Lester H. Gabriel

March 17, 1928 - December 7, 2008

Dr. Lester H. Gabriel passed away Sunday, December 7th at the age of 80. Services were held on Monday, December 8th at the Home of Peace in Sacramento, CA. Lester Gabriel was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 17, 1928 to Sadie and Ben Gabrilowitz. He married Lillian Weiss in 1950. Dr. Gabriel was an educator in the field of structural engineering and structural mechanics of concrete and steel construction; analysis and design, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. He was a renowned researcher and engineering consultant, principally in concrete, steel, and plastic culverts and pipelines. He consulted on forensic activities related to failed or failing structures. He was a practitioner in analysis and design for the construction of concrete and steel building structures. Lester received B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1949 from Cooper Union School of Engineering, his M.S. in Civil Engineering in 1956 from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, and he received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 1970, from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Gabriel was licensed as an engineer in both New York and California. He began his career in engineering working as a hydraulic and structural design engineer for the US Bureau of Reclamation from 1949 to 1951. He later worked as a structural engineer in the design of concrete, steel and timber buildings for Kaiser Engineers from 1951 to 1957. He also worked at the Israel Standards Institute in Ramat Aviv, Israel from 1970-71.

Dr. Gabriel held 6 US patents and 18 international patents for his work in composite materials and concrete. In addition, he was the recipient of numerous National Science Foundation faculty awards. He was the author of a large number of scientific papers and continued to do research and consulting up to this year. Dr. Gabriel was a faculty member and administrator in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Sacramento State for many years. He was one of the founding faculty members of the College of Engineering and Computer Science and was named professor of civil engineering in 1968. He served as faculty member from 1957 until his retirement in 1991. He was Chair of the Civil Engineering Department from 1963 through 1968. Dr. Gabriel was the Director of the Applied Research and Design Center from 1978 until 1986. He also served as the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science from 1986 through 1987.

After retiring in 1991 he served on the Emeritus Association Board. Beloved by generations of students at Sacramento State, Dr. Gabriel was devoted to his students, Sacramento State, his fellow faculty members, and his engineering research. He guided countless students through the rigors of engineering education and into professional careers.

Lester was active in: American Society of Civil Engineers American Concrete Institute, Committee 346, Cast-in-Place Concrete Pipe Transportation Research Board; Committee on Soil-Structure Interaction A2K04, Committee on Culverts and Hydraulic Structures A2C03.

In addition to his active professional life, Dr. Gabriel also committed his time and energy to the Sacramento Jewish Community. He was a member of Mosaic Law Synagogue and past member of B'nai Israel Temple. He served for many years on the boards of directors for Mosaic Law, B'nai Israel, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Board of the Jewish Federation, Board of Jewish Education, and the Albert Einstein Center. My Father was fond of saying that “once you had enough money for a roof over your head and food on the table, the only things of lasting value in life are relationships”, said Stuart Gabriel. He counted many in the Sacramento community and beyond as dear friends.

He bravely fought his cancer from time of diagnosis some 15 years ago and will be remembered as one who constantly gave of himself to others. Dr. Gabriel shared a warm and loving relationship with numerous family members. Dr. Gabriel is survived by his loving family: wife of 58 years, Lillian, son Stuart Gabriel and daughter-in-law Judy of Los Angeles; daughter, Ellen and son-in-law Bernard Berger of Dublin, Ireland; grandsons Jesse Gabriel of Washington, DC, and Oren Gabriel of Berkeley CA, and granddaughter Erica Berger of Dublin, Ireland; sister Leila Lewis (Albert) of New York City; brother Joseph (Michelle) of San Jose; sister-in-law/ brother-in law, Miriam and Fred Hearn of Los Angeles.

Professor of Electric Engineering, and now Dean of Cal State Northridge, SK Ramesh said, "I will never forget Lester's smiling face and words of encouragement. He was a mentor to me during my early years at Sacramento State and will be missed dearly." Professor of Civil Engineering, Joel Moore said, "This is truly a sad day. Lester was a fantastic individual and a source of admiration for everyone who knew him. He was one of those early engineering professors responsible for making the College of Engineering and Computer Science such a success. He will be sorely missed by everyone he has touched. The world is a sadder place today."

Professor of Computer Science, Isaac Ghansa shared, "When I came here in 1987 Les was Associate Dean and was very encouraging and helpful to me. He is one of my favorite colleagues and one of the most caring people I know. We have lost a valued colleague."

Professor Emeritus, Robert Curry shared this thought about Lester Gabriel: "He was faithful to every aspect of his life. Les will not be forgotten by all of us who were touched by his extraordinary life!"

Emir Macari, Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science- "Dr. Lester Gabriel was a one of a kind individual whose calling was being an academician in all respects of the word. He was a talented teacher, a wonderful mentor and role model and above all a top-notch researcher who always viewed problems and challenges in the same context as their proposed solutions. Perhaps it is cliché but the mold was broken after Lester Gabriel came along."

