From Santa Cruz, California:
April 5, 2003
Leslie Arthur Cornell Sr.
Services will be later for Leslie Arthur Cornell Sr., who died Sunday at Autumn Glen in Greencastle, Ind. He was 85.
Cornell was a former resident of Long Island, N.Y., Apple Valley and Aptos, where he lived from 1997 to 1999.
A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., he attended Taylor University in Indiana, then Purdue University, also in Indiana, where he received a bachelor’s in electrical engineering in 1940. That year he married Ella Mae Page.
He was a World War II veteran who served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, where he specialized in radio communication and radar technology.
His career as an engineer took him into the public and private sectors, where he continued his work in developing radar and computer technology. In 1979 he retired from the Naval Air Systems Command Pacific Missile Test Center at Point Mugu.
His wife preceded him in death.
He is survived by son Leslie A. Cornell of Greencastle, Ind.; daughter Carol Cornell Herdt of Santa Cruz; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren, including four in Aptos.
He will be buried at the Victory Valley Memorial Park in Victorville.
Hopkins-Rector Funeral Home in Indiana is handling arrangements.
April 8, 2003
Delpha Bloom
A celebration of the life of Delpha Bloom will be held Sunday. Bloom died April 1 after a short bout with lung cancer. She was 57.
Born Denise Marie McLain in San Francisco, her family moved to Elko, Nev., when she was 2. She spent her school years in Elko, graduating from Elko High School in 1964. During that time she was active in music and dance. During her senior year, she was editor of the school newspaper and ran for Fair Queen.
She attended Oregon State University and the University of Idaho, before earning her degree at California State University-Hayward.
While attending the University of Idaho, she married high school sweetheart Stan Burns. They settled in Hayward.
Denise taught kindergarten until she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. She was successfully treated, but with her immune system at risk, she transferred her hobby as a seamstress to a career at Stretch and Sew.
Denise changed her name to Delpha Bloom on her 40th birthday when she began her new life as an artist. For many years, she lived and worked in her "garret" in Berkeley and various locations in the East Bay.
In October 2000, she moved to La Selva Beach and only recently found her new home in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Her friend Rita Ayral, her niece, Debbie Anderson, and her friends Alani and Sabina were with her before she died, her family said. She enjoyed spending time with her cat, Cosmo, family said.
She is survived by her husband, Stan Burns of Hayward; sister, Marilyn Palmer of Aptos; many nieces and nephews.
Her sister, Joleen McPherson, and her parents, Alice and "Eddie" McLain, died before her.
A gathering to celebrate her life will be 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the meadow at the Sanctuary, 1521 Vine Hill Road, Santa Cruz. Delpha’s long-time friend and spiritual guide, A-Lea Silas Lovis, will preside.
Memorial donations be made to the Hospice Caring Project, 1681 Soquel Drive, Aptos CA 95003.
William Irvine McCully
Services are Sunday for William Irvine McCully, who died Saturday in Santa Cruz. He was 92.
Born in Los Angeles, McCully lived in Upland, Prescott, Ariz., and Santa Cruz.
He was a self-employed woodworker who made cabinetry for large buildings for 40 years. His hobbies included flying Cessna aircraft and accounting.
He is survived by his daughter, Gale Olson of Santa Cruz; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned at 2 p.m. Sunday at Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive, Aptos.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Doran Center for the Blind, 413 Laurel St., Santa Cruz CA 95060 and the Hospice Caring Project, 6851 Soquel Drive, Aptos CA 95003.
Arrangements are by Santa Cruz Memorial Park and Funeral Home.
Patricia Redfield
Memorial services will be held at a later date for Patricia Redfield, who died Sunday in Santa Cruz. She was 77.
A native of Santa Cruz, she was a member of a historic family who moved to the area in 1860.
She loved animals, especially horses, and was artistic. An avid reader, she wrote children’s stories when she was young. She enjoyed cars, especially her 1968 Pontiac GTO.
Redfield is survived by daughters Sandra Stevens of East Carbon City, Utah, and Kathy Hudgins-Riley of Watsonville; sons, Jody Redfield of Santa Cruz and Michael Redfield of Scotts Valley; three grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Husband, Joseph Redfield, died before her in 1975.
Memorial services will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Santa Cruz SPCA, 2200 7th Ave., Santa Cruz CA 95062.
April 9, 2003
Lorraine M. Quadros
Services are Thursday for Lorraine M. Quadros, who died Monday. She was 70.
Born in Watsonville, Quadros was a Santa Cruz County resident for the past 35 years. She worked as an accountant for Pacific Bell for 24 years.
She is survived by her son, Tom Quadros of San Jose and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Holy Cross Cemetery in Santa Cruz.
Arrangements are by Pacific Gardens Chapel.
Hazel ‘Ruby’ Barns Cummings
Services are Friday for Hazel "Ruby" Barns Cummings, who died Tuesday after a long struggle with cancer. She was 86.
Born in Lincoln, Ark., she came to California in the 1930s. She met and married Robert Bruce Cummings in 1938, and they settled in Santa Cruz.
Robert retired from the Santa Cruz Water Department and Ruby retired from John Ingles Frozen Foods in 1976, and they moved to Lincoln, Ark.
They had been married 58 years when Robert died in 1995.
Ruby returned to Santa Cruz in 1999 to live with her daughter.
She will be remembered as a generous person who cared more about the comfort of others than her own. Ruby fought to stay in this world, and fought for all the "little ones" she knew. When she died, she took her legendary recipes for chicken and dumplings and lemon meringue pie with her. She enjoyed quilting, gardening and her doll collection. Her favorite comment was, "It’s all right."
She is survived by son Harry Robert Cummings of Lincoln, Ark.; daughter Joan Marie Gonzales of Santa Cruz; sisters Imogene Walton, Jetty Villines and Juanita Bradford, all of Arkansas; brother Harold Barnes of Arkansas; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Oakwood Memorial Park with Alfie Almira officiating. Family and friends may call from 2-6 p.m. at Oakwood Memorial Chapel, 3301 Paul Sweet Road, Santa Cruz.
Arrangements by Oakwood Memorial Chapel.
