Leslie "Sarge" Thomas

Died January 13, 2014

Passed away on Jan. 13, 2014 in Lychburg Virginia. He was a Veteran, retired from Sac State and longtime volunteer and resident of the Oak Park area.

John A Turner M.D.

March 25, 1925 ~ January 21, 2014

John A. Turner, 88, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to John A. and Bessie Turner, brother of Ronald D. Turner. Both John's father and brother died very young at 50 and 49, respectively, so his family is tremendously grateful that he had a long and happy life. John is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Elizabeth (Betty) Turner; son David Turner of Sacramento, daughter Nancy Martinucci and son-in-law Matthew of Walnut Creek; grandchildren Dillon Turner, Madeline and Alexandra Martinucci; sisters-in-law Donna Eggertson of Toronto, Canada and Mavis Turner of Winnipeg, Canada and children.

John served overseas in the Canadian Army in WWII. John graduated from University of Manitoba and University of Manitoba, School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Radiology at Harvard University, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA. John and Betty moved to Sacramento in 1957 when John became a partner with Radiological Associates of Sacramento where he worked as a Radiologist for over 15 years. John then served as Director of Radiology for the CSUS Student Health Center where he worked until his retirement.

'Papa' will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He loved being a 'DEKE' during university, swimming at the YMCA, vacationing in Mexico, our little house at Dillon's Beach, Charlie the Bus, and playing a mean game of cribbage. He was a gentle, kind, generous man, a true gentleman, who had a great sense of humor and a life-long love for animals. One of his favorite times in life was serving on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Zoo.

Our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to John Nasui and the wonderful staff at Splendor of Carmichael who took amazing care of Papa during his two months there.

Warren Prentice

Died January 26, 2014

Dr. Warren Lonsdale Prentice, husband, father, grandfather, friend, passed away on January 26, 2014. He was 84 years old. Originally from Irvington, New Jersey, Warren moved to Florida to attend Florida State University where he earned his Bachelor's Degree and met and married the love of his life, Virginia Stockman Prentice. Together they moved to Austin, Texas where Warren attended the University of Texas and received his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Education. While attending school Warren was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War. He later joined the US Navy Reserves, commanding an Intelligence Unit and completing his service as a Naval Captain. From 1959 until his retirement, Warren was a Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Education Department. His devotion to education has changed the lives of countless people. He is survived by daughter Leslie Gandy and husband Tim, son Scott Prentice and wife Rachel; grandsons, James Prentice and wife Alana, Austin Gandy, and Tucker Gandy; and sisters Jean McNair of Orlando, Florida, and Nancy Wolfe and husband Bob of Wilmington, North Carolina.

John Stockdale

January 21, 1923 ~ January 31, 2014

John Martin Stockdale was born in Estherville, Iowa, to Lloyd and Aline Stockdale on July 21, 1923. He died on Friday, January 31, 2014, at his home in the loving care of his family. A third generation Iowan, Dr. Stockdale grew up in a little town where he acquired the open and warm manner to which so many people were drawn. He attended Carlton College until 1942 when he enlisted in the army. A reluctant hero, during his "walk from Paris to Berlin" he was wounded crossing the Rhine River at St Gore; later his unit liberated the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Poland. After the war John completed college and married Helen Sarett on February 14, 1948. They returned to Estherville where John became a partner in the insurance business with his father and brother. In 1965 Dr. Stockdale and his family moved to Iowa City where he completed his PhD in insurance and Finance at the University of Iowa. In 1969 the family migrated to Sacramento where Dr. Stockdale taught at CSU, Sacramento until his retirement in 1987. During his tenure, he was essential in the development of the Insurance curriculum. He taught as a Professor Emeritus until 1993. Dr. Stockdale devoted himself to his students and was a masterful teacher. He later enjoyed a second career as an expert in insurance and economic damages in personal injury cases. John loved trains and he and the family enjoyed traveling the country on elegant passenger trains. His love of everything trains led him to become an expert modeler; he knew every train on every track around the world. John also loved to dine, particularly on ocean liners surrounded by his family. John was a scratch golfer as a young man, teaching himself the game with the help of only a mirror and a Ben Hogan book. He played to a single digit handicap for most of his playing career. He was a long time member of Del Paso Country Club. He is survived by his wife Helen, his three children, Lloyd, Mary, and Jane and his brother, Jerry. Also surviving him are a loving and devoted extended family and a host of dear friends. Dr. Stockdale was preceded in death by his sister, Jane.

Paul Vierria

July 27, 1932 ~ January 17, 2014

Louis Paul Vierria, 81, of Rio Linda, passed away peacefully on January 17, 2014. He was born on July 27, 1932 in Yuba County, CA and raised in District 10 attending schools in Marysville, CA. Paul served in the Navy from 1949-1953. He worked for Aerojet for 16 years as a Stationary Engineer, and for CSUS for 22 years, retiring as the Chief of Plant Operations in 1994. Paul was an active member of the Rio Linda Little League from 1968-1981 and the RLHS Boosters. A loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, Paul is survived by his wife of 60 years, Freda Vierria; brother Charles Vierria; sister Clista Wacaster; children Deborah McDonald of Pennsylvania, Vickie Hopkins of Elk Grove, Michael Vierria of Elverta, Ross Vierria of Rio Linda, and John Vierria of Maryland; 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Elizabeth "Libby" Read

Died February 21, 2014

Age 81, died peacefully, after a prolonged illness, on Friday, February 21 at Sunrise Assisted Living in Carmichael, California. Elizabeth, known to friends as Libby, was a life-long Sacramento resident, growing up in the Curtis Park neighborhood, and living most of her adult life in River Park. She attended McClatchy high school and went on to graduate with a liberal arts degree from U.C. Berkeley in 1955. A loyal friend, Libby maintained her friendships from school throughout her life. She married Maurice Read in 1956, with whom she had two children, though the marriage ended in divorce. Libby was dedicated to education and learning, and worked for California State University in Sacramento for over 30 years. The arts and music were among what mattered most to Libby, and she was known to always have a book nearby and the classical music station playing on the radio. She is preceded in death by her dear daughter Amy Read and her sister Barbara Child Mahler. She is survived by her beloved son Evan Read, her grand-daughter Esme and daughter-in-law Debora, all in New York; her nephew Eric Johnson of Redding; niece Megan Johnson of Chico and Julia Zaffarano of San Carlos.

