United States High School Yearbooks by County
PANZICH
Violet M. Panzich
Mrs. Violet Panzich, passed away on Friday, August 20, 1999, at Sutter Davis Hospital in Davis. Born on January 18, 1930, in Watsonville, California, she was 69 years old.
Mrs. Panzich was raised in Watsonville. After she married, she and her husband spent many years overseas. The couple came to Winters in 1972. She was the past president of Winters Little League. The family said that her favorite pastime was shopping.
Mrs. Panzich is survived by her husband of 53 years, Mitchell Panzich of Winters; children, Vicky Panzich of Davis, Michael Panzich of Woodland, and Scott Panzich of Winters. She leaves her grandchildren, Corinna Stern of San Francisco, Eric Panzich and Bryan Panzich both of Winters, and a sister Delia Gomez of Lodi.
Visitation was held on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at Smith's Colonial Chapel.
A graveside service was held on Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 11 a.m. at the Winters Cemetery.
Remembrances may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements were under the direction of Smith's Colonial Chapel in Winters.
OAKLEY
Samuel H. Oakley
Lt. Col. Samuel Heywood Oakley died July 21, 2001, in Woodland, after fighting Parkinson's disease for more than 20 years. He was 87 years old.
Oakley was born in Berkeley on April 4, 1914. His father was a pilot on San Francisco Bay who later served as captain of the Sacramento Northern's rail ferry at Martinez, on the Oakland-Sacramento line. He was another member of the "Greatest Generation, " a son of colonial and California pioneers who fought from Normandy to the Rhine.
On his father's side, Oakley's grandfather sailed to San Francisco in 1849 and operated a stagecoach line from downtown San Francisco to the local resort of Lake Merced. His grandmother traveled to San Francisco by covered wagon. On his mother's side, he was a cousin of two presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams. He shared with them direct descent from Henry Adams, who emigrated from England to Braintree, Mass., in 1638.
Henry Adams was the great-great-grandfather of John Adams and the great-great-great-great-great grandfather of Samuel Oakley - who was also the nephew of Charles Dingley Heywood, mayor and postmaster of Berkeley at the time of his birth.
After graduating from Berkeley High School and UC Berkeley, from which he received a bachelor's degree in 1935, Oakley joined the Standard Oil Co. of California. He married Elsie-Maye Bilyeu in 1939.
Although he was exempt from the draft as a married man, then 28 years of age, Oakley enlisted as a private in the Army in June 1942. After basic training he was selected for Officer's Candidate School, and during his 2 1/2 years in the European theater of operations he rose to the rank of first lieutenant in charge of a company in a replacement battalion of the 9th Army.
After a brief return to civilian life, he was selected for a commission in the transportation corps of the regular Army, in which he served from 1947 until his retirement in 1964. As an Army officer he received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1949, writing a thesis on centralized traffic control systems for railroads that established him as an expert in that field.
During his career he served for three years in Japan during the Korean War and for several months on a ship near Beirut during the Lebanon crisis of 1958 in his capacity as the Army's liaison to the commander in chief, Naval Elements Mediterranean. For that position he was based in London, where he was stationed from 1957 through 1959.
He later served as executive officer and deputy chief of staff in the headquarters of the U.S. Army's Terminal Command - Pacific, first at Fort Mason in San Francisco, and later at the Oakland Army Terminal in Oakland.
His retirement in 1964 was voluntary. He had been promoted to full colonel, contingent on accepting command of the Army's port at Inchon, Korea. He declined the post for family reasons. For more than five of his 22 years of service he had been separated from his family, and family members were then barred from accompanying military personnel to Korea.
Soon after, he returned to Oakland Army Base to serve as public affairs officer and as a transportation analyst for the Department of Defense. From 1965 until his final retirement in 1976, he authored a widely circulated newsletter on military-related ship movements throughout the Pacific region.
From 1959 until 1991, Oakley lived in his hometown of Berkeley. He and his wife moved to Davis in 1991 and to Woodland in 1995. As his condition deteriorated, he was lovingly cared for by the staff of Cottonwood Healthcare Center in Woodland, and in his final days by Yolo Hospice.
Oakley was an avid hiker, with a special affinity for Yosemite, where he met his wife. During their years in Berkeley they were season ticket holders and devoted fans of the Cal Bears and the Oakland Athletics. He was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, as well as the Sons of the American Revolution, the Society of California Pioneers and the California Historical Society.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Elsie-Maye Oakley of Woodland; his daughter, Pamela Shackelford of Anchorage, Alaska; and his son, John Oakley of Davis.
A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 640 Hawthorn Lane in Davis. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to the National Parkinson Foundation Inc., 1501 N.W. 9th Ave., Miami, FL 33136-1494; or by calling (800) 327-4545 or visiting www.parkinsons.org.
OBREGON
Antelmo Garrido Obregon
Antelmo Garrido Obregon died in Sacramento on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003, at age 79.
Born May 25, 1923, in Cuahutepec, Hidalgo, Mexico, Mr. Obregon had been a Yolo County resident for the past 25 years. He worked for various ranchers and farmers.
Survivors include his sons, Raymundo Obregon, Galdino Obregon and Fernando Obregon of Knights Landing, and Alejandro Obregon and wife Edie of Woodland; daughters, Nora Galacia and husband Angel, Magali Garduno of Elk Grove, Tali Solis and husband Guerillmo of Corona, and America Obregon of Laguna; and 14 grandchildren.
