Bob McConnell – Devoted life to education
George R. (Bob) McConnell, an education administrator charged
with consolidating the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District
in the 1980s, died of leukemia Aug. 9 in Ashland, OR. He was
88.
McConnell, the eldest of four siblings, was born Sept. 5, 1919
in San Francisco to Erle and Ruth Farrand McConnell. A year later
the family moved to Marin County where McConnell spent his
childhood, and graduating from Tamalpais High School in 1937.
During that time, he joined the Boy Scouts and eventually achieved
the rank of Eagle Scout.
While attending U.C. Berkeley, World War II broke out and
McConnell enlisted in the Army. He served in the European Theater
and was honorably discharged at the rank of Major. He returned to
Berkeley, graduated in 1947, and earned a teaching credential.
McConnell began his 30-year career in education as a sixth-grade
teacher in San Anselmo.
Later on he returned to Berkeley to earn his Doctorate. He
worked in the Kentfield/San Anselmo/Fairfax School District and
served as Superintendent in Mill Valley, Assistant Superintendent
in Aurora, CO, Superintendent in Alameda, CA and later
Cotati/Rohnert Park, CA.
McConnell was involved in many community efforts, including the
Boy Scouts of America and served as a Boy Scout executive in the
Marin Scout Council.
In 1984, McConnell and his wife moved to Sonoma County, and he
became the superintendent responsible for unifying the Cotati and
Rohnert Park school districts.
After retiring in the late 1980s, he opened a living Christmas
tree farm called Forever Yours.
McConnell was involved in the San Anselmo and Sebastopol rotary
clubs and played the drums in Dixie bands as a young man. He was
also involved with the Palm Drive Foundation, Farm Trails, the
Gravenstein Fair and many other local projects.
In 2006, McConnell and his wife moved to Ashland, OR.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara McConnell of Ashland, OR;
three sons, Mike McConnell of Sonora, Dave McConnell of San Ramon
and Bill McConnell of Okemos, MI; a sister, Betty Artero of
Forestville; a brother, William McConnell of San Rafael; and six
grandchildren.
McConnell was preceded in death by his daughter, Kathleen Mary,
his first wife, Virginia, brother-in-law, Peter Artero and friend
Hal DePue.
A memorial will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Marin
Art and Garden Center in Ross. Please contact Carol and Jim
McConnell at (707) 823-3358 for details.
Gary Sauter – Builder, farmer, firefighter
Bodega Bay resident Gary Sauter died of complications from
Alzheimer’s and coronary artery disease in Petaluma on Aug. 10. He
was 67.
Sauter, who lived in Bodega Bay for 38 years, performed
renovations on the historic St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in
Bodega Bay. Sauter reportedly used a photo of the church taken by
Ansel Adams to guide his renovation efforts.
He was born and raised in Los Angeles, and spent a great deal of
time with his grandfather, exploring abandoned gold mines.
In addition to his skills as a builder, Sauter farmed and was
adept at forging iron. He was a trucker, a general contractor and a
volunteer firefighter for the Bodega Bay department.
In 1955, he married Linda Roberts and had four children. They
divorced in the late 1970s. He married Laura Gildart in 1988.
Along with his wife, Sauter is survived by his ex-wife; children
Joshua Sauter of La Pine, Ore., Jonas Sauter of Santa Rosa,
Jeremiah Sauter of Rodeo, Jennifer Sauter Brown of Bodega Bay and
Jemima Sauter Menke of Windsor; stepchildren Seth Peck of Campbell
and Eli Peck of Santa Rosa; 10 grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren.
A memorial will be held at 3 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Bodega Fire
Hall.
George Bataeff Sr. – Moved to Cazadero in
1992
George Bataeff Sr. died on Aug. 18, 2008. Bataeff was born in
San Francisco, CA on Dec. 29, 1927.
Bataeff spent the first nine years of his life in the Potrero
Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. In 1936, his parents, Pete and
Kate, moved to Santa Rosa and bought a ranch on Mt. View Ave. They
went into the egg business.
When Bataeff was 16 years old he joined the Merchant Marines. He
met and married Viola de Laney on Oct. 11, 1946. They lived in the
Santa Rosa area until moving to Penngrove, CA, where they lived for
about five years. Then they moved to Montgomery Village and then to
his family’s ranch in Santa Rosa.
Bataeff worked at Mare Island for 34 years, and also helped with
the salvage business. He also belonged to the Moose for more than
50 years.
His first wife died in Feb. 1989, and in 1992, married Shirley
Jabin-Sullivan. They moved to Cazadero, CA into a cabin on Austin
Creek, and in 1998 the couple bought a house on Olivet Road.
Bataeff is survived by his wife of 16 years, Shirley
Sullivan-Bataeff; his children: George Jr., Cathie Brians, and
Vickie McMurry; his grandchildren: Cory, Lisa, Roger, Jennifer, and
Christopher; his great-grandchildren: Robert, Christina, Kayla,
Erik and Hanna; his great-great-grandchildren, Kylie Michelle and
Michelle Alejandra; his sisters, Vera Riches and Mary Bottini; his
brother-in-law, Carlo Bottini; his sister-in-law, Helen de Laney;
his daughter-in-law, Cathy Bataeff; and many nieces and
nephews.
