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Ruth L. King
Ruth Ludlam King, 89, of Fountain Hills, formerly of Ocean City, N.J. and Greenville, S.C., passed away on Feb. 28, 2013. She was born on March 22, 1923 in Millville, N.J., the daughter of John and Nellie Ludlam.
She is survived by her husband of 69 years, Francis (Frank) N. King, who served in the Army Air Corp during WWII; and children, Susan King Roth (Richard), Carol King Smith; and four grandchildren, Justin King Roth, Melina Koeppel, Taylor King Smith, and Zachary King Smith; and great-grandson, Jacob Vaughn.
She was a graduate of Rutgers University, a member of the American Association of University Women and active in the Retired Officers’ Wives Club.
Arrangements entrusted to Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary, 12065 N. Saguaro Blvd, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.
She will be greatly missed by all.
William L. Lascio
William Louis Lascio, 85, died Sunday, March 10, 2013.
William was born in Chicago, Ill. on Jan. 31, 1928 and was the son of Frank and Lillian Lascio. His family immigrated to the United States from Italy.
He served in the Army during World War II, and when he returned to Chicago he was a truck driver for WTC Airfreight. He was a member of the Chicago Truck Drivers, Helpers and Warehouse Workers’ Union, and delivered freight throughout the City of Chicago for over 35 years.
At the age of 59, he and his wife Rosemary retired and moved to Fountain Hills. They spent the next 26 years as residents of Fountain Hills.
William loved spending time with his family, and is survived by his wife of 61 years, Rosemary; his daughter, Patricia; sons, Thomas, James and William; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He will be joining his daughter Laura in Heaven.
There will be a memorial service Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m. at Messenger in Fountain Hills, 12065 Saguaro Boulevard.
Kathryn Buchanan
Kathryn Buchanan, 84, of Fountain Hills died Feb. 19, 2013.
She is survived by husband, John (Buck) Buchanan; children, Doug and Dawn of Omaha, Neb.; Bruce and Linda of Des Moines, Iowa; Mary and Keith Mach of Fairbury Neb.; sister, Karen Musser of Boone Iowa; nine grandchildren, three great grandchildren.
Services pending in Omaha, Neb.
Sheri Christensen
Sheri Lee Christensen, a long-time resident of Fountain Hills, passed away Feb. 15, 2013. She was born on July 23, 1950 in Chicago.
She is survived by her husband of 29 years, Alan; two children, Alyssa and Marcus; and two brothers, Rick and Alan Mandac.
Sheri moved to Fountain Hills with her husband in 1986 from Oak Lawn, Ill. One of Sheri’s greatest loves was this town and the beautiful views it holds.
She worked at Christensen Computer Company in Fountain Hills as director of human resources and publications.
Sheri lost her battle to breast cancer at the young age of 62. She was a loving mother and wife, and she fought until the end. Her friends and family were touched by her bold, funny personality, as she would always light up a room.
Sheri will be greatly missed by all, as she made such an impact on everyone’s lives.
The family requests in lieu of flowers donations can be made to her favorite charity, worldwildlife.org.
Steve F. Eiklor
Steve F. Eiklor, 50, of Phoenix passed away Feb. 20, 2013 after a courageous battle with cancer.
He was born in Park Ridge, Ill. to Betty and Fred Eiklor. He graduated from high school and attended Sioux Empire College, in Hawarden, Iowa.
After his marriage to Pam Wickre in 1985, they moved to Illinois where he worked for the family business.
His daughter Abbye was born in 1989 and in 1999 they moved to Fountain Hills where he worked for Arizona Fireplaces and continued working with the family business.
In 2007, he married Lisa Tolbert and they welcomed their daughter Elarika.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa; two daughters; parents; brother, Scott; sister, Susan; and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews who love him dearly.
He has and will continue to touch the lives of many people. He was a great son, father, brother, uncle and friend to many.
A funeral service was held Tuesday, Feb. 26, at The Fountains United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills.
Arrangements entrusted to Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary.
Stanley A. Gorski
Stanley Anthony Gorski, 86, passed away peacefully on Feb. 14, 2013. He was born in Milwaukee, Wis., the youngest son of seven children. He attended Northwestern University on a football scholarship, where he played starting tight end.
At NU he met his wife, Julie, to whom he was happily married for more than 64 years. His corporate career began at the Crosely Company. He later advanced to be a general manager of the heating and A/C division of General Electric and retired as vice president of Trane Company.
He is survived by his wife, Julie; daughter, Gail; son, Tom; granddaughter, Stacy; sisters Gwen and Geri (Ken), and daughter-in-law, Liz.
He was preceded in death by his son, Stan (Chip). A private service for the family was held.