A memorial will be held from 9 AM to 11 AM on Thursday, December 18th in the Orchard Suite of the University Union. All are welcome. The family requests that donations be sent to one of the following charities: The Lester H. Gabriel Memorial Structural Engineering and Scholarship/Project Fund, Department of Civil Engineering, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819-6029; Butch Walts Cancer Research Foundation, USC Norris Cancer Center, Dept of Urology, Suite 7416, 1441 Eastlake Ave, LA CA 90033; American Friends of ALYN Hospital, Israel’s premiere comprehensive rehabilitation center for physically challenged and disabled children, adolescents and young adults; 51 E. 42nd Street, Suite 308 New York, NY 10017 Tel: 212-869-8085 E-Mail: friends@alynus.org

SHEILA MARTIGNETTI DEANER

October 9, 2008

Sheila Deaner, Director of the Testing Center, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on October 9, 2008. Sheila was an artist, sailor, educator, gardener, environmentalist, carpenter, and cyclist. Her most treasured role was being a loving, supportive Mother to her two daughters she cherished. She was creative, silly and fun with a bright smile, sparkling eyes and a sharp sense of humor. During the past ten years she became passionate about birding. She traveled to all seven continents and over 40 countries in search of the birdlife and adventure that brought her great joy. She will be deeply missed and loved for infinity. Contributions in her honor may be made to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Way, Ithaca, NY. 14850.

MICHAEL BALLARD-ROSA

October 23, 2008

Ballard-Rosa, 62, passed away October 23, 2008 at home surrounded by his loving family. Born in Riverside, California, he received his BA from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. from UCLA. He was a professor at California State University Sacramento for 27 years (Child Development in the Department of Teacher Education). A loving husband and devoted father who spent countless hours supporting his children in their athletic and academic pursuits, Michael was also an avid Cal fan and enjoyed traveling and gardening. Michael's positive outlook on life was an inspiration to all who knew him. He was loved by his family and friends and will surely be missed. Michael is survived by his wife Maurine, their three children, Cameron, Garett, and Kate; as well as two sisters, a brother, and numerous other family members. Visitation is at Lambert Funeral Home in Roseville on Nov. 1, 9 am-Noon. Burial will be private. A memorial celebration will be held Nov. 2 at Flower Farm Inn in Loomis at 1 pm. Arrangements for a future event at CSUS are pending. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Children's Defense Fund, America's Promise Alliance, Mustard Seed or other organizations supporting children and families in poverty.

EVELYN ROBINSON LYSER

June 3, 1910 - August 19, 2008

Born June 3, 1910 in Delevan, Colusa County. Passed away August 19, 2008 in Sacramento. Evelyn was a daughter of California pioneers and remembered her grandmother's stories of crossing the plains. She grew up in Delevan, San Diego, and Berkeley, and graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 1933. Later she returned to Berkeley, earning a Master's from the School of Social Work in 1964. In 1967 she joined the faculty of Sacramento State University, where she retired as an Associate Professor in 1980. She was preceded in death by her parents Chester and Evelyn ('Eva') Robinson, sister Elizabeth Coats, and former husband Herbert S. Lyser. She is survived by sisters Eleanor Engstrand and Emma Louise Davis, her children Christopher Lyser (Faye Elizabeth) and Marjorie Lyser Wright, grandchildren Heather, Kailen, Laurie, and Shelly, and two great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 18, 1pm at Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Santa Rosa. Her wishes were that any memorials be directed to agencies serving children, such as Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento.

HERBERT HOOKER HARRISON

September 20, 2008

"Dr. Jazz", 85, of Columbus, passed away September 20, 2008. Professor Emeritus University of California/Sacramento. 32 years Professor of Theory, founder and director of the Jazz Program. Award winning entrant of Reno Jazz Festival and The Newport Music Festival. Herb was a composer, arranger and director, working with symphony orchestras and arranged for vocal as well, always returning to his favorite: Jazz. Had the opportunity to work with many of the famous musicians and vocalists in history. After retiring and moving to Columbus, Herb was "adopted" by Vaughn Weister's Famous Jazz Orchestra for whom he wrote original compositions, many arrangements, and had the priviledge of directing the band. Herb's latest CD "Herb-al Remedy" "Music That's Good For What Ails You" was just completed. Member of The Ohio State University Alumni Association and Faculty Club. Survived by his loving wife, Mary, and furry companion, Mrs. Clancy and brother-in-law, Harry Dillon. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his honor to Capital Area Humane Society. A musical celebration of Herb's life will take place on Monday, September 29, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. at the Columbus Mannerchor. Arrangements entrusted to RODMAN FUNERAL SERVICE/Ohio Cremation and Memorial Society.

FRANK L. KAUFMAN

September 10, 2008

Ret. USAF Colonel. Died at his Sacramento residence on 10 September 2008, just 15 days short of his 89th birthday. He was also a resident of Cascade Shores in Nevada County, CA. The Philadelphia, PA native started his 32 year military career in 1938 as a Troop clerk in the 103rd Cavalry Regiment of the 22nd Cavalry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard. But his desire to fly led him to being a pilot and an instructor pilot and progressing to being aircraft commander of a B-47 in Strategic Air Command. Later he became the commander of a Maintenance Squadron in SAC. His other assignments were as Budget Officer of Air Defense Command and later Budget Officer for Alaskan Air Command. He was assigned as an Assistant Professor of Air Sciences at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. Later he became Action Officer, War Plans at Headquarters USAF, and later again Assistant Chief of War Plans. He also was a Fellow at the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. His last assignments were as Action Officer, Force Plans at SHAPE, NATO, and as Officer in charge of Strategic Analysis Section, War Plans at SHAPE, NATO.

