Marilynn Wheeler, born Feb. 13, 1934, and a longtime resident of La Cañada Flintridge, passed away peacefully on Friday, Sept. 13. A graduate of UCLA, she taught swimming, gymnastics and volleyball at the YMCA in the 1960s. Continue reading “Obituary: Marilynn Janet Wheeler”
Obituary: Patricia (Patty) Faith Olivares
Patricia (Patty) Faith Olivares, a woman dedicated to her family as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister with a deep and abiding faith, joined the angels in heaven on June 17. Born on June 2, 1939, in Illinois, Patty later lived in Pasadena and did extensive charity work at the Hillside School and Learning Center in La Cañada Flintridge and served as president of St. Anne’s Loretta Young Auxiliary Guild, a charity for single young pregnant women. She loved to travel the world as a flight attendant on TWA and worked for United Airlines for many years. She was a resident of Manhattan Beach for some time and then her loving spouse, Jose Olivares, was assigned to the U.S. Continue reading “Obituary: Patricia (Patty) Faith Olivares”
Obituary: Wiley Douglas Bunn
Wiley Douglas Bunn, an 81-year resident of La Cañada Flintridge, passed away peacefully at age 90 at Villa Gardens Retirement Community on Thursday, Aug. 8. He leaves behind his wife of 68 years, Marilyn Granger; their children Barbara, Douglas (Deette), David (Kellie) and Carolyn (Steven Nahigian); 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild; his brother Robert (Ardis); his sister-in-law Elinor; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Wiley was born in Glendale on July 22, 1929, to Thomas and Ellen Bunn. He attended La Cañada Elementary School, Eliot Junior High and Pasadena City College. He met Marilyn on the first day of school at Eliot, thus beginning their lifetime relationship. He attended USC with the exception of one year pursuing his interest in Marilyn at Wheaton College in Illinois. Continue reading “Obituary: Wiley Douglas Bunn”
Obituary: Daniel Asher Smith Fausett
Daniel Asher Smith Fausett died Friday, Aug. 30, in Vang Vieng, Laos, from complications following a hiking accident. He was 20 years old. Asher was a junior at the University of Chicago studying economics, with an interest in South Asian history. He graduated in 2017 from La Cañada High School, where he was a pitcher on the varsity baseball team and was president of the Engineering Club. Continue reading “Obituary: Daniel Asher Smith Fausett”
Obituary: Maureen Sweeney Norgaard
After a long battle with cancer that she fought to her last breath, Maureen Sweeney Norgaard passed away on the night of Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Huntington Memorial Hospital. With her were her husband of 47 years, Chris, and their children Michael and Anne. She was predeceased by her parents, Robert and Veronica Sweeney of Pasadena, and her two sisters, both of whom died from cancer. She is survived by her brothers John Sweeney, Robert S. Sweeney Jr. and Mark Sweeney, by Sweeney cousins and other relatives in Southern California and elsewhere.
Although her father was a graduate of Los Angeles High School, Maureen was raised as a young child in Vero Beach, Florida, where she and her St. Helen’s classmates were excused from school only to see Dodgers games. Beside Maureen and her classmates at daily prayer knelt the 6-foot-7 Dodgers slugger Frank “Hondo” Howard. Continue reading “Obituary: Maureen Sweeney Norgaard”
Obituary: Kimberly Joan Bachman
Kimberly Joan “Kim” Bachman passed away Saturday, Aug. 10, from complications related to cancer.
Kim was loved dearly by those who knew her gentle spirit and tender heart. She grew up in La Cañada Flintridge and attended Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, then UCLA, where she graduated with honors. She was a lifelong reader and shared her love of storytelling with friends and family. Her care and respect for the environment began during her girlhood when she earned the WoHeLo Medallion in Camp Fire Girls. Throughout her life she loved animals and cared for many. She was talented in academics as well as the arts, in which she studied flute and ballet. Continue reading “Obituary: Kimberly Joan Bachman”
Obituary: Paul Whitefield
Paul Whitefield, a veteran editor at the Los Angeles Times who helped guide coverage of many of the paper’s major stories during his 30-year career, died at home Aug. 14 after a five-year battle with esophageal cancer. He was 66.
A longtime resident of La Cañada Flintridge, he is survived by his wife, Sara Lessley, and two sons, Sam and Ben Whitefield, both of whom grew up in LCF and attended local public schools.
Paul was a familiar figure around LCF for many years, supporting his sons’ athletic careers in baseball and water polo. He was an avid fly fisherman, scratch golfer, huge car buff and devoted Dodgers fan and season ticket-holder for many years. Continue reading “Obituary: Paul Whitefield”
Obituary: Thomas Gorecki
Thomas “Tom” Gorecki passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, April 8, at age 50. A resident of Burlington, Connecticut, Tom graduated in 1986 from La Cañada High School, where he excelled in basketball among other sports.
After high school, Tom enlisted in the Navy, later moving to Connecticut, where he worked as an emergency medical technician and then as a licensed practical nurse, and started a family. At 32, he suffered a severe back injury at work that changed the course of his life and eventually led to many surgeries, numerous health issues and eventually paralysis. The injury may have robbed him of his health at a young age, but he also found numerous moments of joy with his family, friends and caretakers, and in his faith in the intervening years. Continue reading “Obituary: Thomas Gorecki”
Obituary: Warren Gannon
Warren Gannon passed away peacefully at home on July 21 in San Jose with his wife of 52 years by his side. He was 92.
Warren was a devoted husband to Beverly and father to David and Patrick, loving father-in-law to Kristin and Tammy, and was beloved by his grandsons Tucker and Cole. Warren is also survived by his loving sister Margaret, sister-in-law Barbara and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.
Warren was born on Nov. 18, 1926, in Cleveland to Joseph and Floy Gannon. He attended South Pasadena High School, where he was senior class president. Continue reading “Obituary: Warren Gannon”
Obituary: Barbara Jean Sherman
Barbara Jean Sherman, a 61-year resident of La Cañada Flintridge, passed away peacefully and gently at her home on June 18. She was 92 years old.
She was born Barbara Jean to Thomas and Frances Ryan in San Diego in 1927, and lived with her parents and sisters Patricia, Annabelle and Geraldine in Point Loma, attending Point Loma High School. She then attended San Diego State where she met her future husband, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II, Arthur J. Sherman, another San Diego resident. They were married in 1947 at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Point Loma. Continue reading “Obituary: Barbara Jean Sherman”