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Obituary: Mary Bronson Potter

Mary Bronson Potter
Mary Bronson Potter

Mary Bronson Potter, 94, of La Cañada Flintridge passed away on March 5 at her residence at Windsor Manor in Glendale, surrounded by her family and close friends.
Mary was born on Dec. 21, 1924, in Detroit. She was the second daughter born to Karl Bronson and Catherine (Dunn) Bronson. Mary married Edward J. (Ted) Potter of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, on June 29, 1946, in Detroit. Both Mary and Ted attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The Potters moved from Birmingham, Michigan, to Deerfield, Illinois, in the mid-1950s. There Mary became a substitute teacher for elementary and junior high school students. Continue reading “Obituary: Mary Bronson Potter”

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Obituary: Eileen Hanson O’Kane

1950-2019

Eileen Hanson O’Kane
Eileen Hanson O’Kane

Eileen Hanson O’Kane, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend and judge, passed away peacefully on April 4, surrounded by her husband, children and siblings. Eileen and her husband of nearly 45 years, John Joseph O’Kane III, were longtime residents of La Cañada Flintridge.
Eileen was born on Dec. 31, 1950, the eldest daughter of Joseph Patrick Hanson and Eileen Cavanaugh Hanson of Rhode Island. She was raised in Pawtucket, then earned her bachelor’s degree from the Catholic University of America. She excelled on the national debate team, where she met her husband, then a student coach. They married in June 1974. Continue reading “Obituary: Eileen Hanson O’Kane”

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Obituary: Mary (Kay) Fleming

Mary (Kay) Fleming
Mary (Kay) Fleming

Mary (Kay) Fleming, 92, of La Cañada Flintridge passed away peacefully on March 21. Preceded in death by husband, Joel. Survived by stepdaughters Kathy and Mary; grandchildren Julie, Tony and Rachel; three great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.
Kay retired after many years as a nurse for the Glendale Unified School District. She was also a talented painter and enjoyed being part of the Valley Porcelain Artist Club for many years.

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Obituary: Jack (John) H. Willoughby

April 3, 1917-June 8, 2018

Jack (John) H. Willoughby
Jack (John) H. Willoughby

Jack, a 70-year La Cañada Flintridge resident, passed away peacefully last summer after living his 101 years to the fullest.
Jack grew up in Plymouth, North Carolina, and Williamsburg, Virginia, near areas occupied by Willoughbys since the 1600s. At an early age, Jack’s gifts as a photographer, athlete and charming extrovert became evident.
After attending William & Mary College, where he met his future wife, Marx Figley, he served in the Army and then graduated from the New York Institute of Photography. Having this prestigious degree, he and Marx rode across the U.S. in a Model T’s rumble seat to get to where the work was — Hollywood! Continue reading “Obituary: Jack (John) H. Willoughby”

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Obituary: Paulette Bertot Keating

1924-2019

Paulette Bertot Keating
Paulette Bertot Keating

She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her. (Prov. 31: 27-28a)
———
Paulette Bertot Keating, resident of La Cañada Flintridge beginning in 1957 and beloved matriarch of the extended Keating family, passed away peacefully on March 30.
Paulette was born in 1924 in Price, Utah, to immigrant parents from Italy and France. She graduated from Carbon College (now called College of Eastern Utah) and was working as a secretary in Salt Lake City when she met and soon thereafter became the faithful wife of well-known La Cañada Flintridge figure Joe Keating. Continue reading “Obituary: Paulette Bertot Keating”

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Obituary: Mary Waldsmith Dirckx

Mary Waldsmith Dirckx
Mary Waldsmith Dirckx

Mary Waldsmith Dirckx, 85, longtime resident of La Cañada Flintridge, passed away on Sunday, March 3, in Bradbury. She was born in Los Angeles on March 1, 1934, and raised in Beverly Hills. Preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Laura Waldsmith; her sister Margy Cocherell; and her grandson Eric Hahn. Those left to cherish her memory are her loving husband, David Dirckx; Donn and Nancy Dirckx; Devin and Matt Hahn; Leslie and Wayne Henriksen; and her grandchildren: Elizabeth, Katherine and Ryan Hahn; Julia, Sarah and Matthew Dirckx; and Laura and William Henriksen. Continue reading “Obituary: Mary Waldsmith Dirckx”

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Obituary: Thelma Petersen Gerlach

Thelma Petersen Gerlach
Thelma Petersen Gerlach

Thelma Petersen Gerlach, beloved mother and wife, passed away Feb. 12. Thelma was born in Glen Ellen, California, on March 13, 1921. She was the fourth daughter of Irene Fleur Petersen and Daniel Christian Petersen. As a child, she lived with her family on the estate of Jack London in the Valley of the Moon, California. Thelma and her family moved to Covina and then to Pasadena.
The Petersens spent many summers in June Lake, California, where Thelma learned to love nature and the Sierras. She was a good fisherman and loved to garden, cook and enjoy classical music. In 1937, she entered the Mark Twain beauty contest and won the title of Miss Mono County. Continue reading “Obituary: Thelma Petersen Gerlach”

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Obituary: Sherrill Carbonetti

Sherrill Carbonetti
Sherrill Carbonetti

Surrounded by loved ones, former La Cañadan of the Year Sherrill Carbonetti passed away March 13 at a memory care facility in San Dimas. She was 87.
In April 2016, Sherrill suffered a stroke resulting in dementia and aphasia, which is the loss of her ability to understand or express speech.
Sherrill was a well-known active volunteer in countless LCF community organizations. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, she grew up in nearby Rutherford. After numerous family transfers around New York, Mobil Oil offered husband Jim an opportunity to move to the Los Angeles area in 1969, and the family settled in LCF. Continue reading “Obituary: Sherrill Carbonetti”

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Obituary: Irene R. Elshoff

Irene R. Elshoff
Irene R. Elshoff

Irene R. Elshoff, 88, passed away peacefully in her home on March 5. Irene was born on May 23, 1930, in Martins Ferry, Ohio. She attended Catholic grade school, Martins Ferry High School, and the University of Cincinnati from which she earned a bachelor of science in home economics. It was at the university that Irene met E. Calvin (Cal) Elshoff, an architecture student. The two married in 1953.
Irene and Cal lived in Cincinnati where their first four children, Matthew, Cindy, Heather and Jennifer, were born. A job transfer brought the family to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where their youngest child, Drew, was born. In 1965, Cal was again transferred, this time to California, and the family moved to La Cañada Flintridge and joined St. Bede the Venerable Church. Continue reading “Obituary: Irene R. Elshoff”

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Obituary: Joe Bergen

Joe Bergen
Joe Bergen

Joe Bergen, 61, of La Cañada Flintridge, passed away surrounded by family and friends at his home on March 6 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his daughters Amelia and Megan Bergen, his sisters Annmarie Bergen Donahoe and Mary Bergen Harrison, and his former wife, Ann Penners Bergen.
Joe was born in 1957 in the Bronx, New York, to Joseph Bergen and Eileen O’Sullivan Bergen. His father, a New York City firefighter, moved the family to Pearl River, New York, when Joe was a small child. Joe’s childhood was filled with all the fun and adventure that a child surrounded by extended family and growing up in the ’60s could experience. Continue reading “Obituary: Joe Bergen”