Throughout his career he pursued his education with great zeal. From a BA degree from Central High School in Philadelphia, PA (one of the rare High Schools to grant BA degrees), he went on to obtain on his own, at night, a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland, an MBA degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, and a Doctor's degree in Business Administration from The George Washington University. Among his many military degrees, he graduated from Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College at the Air University.

After his military retirement, he became a Professor of Management in the School of Business Administration at the California State University, Sacramento. Upon his second retirement, he and his wife Odette researched and published five volumes on the history of the Kaufman family.

Survivors are his wife Odette J., nee Mordant, three daughters by his first wife who predeceased him: Beth (Mrs. Louis Charette) of Townsend, TN; Susan Walker of Longmont, CO; and Ruth (the widow of Alan Korobov) of Great Falls, VA. Also surviving are five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral with masonic service and full military honors will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

JERRY DILLION

June 8, 1932 -August 15, 2008

Remembered for: Early computer scientist who was the first chairman of the computer science department at Sacramento State; ordained minister and evangelist in the New Testament Church of Christ. Survived by: Wife, Violet of Sacramento; sons, James of Sacramento and Stephen of Eugene, Ore.; daughters, Rebecca Moncrief of Santa Rosa, and Mary Gaines and Lydia Dillion, both of Sacramento; brother, Garth Honeycutt of Reno; sister, Virginia Grimes of Tahoe City; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren

Memorial services: 11 a.m. Saturday at Tyler Street Church of Christ, 5029 Tyler St., Sacramento. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Park Creek Bible Camp Scholarship Fund, 8301 Florin Road, Sacramento, CA 95828; or Crossroads Christian School in Kerala, India, by way of Crossroads Church of Christ, 2505 N.E. 102nd Ave., Portland, OR 97220.

Jerry Dillion, who reconciled faith and reason as a pioneering computer science professor at Sacramento State and a Christian minister and evangelist, has died at age 76. Mr. Dillion died Aug. 15 of stomach cancer, said his wife, Violet.

Mr. Dillion, who collected radio components and earned a Morse code license as a boy, rode the wave of computer development from vacuum tubes to silicon chips. He joined California State University, Sacramento, in 1971 as the first chairman of the new computer science department. He recruited faculty members, set curricula and taught courses at the dawn of a new technology era. He helped pave the way for computer science to become the largest department in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, retired Dean Donald Gillott said. "Jerry was very professional in his approach to colleagues in the college," he said. "He was a pioneer in the computer science discipline and in computer science education."

Mr. Dillion also was an active minister and evangelist. He was ordained in 1956 in the New Testament Church of Christ and preached at churches in San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay and Santa Barbara. He was an elder and Bible school teacher at Tyler Street Church of Christ in Sacramento. He preached and taught electronics courses to young people at Florin Road Church of Christ and led discussions about relationships between scientific and religious concepts. "Jerry had a real warmth and ability to reach out and teach," said Mark McMurry, a minister at Florin Road Church of Christ. "He was a fabulous storyteller who could bring these lofty ideas down to a level that was understandable to anyone."

Jerry Louis Dillion was born in 1932 in Seminole, Okla., to farmers who moved to California as migrant workers during the Great Depression. Reared in Modesto by parents who stressed education for a better life, he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and mathematics in 1954 from then California State Polytechnic College, where he taught for 13 years. He earned master's and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Mr. Dillion retired from CSUS in 1988 and spent two years reviewing grant requests for the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. In 1992, he began a year as visiting professor at Florida International University in Miami.

He married Violet Collins in 1955 and reared five children. An avid sailor and hiker, he enjoyed traveling, watching San Francisco Giants and 49ers games, and helping friends shop for computer equipment.

Mr. Dillion found common ground in science and religion. His view of cosmology included similarities between the big-bang theory and the description of creation in the book of Genesis. He rejected strict creationist beliefs and turned to ideas of intelligent design to fill gaps in the Darwinian theory of evolution. "He had very good conversations with people in church and academics," his wife said. "He wasn't dogmatic. He was very good at not being argumentative."

JOEL. B. KNOWLES

June 3, 1937 - July 31, 2008

Age 71, passed away 7-31-2008 in Placerville. He was born 6-3-1937 in Quincy, Mass. Preceded in death by son, David Knowles. Survived by: wife of 26 years, Mary Knowles: son, Erik Knowles; grandsons, Jimmy Edgerton and Andy Edgerton; stepsons, Mike Edgerton and Douglas Edgerton; granddaughters, Leah Edgerton, Holly Knowles and Katie Knowles; brother, Bobby Knowles; sister, Sue Hudson. There will be a Celebration of Life party Sunday Aug. 24th at Joel and Mary's home starting at 11:30am. All friends are invited. For further information contact jbkfmk@hughes.net

NICHOLAS A. BOND, JR.

