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Benjamin M. Johnson
March 10, 1922 - Sept. 20, 2003
Benjamin M. Johnson died peacefully in his Napa residence at 9 p.m. Sept. 20, 2003. He retired from the Navy as a CWO-IV hospital administrator in 1972 after 30 years of service. His last duty station was Mare Island, Ca. Ben was a veteran of World War II, serving as a corpsman on various naval vessels. He also was a registered pharmacist in the state of Colorado.
Ben is survived by his three sons, Jon of Chandler, Ariz., Bill of Vacaville, Ca., and Bob of Napa, Ca.; and also by 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. His wife, Lillian, died in 1993 and their son Bruce died of a car accident in Waconda, Wash., in 1989.
After his Navy retirement, Ben obtained his Realtor's license and was active in real estate with Century Twenty One and French Realty in Vallejo, Ca. He served two consecutive years as president of the Northern Solano Real Estate Association, was a life member of the Moose Lodge and a 26-year member of the Elks Lodge. Ben was active in the Sons In Retirement and the Vallejo Nite Owls and arranged many senior citizen tours both to domestic and foreign locations.
His hobbies included coin, stamp and pin collections. His pin collection was one of the largest in California as mentioned in a popular collector's magazine.
Hannah Jane Smith
Sept. 28, 1916 - Sept. 24, 2003
Hannah Jane Smith, 86, died at the Meadows Care Center on Wednesday.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Chapel of Richard Pierce Funeral Service, 1660 Silverado Trail, Napa.
Contributions may be made to Kaiser Hospice, 975 Sereno Drive, Vallejo, CA 94590, or to the charity of the donor's choice.
William Edward Cullum
Nov. 11, 1931 - Sept. 22, 2003
William Edward "Bill" Cullum, 71, of Benicia passed away Monday in a local hospital following a brief illness. He was born in North Hollywood, Ca., and was a Benicia resident for more than 50 years.
Mr. Cullum was in the U.S. Army during the Korean war. He then worked as a planner and estimator on Mare Island Naval Shipyard for 38 years, retiring in 1989. He was a member of the Benicia Holy Ghost Society and the Planner, Estimators, Progressman and Schedulers Association (PEPS). He enjoyed aviation, scuba diving, hang gliding, computers, music and reading.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Deward G. Cullum Jr. Survivors include his stepdaughters, Tami A. Silva of Fairfield and Cathleen F. Wojan of Benicia; sons, William R., Christopher J. and Joshua M. Cullum, all of Benicia; stepson, Todd L. Silva; sisters, Dewina Lacey of Benicia and Ruth Jo Hutchins of Eagan, Mn.; brother, Fred B. Cullum of Livermore; grandchildren, Travis Edward Cullum and Jade Marie King; and long-time friend, Carol A. Hamby.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Passalacqua Funeral Chapel, Benicia. His ashes will be scattered at sea.
Bobby Barkley Mills
Sept. 22, 2003
Bobby Hail Barkley Mills passed away Monday in Homedale, Idaho. She was born in Vallejo in 1948 and was raised and educated in Benicia. She married Charles Mills in 1969.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Opal Barkley; her sisters, Clara Barkley Herring of Albany and Jean Barkley Cook and Carole Barkley Frank, both of Vallejo; and her brother, Tommy Barkley of Vallejo.
Survivors include her sister, Janice Barkley Newsome of Richmond; brothers, Albert Wayne Barkley of Benicia, Larry Barkley of Sacramento and Glenn Ray Barkley of Suisun; and many nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Skyview Memorial Lawn in Vallejo.
Robert William Walter Jr.
Aug. 17, 1931 - Sept. 25, 2003
Robert William Walter Jr., 72, passed away Thursday at La Mariposa Care and Rehabilitation in Fairfield following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Robert was born August 17, 1931, in Peoria, Illinois. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1951, retiring in January of 1978 as a senior master sergeant at Travis Air Force Base. Upon his retirement he went to work for the U.S. Postal Service in Richmond, Ca., as a letter carrier and postal clerk from 1978 to 1993. He was a co-founder of Sandy's 101 Omelettes in Fairfield and was a founding member of Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, in 1993. Survivors include his children, Robert III, Michael, Cathy and Thomas, and his grandchildren, Blake, Ashley, Josh and Casey.
Robert William Walter Jr. was a strong, caring, loving and dedicated husband and father. He will be missed deeply.
At his request, no services will be held. Private inurnment will be held in Mount View Cemetery
in Oakland.
Cremation and arrangements are under the direction of Twin Chapels Mortuary, Vallejo.
Contributions are preferred to the American Cancer Society.
Richard Houston Jr.
July 19, 1940 - Sept. 24, 2003
Richard "Peel" Houston Jr., 63, of Vallejo, died Wednesday at Kaiser Hospital in San Jose.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday at Wiggins-Knipp Funeral Home, Vallejo.
A funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, also at the mortuary, with the Rev. Dennis Johnson officiating.
Inurnment will be private.
Len R. Woodson
Dec. 27, 1926 - Sept. 25, 2003
Len R. Woodson, 76, of Berkeley, died Thursday in Oakland.
A visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Cooley and Riolo Mortuary, Vallejo. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Good Samaritan Missionary Baptist Church, Vallejo with the Rev. M.D. Slade officiating. Cremation will follow.
Frank J. Torpey
July 11, 1920 - Sept. 18, 2003
Frank J. Torpey, 83, of Benicia, passed away Thursday in a local hospital after a brief illness.
He was born in Windsor, Canada, and had been a Benicia resident for more than 50 years.
Frank worked as a milkman for Berkeley Farms and Red Top for many years and later as a warehouseman for Ace Hardware for 15 years before retiring in 1985. After he retired he became a well-known Realtor in Benicia.
He was a member of St. Dominic's Church, Solano County Board of Realtors, California Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.
Frank was an avid joke teller and will be remembered by his family and friends for his famous "Frank Torpey Jokes."
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Beverly of Benicia; son, Jim Torpey of San Ramon; and brother, Paul Torpey of Michigan.
A memorial Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Dominic's Church, Benicia. Inurnment will be private in St. Dominic's Church.
Arrangements are under the direction of Passalacqua Funeral Chapel.
Family prefers donations to St. Dominic's Church.
