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Joanne Sutherland
Joanne Gregory Sutherland passed away Dec. 17, 2009. She is survived by her beloved mother, Mae, and step-father, Keith Jensen; two daughters in-law; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren, and many dear family and friends.
Joanne died after a brief battle with cancer. She passed peacefully with family by her side.
She was a bright and kindhearted woman who will be greatly missed.
Behrens memorial
A memorial remembrance is planned for Joan M. Behrens at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 11, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, in Fountain Hills.
Behrens, 79, passed away on Feb. 27, in Scottsdale, after a long illness.
Formerly of Aurora, Ill., she had lived in Fountain Hills for many years, along with her husband, Harlan R. Behrens, and participated in numerous civic, social and charitable endeavors.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Shepherd of the Hills, the American Lung Association or the North Aurora (Ill.) Public Library, where Joan served as a board member for 17 years.
For further information on the memorial, call 707-322-6907.
Daniel R. Christensen
Daniel R. Christensen, 63, of Fountain Hills passed away March 24, 2010.
He was born in Grand Island, Neb. to Marshall and Darlene Christensen. He served in the Army from 1965 to 1969. He worked for State Electric Co. for more than 20 years.
Mr. Christensen is survived by his wife, Leanne Christensen of Fountain Hills; a daughter, Melissa Christensen; and son, Corey, both of Fountain Hills; and a granddaughter, Bryanna.
A celebration of life is to be held at his home on Saturday, April 10, beginning at 1 p.m., 17307 Baca Drive.
The family suggests any memorial contributions go to Hospice of Arizona.
Burial will be at a later date in Grand Island, Neb.
Wally Hudson
Wallace (Wally) B. Hudson, formerly of Fountain Hills, passed away on March 28, 2010 in Dallas, Texas.
Wally was born in Detroit, Mich. on March 30, 1918. He graduated from Michigan State University and served as a captain, U.S. Army in World War II.
After his discharge in 1946 he worked in the field of insurance for almost 50 years, owning his own agency.
He was as elected a city councilman in Troy, Mich. for nine years and also served many years on the Oakland County Board of Supervisors.
Wally and his wife, Ann, moved to Fountain Hills in 1976, making it their permanent home. He was part of the first elected Fountain Hills Town Council in 1990, and was re-elected in 1992.
He was also elected president of the board of directors of the Arizona Municipal Risk Pool, a job he held for 11 years. He served Fountain Hills on a volunteer basis as its risk manager.
Wally was a founding member of the Falcon Boosters, the Golden Eagle Foundation, and originated the Adopt-A-Street program for volunteer litter control.
He leaves behind two sons, Robert and family, of Dallas, Texas, and Bruce and family, of Ann Arbor, Mich. He will be greatly missed.
Donations in his name may be made to the Fountain Hills Community Foundation, P.O. Box 18668, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269.
Bill Grate
Bill Grate, “Mr. G,” 86, passed away, peacefully, surrounded by his family on April 6, 2010.
Bill was born on Jan. 28, 1924, in Minerva, Ohio. He was a Radioman, Second Class, V-6, serving four years in the U.S. Navy during WWII.
He moved to Arizona in 1959 and in 1963 Bill and his wife, Lois, opened Mr. G’s Interiors. They had stores located in Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and their fourth and final location was opened on March 15, 1973, in Fountain Hills, where they resided.
They retired on March 15, 2005 and are known throughout the Valley as Mr. and Mrs. “G.”
Bill was a member of Kiwanis and a lifetime member of the American Legion, Post 166. He enjoyed baseball, bowling, golf, tennis and spending time with his family.
He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 65 years, Lois Ann; sister, Connie (Larry) Pyers; daughters, Vicki (Jim) Boyd, Judy (Dana) Thompson, Soozy (Jeff) Wickman; grandchildren, Kimberley (Karl) Kuo, Kari (Todd) Sumney, Temujin (Anabell) Thompson, Tatum (Steve) Wright, Nicholas (Tammy) Thompson, Ashley Wickman and Heather Wickman; great-granchildren, Brandon Sumney, Jacob Sumney, Kyle Kuo, Kelby Kuo, Tyler Wickman, Deegan Wickman-Chapman, Caden Wright, Landon Wickman- Chapman, Robin Thompson and Alyssa Wright.
A private, family, military honors ceremony will be held at the National Memorial cemetery of Arizona.
Family and friends are encouraged to visit the online guestbook at www.obits.azcentral.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Arizona Heart Foundation, 1910 E. Thomas Rd. suite 220, Phoenix, AZ 85016 or online at www.azheartfoundation.org.
JuneAnne Hubbard
JuneAnne Hubbard (nee Westlake), born May 6, 1923, Minneapolis, Minn.; deceased April 5, 2010, Scottsdale.