October 21, 1922- July 25, 2008

Nick was a retired professor of psychology at California State University Sacramento (CSUS). He died on July 25, 2008 at the age of 85 of complications from a fall. He is survived by his devoted family: Dorothy, his wife of 58 years, daughter Elizabeth Kerkstra of Stamford, CT, son Nicholas of Seattle, WA, and son Jeffrey of Oakland, CA, and grandchildren Alex, Nicole and Henry. He was born on October 21, 1922 in Jackson, Tennessee to Nicholas A. Bond, Sr. and Keturah Lamberth Bond. His higher education began at the University of Tennessee. These studies were interrupted by World War II, during which he served as a member of a team tasked to decode German field communications.
After the war, he resumed his studies at the University of Southern California (USC), culminating in 1952 with a Ph.D. in psychology. He continued his research on the design of man-machine interfaces at USC as part of a group receiving funding from the Department of Defense.

The next main chapter in his life began in 1961 when he joined the faculty of the Department of Psychology of the California State University of Sacramento (then Sacramento State College). The courses he taught ranged from an introductory survey of psychology, to more specialized treatments of statistics and experimental psychology, and a personal favorite, a course entitled "The Psychology of Jokes". He also was a mentor for a number of graduate students, a sought-after reviewer for a variety of academic journals, and served on several Naval Research Advisory Committees and with the Office of Naval Research (ONR). He also carried out his own research, receiving an outstanding paper award from the Journal Human Factors in 1973, receiving a Meritorious Civilian Service Award from the Navy in 1984, and being named a fellow of the American Psychology Society in 1992.

A highlight of Nick's career was the period of 1981 through 1985 during which he took a leave of absence from CSUS to work overseas as a liaison scientist for ONR. This activity played to his strengths, namely his ability to see the big picture in a scientific issue, his ease in what for most would be awkward social situations with strangers, and his love for travel. He returned to CSUS and resumed teaching through 1993.

While he was highly successful in his career, his other talents were in many ways as noteworthy. He was a talented musician from an early age, and taught himself how to read music using a piano in the family home. As an adult, he was a member of the musician's union in Sacramento, playing tenor saxophone in swing and big band ensembles. In recent years, he particularly enjoyed attending "big band" elder hostels. During his late 50s he began a new hobby as an artist, and quickly demonstrated considerable talent. His focus was on sketches and line drawings, often of classic art-deco buildings, but he also did paintings and caricatures. He received numerous awards for his pieces in local art competitions.

Last and by no means least, Nick should be recognized for his eccentricities. He sported an extreme buzz cut, and his large and shiny skull, in combination with the hot pink '55 T-Bird he drove from the mid-1960s through the 1970s, made him a highly recognizable figure on campus and in his neighborhood. He took up jogging in the 1960s as it was just beginning to become popular, preferring to run in the Arden/Carmichael neighborhood during rush hour in shorts at least a size too small. Beginning in the 1960s and continuing to recent years, Nick and Dorothy traveled extensively, both in the US and abroad, staying in cheap hotels and eating exotic, local food. He was a born story-teller, and liked to hold forth in social settings. He was served well in this regard by his wit, knowledge, good cheer, and southern drawl, which he could turn on and off to the extent he deemed fit. He was a truly remarkable man, and will be remembered well, and fondly, by all that knew him.

A tribute is being planned for late summer or early fall. It was his wish that a fellowship for graduate students studying quantitative psychology be established at CSUS. Gifts may be made to The University Foundation at Sacramento State for the Nicholas Bond Memorial Fund. Checks should be mailed to the Sacramento State Development Office, 6000 J St., Sacramento, CA 95819-6030. Remembrances are also encouraged to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) or to a charity of your choice.

SHARAD J. MALELU

June 21, 2008

We have been informed that Sharad J. Malelu passed away on June 21, 2008.

BONNIE BUSICK

June 22, 2008

Bonnie passed away peacefully at home in Carmichael on June 22, 2008 after a battle with cancer. Bonnie was 66 years old and was the daughter of the late Robert and Grace Burns of Stockton, CA. She grew up on the campus of the University of the Pacific where her father served as president for 26 years. After graduating from UOP with a B.A., Bonnie attended Pennsylvania State University and Sacramento State University where she received a M.A. degree in Theatre Design. In 1974, Bonnie began a 30-year career as a Professor of Theatre Arts at Sacramento State. She taught courses in costume design, scenic design, scene painting, theatre history, theatre literature, and criticism. Professor Busick believed that some of the best teaching is done by example and served as principle scenic or costume designer on 3 to 4 major theatrical productions a year. When not working on her own productions, she actively engaged in assisting her students or colleagues with their designs by building and painting scenery or sewing costumes. Her greatest professional joy was in seeing her students succeed with their art. Her fondest personal memories were in spending quality time with her mother, Grace Burns; her aunt, Jeanne Wooten; her niece, Ronna Gold; or her closest friends, Nina, Eric, and Tina. She also enjoyed skiing, sailing on Lake Tahoe, and travels abroad with her husband. She is survived by her husband, Dean Busick and by her brother, Ron Burns of Deltona, FL and his family. Memorial services will be held at the East Lawn Chapel at 43rd Street and Folsom Blvd. at 10am, Monday, June 30. A reception will follow at Arden Hills Resort Club on Fair Oaks Blvd. from 11:30am to 2:00pm. Memorials may be made to the Theatre and Dance Department Scholarship Fund at Sacramento State University or to the General Scholarship Fund at the University of Pacific. Arrangements by East Lawn Mortuary.

