United States High School Yearbooks by County
Pearl L. Fields
Pearl L. Fields, 91, a resident of Palo Alto for 20 years and Menlo Park for 5 years, died
May 1 in San Jose. She loved to cook, play golf, and travel. She is survived by her devoted companion, Jim Leung, and two grandchildren. All are invited to attend graveside services on Saturday, May 16 at noon at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 13, 1998
Alan P. Ferguson
Alan P. Ferguson, 75, a longtime resident of Palo Alto years, died
May 7. Born in 1923, he graduated from the University of Washington with a master's in chemical engineering. After moving to the Bay Area, he worked at Stanford Research Institute for 35 years as an industrial economist. He traveled extensively visiting more than 60 countries. An avid outdoorsman, he was an active sailor at the Palo Alto Yacht Club since 1952, serving as commodore in 1980. He especially loved competing in his racing boat, Aqua Vite Vite. He was an active golfer at Stanford Golf Club for the past 15 years. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Ferguson of Palo Alto; two daughters, Ann Carlino of San Jose, and Judith Crop of Oregon; a son, Stuart Ferguson of Sunnyvale, and four grandchildren. Services have been held.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 13, 1998
Samuel Jacobs
Samuel Jacobs, 85, a 16-year resident of Palo Alto, died
April 29 at Stanford Hospital. He was born
and raised in Summit, New Jersey, where he captained and led Summit High School to the state championship in basketball. He then attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., where he continued to star in basketball, perfecting one of the only "hook" shots of his era. After graduating from F&M;, he worked in the shoe business most of his adult life. He settled in Allentown, Pa., where he managed several shoe stores in the Allentown area. After he retired, he moved to Palo Alto to be near his family. He enjoyed living at the Stevenson House, a residence for seniors. He attended many Stanford sporting events, particularly baseball and basketball, and in recent years turned to the radio and "books-on-tape" as his primary source of entertainment. His family was always very important to him. He is survived by a brother, Leo Jacobs of Del Ray, Florida; five sons, Philip Jacobs of Barrington R.I., John Jacobs of Palo Alto, Peter Jacobs and Harry Jacobs, both of Portland, Ore., and Joseph Jacobs of Osaka, Japan; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. No services are being held at this time. Donations maybe be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 13, 1998
Edmund C. Koch
Edmund C. Koch, 88, an active member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Menlo Park for 42 years, died
May 3. He was born
in 1909 in Detroit, Mich. He married
his wife Beverly in 1936. He worked for R.L. Polk Publishing Company for 35 years. Upon retirement from R.L. Polk, he worked at Skylawn Cemetery
for 21 years. He was an active member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Menlo Park. He also had a love for animals. He is survived by his wife Beverly Koch of Burlingame. Services have been held. Memorials may be sent to: Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Ave., Menlo Park, CA, 94025, or the Humane Society of the Peninsula, 12 Airport Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94401.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 13, 1998
Mildred B. Nuckolls
Mildred B. Nuckolls, 80, a resident of Palo Alto for four months, died
April 22. She was a California native. She worked as a receptionist for Merrill Lynch. She is survived by her husband, Leonard Nuckolls; a daughter, Debbie Walker of Los Altos; a son, Marc Nuckolls of Menlo Park; a sister, Doris Youngdale of Florida; and six grandchildren. Private family services were held. Donations may be made to the Mid Peninsula Hospice, 65 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025-5232.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 13, 1998
Robert L. Pierce
Robert L. Pierce, 86, a resident of Palo Alto for 50 years, died
May 2 in Pasadena after a brief illness. A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., he was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan, and a 1936 graduate of Michigan Law School, where he earned the Order of the Coif and served on the Law Review. He also obtained a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University in 1942. In 1936, he moved to Washington D.C., where he worked for the federal government. While working for the Department of Justice, he argued five cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, winning three. After World War II, he was hired by Southern Pacific Co., and settled in Palo Alto. He had a distinguished legal career with Southern Pacific, specializing in state and local tax matters. He managed Southern Pacific's legislative affairs in the 1960's, and led the company's successful initiative effort to repeal California's "full crew law." In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Pierce to serve on the Golden Spike Centennial Commission. He was involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors. He helped establish the Santa Clara County Crippled Children's Society and served on its board of directors until 1968. He also served as a director for the Community Association for the Retarded and was instrumental in forming the Sons in Retirement (SIRS). He is survived by a sister, Elsie Begle of Palo Alto; two sons, Carl Pierce of San Francisco and David Pierce of San Marino; and two step-daughters, Catherine Kielsmeier of Forestville and Judith Godshall of Palo Alto; and a foster daughter, Diane Cammorata of Danville. There will be a memorial service on Friday, May 29 at 5 p.m. at the Palo Alto Congregational Church on Louis Road. The family requests that donations in memory of Bob Pierce be made to the University of Michigan, P.O. Box 966, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0966.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 13, 1998
James Harlan David Rogers Sr.
