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Raymond Eareckson
Raymond Eareckson, 83, of Fountain Hills died June 2, 2002 at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea hospital.
Born May 12, 1919 in Baltimore, Md., Mr. Eareckson was vice president of administration for a wholesale liquor distributor during his adult career.
A veteran of the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry during World War II, he was a recipient of the Purple Heart as well. Mr. Eareckson was a member of the Georgetown University Alumni Association.
Survivors include his wife, Laura Eareckson of Fountain Hills; daughter Cathy Eareckson-MacNally and son-in-law Dick of Oconomowoc, Wis.; and nieces and nephews, James Dowd, Robert Dowd, Susane Peck and Jean Genereux.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 6, at 2 p.m. at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary, 12065 N. Saguaro Blvd.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributors donate to the charity of their choice.
Dorothy Flanagan
Dorothy Flanagan, 78, of Fountain Hills Died on May 29 at her residence.
Ms. Flanagan was born on Dec. 5. 1923, in Chicago, Ill. She was a retired secretary from the Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills.
She was a member of the Church of the Ascension and a member of the Daughters of Isabella.
Her niece, Nori Nolan of Fullerton, Calif., survives her.
A visitation was Sunday, June 2, at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary. A service was June 3 at the Church of the Ascension.
Jeri Lynn Walema
Jeri Lynn Walema, of Peach Springs, Ariz. died May 30, at Kingman, Ariz. She was 43.
Ms. Walema was born Sept. 2, 1958 in Phoenix. She was a homemaker.
She is survived by one son, Franklyn Walema, Jr. (Raina) of Carrizozo, NM.; two brothers, Michael Patrick (Jennifer) and Earl Patrick (Corrina), both of Fort McDowell; two sisters, Tammy Querta of Peach Springs and Teri Harris (Timothy) of San Carlos, Ariz.; and one grandchild, Dylan Walema of Carrizozo, NM.
Visitation for Ms. Walema will be held Thursday, June 6, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary, 12065, Saguaro Blvd.
Services will be held on Friday, June 7, at 8 a.m. at Fort McDowell Presbyterian Church at Fort McDowell. Interment will be at Fort McDowell cemetery.
Ilona Hankus
Ilona Hankus, 38, of Fountain Hills died on Friday, June 7, .
Ilona was born in Poland on Feb. 29, 1964 and moved to the United States in 1985. She lived in Chicago until moving to Arizona in September, 2001.
Survivors include her husband, Jan Hankus, of Fountain Hills; mother Maria Salapat; sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Zbigniew Binkiewicz and her nieces Marlena, Inez and Ania and nephews Norbert and Mark, all of Scottsdale.
Visitation for Ilona will be in the afternoon of Friday, June 14, at Mesa Heritage Mortuary, located at 5650 E. Main St. Call 985-4900 for hours. Services will be Saturday, June 15, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Czestochowa, located at 6530 N. 7th St.
Ilona was a vibrant individual, full of life, kindhearted and always ready to help others. Ilona will be sadly missed by all her friends and relatives. May she rest in peace.
"The beauty of the world and the orderly arrangement of everything celestial makes us confess that there is an excellent and eternal nature."
Richard J. (Dick) Hedderman
Richard J. (Dick) Hedderman, 74, of Cody, Wyo. and Fountain Hills passed away Sunday, June 9, 2002, in Scottsdale. Dick’s remains were cremated, and will be scattered in the mountains of Yellowstone country, which he so loved.
Dick was born March 12, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, the fourth child of nine sons and two daughters born to Raymond and Ursula Hedderman. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother William, sister Mary Ellen, and granddaughter Adriana Hanson. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, June 19, at the Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills. A second service will be held in early August in Cody. In lieu of flowers, all are invited to make contributions to the National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 02-5163, Miami, FL, 33102.
Dick is survived by wife Dolly (the former Josiephine Armstrong), who will continue to live in Cody and Arizona; by brothers Jim, of Sheridan; Tom of Cody; Neil and John, of Cleveland; Howard, of Willoughby, Ohio; George of Alamosa, Colorado; Terry, of Fort Worth, Texas; sister Alice, of Cleveland; son Larry, of Powell; daughter Terry, of Yorktown, Va.; granddaughters Josie Hedderman, Cody; Anne Hedderman, Powell and the University of Wyoming; and Alexandra Hanson, Yorktown, Va.; and grandson Cody Hanson, also of Yorktown.