MARTIN RALPH BRITTAN

January 28, 1922 - May 24, 2008

Renowned icthyologist & CSUS Professor of Biological Sciences for 40 years, Born Jan. 28, 1922; died May 24, 2008, joining his beloved daughter Pam. Survived by his wife of 60 years, Ruth, brother Lynn, daughter Penny, granddaughters Brittany, Renee, and Charlene, great-grandchildren Damian, Sierra, Rhiannon, Autumn, and Gabriel. Private inurnment on June 13th. Memorial Service June 28, 11:00AM, at Lake Park Estates Clubhouse at 7525 Folsom-Auburn Road in Folsom. In lieu of flowers, please send remembrances to Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, or charity of your choice.

RUTH E. DOYLE

We have received word that Ruth E. Doyle passed away on January 3, 2008.

MARIO P. PIETRALUNGA

May 19, 1927 - June 1, 2008

Mario P. Pietralunga, a distinguished Italian scholar and writer who explored the warm, pastoral beauty and coldblooded Mafia culture of his native land as a poet, journalist and professor at Sacramento State, died Sunday. He was 81. He had various health problems and died after several months of illness, said his son, Mark. Mr. Pietralunga was a pillar of the Italian program at California State University, Sacramento, from 1971 until he retired in 1998. Renowned among peers for his literary writing and translations, he also lectured at Italian universities, received the Premio Internazionale Citta de Marineo for original poetry and was elected to the prestigious Italian national Accademia Universale Gug- lielmo Marconi.

He presented students with a panorama of Italian heritage in the classroom, including art, history, literature and politics. A gifted storyteller, he brought lectures to life with anecdotes about growing up in a close-knit Italian village, fighting with resistance forces in World War II and receiving death threats for reporting on the trial of Mafia leaders in Sicily. "It was the quintessential educational experience," said one of his former students, Joy Salvetti, now an Italian professor and administrator at Sacramento State. "He had a great sense of humor and would tell stories as if he were telling the punch line for the first time. He would just start laughing with this laugh that was so engaging that you could not help but relive it with him."

Marco Pietro Pietralunga was born in 1927 in Fidenza, Italy. His parents ran the bus service in nearby Pieve di Cusignano, an idyllic hamlet of rolling hills above the Po River Valley that became the nostalgic setting of many of his later poems. He was 16 years old when he became a partigiano, or guerrilla fighter, attacking local Fascist forces and Nazi troops controlling northern Italy in 1943. He fought with other partisans until the war in Europe ended in 1945, an experience that influenced him deeply and became a subject of his literary works. "I joined the Resistenza principally because of my profound disgust for war," he wrote in a 1985 book of poetry. "I had seen people die in air raids, and I could recount other similar terrible experiences all caused by war. I despised war then, and I continue to despise it."

Mr. Pietralunga earned a doctorate in law from the prestigious University of Bologna, practiced law and worked as a journalist. He married Iliana Ricciardi, a Southern Californian studying opera in Parma, in 1951, moved to America and settled in Santa Monica. He worked as a reporter for Italian and Italian American news media, including major print interviews with novelist Henry Miller and Kathleen Cleaver, widow of Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver. He taught Italian at UCLA for seven years before moving to Sacramento in 1971.

Although he once spawned controversy for allegedly slapping a student who called him an Italian profanity over a disputed grade, Mr. Pietralunga's scholarship and colorful personality made him a popular teacher for more than three decades at Sacramento State.

A prolific writer, his work included five volumes of poetry and many journal contributions, literary studies and articles on the Mafia. In 1972, he began teaching "The Mafia in Italian Literature." The course drew on his background as an Italian journalist, lifelong academic research and guest lectures by members of the Bonanno crime family. The class was always full.

Mr. Pietralunga divorced his first wife and married Beverly Wright. He enjoyed traveling, including many trips to Italy, and continued teaching part time at Sacramento State until 2003. "He never wanted to stop," Salvetti said. "He knew that part of living was the interaction and connection with students."

Survived by: Wife, Beverly of Sacramento; sons, Mark of Tallahassee, Fla., and Matthew of Sacramento; daughters, Ines Pietralunga-Funsten of Marina del Rey and Maria Pietralunga of Sacramento; and three grandchildren

Services: 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1066 26th St., Sacramento
Remembrances: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to charity.
Sacramento Bee, June 5, 2008

TOM GENTRY

October 3, 1933 - May 15, 2008

We have been informed of the passing of Tom Gentry (Music). Dr. Thomas Gentry taught at Sac State for some 30 years. He graduated from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa and received a master's degree from Indiana University, Bloomington. At his request, there has been no published obituary. Tom was a pianist in the Music Department. We would appreciate receiving more information.

