kris); stepchildren Tamara Kammeier (Kory), Todd DuBois (Stacey), Joel DuBois; and 12 grandchildren. Also survived by brother Sidney and sister Barbara DiCesare (Sam) of IL and four nephews. Services will be held Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. at Valley Presbyterian Church, 6947 E. McDonald Dr., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Larry’s name to the Fountain Hills Community Theater, Inc., P.O. Box 18312, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 or to the Valley Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund (address above).
Florence R. Franza
Florence R. Franza (Lynch), age 89, passed away peacefully on Jan. 1, 2003 at the Fountain View Village nursing home in Fountain Hills.
She was born in New York City on Nov. 1, 1913 to Catherine and August Samsel.
She was the mother of Kay Ranta (Art) of Fountain Hills and Thomas (Pat) of Great Falls, Mont. She was grandmother to Mary Maloney (Kevin), William Scampoli (Deborah), Katherine Moore (Ralph), Donna Jenkins (Edward), Barbara Lytle (Steve), Kathleen Potter (Ray), Susan Kloos (Josh), Patti Thomas, Lori Muchmore (Dave) and Thomas Lynch (Laura). She was great-grandmother to 24, and great-great grandmother to one.
Florence moved to Fountain Hills from Lake Worth, Fla. eight years ago.
A Catholic Mass is to be held in Islip, N.Y., and viewing at Overton Funeral Home, Islip, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to Project Linus, Box 5621, Bloomington, IL 61702.
Kathleen J. Fazziola
Kathleen J. Fazziola, 55, of Fountain Hills passed away Nov. 26, 2003. She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Aug. 16, 1948.
Mrs. Fazziola, a newly arrived winter resident, was a retired telecommunications manager for Verizon (AT&T) for 25 years.
She was a life long member of Highland Lakes Country Club in New Jersey as well as a leader of music and a CCD teacher at Church of Nativity in Midland Park, N.J.
She is survived by a brother, Chester T. Grzanka of Fountain Hills; nieces Patrice Pfeifer of Fountain Hills and Suzanne Peterson of Jacksonville, Fla.; and nephews Keven T. Grzanka of Knoxville, Tenn. and Michael Bosley of San Diego, Calif.
A funeral mass for Mrs. Fazziola will be held on Friday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m. at Church of the Ascension, 12615 N. Fountain Hills Blvd.
‘Art’ Laske
Arvin "Art" O. Laske, 76, life-long resident of Lombard, Ill., died Nov. 24, 2003 at Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, Ill.
A memorial service will be held Monday, Dec. 8, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fountain Hills.
Interment will be at National Memorial cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.
Mr. Laske is survived by his wife, Gwen, nee Prohaska; his son, Steven (Renee) of Lombard; three daughters, Debbie (Craig) Musa of Villa Park, Ill., Linda (George) Baxter of Lombard and Janet (Jason) Shreeram of Georgia; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his brother, Elmer "Buzz" (Borothy) of Clarendon Hills, Ill.; and his sister, Donna (Fred) Banister of Arkansas. Mr. Laske was preceded in death by his brother, Frederick.
Mr. Laske was born in Lombard and was a life-long resident of Lombard. He was a 1945 graduate of Glenbard High School. Mr. Laske was a veteran, having served in the U.s. Army in Europe during World War II. He was a former member of the VFW in Bensenville, Ill.
Mr. Laske had retired as an auto damage appraiser from State Farm during the 1980s. He continued to do independent body damage work. Mr. Laske was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Villa Park, Ill. A memorial service was held there Nov. 29.
He wintered the last six years in Arizona.
Memorials to Trinity Lutheran Church, 13770 N. Fountain Hills Blvd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 would be appreciated.
Arrangements were made by Brust Funeral Home in Lombard.
Joseph Alessandroni
Joseph John Alessandroni, 78, of Fountain Hills, died May 9, 2003. He was born on November 28, 1924, in Boston, Mass.