Dick was an educator, outdoorsman and backcountry outfitter, telephone lineman and all around handyman, runner and golfer, licensed pilot – but before all of this, he was a rodeo rider. Smitten by the rodeo with Gene Autry when it came through Cleveland, Dick joined the rodeo circuit at an early age, traveling throughout the east coast and then on to Texas and the Southwest riding bareback and bulls. With various awards under his belt, Dick came to Cody in 1948 to compete in the famous Fourth of July Stampede. There he met his future bride, Dolly.
Dick and Dolly were married November 25, 1949 in Saint Anthony’s Church in Cody. Dick had returned to Cody and taken a job with the Bureau of Reclamation as a lineman, where he worked for 14 years.
During this period, son Larry and daughter Terry were born, and Dick used his free time to become an accomplished outfitter.
Recognizing the importance of furthering his education, Dick completed high school by earning a General Education Diploma, and in 1962 the Hedderman family moved to Laramie and the University of Wyoming, where both Dick and Dolly pursued their degrees. Dick was awarded a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in Education and English, in 1965.
The following year he earned a Master of Arts in Education Administration, and completed 30 additional hours toward his Ph.D.
He was on the Dean’s List throughout his days at Wyoming, and was appointed to Kappa Delta Pi (the International Honor Society in Education). He accomplished this while also working in the University Registrar’s office and, in the winter, running the Happy Jack Ski School.
The Heddermans then returned to Cody in 1966, where Dick taught for five years in Cody Junior High School. During this time he coached Cody High School’s downhill and cross country ski teams, and he and Dolly established the Sleeping Giant Ski School near the East Gate of Yellowstone. Deciding on a major lifestyle change, Dick and Dolly accepted teaching positions with the North Slope Burough in Alaska. They taught for the next 12 years in Alaska, primarily in Barrow, where Dick subsequently served as a Principal and then Assistant Superintendent. The Heddermans spent their summers primarily in Cody, where they purchased a home in Hawaii. It was in Hawaii that Dick earned his private pilot’s license.
The Heddermans retired in 1983, purchasing a home in Fountain Hills, in addition to their Cody residence. Dick spent his retirement years golfing, running and biking, traveling, visiting his children and grandchildren, and working on various projects at his two homes, all the while fighting the progressive effects of Parkinson’s Disease.
His demeanor throughout that period reflected the attributes for which all who knew him throughout his life loved and respected him – total selflessness, unbounded patience, understated good humor, unqualified love for family and friends, and a quiet demeanor grounded in personal ability and intelligence which commanded the respect and admiration of all who came to know him.
Mary Ann Stelling
Mary Ann Stelling (see Nitchoff), 73, died June 8, 2002, at the Fountain View Senior Care Center. Her husband, Harry, four of their children, two grandchildren, and three daughters-in-law were at the deceased’s bedside when she expired after a long battle against emphysema.
With her husband, Mary Ann moved from Rock Island, Ill. to Fountain Hills in 1994. They resided at 17016 Calle del Sol. She graduated from Morton Junior College and earned a B.A. degree from North Central College, Naperville, Ill., where the couple met. They were married by Rev. H.J. Stelling, groom’s father, in 1950. The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2000.
For a number of years, Mary Ann worked at St. Anthony’s Hospital, Rock Island, Ill. She retired from the Rock Island Savings and Loan in 1994 as an officer of that institution. Her husband retired from Augustana College as emeritus associate professor of English in 1992 after 34 years there.
Two sons reside in Fountain Hills: Doug, 51, an architect; and Harry Jr., 48, a development services specialist at the Maricopa County building permit office in Phoenix. Linda Barr Stelling, wife of Doug, is a homemaker; their two sons, Matthew, 23, and Zachary, 20, live in Scottsdale. Bobbie Stelling, wife of Harry, Jr., recently resigned from Scottsdale Horizons Charter School, where she was site director. They have a son Eli.
A third son, Kurt, lives with his wife Michelle in Phoenix. He is the director of the Phoenix Zoo annual light show; she is a representative of a health-care provider institution.
Two daughters of the deceased’s live in the St. Louis area. Pamela, a radiation therapist, resides with her husband Scott and son Sammy in Glen Carbon, Ill. Lisa, the younger Stelling daughter, is director of children’s education at the St. Louis Art Museum. With husband Kevin and daughters Elizabeth and Aleta, Lisa lives in St. Louis.
Mary Ann’s father, Christ Nitchoff, and mother Veronica, preceded her in death as did a brother, Richard. Another brother lives in Sun City West. She has a half brother, Kosta, a number of nieces and nephews, and other relatives in Countryside, Ill. and other suburbs of Chicago.