GAYLEN A. HATTON

October 4, 1928 - February 8, 2008

Gaylen A Hatton, son of Glen A Hatton and Eva Pearl Wolfe Hatton, was born on October 4, 1928, and died on February 8, 2008. He began a distinguished musical career at the age of four, drumming with his parent's jazz band. His musical career was interrupted from 1951 to 1953 in order to serve his country in the Armed Forces. He served in Germany and France. In 1954 he graduated with a Master's degree in music from BYU, and received his Ph.D in music composition from the U of U in 1963. Gaylen performed eight seasons with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, playing French horn under Maestro Maurice Abravanel, and he has also performed as principle horn player with the Sacramento Symphony. He was a member of the Orpheus Woodwind Quintet, Brassworks, and others. In 1958 he received the Rosenblatt Award, and later received orchestral commissions from the Utah Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, Sacramento Civic Ballet, Rire/Woodbury Dance Company, the National Endowment for the Arts, and many others. He performed as a member of the orchestra for Ballet West, was a member of the Utah Arts Council Music Committee and the General Music Committee for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His church service includes being (twice) a bishop, a branch president, chorister, organist, and Primary pianist. He served, with his wife, as an ordinance worker in the Jordan River Temple. On August 6, 1958, Gaylen married his sweetheart ballerina, Marianne Johnson in the Salt Lake Temple. He is survived by his wife, and four children: Nannette (E.J.) Landry, Keven (JodiLyn) Hatton, Heidi Hatton, and David Hatton, seven grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren, a sister, Joyce (Marvin) Davis, and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, February 15, at the Country Park First Ward, 11271 South 2700 West, South Jordan. A viewing will be held at the church Thursday night from 6-8 p.m. and at 10 a.m. on Friday. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the BYU School of Music, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, or another charity of your choice. Love you forever, love you for always Online condolences at www.serenicare.com
(Published in the Deseret News on 2/13/2008).

LOUANNA PETTAY

December 14, 1928 - April 13, 2008

Dr. Louanna Pettay was born December 14, 1928 in Cadiz, Ohio to Birney and June Pettay. She died on April 13, 2008 of cancer at her home in Nesika Beach, Oregon. She earned her PhD in Physical Anthropology from Indiana University. Dr. Pettay taught at The Ohio State University, Kent State University, and retired from California State University Sacramento after a forty year teaching career. During her tenure at CSUS, she completed a correspondence course in law, took and passed the California State Bar and devoted her practice to charitable and social causes and offered her services pro bono. She also volunteered as a pro tem judge in Sacramento County Small Claims Court for ten years. Dr. Pettay's intellectual curiosity and love of learning continued throughout her life. Her fondness for the beauty of the Oregon Coast induced her to buy a home in Nesika Beach in 2002 where she spent about half her time and the remainder in Sacramento. Her many activities included gardening, kayaking, and a passionate interest in dogs which led her to travel to Alaska for the Iditarod and to Canada for the Yukon Quest. She was a civil rights and animal rights activist. Dr. Pettay was preceded in death by her parents and beloved Phoebe. She is survived by her sister, Barbara Potter of Rome, Georgia; nephew Eric Kanoski of Columbus, Ohio, nieces Ginette Feasel of Columbus, Ohio, Debra Wong of Sacramento, California and closest friend, Leanne O'Neal of Sacramento, California. Services for family will be private. Memorials may be made in Dr. Pettay's name to Amnesty International. http://takeaction. amnestyusa.org (212) 633-4254 Amnesty International USA, 5 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001.

JOHN M. LEWIS

June 27, 1914 - April 8, 2008

John Merion Lewis was born in Minneapolis, MN on June 27, 1914 and passed away on April 8, 2008 at 93. He was preceded in death by Beryl, his wife of 51 years and is missed by his daughters, Merry Benard (Mark) and Gwyn Campbell (Jim), grandchildren Shari Gueffroy (Matt) and Stephen Benard, and great-grandchildren Christopher and Charlotte Gueffroy and his many friends. John and Beryl married in 1942 and lived in NYC.

He graduated from Union Theological Seminary in Sacred Music and subsequently moved to Grand Rapids, MI as an organist and teacher of music. From 1948 to 1953 he was on the music faculty at College of Emporia making lifelong friends. After a brief time in Richmond, VA, John Lewis moved in 1956 to Sacramento and joined the music faculty at Sacramento State University. He conducted the orchestra, operas and musicals, plus taught conducting, piano, organ, music theory, and American music until he retired in 1984. He was always active in the musical community and was church organist for Trinity Episcopal Cathedral for 15 years, as well as an organist for several other churches. As a musician and teacher he touched many lives and his legacy lives on through those people. A memorial service will be held on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger, 5401 Folsom Blvd. In lieu of flowers the family requests that remembrances be made in his name to either Capital Public Radio, 7055 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95826 or to KVIE, P.O. Box 6, Sacramento, CA 95812.