Mr. Alessandroni served in the Navy in World War II. He was the owner of Park Avenue Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Arlington, Mass., until his retirement in 1996, when he and his wife, Traute, came to enjoy Fountain Hills.
Mr. Alessandroni is survived by his wife, Traute; daughter Christine Peters and son David Alessandroni, both of Wolfeboro, N.H.; and son John Alessandroni of Chelmsford, Mass. Joseph had five grandchildren. A brother, Nicholas, and a sister, Sylvia, both of Massachusetts, also survive him.
A memorial tribute will take place in Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice of the Valley, 5111 N. Scottsdale Road, suite 280, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, will be greatly appreciated.
Olga Niemiec
Olga Ferreras Niemiec, 80, passed away at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea on April 29, 2003 after a gallant struggle to survive a second stroke.
She had recently moved to Fountain Hills and was planning to divide her time between here and her native Puerto Rico. She thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent here in the company of her surviving husband of almost 61 years, Joseph.
In addition, she is survived by her children Rosemarie, Joseph Jr., Olga Isabel and John Christopher. Also surviving are five grandchildren: Romy, Robertito, Ricardo, Rosaura and Rosalia; four great-grandchildren: Joaquin, Joseph, Roberto and Luis; plus son-in-law Roberto.
Olga was very active in civic work in Puerto Rico especially with the Salesians Society and Ladies Auxiliary group. With this last group she had served as president. This organization also chose her as Mother of the Year in 1975. She attended the University of Puerto Rico where she studied Fine Arts. A very creative individual, her family will always cherish her love of painting.
A private family viewing was held on May 1 at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary. A service was held at her gravesite on the same date at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale.
Olga will always be remembered for her warm smile and caring thoughts.
Kenneth Schlosser
Kenneth W. Schlosser of Fountain Hills died May 8, 2003.
Born July 30, 1938 in Bristol Conn., Mr. Schlosser spent his career as a teacher and an information technology executive.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth E. and Helen Donahoe Schlosser of Old Saybrook, Conn.
Survivors include his wife, Marie Bromfield Schlosser of Fountain Hills; sons, Brian Schlosser (Denise) of Fountain Hills; Keith Schlosser (Maureen) of Houston, Texas; Eric Schlosser (Kathy) of Fort Collins, Colo.; daughter, Mary Harris (Vern) of Aurora, Colo.; six grandchildren, Nicholas Wilton and Alex Harris of Aurora, Colo., Kyle and Katie Schlosser of Houston and Kristen and Erin Schlosser of Fountain Hills.
A visitation and prayer service will be held Wednesday, May 14 at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary from 5 to 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to the Fountain Hills Boys and Girls Club Building Fund, 17300 E. Calaveras Ave., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.
Richard M. Pearce
Richard Myron Pearce, 66, of Fountain Hills died Saturday, May 24, in Scottsdale.
Mr. Pearce was born Dec. 7, 1936 in Oak Park, Ill. He was a retired electrical engineer. He served as a member of the Architectural Committee for the Fountain Hills Neighborhood Property Owner’s Association.
Mr. Pearce is survived by his wife Marianne Pearce of Fountain Hills; and two brothers, William Pearce of Las Vegas, Nev. and Frank Pearce of Waukesha, Wis.
Funeral services for Mr. Pearce are being held Wednesday, May 28, at 11 a.m. at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorial contributions to the Arizona Human Society.
Ruth Trowbridge
Ruth Catherine Kelly Trowbridge of Fountain Hills died May 18, 2003 in Denver, Colo.
She was born Sept. 9, 1918 in Adrian, Mich. She attended St. Mary’s College in Michigan and on Aug. 21, 1948 she married the late William Scott Trowbridge Jr.
They resided in Ann Arbor, Mich. before moving to Battle Creek, Mich. then to Fountain Hills.
She was a devoted and loving wife, mother and grandmother. Mrs. Trowbridge is survived by her children – Sharon, Susan, William (Amy) and Steve – and her granddaughter, Casey. She will be deeply missed and always loved.