She was a long-time resident of Lake Minnetonka and Vergas, Minn. and Fountain Hills.
She was preceded in death by parents, Herman Lloyd and Josephine Melquist Westlake of Minneapolis; a brother, Robert Westlake, Detroit Lakes, Minn., and by her beloved husband of 62 years, Robert Forsythe Hubbard.
She is survived by her children; Julianne (Gregory) Peterson, of Orono, Minn., Jayne of Carefree, and Jon (Linda), of Minneapolis, Minn.; grandchildren, Jessica (Tony), Joshua, and Charles; and great-granddaughter, Jordan.
She is also survived by her brother, Jon (Marianne), of Minneapolis; sister-in-law, Joan, of Detroit Lakes, Minn.; brother-in-law, Charles, of Fountain Hills, brother-in-law, Herb, of Virginia, Minn.; and many adored nieces and nephews
In June’s 30-plus years split between Minnesota and Arizona, she continued her many Christian and social activities in her churches; in Christian Women’s Club; and in other volunteer roles. June led and attended numerous Bible studies, and her gift of hospitality was always evident as she served friends and neighbors especially delicious food.
We will all very much miss her wonderful, long, phone updates and her expressions of love to all.
A memorial service was held Sunday, April 11, 2010 at the Black Mountain Community Church (Jayne’s congregation), North Scottsdale.
A second memorial service will be held July 17 in Minnesota at the Noerenberg Gardens on Lake Minnetonka at 10 a.m. A celebratory reception will follow at Julie’s home nearby.
Memorials would be appreciated to North Chapel, Fountain Hills; Black Mountain Community Church, North Scottsdale; or to the organization of your choice. Please see the obituary posted at messingermortuary.com for more information.
Curtis Werner
Curtis Werner, born Feb. 11, 1980 in Toledo, Ohio unexpectedly passed away April 4, 2010, Easter Sunday, at sunset.
Curtis is survived by his parents, Tammy and William Werner/Phyllis Pinson; brothers, Casey and William (Sherry) Werner; and sister, Katherine (Jeff) Luoma; grandparents, Richard and Nancy Robbins and John F. Werner. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Delores Werner.
He is also survived by his aunt, Debra Robbins-Glass and uncles, Richard L. (Linda) Robbins and John C. (Sharon) Werner.
Curtis had numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and loyal long-term friends.
Curtis graduated from Genoa High School in Ohio. Having lived 15 years in Ohio and 15 years in Arizona, memorial services are planned for both states. He was most recently honored to be employed by Miranda Delivery Services of Tempe.
A memorial service was held at Messinger Mortuary Chapel, Saturday, April 10, 2010 officiated by Pastor Joel Bjerkestrand. Church services in Genoa, Ohio will be announced at a later date.
We will forever love and miss your crooked smile, dimpled chin and wonderful sense of humor.
Bernard Belton
Bernard Belton was born in Vienna, Austria, June 13, 1915, and died in Phoenix, April 21, 2010.
Bernard was born into the theatrical family headed by his father, the renowned Yiddish actor, playwright and director, Avrum Belocerkovsky, and his wife, Lisa.
Upon leaving gymnasium, Bernard was apprenticed into the world of ladies fashion, studying design. He acquired the secrets of old world craftsmanship and specialized in the creation of haute couture women’s shoes, which became his vocation throughout his life.
When the Nazi menace threatened Europe, he managed to escape Austria, reaching England, finding work in a shoe factory. Both his sisters, Bertha and Celia, had already reached the safe haven of England. Less fortunate were his brother, Max, sister-in-law and their two infant children who perished in the Holocaust along with many other family members.
When war broke out, Bernard enlisted in the British Army, was wounded and sent to Australia for convalescence, eventually being reassigned as a guard at a prisoner of war camp due to his fluency in German.
After the war he returned to England to work in retail shoe sales for the John Barnes Partnership, a top London department store, where he met his wife of more than 55 years, Queenie, who preceded him in death four years earlier.
Along with Queenie’s sister, Phyllis, and her American G.I. husband, Dennis, the four came to the U.S eventually arriving in Phoenix in 1953.
Lifelong friends, they all settled in the Phoenix area where Queenie and Bernard worked in management for Haney’s department store.
Queenie and Bernard moved to Riverside, Calif., where for a number of years they operated Mr. Belton, a high fashion ladies shoe store.
In retirement the couple returned to Arizona, moving to Fountain Hills, where Bernard continued to live until his death.
He is survived by his sister-in-law, Phyllis, and brother-in-law, Ken Osterberg, of Fountain Hills, sister-in-law, Hilda Dixon, and various spousal family members in England.