There will be, by the deceased’s wishes, no public ser- vice. A private family celebration of her life will be held. Friends wishing to memorialize Mary Ann may contribute to the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association or to one of the American Indian funds.
Walter Loupé
Walter Hamilton Loupé, 88, a founding member of Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Fountain Hills, died June 10, 2002 in Payson, Ariz.
He was born April 28, 1914.
Mr. Loupé was the owner of Techno Electric in Long Beach, Calif. for 30 years before retiring, first to Palm Springs and then to Fountain Hills.
Survivors include his wife, Gladys; daughter and son-in-law, Sherry and Joe Quesada of California; step-daughter, Christine Herzog of Arizona; six grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 15, at Messinger Mortuary, corner of Saguaro Blvd. and Colony Drive.
The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to RTA Hospice and Palliative Care, 107 E. Frontier St., Payson, AZ 85541.
Arthur Costello Sr.
Arthur E. Costello Sr., 70, a winter visitor to Fountain Hills, died June 14, 2002 in his Palos Park, Ill. home.
He spent 40 years in the Chicago newspaper business before retiring in 1996 as the person responsible for nightly production of the Chicago Tribune.
"He was one of the most inspiring people that we had," said Dick Malone, senior vice president of operations at the Chicago Tribune.
"He was always focused on the right thing for the Chicago Tribune, regardless of any other considerations, internal or external. He contributed quite a bit to serving our customers every single night."
There are natural tensions between news gatherers, with their desire to push back deadlines to get more information, and press room managers, whose job it is to get newspapers to newsstands on time.
"Art, better than anyone I knew in either of these departments, found a way to do it all," said Tribune Editor Ann Marie Lipinski, who called him "one of the best newsmen I’ve ever met."
Mr. Costello grew up in Chicago and graduated from De La Salle High School. He was a Marine in the Korean War, during which he was wounded by enemy shrapnel.
He started with the Chicago Herald American in 1952 as a temporary apprentice. He stayed with the newspaper through several name changes, and it was eventually bought by the Tribune.
He was an avid golfer, fisherman and bowler and enjoyed watching his grandchildren play in various sports and other activities.
Mr. Costello is survived by his wife of 48 years, Carol; four daughters, Rita McMullen, Cherylyn Marks, Sandra Weintendorf and Denise Potempa; a son, Art Jr.; a brother, Jerry; a sister, Linda Husch; and 13 grandchildren – Kristin, Kerri, Art, Katie, Trica, Kimberly, Kevin, Christopher, Kyle, Bowen, Gavin, Cooper and Hannahlei.
A Mass was said June 18 at St. Alexander Catholic Church in Palos Heights.
Dick Jordan
Richard C. Jordan, 93, head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota from 1949 to 1976, died of natural causes in Rio Verde June 14.
Dr. Jordan was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 16, 1909. He attended West High School and continued his education at the University of Minnesota, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1931 and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1933.
Dr. Jordan had an interest in mechanics and electricity as a young child; as a preteen he was the first in his Minneapolis neighborhood to build a radio and receive transmissions from across the country. With so many new developments in the mechanical sciences at the beginning of the century, he decided at an early age to become an engineer. Dr. Jordan was awarded the first PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota in 1940 and specialized in the science of heating and refrigeration.
As professor and head of the Mechanical Engineering Department for 27 years, Dr. Jordan greatly modernized the experimental laboratories and broadened the curriculum to include studies that focused on new technology. He encouraged engineering innovation and recruited faculty members with worldwide reputations in engineering science. Under his leadership, the department became a center of excellence in a number of areas including heat transfer studies, and particularly the generation of solar power through use of solar collectors. An apostle of solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, Jordan wrote, "any home in the United States may be heated entirely by a solar energy heat pump system if a sufficiently large collector, heat pump and heat storage facilities are provided." Aware of diminishing world energy resources, Dr. Jordan began studying viable and cost-effective ways of collecting solar energy early in his career.
Internationally recognized for his work in heating and refrigeration, Dr. Jordan authored over 200 technical publications including the textbook, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. In the 1950s, long before global interchange of scientific research was common, Dr. Jordan was vice-president of the Science Council, International Institut du Froid; in the 1960s he served on four U.S. State Department missions furthering engineering education in developing countries in the Middle East, South America and the Far East. The recipient of numerous awards for excellence in engineering, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1975. After his retirement from professorial duties, he became an Associate Dean of the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology until 1983.