James Harlan David Rogers Sr., 72, a resident of Menlo Park for 43 years, died
of cancer April 24 at his home. He was born
in Peekskill, New York in 1925. He attended MIT and served in the 13th Air Force in the Phillippines during World War II, returning to graduate in engineering from Rennselean Polytechnic Institute. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, Pi Tau Sigman, and Sigma Alpah Epsilon. He retired from IBM after a 40-year career. He is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Sloan Rogers of Menlo Park; two sons, James Rogers Jr. of San Jose, and Mark Rogers of Lindon, Utah; three daughters, Shawn Zenger of Frontenac, Mo., Heather Price of Sandy, Utah, and Heidi Johnson of Moreno Valley; and 16 grandchildren. Services have been held. Memorials may be sent to the Mid Peninsula Hospice, 1105 Valparaiso Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025, or to the Ensign-Lewis Foundation.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 13, 1998
Mildred Corcoran
Mildred Elizabeth Corcoran, one of the first residentialists on the Palo Alto City Council during the 1950s, died
of pneumonia April 27 at Pilgrim Haven in Los Altos. She was 92.
A resident of Palo Alto for more than 30 years, she taught English and social studies at Jordan Junior High School and served on the council from 1953 to 1959.
"She was regarded as one of the first residentialist council members," said Mayor Dick Rosenbaum.
Part of the Committee for Responsible Government, Corcoran was elected after a controversy surrounding the building of a new city hall on Newell Road even after voters defeated bond measures for the project twice. She also opposed Oregon Expressway.
"She was often times on the losing end of a 14-1 vote or a 13-2 vote," said council member and unofficial city historian Gary Fazzino. The City Council adjourned in her memory on May 11.
Corcoran was a very strong environmentalist, and supported the preservation of open space in the Baylands and the foothills.
The oldest of five children, she was born
in Toronto, S.D. and grew up in Davenport, Iowa. The family later moved to Oregon, where she graduated from Linfield Teacher's College and taught on an American Indian reservation during the Depression. She moved to Palo Alto in the late 1940s.
Corcoran earned master's degrees in journalism and political science from Stanford University and later taught political science at the College of San Mateo.
She served as president of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters and the Palo Alto Parent-Teacher Association. She was also a member of the American Association of University Women, and the Palo Alto Historical Society.
She enjoyed collecting glass and antiques, reading, and playing bridge.
She is survived by a son, John M. Corcoran of Palo Alto, and two granddaughters. Services have been held.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 20, 1998
Hilma Brandvig Anderson
Hilma Brandvig Anderson, 97, a resident of Palo Alto Commons for eight years, died
May 13. She was born
near Gross, Neb., in 1901. When she was 7, she moved with her family to California. She graduated as valedictorian of her class at Fabiola School of Nursing in Oakland. She worked at the Hanford Sanitarium before her marriage in 1925. She also worked as a special nurse in Kingsburg, and surrounding towns. She is survived by a son, Dr. Weston Anderson of Palo Alto; a daughter, Karen Johnson of Denver; a nephew; four grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. Services have been held. Donations can be made to the St. Andrews United Methodist Church in Palo Alto, to the Kingsburg United Methodist Church, or to the charity of the donor's choice.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 27, 1998
Joline Archer
Joline Archer, 73, a longtime resident of Portola Valley, died
May 20 after a three-year battle with cancer.
She is survived by her husband, Robert Archer of Burlingame; a daughter, Mary Jo Archer of Burlingame; and a grandson.
Services have been held.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 27, 1998
Jay Morton Finley
Jay Morton Finley, 73, a resident of Menlo Park for 25 years, died
of cancer May 16. He was born
in San Francisco in 1924, and he lived there until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was a fighter pilot during World War II. He was shot down and rescued after five days at sea. In 1947-48 he attended Menlo College. In 1949, he and his mother joined together to from Elsie M. Finley and Son Realtors. He was a member of the Stanford Area Lions Club until 1981. He was a life member of the Palo Alto Masonic Roller Lodge No. 346. He had been a member of Cold Springs Country Club in Placerville since 1983. He enjoyed hunting and fishing in the Siskiyou mountains. He enjoyed golf everywhere. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Honey Finley of Diamond Springs; a sister, Barbara McGarr of Las Vegas, Nev.; three sons, Jay M. Finley Jr. of Menlo Park, Scott T. Finley of Placerville, Lee T. Finley of Palo Alto; and five grandchildren. Private services will be held in San Francisco. The family invites anyone wishing to share in remembrance to a Celebration of Life luncheon, Monday, June 1 at noon at Cold Springs Country Club, 6500 Clubhouse Drive, Placerville.
Obituary dated: Wednesday May 27, 1998