Turan Gonen

Died February 24, 2014

Dr. Turan Gonen, a leading expert and popular professor of electrical engineering at California State University, Sacramento, died Feb. 24 of a stroke, his family said. He was 72. Dr. Gonen was widely respected in academia and industry for his scholarship in electrical and electronic engineering. Specializing in the area of electric power transmission, he authored numerous books and papers and traveled to many countries as a technical consultant to utilities, trade groups and government agencies. He belonged to major professional and scientific organizations in the United States and his native Turkey. His 2013 textbook, "Electric Power Distribution System Engineering," is taught in college classrooms worldwide.

"I was meeting with someone the other day from the electric power industry and shared the sad news about Turan, and asked if he knew him," Tom Matthews, CSUS chair of electrical and electronic engineering. "He said, 'Only by reputation.' He was pretty well known."

Besides his impressive research, Dr. Gonen earned a reputation as a caring teacher and mentor. He supervised more than 100 graduate students over the years and helped many find jobs in industry and teaching. He was recognized by CSUS with outstanding teacher awards in 1997 and 2009.

Raised in a home that stressed education, Dr. Gonen was born Sept. 2, 1941, in Bursa, Turkey, to a family that included professional engineers in various fields. With a bachelor's and master's degree in electrical engineering from Istanbul Technical University, he determined at 27 to leave home for new opportunities.

"He didn't know any English, but he said, 'I'm going to go to the United States and make something of my life,' " his daughter Sevil said. "He got on a plane with an English dictionary and studied it all the way to Florida. He got off the plane and could speak a few words, enough to get around."

Dr. Gonen earned advanced degrees – including two doctorates in engineering – at Iowa State University and University of Oklahoma. He taught for three years at University of Missouri before joining CSUS in 1986.

Dr. Gonen had been active in the Sacramento chapter of the Turkish American Association of California. He lived in Sacramento and enjoyed gardening, visiting art museums and vacationing in Carmel.

"He was a serious person, but he loved to laugh and to make people laugh," his daughter said.

In addition to his daughter, Dr. Gonen is survived by his fiancée, Diane Kelly-Abrams.

Adelyn "Addie" Smith

Died February 19, 2014

Entered into God's care Feb. 19, 2014, age 86. Preceded in death by 1st husband Warren Davies (1981) and 2nd husband Baird Smith (1994). Survived by Ralph Davies (son), wife Katherine; Janet (Davies) Rose, husband Don; Don Smith (step-son); Courtney and Brett Smith (step-grandchildren) and many cousins. She worked for 20 years as a payroll technician at CSUS. She played cello and was a member of Long Beach Women's Symphony, Southern California Festival Orchestra, Sacramento Symphony, Camellia Symphony and American River College Orchestra.

Wynne DuBray

April 22, 1932 ~ May 7, 2014

Dr. Wynne DuBray, a retired Sacramento State professor who advocated for American Indians and multicultural perspectives in social work and psychotherapy, died April 28 at 82. She was sitting in her Arden Arcade area home after working in the garden when her heart failed, her son Les Hanson said. After putting her husband through optometry school, Dr. DuBray was a homemaker in her 40s by the time she embarked on a career in academia. She was inspired by a wave of liberated women entering college, and she connected as a Sioux Indian with American Indian activism on campuses in the 1970s.

She earned a master of social work degree from California State University, San Francisco, and a doctorate in education and counseling psychology from University of San Francisco. She taught at CSU San Francisco and UC Berkeley and was an administrator for the Indian Health Service in Sacramento before joining the faculty in the division of social work at California State University, Sacramento, in 1990.

Dr. DuBray, who also had a private practice, devoted her work to bridging barriers between traditional psychotherapy – a field of mostly white professionals with theories that originated in Europe – and racial, ethnic and cultural minorities. In classrooms and textbooks, she promoted diversity in counseling professions and advocated ways to overcome differences in order to solve common human conditions.

In 1993, she told The Sacramento Bee that many American Indians "are coming from a different value system" – including communicating with one's ancestors, she said. So if a patient reports that he hears voices and sees ghosts, she asked, is he schizophrenic – or is he in touch with centuries of spiritual beliefs? To make a proper diagnosis, she said, a therapist would need to know about Indian beliefs, including specific tribal symbols.

Born April 22, 1932, Dr. DuBray was the ninth of 10 children raised by Lakota Sioux parents who farmed and raised cattle on the extended Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

She married Kenneth J. Hanson, lived in South Dakota and Alaska while her husband served in the Army during the Korean War and worked as waitress to help put him through optometry school in Tennessee. After moving to California and settling in Antioch in the 1960s, she worked in accounting and raised three children before becoming the first in her family to go to college.

"Her mother had gone to Carlisle, a famous Indian boarding school in Pennsylvania where Jim Thorpe went," Les Hanson said. "That instilled in her children the desire for education."

Dr. DuBray encouraged young American Indians to go to college and wrote grant requests for clinical social work programs to serve multicultural communities. She wrote a memoir, "Journey of a Lakota Elder," to inspire women of color seeking careers in higher education, and she served on the editorial board of the Journal of Multicultural Social Work.

Dr. DuBray, who was divorced, was predeceased by her daughter Yvonne Hanson in 1990. In addition to her son Les, she is survived by another son, David Hanson; three grandchildren; and her companion, Joseph Lipoma.