A memorial fund has been established for the Mayo Medical School AZ campus, in honor of Dr. Christopher Appleton. Donations may be made to “Mayo Clinic AZ” in memory of Stan Gorski. The address is: Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 13400 E. Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
Max Headley
Max Headley, 83, of Fountain Hills passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, of congestive heart failure.
He was retired from Conner Corporation of Huntington Beach,
Calif., where he worked as a process engineer.
He is survived by his wife, Suzzane Headley; brother, Ivan Headley of Bloomington, Ind.; three sons, Morrie Headley and wife, Gail of Allen, Texas., Matthew Headley and Jim Croutch of Carefree; two grandchildren, Amy Herring of Fort Worth, Texas and Caleb Headley of Katy, Texas; and seven great-grandchildren.
Messinger Fountain Hills is handling local arrangements. Final services and burial will be with Day Funeral Home, Bloomington, Ind.
Helene Saar
Helene Saar, 91, of Chetek, Wis. passed away on Feb. 14, 2013 in Fountain Hills, where she wintered.
She was born Aug. 17, 1921 in Prairie Farm, Wis. to Robert and Elisa Herrmann. She graduated from Barron High School in 1939 and from Stout Institute – Menomonie in 1943.
In 1947, Helene married Gil Saar. She taught home economics for 36 years in the communities of Hutchinson, Minn., Edgerton, New Auburn, and Chetek, Wis.
Since her retirement in 1982, she divided her time between Wisconsin, Arizona, Alaska and Montana. She touched many lives and cherished her family and friends.
Helene is survived by a son, Dana Saar of Fountain Hills, and a daughter, Suzanne Olson of Chetek; two granddaughters, Brieanne Stahnke and Brittany Olson, both of Durango, Colo.; and numerous extended family and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gil; sisters, Lil, Verna, Nell, Rose, Gertrude; and two brothers, Ernie and Fred.
A special memorial ceremony will be held at a later date for Helene in Chetek. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 244, Chetek, WI 54728; Chetek Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 625, Chetek, WI 54728; and/or Calhoun Memorial Library, 321 Moore St., Chetek, WI 54728.
Robert R. Vert
Robert Ronald Vert passed away on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 17, 2013, due to injuries sustained in a tragic accident. Robert was born on May 25, 1979, in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich. Robert worked for U-Haul as a facility project manager.
At a young age, Robert moved to Arizona with his parents. He was an avid hockey player and had been skating since he was a toddler. Robert played hockey in Arizona, Michigan and Alaska. He continued to play adult hockey as a hobby, was a sports fan and loved riding his quad.
Robert was very family and friend oriented and loved to have a good time. He always had a gleam in his eyes and a smile that would light up a crowded room.
None of us will forget the way Robert loved to make people laugh with his keen wit. Robert Vert was a gentle, kind-hearted man. He will be missed so very much by so many.
Robert is survived by his infant son, Levi James Vert; loving father, Ronald Vert (Tonya Vert); loving mother, Roberta Parady (Carl Anderson); sister, Renee Heater (Chris Heater) and her two children, Jackson James and Taylor Faith Heater; brother, Ryan Vert (Ashlee Vert) and his three children, Landon Joseph, Weston Lee and Rylee Jo Vert; grandparents, Harry and Karen Vert and Robert and Emma Parady; girlfriend, Alicia Peters (mother of Levi Vert) and her two children, which Robert loved and embraced as his own, Christopher and Elysium Peters; and many uncles, aunts, cousins and friends that are family.
Arrangements entrusted to Messinger Fountain Hills Mortuary.
Eda DiRaffaele
Eda Linda DiRaffaele, born Sept. 29, 1929, passed away from post-operative complications on Thursday, March 28, 2013.
She is survived by her sons Mark and Joseph, daughter-in-law Darlene and her 10 grandchildren: Marco, Adam, Joseph, Victor, Elyssa, Allison, Nicholas, Thomas son of her daughter Ann (deceased), Michael Jr. and Margo children of her son Michael (deceased); and her six great-grandchildren.
There will be a memorial service held at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills and a gathering after for all who were loved and touched by this very special lady.
Dean W. Heiser
Dean W. Heiser, son of Luella and Jesse Heiser, was born March 26, 1925, died March 22, 2013, at Scottsdale Healthcare.
He was born in Peoria, Ill., but moved to Washington, Ill. at a young age.
Dean is survived by his wife, Margaret, of 65 years; two daughters, Linda (husband, Jim Jones) of Jacksonville, Ill. and Lila (husband, Tim Strubhar) of Washington, Ill.; five grandchildren, Heather Weitekamp of Carol Stream, Ill., Melissa (husband, Danial Gerard) of Athens, Ill., John Weitekamp (wife, Jen) of Cantrall, Ill., Nick Strubhar (wife, Whitney) of St. Louis, Mo. and Brad Strubhar (wife, Amy) of Green Valley, Ill.; and eight great- grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Betty Pennington of Glen Ellyn, Ill., and several nieces and nephews.