He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Sidney Sandler; nieces, Maxine Spiegel and Diane Sandler of Pennsylvania; and his niece and nephew, Joan and Michael Levy of Scottsdale.
Memorial services are to be held at Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary, 12065 N. Saguaro Blvd., 2 p.m. Sunday, May 2.
June Brekken
June Brekken (Halleland), 84, of Fountain Hills passed away on May 8, 2010 after a long illness.
She was born June 28, 1925 in Randall, Iowa. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 65 years, Burdell Brekken.
June was a devoted mother and grandmother to her two daughters, Cindy Butterfield (Glencoe, Ill.) and Susan Major (Orono Minn.); her six grandchildren and her seven great-grandchildren.
She spent much of her life volunteering in various organizations and enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family.
Memorials may be given in her memory to Hospice of Arizona or Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Fountain Hills.
John J. Dunleavy
John J. Dunleavy, born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on August 2, 1933, passed away on May 10, 2010 at Scottsdale Hospice.
He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and was a graduate of Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.
John retired from Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector in 1996 after 34 years in various positions both within the United States and Internationally.
John was preceded in death by his first wife, Marjorie and his son, John William.
He is survived by his wife, Joanne; daughters, Patricia Gannon (Mike), Deborah Buhrow (Paul); sons, Richard and Brien; stepdaughter, Tracy Mills (Mark); and stepson Steven Sabel. John is also survived by five granddaughters, two grandsons, a step grandson and three great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, May 12, 2010, 11 a.m. at the Church of the Ascension, 12615 N. Fountain Hills Blvd., Fountain Hills. Interment will be at the National Memorial cemetery, 23029 N. cave Creek Rd., Phoenix at a later date.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers that donations be made in John’s name to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ. 85014.
Arrangements were entrusted to Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary.
Glennon Ray Holt
Glennon Ray Holt, MAS, 76, of Fountain Hills, passed away Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Colten Care Center in Scottsdale.
Glen was born in Washington, Mo. on June 2, 1933 to parents, Ulysses Hadley and Elva Maude (Pinnell) Holt.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers; Lanny Edward and Hadley Van. Glen is survived by his wife, Laura; brother, Casey Holt and Suzanna of Kilauea, Hawaii; daughter, Shelly von Seelen and Bill of Washington, Mo.; sons Tyler Holt of St. Louis, Mo., and Tim Holt and Merry of Scottsdale; and daughter, Kim Holt of Union, Mo. Glen was the proud grandfather of Melissa Wilson, Garrett Holt, Nathan Holt, Megan Holt and Madison Holt. He also had three great-grandchildren.
Glen touched the lives of many with his dedication throughout his 48 years in the promotional products industry. He was once referred to as “The Profession’s Little Giant.”
Often the target of short jokes, his physical stature paled in comparison to his prominence in the industry as a well-respected and highly regarded professional. He was a strong advocate of education and was dedicated to increasing the professionalism of the industry.
His “ad specialty” career started in 1960 at Hazel, an industry manufacturer, and in 1981 founded Certified Marketing Consultants, LTD, a firm specializing in bringing new suppliers to the industry, mergers and acquisitions and executive referrals.
Glen’s past service to the industry includes president of NPSE, vice-chairman of PPAI Board, president of St. Louis Advertising Specialty Association, board member of Specialty Advertising Association of California, co-founder and board member of Arizona Promotional Products Association, board member of Direct Selling Association International and board of trustees Promotional Products College Education Foundation. In addition, he was a member of the board of directors for GEIGER from 2002- 2008.
Glen took great pride in the prestigious awards he received in recognition for his many accomplishments. In 1990, he was named ASI Counselor Person of the Year, and three years later, was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame. He was the recipient of the Marvin Spike Lifetime Professional Achievement Award in 2005.
In addition, Glen was identified as one of the industry’s most powerful and influential people in the counselor’s “Power 50”.
Golf was a favorite pastime for Glen and he was not shy about telling his buddies that he had two holes-in-one at Desert Highlands Golf Club in Arizona.
He also enjoyed travel and music. He grew up playing the saxophone and formed a band, Glen Holt’s All Stars, playing in clubs before he was old enough to legally get in the door.
Glen was a member of Mountain View Presbyterian church in Scottsdale since 1981. He belonged to B.P.O. Elks No. 1559 and Hope Lodge #251 in Washington, Mo.
A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, June 13, at 3 p.m. at Mountain View Presbyterian in Scottsdale with a reception immediately following at CopperWynd in Fountain Hills.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution to the Promotional Products Education Foundation, which will be establishing a memorial scholarship fund in Glen’s name. Details of the Fund will be announced soon and contributions may be sent to PPEF, 3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving, Texas 75038.
Arrangements entrusted to Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary.