Services were held May 23 at Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills. Burial was at National Memorial cemetery of Arizona.
Marc D. Strozzi
Marc D. Strozzi, of New Paris, Penna., died suddenly Oct. 3, at St. Joseph's Hospital BNI, Phoenix, from complications of recently discovered leukemia. He was 30 years old.
Marc is survived by his wife, Mandy, and son, Nicholas; his mother, Barbara Cipolaro of Fountain Hills; his father, Dennis Strozzi of Cheshire, Conn.; his sister, Amy Strozzi of Los Angeles, Calif.; and two grandparents, Betty DiModugno of Fountain Hills and Peter Strozzi of Spring Hill, Fla.
Marc graduated from Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, Conn. and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Penna.
The family wishes to extend its heartfelt appreciation for the extraordinary care given to him at Fountain Hills Family Practice, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea and Barrows Institute.
A memorial service will be held today, Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, plans are being formulated for a trust fund in the name of Marc's son, Nicholas.
Al Conception
Visitation and a memorial service for Al Conception will be held Monday, Nov. 15, at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary.
Visitation starts at 10 a.m., with the memorial service at 11 a.m. A lunch will be held afterward for family and friends at The Club on Enterprise Drive.
Family and friends of Albert R. Conception suffered a great loss with his unexpected death in the early hours of Oct. 21, 2004 at the age of 61.
An inspiration to all who knew him, Al lived his life by the highest standards of ethics and integrity. He shared his compassion for others through a profound love for children, dedication to professional excellence and an unyielding devotion to community.
A service was already held in Michigan, but his family wanted to conduct one in Fountain Hills as well.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Noon Kiwanis Club of Fountain Hills, P.O. Box 17831, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 or toward a bench to be installed in Fountain Park in Al Conception’s memory. Envelopes will be provided at the service for memorial donations.
Marian E. Shine
Marian E. Shine, beloved mother of Bruce (Debbie) Shine of Fountain Hills, and Ann Castelli of Plymouth, Mich. died Nov. 5, 2004.
She is the beloved grandmother of Jonathan and Rachel Shine of Fountain Hills and Patrick Castelli of Westland, Mich.; the beloved aunt of James E. (Faith) Macey of Los Lunas, N.M. and Patricia (Jerry) Peterson of Battle Creek, Mich.
Mrs. Shine was born Nov. 22, 1914 in Jackson, Mich. Her twin sister, Dorothy, predeceased her. She spent her early years in Battle Creek, graduating from Battle Creek High School in 1934. She worked for many years in home retail sales.
Mrs. Shine and her late husband, Marv were instrumental in developing early and ongoing meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous for many years and are remembered fondly by friends in Michigan.
After living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for a number of years, Mrs. Shine retired to Prescott, Ariz. enjoying her work in sales as well as continued involvement in recovery matters.
She was a compassionate and enthusiastic person who was inspirational to many who knew her. She enjoyed being a member of the Two-Steppers Club in Prescott and continued to dance into her early 80s.
She enjoyed life, and people, to the fullest. Family and friends will miss her.
Michael Smithbaker
Michael Smithbaker, owner of Arizona Lighting, a Tucson commercial lighting company, died Nov. 15, 2004.
He is survived by his mother, Joe Ann Smithbaker; sister, Christina Smithbaker; father, Don Miller; uncle, Edward; niece, Wendy; and nephew, Edward.
He was raised in Scottsdale and graduated from Saguaro High School. Michael was a happy person with many interests.
Beginning at an early age he appeared in several TV commercials. In later years he enjoyed many sports including boating, water skiing, scuba diving, driving motorcycles, dune buggies and Ski-doos. More than anything, he enjoyed sharing his happiness with family and friends.
A memorial service was held.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in his memory be made to the Gospel Rescue Mission, 312 W. 28th, Tucson, AZ 85713.