Born May 18, 1939, in Tunas, Missouri, he passed away on April 17, 2014, at Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael, California. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather who lived for his family. Lloyd grew up in Kennewick, Washington, graduated from Kennewick High School, and earned an Associates Degree in Sacramento, California. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1956-1960. He married Alice (Roybal) Adams in Pasco, Washington in 1960. They relocated to California in 1965, where Lloyd began his 38 year career for the State of California. Most recently, he was employed as a manager of engineering facilities at Sacramento State University. He was well known as a keynote speaker on energy conservation throughout California. Lloyd is best remembered for his vivid life stories he shared with his wife, children, grandchildren and friends. They were enjoyed by all and will forever be cherished. He is survived by his wife Alice Adams and his daughter Angela (Adams) Fife. He was preceded in death by his sons Carl and Ernie Adams, his grandson Samuel Adams and his beloved mother-in-law Jennie Godina. He is also survived by his grandchildren Carl (Rachael), Tamara (Dwayne), Nicoda, Joshua, Nickolas (Kim), Colton, his great grandchildren Brianna and Madison and numerous other family members.

Lloyd Adams

May 18, 1939 ~ April 17, 2014

Born May 18, 1939, in Tunas, Missouri, he passed away on April 17, 2014, at Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael, California. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather who lived for his family. Lloyd grew up in Kennewick, Washington, graduated from Kennewick High School, and earned an Associates Degree in Sacramento, California. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1956-1960. He married Alice (Roybal) Adams in Pasco, Washington in 1960. They relocated to California in 1965, where Lloyd began his 38 year career for the State of California. Most recently, he was employed as a manager of engineering facilities at Sacramento State University. He was well known as a keynote speaker on energy conservation throughout California. Lloyd is best remembered for his vivid life stories he shared with his wife, children, grandchildren and friends. They were enjoyed by all and will forever be cherished. He is survived by his wife Alice Adams and his daughter Angela (Adams) Fife. He was preceded in death by his sons Carl and Ernie Adams, his grandson Samuel Adams and his beloved mother-in-law Jennie Godina. He is also survived by his grandchildren Carl (Rachael), Tamara (Dwayne), Nicoda, Joshua, Nickolas (Kim), Colton, his great grandchildren Brianna and Madison and numerous other family members.

George W Roche

Died May 13, 2014

A WWII veteran, passed away peacefully with his children by his side on May 13, 2014 at the age of 92. He was born and raised in San Francisco. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. He attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business before entering the military. After completing his military service he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a master's degree in Pharmacology and Chemical Toxicology. His studies lead to a career in forensic science where he founded the Minnesota State Criminalistics Laboratory. While in Minnesota, George met the love of his life and wife of 53 years, Janet. Their life together brought them to Sacramento, where he continued his career as the Director of the criminalistics laboratory of the State of California, Department of Justice. He left the Department of Justice to start the Forensic Science program at the California State University, Sacramento where he taught as a Professor for the final 15 years of his career. Most of all, George loved his family and devoted his life to their care. Preceded in death by his wife Janet, George is survived by son, Stephen Roche and wife Sugar Roche; daughter Sandra Pierson and husband, Robert Pierson; grandchildren, Vincent Roche, Kaitlyn Roche, Kimberly Pierson, and Matthew Pierson. George was dearly loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.

Willys Folsom

October 8, 1919 ~ May 9, 2014

Dr. Willys Folsom, Counseling Psychologist Emeritus at Sacramento State University, died peacefully on Friday, May 9, at Aspirus Hospice House in Wausau, WI. He is succeeded by his wife, Carol Juliana Folsom of Wittenberg WI, retired music instructor, choral director, pianist, harpsichordist, organist, and composer. He is also succeeded by his daughter, Dr. Heather Folsom, psychiatrist and author, of Petaluma CA, and stepson, Matthew Preus, musician and audio retailer, of Hollywood CA. Others include his five siblings: Mrs. Miriam Rowan of San Jose CA; Lee Folsom (wife, Carol) of Woodinville WA; Mrs. Shirley Upton of Hillsboro OR; and Ward Folsom of Seattle WA; as well as 14 nieces and nephews and their many children and grandchildren.

He is predeceased by his father, Rev. Ward Folsom, mother, Joyce Folsom, son, Gordon Folsom, and stepson Christopher Preus.

Willys was born Oct 8, 1919, in Seattle. His early years were spent in Waterville WA, where his father was pastor at the Presbyterian church. The family moved to Tacoma WA, when father became pastor at Calvary Presbyterian Church.

During high school and college summers, Willys was chief assistant to his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Rachel Rose, head cook at Seabeck, a conference center on the Hood Canal. He loved working there and always referred to his grandmother as one of his favorite people. After graduation from high school Willys attended Pacific Lutheran College for a year and then spent 3 years at Seattle Pacific University, where he majored in History and was valedictorian.

Willys taught high school for 1 year in Paulsbo, WA and married his first wife, Mrs. Ruth Herrington of Sacramento CA, in 1941. He began military service in WWII in 1942. After officer training he was stationed at the air base on Adak in the Aleutian Islands. He enjoyed military life. Wonderful photographs exist of him playing chess and reading his book of poetry. At the end of the war he returned to Seattle. He attended the University of Washington and received a PhD in Counseling Psychology.

In 1949 he and his young family moved to Centralia WA. He became Dean of Centralia Junior College. After 2 years Air Force Major Folsom was called to duty in the Korean War and served 2 years as a testing officer in Oklahoma City and San Antonio TX.

At the close of the war he became a professor of Statistics at the University of Connecticut. He enjoyed creating a large garden and exploring the wilderness surrounding his property. After 3 years in Connecticut the family moved to Sacramento CA. Willys took a job at Sacramento State University as a professor of Statistics. Later he became Dean of Admissions and then a counseling psychologist the Counseling Center.

He married his second wife, Carol Folsom, in 1971. After his retirement a short time later, the couple and Carol's sons moved to Wittenberg. They started a music studio: Carol gave piano lessons and, after a training course, Willys tuned pianos. They also formed the Pro Music Ensemble, a vocal group of 50 singers and some instrumentalists. Carol directed and Willys sang bass. Performances included Bach's Easter Oratorio in conjunction with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Handel's Messiah, the opera Amahl and the Night Visitors, and outdoor concerts of secular music--jazz and show tunes.

They returned to Sacramento for a number of years and then returned to Wittenberg in 2006.

Willys was a person of lifelong passionate interests. Chief among them was music. He took piano lessons during elementary school and had a gift for reading music and improvisation. He played trombone in his junior high and high school bands. Later he played in several dixieland bands and brass ensembles. He also took up the cello. He loved "all music."

