Joseph Andrew Gist, Jr., former resident of San Jose and Palo Alto, passed away on Dec. 20, 2016. He was 91 years old. Joseph loved to tell the story of how he was born on a cold, windy January night in Garland, Wyoming, in 1925. His father was so excited that he forgot to drain the radiator in the old Model T after fetching the doctor, and the car’s engine cracked that night! The family soon...

Frank Foti passed away on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, at the age of 86 at his home in Woodside, surrounded by family. He was born in San Francisco on July 19, 1931, to immigrant parents Dominick and Antoinetta Foti, from Reggio Calabria, Italy. He graduated from Balboa High and afterward began working for Southern Pacific Railroad before opening his San Francisco liquor store, Ross Drive-In...

William Henry Aberth passed away at Stanford Memorial Hospital on Sunday, September 10, 2017. His death was the result of long-standing complications due to Parkinson’s disease. His brother Oliver Aberth of College Station, TX and his loving wife of 22 years, Alice Aberth, and four beloved stepsons Jeff Schwartz of Palo Alto, CA, Russell Schwartz of Piedmont, CA, Peter Schwartz of Seattle, W...

George Phillip Knapp, a long time resident of Menlo Park, died on Friday, Sept. 1, surrounded by his family at his daughter's home in Kauai, Hawaii. George was born in San Francisco to Phillip and Helena Knapp on June 19, 1927. He moved to Burlingame with his family in 1940. He attended Burlingame High School and was active in the Sea Scouts. He enlisted in the Navy as soon as he was...

Timothy Bruce Luntzel, a deeply beloved and admired young man who was a gifted musician and a friend to many, died peacefully from complications of ALS at the age of 44 on August 27, 2017, surrounded by his mother Elizabeth Neumann (nee Juvet, and then Luntzel), her husband Peter G. Neumann, and Tim's brother Mark Luntzel, in Palo Alto CA. Tim was born on November 1, 1972, in Redwood City CA. ...

Stanley George Parry, a 44-year resident of Palo Alto, died at Stanford Hospital on August 19th. The son of George S. and Elizabeth J. Parry, Stan was born in Seattle, Washington, but grew up in Piedmont, California. He graduated from Piedmont High School, San Francisco State, and UCLA Law School. He began his career in health planning in the San Joaquin Valley and San Jose before he became the...

A native of San Francisco, Frances Beedy King passed away at the Sequoias in Portola Valley at age 101. She was born at Mt. Zion Hospital to Mabel (Hosmer) and Louis Samuel Beedy, an attorney in the city. She grew up with older sisters Mary Elizabeth and Katharine and attended Katherine Delmar Burke's School. At Stanford University, she would meet her future husband, John (Jack) Bennett Kin...

Alissa Riper Picker peacefully passed away at home on Aug. 18, 2017. She is now in heaven after living a life marked by empathy, grace, joy, and courage. Alissa died after a two year journey with brain cancer, specifically grade 4 glioblastoma. She is greatly missed, but we rejoice that Jesus has welcomed her with open arms and she has assuredly heard the words, “Well done, my good and faithf...

Kató Mendelssohn Reis, the great-great granddaughter of composer Felix Mendelssohn, passed away peacefully on August 15, 2017, surrounded by family and the sounds of her own piano recordings of the music of Chopin, Liszt and of course Mendelssohn. Born in Budapest, Hungary, to Gabor and Klari Mendelssohn Székely, Kató demonstrated her musical gifts at an early age. Guided by her mother (a ta...

Albert (Al) Kramer passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 14, 2017 in Palo Alto, CA. Al Kramer was born in Menominee, Michigan in 1938, and raised in Marinette, Wisconsin, but Palo Alto, California became his home. A die-hard liberal and Bay Area sports fan, he read the San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times daily. For the past several years you could find him discussing politics and sp...

William (Bill) Marken, 74 of Los Altos, died August 11, 2017 at home surrounded by his family and listening to Bob Dylan. He lived life to its fullest until the end, especially after his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, in November 2015. A life-long Californian, Bill was born in Morgan Hill to Harry and Emma Marken and grew up down the street from his future wife of 52 years, Marilyn Tonascia Mar...

Todhunter (“Tod”) Weir Bensen passed away on August 10, 2017, in California. Born on December 24, 1962, in New York City, Tod and his mother were surrounded by hospital staff singing Christmas carols, a portent of the outstanding life he was to lead. After attending Greenwich High School in Connecticut, Tod graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1984. While at college, he played l...

Jeannette Kirkham Anderson was born in Stockton, California. She grew up in San Marino, California, graduating from Huntington Grammar School in San Marino and the University High School in Pasadena. She attended Pomona College, receiving a BA in Botany. Not finding an interesting job in Botany, she decided to get a teaching credential at Stanford Department of Education. While at Stanford, sh...

Tasso John Conomos, beloved husband, cherished father, loving grandfather, and devoted son passed away peacefully with loved ones by his side on August 9, 2017. Ever gracious, he showed the courage to bow out gracefully after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. As Dad reflected in recent weeks, his cup was full. Tasso was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 1938, to proud Greek ...

Kevin Giffen died in his sleep in Menlo Park, CA the morning of August 7, 2017. Kevin was born in Detroit, Michigan, after his family immigrated from Ireland. He was the sixth of seven children, and the last to die. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Elinor, and is survived by their two children, Sean and Mary. Kevin was an adoring father-in-law to Fatima and a loving grandfathe...