CALIFORNIA OBITUARIES

Archive for November, 2009

CROSLEY, ANNA FERN Nov. 25, 1932 to March 21, 2005 Good Morning Beautyful! “I Love you this morning,” it’s my blessing to say those words to you every morning since you went to be with Jesus. I write you a love note every morning and my heart still aches for you even though you are happy where you are and I praise God for his Word and know I will hold your hand again in Heaven. Happy Birthday, Fern My Love Your Loving Husband Joe
By legacy.com

RIVERSIDE AFTON LOUISE DANSIE HIGBEE Of Riverside passed away 11/19/09. Afton was born on 1/30/1928 in Salt Lake City, UT. She married Robert Leroy Higbee who died in 1953. Later she married William Eugene Higbee who died in 1976. Afton was an active member of the Arlington Ward LDS church where she served as a temple worker. She was also involved in T.O.P.S., D.U.P. and two square dance clubs. She worked for the State of California as a dispatcher for 25 years and retired in 1994. Afton is survived by a son, Robert (Verna) Higbee of Ferron, UT; daughters, Patricia (Michael) McKinley of Moreno Valley, Geraldine (Robert) Espinoza of Riverside; sister, Darlene (Darrell) Nilson of Salt Lake City, UT; 19 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren. A viewing will be held at Arlington Mortuary, 9645 Magnolia Ave., Riverside on 11/27/09, 6-8 PM, also a viewing on 11/28 at 10:00 AM followed by a funeral service at 11:00 AM, both at the Church of Jesus Church of Latter-day Saints at 4375 Jackson St., Riverside. Interment will be held at Elysian Burial Gardens in Murray, UT. Arlington Mortuary, Directors (800) 275-4648
By legacy.com

HALLOR, ALBERT E. Albert E. Hallor of San Diego passed away peacefully on November 18, 2009, of complications related to multiple myeloma. A devoted husband, loving father, steadfast friend, and outstanding pilot, Al left an indelible imprint on the many people he touched throughout his life. Born in Marin, CA on March 9, 1939, Al graduated from Sir Francis Drake High School. He received his degree from Marin College before pursuing his lifelong dream to fly airplanes through the Navy NAVCAD program. Ensign Hallor first flew the P-5 Seaplane in San Diego, followed by a tour in Vietnam piloting the P-2 Neptune. After that, he taught as a T-34 flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida before leaving the Navy as a Lieutenant in 1968. Al then became a pilot for Western Air Lines and then Delta Air Lines, completing his 31 year commercial airline career as a B767 Captain. He retired in 1999 as Everyone’s Favorite Pilot with over 30,000 flight hours logged. Those who flew with him called Al “one of the good ones”, which (translated in low key pilot talk) means that he was an excellent aviator. He is survived by his wife Monica Gilliam-Hallor, sons Al Jr. and Blaine, daughter DeAnn, sisters Artie and Mary, and grandchildren Samantha, Brianna, and Avery. Al expressed once that he “always tried to do what was right and teach that to my children.” His constant coaching was “don’t lie, cheat, or steal, and never give up no matter what your objective.” Al was many things to all people; he was wise, generous, the perfect host, and everything good and gracious. He was a classy guy who left a legacy as a husband, father, and friend that no one will ever forget. Memorial services will be held Saturday, November 28th, at Noon at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Bonita. On December 1st, Al will be interred with full Military Honors at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. Donations may be made in Al’s honor to local blood banks.
By legacy.com