From tennis at Seabeck to coaching basketball at Seattle Pacific University, Willys loved sports. He organized neighborhood football games, shot hoops, played endless games of ping pong, and hiked and camped. In addition he was a great fan of college and pro football. He also loved building and repairing things: bikes, go-carts, lawnmowers, and a piano, to name a few.

Another lifelong interest was reading. His favorite poems were Henley's Invictus and Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson. He often recited poetry and had the same book of verse by his side at Hospice House that he had with him on Adak.

Everyone who has known Willys could point to qualities they most remember about him. Many would mention his love of humor. Many others would single out his passion for conversation. He loved asking questions and listening to what others had to say about the big issues of history and philosophy, often into the small hours of the morning. And then he would be up bright and early, whistling, washing dishes, eager for the new day.

Marilyn Taylor

November 15, 1942 ~ May 10, 2014

Marilyn Helene Taylor passed away on May 10, 2014 after a long and brave battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Carnation (Katie) Ferreira and husband, Allen Taylor. She is survived by her daughter, Tracy Voracek, son-in-law Jeff Voracek, sister Kathleen Cross, step daughter Bridget Taylor, grandchildren Riley, Jessica, Dean Allen and Brecia as well as many nieces, nephews and close friends. Marilyn was born in Vallejo, California on November 15, 1942 where she lived with her parents and sister during her childhood. As an adult, she moved to Napa with her first husband where she raised her daughter Tracy and worked for Napa Valley College in the Student Services Department.

She later moved to Sacramento where she completed her Bachelors degree in Business Administration and worked for California State University, Sacramento for almost 20 years. She first served as the Adm. Secretary to the Dean in the School of A&S and then became the Administrative Analyst/Specialist to the Dean of Arts and Sciences and the College of Arts & Letters. She also met her second husband Allen Taylor in Sacramento and they were married for 17 happy years before he passed away in 2011. Marilyn loved traveling (especially to Hawaii), spending time with her grandchildren, gardening and painting. She had never picked up a paint brush until she retired, but realized when she attended an Art Class in Palm Springs, California with a friend that she had a wonderful talent. Many of her beautiful paintings of flowers and other landscapes were displayed throughout her home. She was also a part of the Laureate Beta Omega sorority where she spent a great deal of time in her retirement years, made wonderful friends and participated in many events for both charity and fun. Marilyn will be missed by many.

Rene Golanty-Koel

Died June 9, 2014

Died at home on Monday June 9, 2014 after a short illness of cancer. During her last weeks, she was surrounded and cared for by her family, especially Bert, Lisa, Ari, Amy, David, Emily and Ginger, and friend Dorothy Blake.
She and her husband, Dr. Bertram S. Koel shared a marriage of 41 years, many adventures and great devotion. They traveled the world together and were an inseparable couple.
Born in Toronto, Renee immigrated as a child to the U.S. with her parents and her sister, Marilyn Heller of Woodland Hills California.
Renee had two beloved children by a previous marriage, her daughter Lisa Golanty and her son Alec Golanty, who died in early childhood.
Her stepchildren, Amy Koel, David Koel and Emily Koel were virtually her children too. They and their spouses, Jim Frosch, Ginger Koel and Mark Plante, and their own children, were close and of inestimable help during her life and at her death.
After her first career as a high school teacher and following her doctorate at Berkeley, she was on the faculty at California State University Sacramento. After retirement, she devoted herself to causes serving women and children. She helped found Democratic Women in Action, S.F .and also worked in the AAUW, S.F.
Until near the end of her life, she was an enthusiastic student at OLLI, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, SF. Her friendships, old and new, were numerous and cherished. Her dedicated, ebullient and generous spirit will be missed by many.
In addition to her husband, her children and their spouses, she is survived by her grandchildren: Zachary Frosch, Ari Frosch, Don Mangrubang, Gina Mangrubang, Kirsten Koel, and Kevin Plante.

Joanne Marrow

Died June 24, 2014

Departed this life on June 24th, 2014, in Grass Valley, after living with metastatic renal cell cancer for 12 years. She was 69 years old. She is survived by her dearly loved wife, Itara O'Connell. Joanne and Itara were overjoyed when they were legally married on September 30, 2008. Itara was steadfast, patient and caring over the long years of Joanne's illness. She is also survived by her sisters, Madeline, Celeste, Claudia, her brother Philip (Charlene), her nieces Jeanne (Mark), Jocelyn, Jolene (Christopher), Nicole, her nephew Paul, and many cousins and dear friends. Also, her dogs, wild Leyla and sweet little Blue.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Genevieve and Albin Marrow.

Joanne received her Ph.d in Psychology from Florida State University in 1974 and began her career as a professor at CSUS that year. She taught there for 30 years; among her courses were Psychology of Women and Human Sexuality.

Joanne was a pioneer of gay rights and women's rights and helped to found WEAVE. She was an author, watercolorist, avid gardener and a prolific reader. Joanne loved to travel and visited several out-of-the-way destinations, including Tanzania and Lake Baikal in Siberia.

She also supported environmental and wildlife causes and charities.