Although dedicated to his profession, Jordan also found time to enjoy many vacations with his family at an island cabin on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota. On the island called "Retreat from Reason," he fished and boated and used his talents to put in water and electrical systems. His love of travel began with trips to Montana as a child, and to Mexico in the 1930s; With his wife, Freda, he visited over 67 countries. Jordan enjoyed tennis, golf, curling, poker and bridge for recreation. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and relished an active social life with colleagues and friends at the University of Minnesota and Rio Verde over many years. A true family man, he was always interested in and valued his daughters’ and grandchildren’s educations.
Dr. Jordan often reflected on the vast changes he had seen in his lifetime. When he was born, the most common mode of refrigeration was the ice box, and solar energy was inefficiently captured for passive heating. As a year round resident of Arizona in his retirement years, he enjoyed air-condition as a way of life and was gratified to see major advancement sin the use of the sun as a primary energy source. Throughout his lifetime, his commitment to the University of Minnesota and the advancement of engineering remained strong. He and his wife, Freda, established a fellowship to provide continuing support to future engineering students at the University of Minnesota. Memorial contributions may be made to the Richard and Freda Jordan Endowment for Fellowships in Mechanical Engineering (#5454).
Dr. Jordan is survived by his wife of 66 years, Freda Laudon Jordan; three daughters, Mary Ann Jordan and her husband Dave Johnson of Santa Barbara, CA; Carol (Wolfgang) Wawersik of Albuquerque, NM; and Linda (John) Cogdill of Bethesda, MD; four grandchildren, Andrea Lommen, Kate Lommen, Matthew Wawersik and Stefan Wawersik; and one grandchild, Christiana Wawersik.
Harlan Collins
Harlan Collins, a true Fountain Hills pioneer, passed away last week, June 19, 2002 at the tender age of 97.
Mr. Collins has been active in the community since he and his late wife, Ruth, moved here in 1972, when there were just a few homes and a handful of citizens.
He was last seen in public several weeks ago, as a statue in his honor was unveiled by the Arts Council in the lobby area within the library/museum complex.
A memorial service for Mr. Collins will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 28, at the Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church, 13001 N. Fountain Hills Blvd.
The family requests that instead of flowers, memorial gifts be made to the Civic Association, Historical Society or the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Collins, who practiced law from 1928 until he retired in 1969, was perhaps best known in Fountain Hills for his involvement in writing the by-laws for a myriad of non-profit organizations.
As founder and a director of the Fountain Hills Community Association, which eventually merged with the Civic Association, he and his wife were active in securing land from the developer for a future civic center site.
Although the original site was traded for a different parcel by the Town Council, the early vision and action by Mr. Collins enabled the current cultural complex at Avenue of the Fountains and La Montana Drive to become a reality in the 21st century.
Mr. Collins was active in negotiating with the developer for the land and forming the new organization.
He and Ruth retired to Scottsdale in 1969, but they moved to Fountain Hills a few years later.
Ruth was active in helping the Committee of Architecture enforce deed restrictions, and she was president of the Civic Association during a turbulent time in the mid-1980s when incorporation efforts were going strong.
Mr. Collins was active in the Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church as an elder and with the Republican Club. He helped form The Club, a men’s social organization, and he was a long-time member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Born Oct. 19, 1904 in Cleveland, Ohio to Wilford and Emma Barnes Collins, he graduated from Yale University in 1925 and was a 1928 graduate of the Law School Case Western Reserve University.
Mr. Collins practiced law for 10 years in Cleveland, was attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission from 1938 to 1941 and served the Link-Belt Co. in Chicago as counsel, secretary, vice president and president from 1946 to 1968.
He was a member of the American Bar Association, Town Council in Hudson, Ohio, chairman of the zoning amendment committee in Hudson and was chairman of the Lay Advisory Board at Evanston High School in Illinois.
In Fountain Hills he was director and a founder of the Community Association, interim president of Civic Association, charter member and former president of The Club, director of Historical society, 1980 Citizen of the Year and he served on many committees associated with the Civic Association, incorporation efforts and Chamber of Commerce.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth, and son, Christopher.
Survivors include his daughter, Julie Cullinan, three grandson and six great-grandchildren.
Christina M. Rice
Christina M. Rice, 96, formerly of Fountain Hills died June 20.
Mrs. Rice was born May 1, 1906 in Winnipeg, Canada. She was the wife of the deceased Elmer L. Rice, Sr. Her children, Elmer L. Rice, Jr. (Bud), David (Pat), Thomas (Lucille) survive her. She was the grandmother of 10 and great grandmother of 15.
A memorial mass will be at the Church of the Ascension on Saturday, July 6, at 10 a.m. Mrs. Rice’s final resting place will be the Holy Sepulcher in Southfield, Mich.
