United States High School Yearbooks by County
Nathan “Babe” Brovelli
Graveside services were held Nov. 25 at Holy Cross Cemetery for lifelong St. Helena resident Nathan “Babe” Brovelli, who died Nov. 21. He was 88.
Mr. Brovelli, the son of Joseph and Rose Brovelli, served in the Army during World War II. Following the war, he worked as a welder for 42 years at Kaiser Steel. He was a member of St. Helena’s American Legion Post 199.
In addition to his wife of more than 60 years, Velia, he is survived by a daughter, Bernadette, and her husband, Randy, of Carmichael; two grandchildren, Jennifer and Vanessa; and a sister, Josephine Walker of St. Helena.
Memorial donations may be made to the St. Helena Catholic Church, 1340 St., St. Helena 94574.
Arrangements by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
Mary Elizabeth Renschen
A mass will be celebrated Monday, Dec. 2, at 11 a.m. at the St. Helena Catholic Church, 1340 Tainter St. for Mary Elizabeth Renschen, who died Nov. 23 in Pope Valley. She was 83.
The Kentucky native was the daughter of John and Mary (Faust). For 30 years she did drafting in the design section of Mare Island, then moved from Vallejo to Pope Valley in the early 1970s. She was a member of the St. Helena Catholic Church, loved tending house and will be missed by the Muffin Club.
Ms. Renchen is survived by a sister, Catherine Renschen, of Pope Valley.
Burial will be at St. Vincent Cemetery in Vallejo. Memorial donations may be to the St. Helena Catholic Church, 1340 Tainter St., St. Helena, CA 94574
Arrangements by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
Laura Mary Nelson
Laura Mary Nelson, 95, passed away at the Redwood Retirement Center, Napa on November 23, 2002. She was born in Calistoga to Lorenzo and Caterina Pagano on November 14, 1907.
After her graduation from the College of Commerce, Stockton, CA; she worked at Montgomery Ward, Oakland as an interpreter for 11 years. She married George Seaver Nelson and they were married for 61 years, he passed away in 1990.
Laura was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and the AARP. She had a very spunky sense of humor; was sharp and witty. She dearly loved spending time with her family. Living through the depression in the 1930s gave her & her husband the wisdom they used throughout their lives.
She moved back to Napa Valley six years ago from Oakland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 844, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.
She leaves one son and daughter-in-law, Diane Nelson of St. Helena; three grandchildren, Kathy Nelson of Yountville; Ronna Nelson of St. Helena; and Julie Bissett of Yountville. In addition, she is leaving numerous cousins.
At her request no service will be held. Burial will be at the St. Helena Cemetery.
Arrangements are being cared for by Morrison Funeral Chapel, St. Helena, 963-3536.
Clyde D. Foster
Funeral services will be held today, Nov. 29, at 11 a.m. in the Redwood Chapel of the Oakmont Mortuary, Lafayette, for St. Helena resident Clyde D. Foster , who died Nov. 21. He was 85 years old.
Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
A native of Wagoner, Okla., Mr. Foster was a longtime resident of Martinez and Concord, and a former Kiwanis member.
He is survived by his wife, Jean; daughters Carol Roman of Martinez, Linda Sherwin of St. Helena and Kathleen Dale of Tahoe City; sons-in-law Alfred Roman, Steve Sherwin and Douglas Dale; grandchildren Zachary Roman, Jennifer, Lindsey and Matthew Sherwin; and Justin and Christine Dale.
interment will be in Oakmont Memorial Park.
Arrangements by Oakmont Memorial Park and Mortuary, (925) 935-1221.
John Paul Mischkot
A funeral mass was held Nov. 24 for John Paul Mischkot, who died at St. Helena Hospital Nov. 21. He was 92.
Mr. Mischkot was born in Austria to Joseph and Theresa Mischkot on the first day of 1909.
He later moved to Iron Mountain, Mich., and worked at the Ford motor plant. During World War II he served in the European, African and Middle-Eastern theaters of war. He moved to the Napa Valley in 1952 and worked for 20 years as a crane operator for Mare Island Naval Shipyard years before his retirement in 1972.
An avid golfer, he had four holes-in-one to his name.
Mr. Mischkot was a parishioner of the St. Helena Catholic Church for nearly half a century, and was also a member of the American Legion and AARP.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Olive; a daughter, Terese Parriot, of St. Helena; a son, Ray Mischkot, of San Diego; a son-in-law, Guy Parriott, of St. Helena; a daughter-in-law, Peggy Mischkot, of San Diego; five grandchildren, Steven, Tim, Brian, Kurt and Jonathan; and four great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by two brothers, Joseph and August; and two sisters Theresa and Mitzi. Arrangements by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
Helen Portolas AlIssandratos
There will be a memorial service Dec. 15 in Milwaukee, Wis. for Helen Portolas Alissandratos, who died Nov. 20. She was 87.
Born in Milwaukee to John and Vassiliki Portolas, Mrs. Alissandratos graduated from Holy Angels Academy in Milwaukee and briefly attended Marquette University. Mrs. Alissandratos served in the US Department of Defense in Austria, France and Turkey, later moving with her daughter and granddaughter to Miami, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Las Vegas and later St. Helena.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be send to the Helen Portolas Alissandratos Scholarship Fund, c/o Mount Mary College, Development Office, 2900 North Menomonee River Parkway, Milwaukee, Wis. 53222.