Sandra Barkdull

Died June 1, 2014

Sandra Barkdull, the University’s first provost and longtime professor of mathematics, died June 1, 2014. She was 77. Her husband, Richard Cleveland, also a longtime professor of mathematics and a past Faculty Senate chair, died in January of 2012. Both joined the faculty in 1967. Sandy was appointed Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in 1972, and in 1975 she was named Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. In 1978, she became Vice President for Academic Affairs, a title later changed to provost. In 1985, she returned to teaching in the mathematics department. A devastating stroke in 1987 forced her into early retirement. With tireless help from Dick, Sandy fought hard to regain her proficiency in mathematics, and up until her final health crisis in May of this year, she worked on mathematics every day. Despite her physical limitations, Sandy also continued to enjoy theatre in Ashland and Berkeley with Dick for many years. She retained her intelligence, dignity and generous spirit to her final days. Donations in their memory may be made to the Sandra Barkdull/Richard Cleveland Memorial Endowed Mathematics Scholarship, in care of the California State University, Sacramento Foundation.
Submitted by Geri Welch

Donald Fuoss

February 19, 1923 ~ June 25, 2014

Donald Eugene Fuoss (February 19, 1923-June 25, 2014) was born in Altoona, PA and lived in the Sacramento, CA area since his acceptance of the position as athletics director and professor of physical education at California State University, Sacramento in 1971. He lived in memory care facilities since 2007. He is preceded in death by his wife of almost sixty years, Frances (Arthur) Fuoss. He is survived by his daughter, Donna Montich, wife of James of Pennsburg, PA; his grandchildren Brett Montich, husband of Donna Butler, and Kyle Zimmerman, wife of Patrick; great grandchildren: Samuel, Anja, and Rebecca Montich, and Tripp Zimmerman; and sister, Dorothy Yocum of FL. Don attended, then graduated from Catawba College from 1940-1942 and 1946-1947; he interrupted his education to serve in the US Army in the European Theatre under General MacArthur during World War II. While on furlough, he and Frances were married July 5, 1945 in Salisbury, NC. After graduation Don turned down a playing offer from the Detroit Lions in order to pursue graduate school at Columbia University. In 1952, Don earned his doctorate in education from Columbia. Over the next fifty years, Don was a teacher, professor, coach, and athletics director at the high school, college, and university level, as well as a nationally known author, lecturer, and educator on athletics, education, finance, business, and gardening. His journey included coaching the 1955 Shepherd College football team to its first undefeated, untied season, coaching the East Orange High School football team to its first state championship in 100 years, and being an assistant coach on Purdue's 1967 victorious Rose Bowl football team. In 1987, Don became a life member (35+ years) of the American Football Coaches Association. Don was a life mason and Shriner.

Herb Blake Jr.

June 1, 1942 ~ July 2, 2014

BLAKE, Jr., Herbert June 1, 1942 - July 2, 2014 Born in Denver, raised in Fort Morgan, CO. Served as a naval officer in Vietnam. BS in international affairs U 0f CO, Boulder. MBA in decision sciences, CSUS. PhD in decision sciences, Santa Clara U. Professor in School of Business, Management Dept. CSUS. Survived by wife Nancy (Sacto), daughter Chelsea (W. Hollywood), son Brook, daughter-in-law Amber and granddaughter Nevaeh (Sacto), brother Alan (Texas), and many other relatives and friends.

Donald Ford

December 17, 1928 ~ May 29, 2014

Donald H. Ford, 85, died peacefully on May 29 in Walnut Creek, California. He was born December 17, 1928 to Harold and Laurine (Dreis) Ford in Valley City, North Dakota. Don attended grade school at Alderman Rural School, St. Catherine High School, and graduated from Valley City High School. During the Second World War, Don enlisted in the army and served for three years in the Occupational forces of Japan. After his service, he completed a bachelor's degree from Valley City State Teacher's College; master's degree from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks; and his Ph.D. from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. Don married Kathryn (Kay) Bogenrief in 1958 in Grand Forks, ND. As a Certified Public Accountant and Professor of Accounting and Business Law, Don served the University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) for 23 years. In 1975, Don, Kay, and their two children, Paul and Diane moved to Sacramento, California where Don began an 18 year tenure at California State University, Sacramento. Retiring to Las Vegas, Nevada, Don and Kay returned to California in 2005, where they enjoyed spending time with their two grandchildren, Lindsay and Ryan. We entered the age of the computers while Don was a professor and that became a great passion for him. He wrote an early text book on computer language, Basic Fortran IV. Until his death, he was never far from his computer and internet friends, and his resilient and gregarious personality kept everyone on their toes. Don is survived by his loving children Diane (Elaine) and Paul (Julie) and two grandchildren Lindsay and Ryan. Also survived by one sister Dorothy (Gene) Klein of Valley City, ND, sister-in-law Sharon Ford of Florida and nieces and nephews. Don was preceded in death by his wife Kay, an infant son John David, parents, his brother Ken and two nephews.

Daniel J. Frye

Died July 19, 2014

Daniel J. Frye, a metal artisan and widely respected teacher who was an art professor at California State University, Sacramento, died July 19 at age 58. The cause was cancer, art department Chairwoman Catherine Turrill said. He had been on medical leave since he last taught in the spring of 2013. Dr. Frye was an accomplished artist in metals before joining the CSUS faculty in 2000. He received awards in national and regional juried competitions, including a 1999 general excellence award at the Newburyport Art Association Craft Exhibition. He exhibited his works in galleries at CSUS and in the community, and he served as a juror for the California State Fair art show.

In addition to teaching art education courses, he reinvigorated the metals and jewelry program at CSUS and nurtured connections between the university and the community. He mentored students in the studio and arranged in 2013 to introduce their works to a wider audience with a showing off campus, at The Temp Gallery on Del Paso Boulevard in Sacramento.

Popular among students for his talent as an artist and his warm, outgoing personality, he received the 2010-11 Outstanding Teacher Award for the CSUS College of Arts and Letters.

“He really turned the metals and jewelry program around and made it what it is today,” Turrill said. “He created a very strong community in that program.”

As chairman from 2007 to 2013, Dr. Frye kept the art department’s studio programs functioning despite spending cuts. He generated support among regional galleries and donors to enable art students to complete their studies and serve the region as art educators in local school districts and community college.

“He was a steady hand on the department during extremely difficult budget years,” said Edward Inch, dean of arts and letters. “He was very good at connecting students, faculty and the university to people outside of campus. He had a passion for helping students meet their goals.”

Dr. Frye was born in 1955 in Pennsylvania. In a 2011 story in Sacramento magazine, he said his father wanted him to study physics in college, but he preferred the arts – so he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art education from Millersville University in Pennsylvania.

He earned a doctorate in teaching and curriculum in 1991 from Syracuse University, where he was an African American Studies fellow and received a Syracuse University Fellowship. He began teaching at the University of Missouri in Columbia, which honored him with a teaching award in 1993. He wrote a manual, “Art Activities for the Elementary School,” in 2001.