CHAILLE MOSELY LOVE

December 8, 1911 - March 20, 2008

At age 96, Chaille Mosely Love died peacefully on March 20, 2008, in Elk Grove, CA. Born Dec. 8, 1911, in Farmersville, LA, to country doctor Royal Lee Love and Lottie Mosely Crow Love, he is also predeceased by brothers Clyde and Metz, and sister Elizabeth, all of Louisiana. He graduated from university then taught school until enlisting in the officer training program in 1942. While stationed in Chicago, he met and married Barbara Lawrence Kelley, then served as Lieutenant Commander and Gunnery Officer on the USS Perkins in the Caribbean during WWII. Dr. Love came west in 1947 to teach anatomy and physiology at the newly-founded Sacramento State University, while completing his MS at Stanford and PhD at Oregon State University, Corvallis. He retired from teaching in 1976. He is survived by sons James of Sacramento, David of Elk Grove and Christopher of San Bernardino, daughter Constance Norman of Utah, their spouses, and by 8 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. We celebrate his devotion to home and family, his love of science, and his Socratic inquiry and debate on any topic. He is remembered for his joyful if sometimes off-key singing, his love of life, his willingness to seek the good in everyone, and an abhorrence of wastefulness in any form. Our thanks to Caring Families of Elk Grove for their nurturing and loving care. Visitation is Tues, Mar 25, from 1-5pm, and funeral service is Wed, Mar 26, at 11am, both at Elk Grove Funeral Chapel, 9101 Elk Grove Blvd, Elk Grove, CA. Graveside ceremony follows at 1:30pm Wed, at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA.

MIGUEL ENRIQUE BLANCO

Nov. 6, 1933-Mar. 15, 2008

A native of El Salvador, Miguel came to the U.S. in 1943 with his family. He grew up in San Francisco and in 1964 he moved to Modesto with his young family. Miguel taught school there for 8 years until accepting a position teaching photography at California State University Sacramento. Eventually attaining full professorship, he taught there for 27 years. Miguel was well known for his documentary work with farmworkers of the Central Valley; the refugees of the civil war in El Salvador and the residents of San Quentin Prison. He exibitied in the Bay Area and in Sacramento. In 1982 he received a Media Alliance award and in 2006 he received a Certificate of Recognition for his contribution to Chicano art and Hispanic culture from the California State Senate. Miguel will remain forever in the hearts of his family, friends and former students. A celebration of his life will be held at Salas Brothers Funeral Chapel, 419 Scenic Drive, Modesto on Thurs., Mar. 20 at 10am.

MARY FRANCES HICKS

April 14, 1952 - January 30, 2008

Mary was the only child of Thelma and Kenneth Hicks, and was a Sacramento native. She attended local schools and graduated from Norte Del Rio High School. She was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by cousins Virginia Bartlett and Georgia Allison of Fresno, and her adoptive family, the Biggs of Sacramento. Mary was an extraordinary woman - she lived to learn. She had five master's degrees (English, Library Science, Business, Counseling and Christian Education) and was working on her doctorate in Psychology. She worked as a librarian for over 30 years, first at Sacramento Public Library and California State University, Sacramento, then Fresno Co., and 4 state agency libraries in Sacramento. She also was a chaplain at Sutter Community Hospital. Mary was active in many professional and service organizations, most recently Association for Psychological Types. She was a long-time member of Toastmasters International, the American Library Association and was a deacon in her church. Mary's friends and colleagues describe her as a dear and kind soul; a patient teacher; an extraordinary reference librarian who knew something about everything, an inquisitive mind; an active listener and caring counselor. There will be a celebration of Mary's life on Saturday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1300 N St., Sacramento, with a reception following at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Mary to the Library of your choice.

WILLIAM E. GRENFELL, JR.

July 16, 1928 - Jan 16, 2008

Born July 16, 1928, in Berkeley, Calif., passed away on Jan. 16, 2008, at Sutter Roseville Hospital in the presence of loved ones after a long illness. He was preceded in death by his parents William Ernest Grenfell and Alice Rena Grenfell of Oakland, Calif. William (Bill) Grenfell grew up in Oakland, Calif., and graduated from Union High School. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo and a Masters Degree in Biological Conservation from California State University, Sacramento. His career began at United Parcel Service. During his twenty years of service there, he moved up the management ranks and became Division Manager. For a short time he was director of The Sacramento Science Center and Junior Museum until he obtained a position with the California Department of Fish and Game. During his employment with the Department, he served as chief of the Departments Natural Heritage Program. Before that he was Deputy Chief of the Wildlife Management Division. He was also a Senior Wildlife Biologist in charge of the Wildlife Investigations Laboratory. As a research wildlife biologist for the Department, he conducted studies on river otter, black bear, mule deer, kit fox, and California quail. While working for the Department, he was also an Assistant Professor of Biology at California State University, Sacramento for thirteen years where he taught wildlife management, vertebrate zoology, and general ecology. Bill retired from the department in 1988. Bill's passion for nature extended beyond his employment. He has photographed natural history subjects since 1960. His photographs have appeared in Encyclopedia Britannica, National Wildlife Magazine, National Geographic, Audubon Guides, Outdoor California, Birders World, Wildbird Magazine, and several children's books and textbooks (Birds of North America.) Bill also co-authored several technical papers including A Checklist of the Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals of California. Nature photography and natural history expeditions led him to Canada, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Kiribati, Kenya, Tanzania, the West Indies, as well as the United States. Bill loved living in Hidden Valley (Placer County), his home for over 40 years, where he conducted nature walks and wrote articles about the local wildlife for the Hidden Valley Newsletter.