The family requests memorials be directed to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Kraft Bros. Chapel of Woodland.
Services: Vigil is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at Kraft Bros. Chapel, 175 Second St., Woodland. Mass is scheduled at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at St. Paul's Catholic Church of Knights Landing, with burial to follow at Knights Landing Cemetery.
O'BRIEN
Edna Rae O'Brien
Edna Rae O'Brien died in Mesa, Ariz., Saturday, June 22, 2002, at age 95.
Born March 31, 1907, in Chico, Mrs. O'Brien had been a Yolo County resident for about nine years. She grew up in the Roseville area and was a member of the first graduating class of Sacramento City College before she became a 1929 UC Berkeley graduate. She taught women's physical education at Woodland High School for nine years before marrying. She and her husband farmed in the Arbuckle area before they moved to Auburn in 1968 to retire and travel. In 1995, she moved to Mesa, Ariz.
Mrs. O'Brien is survived by her daughter, Susan Abele of Mesa, Ariz.; son, Michael Cochran of Norton, Mass.; grandchildren, Ellen Spann of Scottsdale, Ariz., Morgan Abele of Chandler, Ariz., and Sharon Meekin of Eagan, Minn.; seven great-grandchildren; and one-great-great-granddaughter.
Also surviving is her sister, Margaret O'Brien of Aptos.
Mrs. O'Brien was preceded in death by her husband, Ernie Cochran.
A funeral Mass is scheduled to be said at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 9, at Queen of Peace Church in Mesa.
Interment is scheduled to take place at St. mary's Cemetery in Sacramento.
The family requests memorials be directed to The Hospice Family Care Foundation, 1550 S. Alma Road, Suite 102, Mesa, Ariz. 85210; or to the charity of the donor's choice.
Meldrum Mortuary of Mesa is assisting the family with arrangements.
O'BRIEN
Robert E. O'Brien
Robert Edward O'Brien, beloved father and grandfather, died of cancer on Nov. 12, 1999, at the Sierra Health Care Convalescent Hospital in Davis. Born on June 28, 1924, in Terra Haute, Ind., to Edward Smythe and Margaret Corridan O'Brien, he was 75.
During World War II he joined the Army Air Corps at the age of 17 and became a B-17 pilot stationed in England. He was shot down once over Nazi-occupied France and was rescued by the French Resistance, which enabled him to make it back to England to fly more missions.
After the war, he spent many months shuttling troops and displaced persons back to France from North Africa, all the while sleeping and eating in trenches in the south of France due to the lack of proper billeting at war's end.
Following World War II, he attended Loyola University and Santa Clara Law School. Although he never practiced law, he used this knowledge during the many years he worked in the transportation industry. He was the first of his family to move to California in the 1950s, where he raised his family.
He will be greatly missed for his generosity of spirit, his selfless giving as an individual and as a true Irishman of great wit, sparkle and faith. One of his favorite sayings was "there is no use in this life for vain thoughts, useless dreads and anxious imaginations, ' a saying family members have taken to heart through the years.
He was preceded in death by his sons, Kevin O'Brien in 1988, and William O'Brien in 1993, and by his brother, Joseph O'Brien, earlier this year.
He is survived by his son, Timothy E. O'Brien of Davis and his wife Fern; and two daughters, Eileen O'Brien of Woodland Hills and Theresa Tillett of Napa. His grandchildren who brought "Poppy' much happiness and laughter include Katie and Marianna O'Brien of Davis and Annette, Jessica, Mimi and Lonnie Tillett of Napa.
He will be fondly remembered by his nieces, Mimi Lyon of Woodland and her husband Craig, and Peggy Mauerman of Westport, Conn., and her husband Todd; two great-nieces, Thea and Kristin Labadie; and two great-nephews, Robert and Peter Mauerman.
He also was an uncle to Maureen Shepherd, Dennis Marquez, Moira Hummel, Kathy Magnusson and the Sandmann girls.
He departed this life praying that God watch over Mary Jean and his entire family.
His family would like to thank family and friends who have been so supportive during his illness. According to his wishes, there will be a graveside ceremony Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Davis Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the American Diabetes Association, Attention: ADA Web, P.O. Box 96911, Washington, D.C., 20090-6911.
OCEGUEDA
Madeline June Ocegueda
Madeline June Ocegueda died in Woodland on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2003. Born on June 20, 1923 in Turlock, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Mary Enos. She was 79 years old.
Mrs. Ocegueda most recently lived in San Diego but was a longtime Woodland resident. She worked for Yolo County for 26 years before retiring in 1985.
She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Antonio Ocegueda of San Diego. Also surviving are her children, Terry Heath and wife Dede, Tony Ocegueda and Irene and Jessie Ocegueda, all of San Diego; and daughters, Annett Scott and husband Gary of Fresno, Frances Losoya and husband Melton, Melvin Health and wife Sally, all of Woodland; and daughter, Carol Murphy of Texas. Other survivors include 19 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren as well as brothers, Howard Enos of Sparks, Nev., and Jessie Sanches of Capitola and sisters, Phylis Garcia and Jackie Enos of San Diego, Barbara Sanches of Sylmar and Irma Holquine of Woodland.
Services: Visitation is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at McNary's Chapel. A funeral mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17, at Holy Rosary Church with interment to follow at Monument Hill Memorial Park.