His popular artworks included “Spirit Jars,” a collection of metal containers representing human attributes. He received a jurors award in the 1995 Texas “Hard and Soft” exhibition and a merit award in sculpture at Hoyt National Art Show in 1997.

Autria Egnew

July 19, 1927 ~ April 26, 2014

Autria went home peacefully to be with the Lord at the age of 86, surrounded by family. (Note from Webmaster, Autria was a staff member in Social Work.)

James L. Post

September 25, 1929 ~ August 9, 2014

James L. Post passed away Aug. 9, 2014, in Grass Valley, Calif. He was 84.

James "Jim" Lewis Post was born on Sept. 25, 1929, in South Bend, Ind. He received his degree in mining engineering from the Socorro School of Mines (now the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology).

He then worked as a mining engineer throughout the western hemisphere, including Bolivia.

After a considerable number of years, he decided to get his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Thereafter, he was hired as a professor at California State University, Sacramento, where he taught civil engineering for 28 years before retiring as a professor emeritus.

His writing career included many articles published in peer reviewed scientific journals. The last one, in the journal of Applied Clay Science, was titled "Uses of Near-infrared Spectra for the Identification of Clay Minerals." It was published on April 28, 2014.

Jim is survived by his wife Elena Streltsova, a native of Armenia, and her son Michael Ghahramanyan; brother John F. Post and his wife Mary E. Mahoney of Sonora, Calif.; brother L. Lee Parmeter and his wife Margie of Biloxi, Miss.; and sister Saralee H. Norris and her husband Lawrence of Sumiton, Ala. He is also survived by his cousin Mary E. Post McGlothlin and her husband Everett of Sheridan, Wyo.; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Jim is preceded in death by his father Howard F. Post; mother Maria "Marie" Evdokimova, a native of Ashgabat, Russia; and brother Howard C. Post.

James was a great person and will be sorely missed by family and friends.

Barbara Charlton

January 7, 1926 ~ September 19, 2014

Born Jan 7, 1926 in Rochester, MN. Daughter of Rose and Walter Kos, passed away Sep 19, 2014. Barbara lived in El Dorado Hills, survived by her husband of 65 years, Charles (Bud) Charlton; her children, Mark Charlton (Susan) of Shingle Springs; Cheryl Mosbacher (Michael) of Folsom, and Christine Reader (Robert) of Chico; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren. Barbara received a BS from St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN; worked as a librarian at Washington University, St. Louis, where she met and married her husband, Bud. After relocating to Sacramento in 1959, Barbara began her career as a librarian at Sacramento State College, retiring in 1996 at the age of 70. She was active with the Friends of the Library in El Dorado Hills, attended Arcade Baptist Church and later Folsom Community Church.

Tomas Lopez

January 7, 1926 ~ September 19, 2014

LOPEZ, Tomas Of Rancho Cordova CA, passed away on September 22, 2014, a native of Azusa, CA, aged 78 years. He is survived by children; Phil Lopez, Karen Willis, Stephan Lopez, Tomas Lopez, Bradley Lopez, Andrea Tapia-Pena; sisters Carmen Jacobson, Carol Echeverria, 14 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. He was a proud Veteran, serving four years in the US Navy and 17 years in the US Air Force, retiring in 1974. Tomas enjoyed playing golf, and watching his favorite football teams; Sac State Hornets and the St. Louis Rams. He loved his children, grandchildren, family and friends. He was known for being outgoing, generous and hardworking. (Note from Webmaster, Tomas worked in Property Management.)

Tom Knutson

1942 ~ September 30, 2014

Dr. Tom Knutson, a Sacramento State communications professor and international scholar who fought to get U.S. immigration officials to recognize his marriage to his Thai husband, died Sept. 30 of cancer, his family said. He was 71.

Dr. Knutson, who spent 33 years teaching full time at California State University, Sacramento, was well known as a respected academic in intercultural communication and a demanding but fun professor who liked to make students laugh. Besides graduate and undergraduate courses, he led extension and continuing education classes in conflict management, skills for salespeople, and police interview and interrogation techniques.

In addition to teaching at CSUS, he was a professor of global communication at Bangkok University in Thailand. He was a Fulbright scholar in South Korea and Russia and a past president of Phi Beta Delta, an honor society for international scholars. He traveled to more than 40 countries, published dozens of professional articles and created a program for Sacramento State students to spend a year as English tutors in Thailand.

“He was incredibly bright,” CSUS communications studies chairman Steve Buss said. “But beyond that, he was a very funny and quick man. We would sit in the back of faculty meetings and crack each other up to the point where we’d be in tears.”

In 1993, Dr. Knutson met and fell in love with Phan Datthuyawat, a professional flower designer in Thailand. Datthuyawat moved to Sacramento, where they registered as domestic partners in 1999 and married in 2008. The couple shared a home and life while Datthuyawat earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications studies at CSUS.

Meanwhile, the pair became pioneers in the legal battle for same-sex marriage in the United States. In order to obtain a green card allowing Phan to stay, they struggled for more than a decade for relief from the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which barred immigration officials from recognizing international same-sex marriages.

Fear that his husband could be deported – and the couple separated – increased when Dr. Knutson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012. Angry at Republican politicians who support a constitutional amendment amendment banning same-sex marriage, he publicly renounced his longtime GOP registration.

“I will maintain my fiscal conservative views, but I will no longer participate in the politics of hate and fear,” he wrote two years ago in an op-ed piece in The Sacramento Bee.

In June 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a section of DOMA barring federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Last October, Dr. Knutson and Datthuyawat became one of the first bi-national couples in the United States to have their same-sex marriage approved by federal immigration officials.

“It’s a relief that we can go back to Bangkok together to see Phan’s family again,” Dr. Knutson told The Bee in 2013. “We’re all circling the drain, but I can do it with a little more confidence now.”

Thomas J. Knutson was born in 1942 in La Crosse, Wis. The elder of two children born to an accountant and a secretary, he excelled in school and was an excellent debater, his sister Cyndy Nichols said.