Garrett Grandville Alcorn was tragically taken from us on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, in a terrible car accident. Born in Arcata, California on April 29, 1985, Garrett lived in Blue Lake until the age of four, when his family built their dream home and moved to Westhaven. Garrett felt blessed and awed by the fact that he had the privilege of living in what he referred to as ?Paradise.? Not a day went by that he didn?t remark on how thankful he was to live in the most beautiful place in the world. He so beautifully expressed this appreciation on the morning of his passing, writing, ?Wow, what a beautiful sunrise it has been through the Redwoods - so many contrasting colors!?, As a boy Garret was joy-filled; he was adorable (forever charming), and with his gorgeous red hair, brilliant blue eyes, and ready smile, getting the hugs and snuggles he so loved was effortless. Garrett was respectful, caring, supportive and extremely kind-hearted. Always a generous and loving spirit, Garrett intensely and deeply loved his family; and when he was six years old agreed to share his family and home with three children his parents adopted. As an adult he let it be well known that this was the best thing that ever happened to him. And while Garrett cherished his ?large, loving,? and ?beautiful family,? he had a uniquely strong bond with his parents, Ken and Carol. As an adult, when his two brothers joined the Army and were both eventually deployed to Iraq, Garrett felt an intense sense of pride, even though he didn?t necessarily agree with the politics of it. But that?s how Garrett lived his life: on life?s terms, accepting people and situations as they were, and knowing in his soul that things were just as they were meant to be. He was extraordinarily loyal, optimistic, and faith-filled., Garrett attended Trinidad Elementary School for nine years, moving on to McKinleyville High School, where he graduated in 2003. After graduation Garrett started college at College of the Redwoods, then in 2006 moved to Redding to go to school and play soccer for Shasta Junior College. Throughout his education, Garrett loved and excelled at sports. An exceptional athlete, Garrett started young, playing t-ball before starting school, and eventually becoming an ?All-Star? catcher for the Babe Ruth league. Garrett was a particularly gifted soccer player, and truly loved it above all other sports. In his senior year he was awarded all-county soccer goalie, and at Shasta College earned the position of starting forward. Garrett recently became a referee for both the adult and high school leagues; and was in training to become a ref for futsol. Garrett had an ongoing and lighthearted debate with his cousin, brother, and nephew (all football players), that soccer was ?the true football,? and that not only was a football not a true ball, because balls are round, but that soccer was a far tougher sport as the players didn?t need the pads that football players did. Garrett also had extremely fond memories and was proud of being part of the ?T-Town? soccer group, which is where he acquired his nickname ?Yeti,? a name he went by even into adulthood., Garrett was a truly intelligent and intellectual person, and though he had a gifted mind for science and mathematics, he greatly loved reading. Remarkably, Garrett could read before he even knew the sounds of letters, and he developed an extensive and diverse taste in literature. Garrett would devour all types of books, be it those that increased his knowledge on a particular subject he was interested in, ones that could challenge his way of thinking, or something just for fun. Seeking a higher spiritual understanding, Garrett specifically enjoyed reading about philosophy and read and respected a vast variety of philosophers, very recently finding much inspiration from ?A New Earth,? by Echart Tolle. Garrett?s interests in reading ranged from the classics, like Hemmingway and Faulkner, to the lyrics of songs written by his favorite musicians, including Maynard and Aesop Rock; he even read Carl Sagan for fun., While Garrett enjoyed and appreciated life regardless of what he was doing, (usually something active and daring): surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, mountain boarding, and motorcycling, he wrote that he couldn?t live without music. Garrett was a truly gifted musician; playing piano, drums and guitar (he also had a wonderful singing voice). He was a member of several bands beginning in high school, and would also get together with friends just to ?jam.? Garrett was self-taught at guitar and had such a yearning at age seven to play his grandparents? piano, that he begged his parents for lessons. He took lessons for many years and began playing drums in fifth grade at Trinidad school. Garrett was such a gifted guitarist, that he was once mistaken for the radio. Garrett also composed some of his own music and was ?constantly on the prowl for new techniques.?, At Shasta College, Garrett soon realized that the only thing he was truly enjoying about going to school was soccer, so he took a hiatus from formal education and embarked on an education of life - a path that eventually got him into trouble. Being the resilient and tenacious person he was, he readily faced his trouble head-on, learned from what he?d been through, and completely turned his life around. He regained his focus and moved back to Humboldt County, back to the family and redwoods he so loved. He went back to school at CR where he excelled academically, and thoroughly enjoyed his classes. He began reffing soccer, tutoring a neighbor?s grandchildren, and working in construction. He most recently had begun cooking at Six Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville, where he discovered for the first time that a person could truly enjoy his job. Most importantly, for the past five months following his father?s death in June, he was a consistent and daily source of strength and companionship for his mother., Losing Garrett when he was so young makes this tragedy extraordinarily hard to fathom. We were just getting to know him as an adult, and are not only grieving the loss of the Garrett we all knew and loved his entire life, but the unrealized potential of the man he was becoming. If we who have experienced this monumental, incomprehensible loss can find any solace during this heartbreaking time, it would be in the way Garrett lived his life and in his view that death was the natural order of things. He believed that death was a progression to another realm, and that those who passed were still here with us. Certainly Garrett will live on in our hearts and in our memories, and we will look with gratitude to have had the privilege of knowing such a unique and special individual.
By legacy.com

LOUCH, ALLEN MICHAEL Allen Michael Louch born May 29, 1933 departed this life on Friday, November 20, 2009. Allen leaves behind his loving wife, Mary Ann, devoted son, David and daughter-in-law Andrea and two grandchildren, Christopher Allen and Alexander Ray and loving mother-in-law, Hope Militscher. Services to be held at Glen Abbey’s Little Chapel of the Roses in Bonita on November 30, 2009, at 10:00 a.m., MEZICH, CHRISTIE August 18, 1933 to Nov. 21, 2009 Mr. Mezich, 76, of San Diego, died Saturday, November 21. * Poway-Bernardo Mortuary (858) 748-4101
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Aloha Louise Ailes
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Ruth Andrus passed away on November 19, 2009., In the country of Eritrea there is a belief about life that says in our time here on earth through relating to family and friends from our hearts, we create in the true place, where we come from, representation of the truth of who we are in the lives of those we touch. They speak of it in terms of a threading, a tapestry (our closest translation). The thread, unique to each life begins in forever. And when we come here, with each person we care for and allow in our hearts, we create and add onto throughout our life this threading, this tapestry, this web, colored by, made up of what we bring out in them, what they bring out in us., With each smile given, with each time we hold someone in the comfort of our arms, when we stand up to be what someone needs us to be, when we live our love for another, they say we create within the web, patterns. Waiting, to be., It is also said that once we are no longer part of this world and are again part of forever, with each time we are thought of, spoken of, are alive in the hearts of others, this truest who we are continues to grow. And that in the true place, the world behind the world, in the darkness of forever, what has been created in the living of a life and its touching of others in love, unique in its being, will shine there always and forever., God bless you, we love you Grandma Ruth and miss you., Heather and Greg
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Annie Arlene Vongunten
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Born October 13, 1959, has passed away at age 50. He is survived by his son, Anthony, Jr.; daughter, Symphony; one granddaughter; two brothers; and three sisters. Anky is preceded in death by his parents, Anthony and Elaine; and his brother, George. A burial service will be held Saturday, November 28th at 12:00 noon at Green Hills Memorial Park. Please sign the guestbook at
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BAILEY, Lee Sept. 6, 1948 - Nov. 10, 2009 Lee Bailey was a resident of the Victoria Hotel and passed away November 10, 2009, the day before Veteran?s Day. Mr. Bailey served in Vietnam in a Special Forces unit in the late 1960’s. When he came back he said he was called a baby killer by people that he would meet which bothered him greatly. Lee was a good soldier his whole life but his life was full of tragedies.
By newspress.com