Dean served in the U. S. Navy from 1943 to 1945 in the Pacific. He was a member of Calvary Mennonite Church before moving to Fountain Hills. He was a partner in the Iliff and Hauser Insurance Agency in Peoria, Ill. He was a former member of the Rotary Club for many years in Washington, Ill. and was an avid bowler.
He was dearly loved by all who knew him and will be sadly missed.
Cremation rites have been accorded.
Voil Martin
Voil Martin, 91, rejoined his beloved wife, Lucia, on March 20, 2013. Born in Waterloo, Iowa in 1921, he was a World War II naval veteran having served aboard a LST in the Pacific. After the war, he worked for Mountain Bell for 35 years.
He was a master woodworking craftsman who made Christmas toys for children. He is survived by a large loving family.
Memorial service will be held Sunday, April 7, at 1 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 13770 N. Fountain Hills Boulevard. A reception will follow at the church.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hospice of the Valley for the care and compassion they gave Voil.
Jill McCormick
Kyra “Jill” McCormick, 49, of Chandler passed away on March 27, 2013.
She was creative, loved to travel, volunteer and spend time with her family.
Jill is survived by her mother, Angela; two daughters, Mallory Martinez (Breven) and Kristen Hammon (Nick); two sisters, Krista and Judith; grandson, Breven; mother-in-law, Sue McCormick of Fountain Hills; father-in-law, Ken McCormick of Mesa; brothers-in-law, Michael McCormick (Beth) of Pennsylvania, Matthew McCormick (Alaina) of Gilbert, as well as her wonderful cancer support group of fantastic friends as well as other loving friends; and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Craig and her father, James.
Flowers can be sent to the home of Sue McCormick, 16323 E. Arrow Drive, #104, Fountain Hills and will be transported to Four Peaks Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sherman House, Hospice of the Valley, 5801 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85054.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 6, at 11 a.m. at Four Peaks Community Church, 15202 N. Fountain Hills Blvd., Fountain Hills.
Phillip Savittieri
Phillip Savittieri, a wonderful husband, father and grandfather passed away March 30, 2013, at the age of 86.
Phillip was born in Newark, N.J. on April 29, 1926. In the early 40’s, his mother and father moved them to Paradise Valley, Ariz. where they started a custom home building company, Paramount Builders, and opened a butcher shop and grocery store.
Phillip, along with his father and brothers, built many homes across the Valley and he was one of the very first builders in Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills.
In 1951, he married his “lover,” Mary Diana and they settled down in the Arcadia district. By 1971, Phillip had four children and decided to move his family to Fountain Hills where he became very influential in the development of the town. Here, he started Saville Contractors and built the first ‘duplex’ and many of the homes and commercial buildings.
Phillip was very active within the community, including with the Chamber of Commerce, the Fountain Hills Builders Association and the Arizona State University organization.
He would always stop to chat with anyone at any time. You could always find him at the local Bashas’ talking with employees and mingling throughout.
Papa, as he was lovingly called, was proud of his family and will be dearly missed by those who knew him. He was a kind, gentle and caring man who could always put a smile on anyone’s face.
He loved to grocery shop, go out for breakfast, attend ASU football games, and dance and travel with his “lover.”
Phillip is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Diana; his children, TerrylLynne, Allyson Corcodel, Chris (Susan), Kimberly Morgan (JL); grandchildren, Tiffany (Chris), Troy, Franco, and Sam and one great-grandchild.
Services were set for Tuesday, April 2, 2013 in Fountain Hills. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to Hospice of the Valley.
William H. Shappley
William Harold Shappley, 88, of Fountain Hills, passed away March 20, 2013. He was born June 1, 1924 in Memphis, Tenn.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1943 and served in the Pacific during WWII aboard the battleship USS Maryland. His ship survived two kamikaze attacks and one torpedo attack while he was aboard. He was honorably discharged in March, 1946.
He married Genevieve Welle in Bellflower, Calif. on Dec. 10, 1945. They lived in Memphis for 10 years. In 1956-57 he worked as a photographer for the Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal just when Elvis Presley was starting to become famous.
They returned to Long Beach, Calif. in 1957. He worked as an insurance adjuster for Commercial Credit/Control Data until his retirement in 1985. They moved to Fountain Hills in 1991.
Services were held on Monday, March 25, at Messinger Funeral Home, Fountain Hills. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Hospice of Arizona, 19820 N. 7th Avenue, suite 130, Phoenix, AZ 85027.