He graduated from Wisconsin State University in 1965 and earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in speech communication and educational psychology from Indiana University in 1970. He previously was an assistant professor at San Jose State University and West Virginia University.

A Sacramento resident, Dr. Knutson was “a romantic” who enjoyed simple pleasures, his husband said: attending Music Circus performances, driving in the country, eating ice cream.

“I’m going to fulfill his dream,” said Datthuyawat, a doctoral student in communications studies at Sacramento State. “He passed away peacefully holding my hand.”

Forrest Widdifield

December 21, 1921 ~ October 4, 2014

Born in Creelman, Saskatchewan December 22, 1921; passed away October 4, 2014 as a result of congestive heart failure. Forrest was preceded in death by his wife, Marian and his parents, Marie and Stewart Widdifield. Forrest is survived by his daughter, Penny (Jeff),daughter, Lynn (Bruce), grandchildren Heather and David, great-grandchildren Ella, Haley and Liam, sister Joyce Heintz,and brothers Lloyd and Lyle Widdifield. Forrest loved to tinker and build things. If he could not find the correct tool, he would invent one. He loved watches and clocks and had an extensive collection of them. Forrest developed a love of driving beginning at the early age of 14. He was still driving until his beloved wife, Marian passed away in 2013. Forrest worked for many years at Sacramento State University as a supervisor in the audio visual department. He will be greatly missed by his family.

Kenneth Kerri

April 25, 1934 ~ 2014

Kenneth Donald Kenneth Donald Kerri, Ph. D., age 80, passed away suddenly after a brief illness with his beloved family at his side. He is survived by his loving wife Judy, son Chris (Anne), daughter Kathy Krizl (Norman), two grandchildren, Justin and Sarah Kerri, brother Richard Kerri, and devoted dog Angel. Ken Kerri was born April 25, 1934, in Napa, California. He graduated from Napa High class of 1952, received BS from Oregon State, MS from UC Berkeley and Ph. D. from Oregon State. He began teaching civil and sanitary engineering at Sac State in 1959, becoming emeritus professor in 1997. Ken mentored hundreds of students, receiving the Distinguished Faculty Award. In 1972 he established the CSUS Office of Water Programs developing training programs for water and wastewater treatment operators. Over 1 million operator training manuals in twelve different languages have been sold to over 250,000 operators all over the world, most recently including a program for the country of Jordan, which will be used throughout the Middle East. He also provided consulting services for many government agencies, industries, and consulting engineering firms, receiving many awards including top honors from the Water Environment Federation and the American Water Works Association. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, skiing, walking his dog by the American River, hiking, playing bridge, and spending time with his wife, children, their spouses, and grandchildren.

Thomas A. "Coalman" Matlock

January 7, 1955 ~ December 13, 2014

THOMAS ALDEN MATLOCK (Age 59), a resident of Sacramento, CA for the past 17 years, died December 13, 2014 after a courageous battle with lung cancer.

Thomas was born on January 7, 1955 in Washington, DC to Theolia E. and Lester C. Matlock. After high school graduation, Thomas joined and thoroughly enjoyed his 20 years in the U.S. Army. In January 1999, he started work at the California State University, Sacramento-SAC State. He was hired as the first male secretary at the College of Business Administration (CBA) and at the time of his death was the Executive Assistant to the Dean. In 2013, he won the Society of Government Meeting Association Planner of the year award and in 2014 the Lead Planner of the Academic Resource Conference award.

CBA will establish its first scholarship of Excellence in Networking, for future students, in Thomas' honor, in recognition of his extensive yearly traveling abroad helping to establish its International MBA program.

He is survived by his wife, Janice; their two sons, Brian (Mariah) and Kevin Matlock; one granddaughter, Azalaya Matlock. He also has one daughter Jasmine Matlock; one sister, Cheryll Matlock-Battle; one brother, Lester P. Matlock; nieces, nephews and other family members.

Leland L. Nichols

March 16, 1929 ~ December 14, 2014

Leland Layne Nichols was born to Owen and Mary Nichols in Hawthorne, California, March 16, 1929. Lee died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, at the age of 85. He made it clear that he was utterly ready and completely at peace. Lee was a teacher, mentor, politically passionate advocate, inventive thinker, prolific writer, and inveterate storyteller; a friend to so many and a champion to more. His rich life story includes Hawthorne, Lola Johnson, Hollywood Professional School, UCLA, US Army, NBC Radio, Staff to Governor Pat Brown & the California Legislature, KVIE, and two decades as a Professor of Communications at CSUS. Truly, his reach exceeded his grasp. Survived by his 5 children: Laurie Hensley (Jim), Dana Sodergren (Kit), Matthew Nichols (Margi Clarke), Meredith Charpantier (Philippe), Hilary Nichols (Ash Peltier); and nine grandchildren: Nora and Adan Hensley, Bennett and Clayton Sodergren, Kiernan and Eli Clarke Nichols, Cleo and Lucien Charpantier, and August Peltier. Also survived by his former wife Liz Nichols.