He was preceded in death by his son, Jon Bataeff; his
step-daughter, Darlene Sullivan-Roger; his brother, John Bataeff;
his granddaughter, Michelle and his great-granddaughter,
Rebecca.
Bataeff will be interred at Santa Rosa Memorial Park. In lieu of
flowers, please make donations to the National Kidney Foundation,
P.O. Box 9002, Santa Rosa, CA 95405.
Gary Green – Spent career in the U.S. Army
Green, born Oct. 9, 1936, died on July 11, 2008. He was a
one-time Sebastopol resident who moved to Jarrettsville, MD seven
years ago. Green served two tours in Vietnam earning many medals
and commendations including, Bronze Star. He is survived by wife,
Barbara of Jarrettsville, MD; sister Anona Grey of San Dimas, CA;
two stepdaughters Lora Bare of Monroe Washington and Lisa and
Joseph Pearce Jr. of Jarrittsville, MD. He was preceded in death by
wife Ruth.
Memorial tributes may be made in Green’s name to the Sonoma
County Humane Society.
Gayle Jean Williams – A true San Francisco
girl
Gayle Jean Williams died peacefully in her home on August 7,
2008 due to kidney failure. Gayle was born on January 6, 1933 to
John and Lowell Macdonald in San Francisco. Gayle was a 3rd
generation San Franciscan; she was a true San Francisco girl,
growing up on 23rd Avenue in the Sunset District and spending her
summers on the Russian River and Black Point in Marin with her
grandparents, Byron and Mignon Macdonald.
Gayle started capturing the boys hearts when she was crowned May
queen at LaFayette school when she was 5 years old. Gayle was a
natural entertainer from a young age, when she would dance with her
mother Lowell Winton in recitals during WWII. She learned about
jazz and swing from her father, who would take her to jazz gigs
when she was a kid. Gayle was a jazz enthusiast, she shared her
love of jazz with all of her friends and family, and she passed
this love on to her children and grandchildren.
Gayle and Doug Williams came to Healdsburg in 1969 for a weekend
getaway and loved the town and people so much they never went back
to the city. Gayle worked for Bank of America and later in life,
worked for Salvation Army and Rite Aid. Gayle was known for her
quick and brilliant smile, her great stories and contagious
laugh. She touched many people with her compassion, always
giving of herself, giving a listening ear, empathy and
understanding for anyone who needed it. Gayle’s close friends and
family knew her as “RED”. She will be dearly missed by her closest
friends Chuck and Gloria, Barbara, Virginia, Ross, and Dr.
Andolson, her friend and physician for 30 years.
Gayle is preceded in death by Thomas Goodwin (husband) Michael
Thomas Ganley (husband), Douglas Boone Williams (husband) and her
grandson, Jason Goodwin, and her dearest friend, Jeanette Lawrence
(Laperi). She is survived by her loving sister Lowell Cavello
(Sandy) and brother in-law Anthony Cavello, brother-in-law Dale
Williams (Elma) and her sons, Tom Goodwin, Patrick Ganley, Kevin
Ganley, Michael Ganley and daughter, Erin Tarkhanian (John).
Gayle’s will to live was for her love of her precious granddaughter
Michelle Ganley; cherished grandchildren Michael Ganley, Tom
Goodwin Jr., Logan and Mia Tarkhanian. Gayle was loved and will be
missed by her dear cousins, Jackie, Joan, Janet and Jere; her
nieces and nephews, Angie, Lynn, John, Tony, Tara, Mike, Tom,
Bridget and Carla; and her numerous great nieces and nephews, and
all of her extended family and all who knew her as “Mom”.
A celebration of Gayle’s life is being planned, the date and
time to be announced. A very special thanks to Dr. Andolson and
Memorial Hospice for all of their warm compassionate care and
support.
Leona C. Gaspar – Well-known for her creative
ability
Leona (“Lee”) Gaspar passed away on Sunday, August 24, 2008 in
Albuquerque, NM where she made her home for the past seventeen
years. Leona was born and raised in Northern California. She
attended Healdsburg Grammar School, and graduated from Santa Rosa
High School (Class of ‘47).
She is preceded in death by her parents Edward A. Gaspar and
Cordelia (Gillmore) Gaspar-Iversen, and her brothers Edward E.
Gaspar and Orman C. Gaspar, all of California.
Leona moved to the Southwest in 1954 where she lived out her
busy life raising her four children, Martin A. Cooper-Mordecai of
El Paso, TX; Lezlie G. Cooper of Canyon, TX; Dawana L. (Mordecai)
Higgins of Cedar Crest, NM; and Lacey A. (Mordecai) Landholt of
Odessa, TX. She was so very proud of her eleven grandchildren and
adored her four great-grandchildren.
