Helen Babb of Portola Valley, California—a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, gardener, artist, and world traveler—passed away peacefully on October 18, 2025, at the age of 89 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born in Místek, Czechoslovakia (a small Moravian town near today’s Czech-Polish border), Helen and her parents, Dr. Ernest Weys and Zdenka Re...

Ruth Mary Allen Barker passed away peacefully at age 95, supported by her family’s love, and with her beloved dog, Bucky, by her side. Born in San Francisco to Mary Beulah Gibbons Allen and James Hamilton Allen, she attended Miss Burke’s School for Girls through 12th grade. Ruth had one sister, Margery (pre-deceased) and one brother, Wyatt. Summers were spent at the family ranch in Napa Valley...

Ken Bilodeau was born in Riverside, California, to Kenneth R. Bilodeau and Delores Bonngard. (He later enjoyed tracing the lineage of French Canadians on his father’s side and German immigrants on his mother’s side.) Ken earned a B.A. in economics from Claremont Men’s College and a B.S. in electrical engineering and an M.B.A. from Stanford. He married Ann Lawson in 1969. Ken worked in a numb...

John passed away peacefully at the age of 92 at his home in Palo Alto with his two daughters present. A Palo Alto resident for 59 years, John will be remembered for his important contributions to technology, his love of math and language, his witty sense of humor and his abundant zest for life.  John Anthony Clifton was born May 7, 1933 in Croydon, England to Edward and Isabelle Winifred Bi...

Lemuel (Lem) Davis Bishop June 4, 1934 – October 20, 2025 (Beaverton, OR) Lem was born in Palo Alto, California, to Lemuel and Bina, who raised their three sons and daughter on Emerson Street. His parents owned Bishop’s Creamery on California Avenue for 37 years, a beloved community fixture. Lem was a standout athlete in the Palo Alto High School Class of 1952, where he played football as q...

Bonnie Jean Blythe was born in Oakland, California at the East Oakland Hospital on July 24, 1932. She lived in Oakland on Lawlor Street, near 94th Avenue, with her parents until college. She attended Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA and graduated in 1955 with a major in Elementary Education. She spent one year, between her Sophomore and Junior years, teaching in Placerville, CA and taught after...

Phil Bobel lived a life of purpose, passion, and profound impact. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, an inspiring mentor, and a tireless champion for the environment, Phil passed away on January 31 after dedicating more than five decades to making the world cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable—one conversation, one program, one young person at a time. Born in Washington, D.C., ...

Kraig Norbert Branner was born in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, January 31, 1962. He passed away on the Thursday evening of October 16, 2025, at home in San Jose, California. He graduated from Palo Alto High School and San Jose State University with BS degrees in Industrial Technology and Electrical & Electronics Engineering. A lifelong RF Engineer, Kraig was designing, building and testing pro...

Hortense Hyacinth Burke, nee Guthrie September 29, 1942 - October 28, 2025 Hortense Hyacinth Burke, 83, of Los Altos Hills, California passed away on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Born in Kingston, Jamaica on September 29, 1942 to Astley Guthrie & Lurline Graham, Hortense (nicknamed June) was the eldest of four girls. She is survived by her sisters: Dahlia (aka Greta) and Marjorie (aka Dimple...

Robert John Burt, known to family and friends as John, passed away peacefully at home in Menlo Park on September 19, 2025. He was 83. Born in Bremerton, Washington, in 1942 and raised in Seattle and Vancouver, John was the son of Robert Burt, an electrician for the Bonneville Power Administration, and Claudine Edmisten. Along with his sister Ann, he cherished many childhood memories at his gran...

Karen S. Canty, voracious reader, puzzler, volunteer, avid traveler, and lover of people died Friday January 9th at Stanford Hospital. Also one of the most well-read humans on planet earth (scientific fact) we will be using a lot of Fuchs words* here to honor her. She was born Karen Veronica to parents Harry and Edea Surgalski in Herrin, IL November 10th, 1945. First generation American on Harry�...

Jerome (Jerry) Walter Carlson September 19, 1936 – September 11, 2025 Jerome “Jerry” Carlson was born on September 19, 1936, at Enloe Hospital in Chico, California, to Alice and Ralph Carlson of Richvale. Raised among the rice fields of Richvale, Jerry’s early life was rooted in the values of hard work, community, and curiosity. He began his education at Richvale Elementary School...

George B. Carpenter passed away on September 6, 2025. He was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to Bryer and Winogene Carpenter on March 10, 1937, and grew up in Kinsella, a small town about 90 miles to the southeast of Edmonton. The family lived in a Canadian National Railway (CN) station (since Bryer was the stationmaster) and raised purebred cattle on their nearby farm, where George helped bu...

Antoinette was born in the coal mining town of Archbald, Pennsylvania to Pietro and Agostina Silvestrini. As the story is told, the midwife walked through the deep snow wearing her husband’s hip boots to assist with the birth. The family lived in a “company” house without indoor plumbing. Her father worked in the mines and her mother, known for her delicious homemade pasta, took in boarder...

Richard “Dick” Cassel passed away on September 10, 2025, after several years of declining health. He was 84 years old. A devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, brilliant engineer, and generous community member, Richard lived a life guided by curiosity, integrity, and care for others. He was born on February 14, 1941, in Ainsworth, Nebraska, one of three sons of Brown County Clerk ...

Dr. Joseph Cindrich, 90, of Menlo Park, died peacefully at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Palo Alto on October 24, 2025. He is survived by his dear companion, Alberta (Bear) O’Brien. Joe was predeceased by his wife Karen (2015), his father and mother, Anthony (1954) and Agnes (1958); sisters Katherine Kasmarcak (2011), Anne Chromey (2000), and Mary Alice Lapsevich (2018); and brothers...