Jean Sonnikson Francis passed away on September 26, 2020 at her home in Martinez at the age 84. Jean was born in Healdsburg, CA to Emmet and Emma Sonnikson on April 8, 1936. She was raised in the Alexander Valley (just outside of Healdsburg) and was a farm girl who …
Read More »Obituary: Mamie Hirasawa (1926-2020)
Mamie M. Hirasawa peacefully passed away on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. She was born on February 2, 1926 in Sebastopol, California to the late Katsuki and Shina (Miyamoto) Horita. She along with her family were interned at Amache, Colorado during World War II. Some years after the war Mamie moved …
Read More »Obituary: Tobie Gene Levingston (1934-2020)
Tobie Gene Levingston, who founded the East Bay Dragons, one of the nation’s first all-Black motorcycle clubs, died Tuesday morning of natural causes at the age of 86. Levingston was born in Louisiana in 1934 to a sharecropper father who made the migration West, along with thousands of other black …
Read More »Obituary: Art Gluskoter (1933-2020)
Art Gluskoter passed away on the morning of February 26th after an extended illness shortly before his 87th birthday. Born to Max and Irene Gluskoter in 1933, Art graduated from Alhambra High School before volunteering to join the military in 1952 during the Korean conflict. A lifetime Southern California native, …
Read More »Obituary: Celeste Marques (1927-2019)
Celeste Marques passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of December 15, 2019. She was born on March 27, 1927 in Lowell, Massachusetts where her parents settled after emigrating to the United States from Madeira, Portugal. As a young girl, Celeste moved to Paul Do Mar, a small Portuguese …
Read More »Obituary: Wilhelmus Gerardus “Bill” Vanderklugt (1940-2019)
Bill Vanderklugt was born in Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands. The son of a baker and one of 14 siblings, he immigrated to the United States in 1958 where he met and married “Bep,” his beautiful wife of 57 years. The couple became United States citizens in 1972 and lived in Lodi, Sacramento, Manteca and …
Read More »Obituary: Rita Theresa Martin (1935-2019)
Rita Martin passed away peacefully on September 17, 2019 at her home in Martinez at the age of 83, surrounded by her family after a brief fight with cancer. Rita was born in San Francisco and was a graduate of Immaculate Conception Academy. Shortly after graduation Rita began her career …
Read More »Obituary: Frankie James Patrick Bologna (1992-2019)
Martinez native Frankie Bologna, age 26, died Monday, July 8, 2019 at his home in Mankato, Minnesota. Funeral services will be 11:00am, Friday, July 19, 2019 at St. James Catholic Church with Father Timothy Hall officiating. Visitation will be at the church Friday beginning at 10:00am. On Monday, July …
Read More »Obituary: Jerry “Coach” Phillips (1934-2019)
Jerry Phillips, beloved father, loving husband, brother, teacher, mentor and “Coach” passed away on Sunday, June 23rd at the age of 85. Jerry was a longtime resident of Walnut Creek. Jerry was a legendary basketball coach at Sacred Heart High School and a member of both the Sacred Heart Cathedral …
Read More »Obituary: Robert (Bob) I. Schroder (1928-2019)
Robert (Bob) Ingersoll Schroder passed away at the age of 90 on March 29th with his loving wife at his side. He had a major impact on the City of Walnut Creek and the County of Contra Costa. Bob was born in San Francisco in 1922 and moved with his …
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