All of Leona’s occupations were the result of “on the job
training” and quite diversified as well. She has worked as a Dental
Assistant, a truck driver, Tourist Information Center Proprietor,
Motel Manager and Foundation Employee and as a Volunteer at the New
Mexico Museum of Natural History, where she liked to tell people
she was “one of the old fossils.” Leona was well-known for her
creative ability. She painted, sewed, designed and made many
well-loved stuffed animals, wedding dresses and quilts. She also
worked extensively on her family genealogy, tracking ancestors all
the way back to the Colonies in the early 1600’s.
Interment will be held at a later date in California. If you
wish, in lieu of flowers Leona and family would appreciate your
contribution to the Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers Museum, P.O. Box
11, Point Arena, CA 95468.
Richard Frederick John Holtzen II – Loved his family,
friends, golf and his ranch
Richard Frederick John Holtzen II (Dick), certified Gemologist
and retired Healdsburg Jeweler, went to meet his maker on August
16, 2008 after suffering for several years from progressive
supranuclear palsy and congestive heart failure. He was born
November 26, 1927 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to
Reverend Richard F.J. Hotzen and Ada Kuddes Holtzen and moved to
Santa Rosa with his family at age 12, when his father was called to
be the pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church. He graduated from Santa
Rosa High School in 1945 and was drafted into the army and sent to
Italy. After his return, he attended Santa Rosa Junior College.
While playing in the band there he met and later married Lorraine
McCampbell.
He was a resident of Healdsburg since 1956, when he and his
wife, Lorraine, purchased a one-hundred plus year old jewelry store
from Finley W. Frisch. Dick was the owner of Holtzen Jewelers in
Healdsburg for 45 years and was very grateful for the many
customers who supported his business. He started his jewelry career
at age 14 when he went to work for Glenn Richey Jewelers in Santa
Rosa where he worked until buying the Healdsburg store. To further
his career he studied at the Bulova Watch School in New York City
and the Gemological Institute of America in Santa Monica, achieving
the title of Certified Gemologist. After his retirement in 2000, he
set up a shop in his home and repaired antique clocks as a part
time hobby. Dick had always loved the desert and in 2004 he and
Lorraine purchased a home on a golf course in Thousand Palms,
planning to spend winters there in their retirement. Unfortunately,
his PSP symptoms intensified and his dream was not to be.
At age 65, Dick traded in his aortic heart valve for a
transplanted valve. His only requirement was that the donor valve
be from a LOW handicap golfer. The medical people made a mistake
and gave him a valve from a HIGH handicap golfer. Oh well! Dick was
a member in good standing (he hoped) of the Bench Bunch. This is a
select group of citizens that congregate almost daily to drink
coffee or tea and try to cure the world’s ills.
Dick’s greatest pleasure was his family. This was followed by
his love for classical music, going back to his years as a French
horn musician with the Sonoma County Symphony, preceded by his high
school and SRJC band and orchestra membership, his Sonoma County
Chorus membership, his service in the 253rd U.S. Army Ground Force
Band, and the world famous Owen Sweeten Healdsburg Plaza Saturday
night band concerts. For some years he was a member of the Santa
Rosa First Presbyterian Church choir and former member of
Healdsburg Kiwanis, Santa Rosa Jaycees and Santa Rosa Golf &
Country Club.
Dick was on the Board of Directors and was a past president of
the Healdsburg Future Farmers County Fair Board. He was a 4H leader
for Westside 4H. He was very proud of his children’s successes in
4H and FFA and in life. Dick loved his livestock and the dirt. He
believed powerfully that a solid family is of the first priority,
and he was grateful for any time he had with his family, friends,
golfing and working on his ranch.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years. Lorraine, his son, Paul
Holtzen (Karen), and grandchildren, Matthew, Kate and Andrew, his
son Tom Holtzen and granddaughters, Allison and Monica and his
great-grandchildren, Travis, Briaunne, and Lexis, and his son, John
Holtzen (Tammy) and grandchildren, Ashley, Meghan, Johnny, Samuel
and Benjamin, and his grandson, Robert Holtzen (Jeff’s son). He is
also survived by his sister, Cornelia Isaacson, his sister, Dorothy
Kramer (Edwin), his brother, Peter Holtzen (Merle), his
brothers-in-law Marjorie Etchell (Russell) and many loving nieces
and nephews.
Dick was predeceased by his parents, Richard and Ada Holtzen,
his son, Jeffrey Holtzen, his brother, Reverend Paul Holtzen, his
sister, Vivian Schneider, his daughter-in-law, Donna Jean Holtzen
and his brother-in-law, Neal Isaacson.
He was a member of Healdsburg Community Church and a Christian
who loved the Lord. Dick is glad to be in heaven with his son,
Jeff, his parents and other family members and friends.
Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service for
Dick on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m., at the Healdsburg Community
Church, 1100 University St, Healdsburg, CA, 95448. If desired,
donations may be made to the Healdsburg Community Church (above
address) or to CurePSP, Executive Plaza 111, 11350 McCormick Rd,
Suite 906, Hunt Valley, MD, 21031.
