Obituaries 7-23-15

Elena Groneck
Elena ‘Lori’, Groneck, nee Duro, aged 102, passed away in Santa Rosa on July 9, 2015. A resident of Cloverdale for 50 years, she was the widow of George Groneck of Cloverdale, a decorated WWII Navy veteran. Born in Cosenza, Italy, on May 22, 1913 to Alberto Duro and Rosa Filippelli Duro of Portici, Italy, she was the surviving sister to Cosimo Duro, Rubina Stephens and Umberto Duro. She is survived by her nephews Albert Duro of Brisbane; Albert Stephens of Santa Rosa; Alberto Duro, Gianfranco Duro, and Gennaro Duro, all of Italy.
Flossie Hallman
Flossie Hallman, 87, a longtime resident of Cloverdale, died on June 15, 2015, in Petaluma, surrounded by her family. She was born in Delmar, Alabama, on April 12, 1928. Flossie and her late husband, Cecil, moved to Cloverdale in 1952. She enjoyed being outdoors and tending to her plants and garden, going to Oakland A’s baseball games and Sunday lunches with the ladies from church, but most of all she loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a faithful and dedicated member of the First Baptist Church in Cloverdale. Flossie is survived by her five children: Gay Myers and husband Denny of Eureka, Sherry Woods of Torrance, Frank Hallman and wife Donna of Auberry, Jon Hallman of San Rafael, Lorie Banks and husband Chuck of Santa Rosa; nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service celebrating Flossie’s life will be held at Cloverdale First Baptist Church, 450 S. Franklin Street, on Aug. 1, 2015 at 1 p.m. Friends are invited to join the family to celebrate Flossie’s life. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 2290 N First St., Suite. 101, San Jose, CA 95131, The Oaks, 450 Hayes Ln., Petaluma, CA 94952 or a hospice of your choice. The family would like to say a special thank you to the staff at The Oaks, Dr. Susan Buren, Dr. Colin Hamblin and Lisa Laidlaw, RN, at Petaluma Valley Hospital for their kindness, compassion and wonderful care they gave Flossie and to Chaplain Nathaniel Vose and Kathryn Adams of Heartland Hospice Care in Santa Rosa for their time and kindness.
Anne Marie Murphy
Anne Marie Murphy died at home in Windsor on Tuesday, July 7, 2015. Born on Oct. 13, 1948 to the late Arthur and Kari Schwarzbach, Anne Marie grew up in Sunnyvale and later moved to the North Bay to pursue her career and start a family. A passionate librarian for over 30 years, Anne Marie’s enthusiasm inspired generations of readers across nearly every branch of the Sonoma County Public Library. A longtime member of the United Methodist Church and the Sons of Norway, Anne Marie had a deep love for her faith and family heritage. Whether reading to children, adventuring abroad or enjoying time with friends and family, Anne Marie’s bright personality spread sunshine wherever she went. She will be remembered for her friendly nature, generous heart and strong Viking spirit. Preceded in death by her younger brother, Arthur “Artie” Schwarzbach, Anne Marie is survived by husband Steve Murphy, daughter Sonja Murphy, son Trevor Murphy and sister Una Stenerud. Friends are invited to attend a celebration of her life on Monday Aug. 24, 2015 at 3 p.m. in the Villa Gardens at the Villa Chanticleer, 900 Chanticleer Way in Healdsburg. Donations in her memory may be made to Windsor United Methodist Church or Friends of the Sonoma County Public Library.
Robert James Allen
Robert James Allen, better known as Robbie, died on July 13, 2015. He was the son of Ken and Carol Allen of Cloverdale. He is survived by his sister, Jennifer. Robbie obtained the nickname of Ace from childhood friends. This suited him well as he always strived to do his best at all he did. Robbie loved to ride motorcycles, visit the ocean, go to concerts and be with his friends and family. Robbie graduated from Wyoming Tech. with AA degrees in automotive and business. Robbie worked as a Ford Master Mechanic and owned his own business. He was known to be able to diagnose and fix the “unfixable.” Robbie stood up for the underdog and was a true kind friend to all. As an organ donor, Robbie was able to help save several lives.  He loved to rock out to KISS and Metallica. Visitation will be at Fred Young Funeral Home, 428 N. Cloverdale Blvd. on Friday, July 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 26300 Old Redwood Highway, Asti, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 2015. Burial services will follow at Oak Mound Cemetery, Healdsburg. All are welcome to attend a “Celebration of Robbie” at the VFW Hall at 205 West First St. in Cloverdale following the services. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Victory Outreach Men’s Home, 4036 Sebastopol Rd. Santa Rosa, CA 95407 or the Sonoma County Humane Society, 5345 Highway 12, Santa Rosa, Ca. 95407.