David F. Humphers

March 12, 1934 ~ December 18, 2014

David Franklin Humphers, 80, died at home in Sacramento, California on Thursday, December 18, 2014 after a brief illness. He served at California State University, Sacramento as a Professor of Social Work for thirty-two years. David was the youngest of eight children born to Sarah Era Bowen and David Franklin Humphers, Sr. in Jesse, Oklahoma on March 12, 1934. His father died when he was not yet a year old, and his mother supported her children as a tenant farmer through the Dust Bowl. During those difficult times, the family came to California in the summers to work as field hands in the Central Valley. Later during WW II, the older boys joined the military while Sarah and her youngest children moved to Richmond, California where work was available in the defense industry. Seeing the ocean for the first time as a ten year old boy, David found it miraculous to see that much water, a shocking surprise he would recount later. He had a natural curiosity about learning, which was encouraged by many teachers whom he remembered fondly. He took up several musical instruments, playing violin, harmonica, and trumpet by ear, and joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 16 without his mother's knowledge, hoping to eventually join the Marine Corps Band. After graduation from Berkeley High School and despite discouraging remarks from the school counselor about being "just an Okie who wouldn't amount to much," he continued his education at Contra Costa Junior College while working as a gas station attendant, car mechanic, and as a journeyman carpenter to help support his mother. In January of 1955, David married Rina Hollander, a beautiful flute player and his high school sweetheart. He continued working as a union carpenter while in college to support his growing family. He completed his undergraduate degree in Social Work at San Francisco State University and received several full-ride offers to attend graduate school. In 1958 David moved his young family to the University of Chicago where he earned a master's degree from the School of Social Service Administration. As the first person in his family to finish high school and college, this was an achievement of which he was most proud. The family returned to California in 1960 where David embarked on a career as a Social Worker for the San Luis Obispo County Child Welfare Department, and later at Atascadero State Hospital. The poverty of the Dust Bowl and the family's immigration from Oklahoma to California also contributed to his developing a social worker's heart. The family moved to Sacramento in 1967 when David was recruited to teach at CSUS. He joined a small group of Chicago graduates in bringing the reform tradition and a rigorous approach to inquiry to the developing graduate program in Social Work. He loved teaching and mentoring students, and pursued research interests in the history of mental health care, public policy, and especially health care reform. David was an active participant on the boards of the California Mental Health Association and the National Association of Social Workers, where he took great pride in his election to represent California social workers several years in a row at the National Delegate Assembly for NASW. In retirement, as a member of the board of the CSU Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association, he served as Chair of the Health Benefits Committee. For many years in this role, he helped numerous state retirees navigate the bureaucracy to acquire their health benefits. Equal rights to health care were a passion for which he fought vigorously. David was a member of Jaybird Hill on the Cosumnes along with several CSUS School of Social Work colleagues and their families. For over forty years, he found relaxation and challenge in repairing fences, raising and selling cattle, and general conservation and land management. This special refuge will forever hold fond memories of camping out under the stars, evenings around the campfire singing cowboy and folksongs accompanied by David on harmonica, the occasional rattlesnake scares, fishing, hiking, swimming, and lounging on the little beach beside the river. After retirement from CSUS, David continued to enjoy a wide range of intellectual pursuits. He participated in memoir writing classes, discussion groups, and he taught and studied with the CSUS Renaissance Society. He and Rina enjoyed several educational trips abroad including travel to Europe, Russia, China, Australia and Argentina, and spent every Christmas vacation in Minnesota with their youngest daughter and her family. David was a devoted member of poker and bridge groups; and he pursued building and repair projects, wildflower photography, genealogy, fishing, and teaching grandchildren to fish, shoot, and fix things. For thirty years, David served as the sideline photographer for most of the Nevada Union High School football games where his son coached and his grandsons played, capturing many great moments and team championships. He was a consummate storyteller. Known for his unfailing willingness to help others, he had an everlasting interest in finding commonality among diverse people and connecting them to one another. David is survived by his wife of almost sixty years, Rina Humphers; children Catherine (Kent Smith) of Los Altos, CA; Dave (Dorene) of Grass Valley, CA; and Susan (Shawn Ginther) of Moorhead, MN; grandchildren Isaac, Benjie, Annie, Sara, Gabe, Hank and Sophie; sister Roberta (Budd Riley) of Auburn, CA; and a large extended family.

Victor Comerchero

November 1, 1931 ~ December 21, 2014

COMERCHERO, Victor November 1, 1931 - December 21, 2014 Victor Comerchero, devoted husband, caring father, brilliant professor, daring entrepreneur, and genuine Renaissance man, passed away suddenly in his home in El Dorado Hills, California, on the morning of December 21, 2014. Born on November 1, 1931, the third child of Solomon and Esther Comerchero, he grew up in the tightly knit and devout Sephardic Jewish community of Los Angeles during the trough of the Great Depression and through the cataclysm of World War II. He attended UCLA where he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology in 1954. After serving in the United States Army between 1954-56, in the Psychology Ward, treating patients during the Korean War, he returned to school and earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in English Literature from the University of Iowa in 1961. This achievement led him to an academic career as an English professor, first at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, from 1961-63, and more prominently at Sacramento State University where he taught in the English Department for thirty-nine years, from 1963 to 2002. Victor was renowned for his fiery, passionate political activism and for his intellectually rigorous courses, many of which focused on the power of ideas to shape culture. During his early years at Sacramento State in the sixties, he was intensely involved in university affairs, serving on numerous committees and acting as a faculty advisor to the State Hornet, the University's student newspaper. However, in the next decade, he increasingly focused on a number of entrepreneurial endeavors, including the co-founding of Electrostatic Sound Systems, a high-fidelity loudspeaker company in business from 1971-82, which invented components that are still used in modern speakers today for their superior sound quality. Subsequently, he founded several other pioneering companies. In all of these endeavors, both academic and business-related, he was known for his high standards of performance, his unswerving commitment to excellence, and his passionate commitment to what is good. In 1957, while working towards his Doctorate and studying French literature at the University of Paris, Sorbonne, he met Edna Simonds, whom he would later marry, and with whom he would raise four sons: Dave, Steve, Vin, and Marco Comerchero. His marriage to Edna, lasting more than fifty years, was filled with joy and laughter. They shared a love for classical music, reading, colorful Monet-style gardens, dramatic sunsets viewed from the home Victor designed and built for Edna overlooking Folsom Lake, and relaxing vacations at Bodega Bay where they spent time baking, eating, playing, and conversing with their children and grandchildren. He was a wonderful father and fervently committed to his sons' success. Victor Comerchero was noted for his integrity, generosity, strength of character, passionate political involvement, above all, for the caliber of his mind. He had a gift for asking meaningful questions that uncovered deep truths about human nature, for standing upright in the face of adversity and darkness, for his touching, personal acts of charity, and for helping people to become the most noble expressions of themselves. He was truly a great man, unlike any other, and will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his wife Edna Comerchero and his second son Steven Comerchero and is survived by his first son Dave Comerchero; third son Vin Comerchero, his wife Veronika and their children Eva and Nicholas; and fourth son Marco, his wife Annette, and their son Gavin who are immensely grateful for the profoundly positive role he played in their lives.