Arrangements made by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
Dennis Daniel Gaffey
Dennis Daniel Gaffey, 72, of St. Helena, CA died Monday, Dec. 9, 2002, at Kaiser Vallejo Hospital. He was born Feb. 15, 1930 in San Francisco to Mary Cashel and Michael Gaffey. A 1947 graduate of St. Ignatius High School and 1951 graduate of the University of San Francisco, he attended U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., earning a commission as ensign in 1952. Mr. Gaffey served as a lieutenant (j.g.) aboard the U.S.S. De Kalb County (LST-715) on two tours to Korea and a third to China. He retired from the Navy reserve as a full lieutenant and worked for American President Lines in San Francisco in the passenger sales department of APL. He was stationed in Hong Kong from 1964-1968, and with APL in Los Angeles, he was a resident of La Canada from 1968-1984. He also worked for Prudential Grace Lines, Delta Steamship Company, Crowley, and in the corporate office of Central Valley Builders. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Barbara, of St. Helena; a daughter, Mary, of Napa; sons Michael of Fremont, Patrick of East Lyme, Conn., and Daniel of St. Helena and 12 grandchildren: Cashel, Danny, Megan, Brendan, Clare, Michael, Sean, Kevin, Katherine, James, Mark and Mary.
Visitation and Rosary were held Wednesday evening at Morrison Chapel. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, Dec. 12, at 11 a.m. at St. Helena Catholic Church, 1340 Tainter
St. Committal services will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, 2121 Spring St., St. Helena.
Arrangements by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
Bernard Ray Moulton Jr.
Bernard Ray Moulton Jr., of Lompoc, died Nov. 6, 2002. He was 74.
He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1948, graduated with a B.A. from Norwich University in 1952, Master’s Degree from Boston College in 1954 and married Cynthia Ethyl Burron in 1950.
He is survived by 2 daughters Sherry Ruth Moulton of San Jose, CA and Leigh Moulton Olsen of Boulder, CO; one grandson, one granddaughter and 3 great grandchildren. His wife died six years previously (1997).
Mr. Moulton was working for the U.S. Post Office at the time of his death. He worked as an educator for thirty-five years, starting his career as a teacher at Whitman High in Massachusetts. He worked at St. Helena High School from 1956-62 teaching Latin, English, Algebra and History. He also served as the high school track coach. In 1962 Mr. Moulton joined the Lompoc Unified School district as a Master Teacher of English and teacher at Lompoc High School. Later Mr. Moulton was appointed the first principal of Maple High School.
He was an avid senior champion golfer, as well as a former stunt plane pilot, ping-pong tennis player and bowling champion.
Mr. Moulton was a member of the California Teachers Association, the Marsala Ranch Golf Club and Veterans of Foreign War.
Contributions may be made to benefit the American Diabetes Association.
Charles “Charlie” Richard Blakeley
DEER PARK: CHARLES “Charlie” RICHARD BLAKELEY, passed away due to health complications at the St. Helena Hospital, December 9, 2002, he was 71.
Charlie was born in St. Joseph, MO on June 17, 1931 to Charles and Roberta (Penland) Blakeley.
He graduated from the Calistoga High School in the class of 1951. He married Lorraine Clark and she passed away in 1995. Later he married Nancy Ruth Fisher. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge, NRA, was a member of the CA Grape Grower’s Assoc., Member of the Calistoga Athletic Wildcats Booster’s Club and was a great supporter of the youth activities in Calistoga; also a member CA Farm Bureau.
He started the Evergreen Timber Company, a logging co. in Calistoga. He later established Blakeley Construction Company. Upon retirement from construction, Charlie owned and managed his vineyard in Franz Valley.
His work ethic and his dedication to his family will be missed. Charlie loved storytelling and had a wonderful sense of humor.
He leaves his wife, Nancy, of Calistoga; son, Dick and wife, Kelly, of Calistoga; Son, Ed and wife, Nola, of Calistoga; his daughter, Ann Allard and husband, Pat of Calistoga; son, William Soekland and wife, Paula of Calistoga; and Mitch Soekland and wife, Pam, of Santa Rosa., sisters, Barbara Wolleson of Calistoga; Marvie Sears of Calistoga; and Shirley Woodworth of Clearlake; his grandchildren, Brian, Dennis, Tyson, Nathan, Charlie, Jacob, David, Zeb, Loria, Chance, Connie, Cherlyn, Laurie, Courtney and Casey; one great grandson, Wyatt, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Lorraine, his sisters, Betty, Charlotte, Bonnie; brothers, Lonnie and Les.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to: The Calistoga Wildcat Boosters, P. O. Box 791, Calistoga, CA 94515 or to the charity of your choice.
A visitation will be held at Morrison Funeral Chapel, 990 Vintage Avenue, on Friday, December 13, 2002, from 11 - noon, and the memorial following at noon. A private inurnment will be held at Evergreen Cemetery, Knights Valley at a later date.
Arrangements are being cared for by Morrison Funeral Chapel, St. Helena, 963-3536.
Maureen Dwyer
A memorial mass will be offered Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. at the St. Helena Catholic Church for Maureen Leigh Dwyer, who died suddenly Dec. 5 in St. Helena. She was 49.
Ms. Dwyer, the daughter of Isabelle Dwyer, was born in Heidelberg, Germany, while her father, the late William Dwyer, was stationed there with the U.S. military. Her first 10 years were spent in Europe in school and traveling with her parents and brothers, Gregory and Kevin. A resident of San Francisco for many years, she most recently had been living in St. Helena with her mother.
In addition to her mother, Ms. Dwyer is survived by an uncle, Albert Rubbo; a sister-in-law, Roxanne Dwyer and two nieces, Pauline Marshall and Liberty Ann Dwyer, all of Fresno. She was preceded in death by her father and her brothers.
Arrangements by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