Bill is dearly loved and will be deeply missed by Eleanor Grenfell, his wife of thirty years, his brother Gary Grenfell of Granite Bay, Patricia Grenfell of Auburn, his daughters Marcie Morrill (Butch) of Roseville and Carin Steffens (David) of Napa, grandchildren Scott and Lianne Morrill, Kimberlie Union (Josh), Sara and Blaine Steffens, Nathaniel Phillips, great-grandchildren Shaelyn and Brynna Union, nephew Greg Grenfell (Anda), niece Aimee Grenfell, and stepchildren Bill, Jr. (Denise), Debbie, Jeff (Brenda), and Bob Phillips.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of Bill's life at 1:00 p.m., Jan. 27, at The Gathering Place, 3137 Taylor Road, Loomis, 95650.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury (Web/Support), 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203, 1-800-628-6860, online at www.nature.org, or to a charity of your choice.

JOYCE WINDESHAUSEN

March 21, 1923 - January 10, 2008

Born in Plainview, Nebraska March 21, 1923 and died on January 10, 2008. She is survived by her husband H. Nicholas Windeshausen (Professor Emeritus, CSUS), her daughters Darcee Durham and Lael Birdsong and grandchildren Mitchell Birdsong, Simone and Kyle Durham. Services will be at Mount Vernon 8201 Greenback Lane Citrus Heights, CA at 2:00pm on January 21, 2008. Remembrances may be sent to Joyce J. Windeshausen Scholarship Fund at Wayne State Foundation, 1111 Main Street, Wayne, NE 68787.

ROBERT ELSE

1918- Jan 4, 2008

Robert J. Else, a prominent Sacramento Valley landscape artist who influenced Ralph Goings, Gregory Kondos, Wayne Thiebaud and other renowned painters as an original member of the art faculty at California State University, Sacramento, died Friday. He was 89. He died of heart failure in Palo Alto, where he moved recently, said his son, Jon Else. Robert Else was a pioneer of the post-World War II explosion in the visual arts in California. With a graduate degree from Columbia University, he arrived in Sacramento in 1950, when the current CSU site was mostly covered with hop fields. The art department was still housed at Sacramento City College in a leaky barn where "the rats would eat all the art supplies over the weekend," he told The Bee in 1977.

Named chairman when the art department moved to the CSU campus on J Street in 1958, Else instituted courses and programs that provided genuine challenges to art students. He set rigorous standards based on his East Coast training and started a critique class that was instrumental in creating one of Sacramento's first serious contemporary art galleries.

He taught painting and drawing and mentored thousands of art students who arrived after World War II and the Korean War – including Jack Ogden, Mel Ramos and Fritz Scholder – and oversaw much of the growth during the 1960s at CSU, where a campus gallery was named in his honor. He retired in 1979.

"He was very much concerned with his students and related to them exceptionally well," said Ed Klingelhofer, a retired CSU professor and friend. "He was a creative teacher in so many ways. In some of his studio classes, to establish a mood, he would read James Joyce a lot."

Although not as famous or commercially successful as some of his students, Else was a revered landscape artist in his own right. He painted intricately detailed images of Northern California scenes – from Mendocino beaches to the Klamath River to the Sierra Nevada – with a distinctively clear style. Other favorite subjects included Sacramento bridges and vistas of the American River, a favorite fishing spot near his River Park home.

Many of his works featured the "precise, clear, almost hyper-real feeling" that Bee art correspondent Victoria Dalkey noted in "Summer Preserve," an image from the Cosumnes Preserve. He "labored on canvas for weeks or months at a time" to produce thousands of landscapes, his son said. In 1977, he was honored with a retrospective at the Crocker Art Gallery. "His work was incredibly intense and painstaking, and the color was so vibrant that it was surreal," said his daughter, Susan Else, a sculptor. "In terms of what he saw and painted, he was uncompromising."

Born and reared in the East, Else was captivated by the Sacramento Valley as a painter and outdoorsman, his family and friends said. He was an avid fly fisherman of steelhead in the American River and trout throughout the state. He also ventured often into the Sacramento River Delta, where he captured fish on his hook and scenes of the surrounding farmlands on canvas.

"The colors and linear form of things down there really caught his eye," said Klingelhofer, a fly-fishing buddy who collaborated with him in 1993 on a book about the sport in Northern California.

Robert John Else was born in 1918 to German immigrants in Pennsylvania. He was one of three sons reared by their father, a butler and gardener, and mother, a housekeeper and cook. Although his mother wanted him to be a cobbler, he demonstrated creative talent and won an art scholarship to Columbia University, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees. He served four years as a captain in the Army during World War II.

He married Georgeanna Greene, a Sacramento sculptor known as Jorjana Holden. The couple reared two children, including a son who was an Oscar-nominated documentarian.

An active member of the Unitarian Church, Else was "an eternally optimistic fellow who could be very wry," his son said. After retiring from teaching, he spent many hours in his studio under signs advising "energy and clarity" and a quote from Henri Matisse: "Work is paradise." "It was fantastic to be a kid in that household," Jon Else said. "Coming home every day was like Christmas. There was always something new he had created."