EUGENE D. ERMAN

Eugene D. Erman, of Encino, aged 100 years, passed peacefully with his daughter at his bedside on Saturday, August 24, 2019. Eugene was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his son Bruce (Juliana) Erman, daughter Nancy (William) Tubis, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Eugene's wife of seventy-two years, Rowene, passed in 2014. Eugene was a medical doctor, metal sculptor, world traveler, World War II veteran, who had a thirst for knowledge and love for life, family and his many friends. A special thank you to the people at Mission Hospice and Casa de las Campanas in San Diego for their loving care and support during his final days. No services are planned at this time.

Elvin "John" Harper

November 19, 1930—July 16, 2019

Elvin Harper died on July 16, 2019 at the age of 88. He was born in New York City on November 19, 1930 to Eunice and Elkins Harper. John received his education in New York at Bronx High School of Science and City College, graduating with a B.S. in 1952. He continued with his education at Brooklyn College for an M.A. and obtained a Ph.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1966. After postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, he joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Harper was promoted to Associate Professor at Harvard and then joined the faculty at UCSD Chemistry Department in 1973. His research focused on the regulation of collagen metabolism in normal and disease states. His major contribution was the discovery that the enzyme collagenase existed as a zymogen form requiring activation by another protease. He retired from research in 1994 and pursued other interests including opera, music, chess and travel. He was a very loyal and disciplined person and expected the same from others. He tempered this with a wonderful sense of humor. John is survived by his wife of 43 years, Dr. Judith Harper, his brothers-in-law Dr. Alan Hiti (Linda), Don Hiti (Lana), his sisters in-law CeCe Long (Bill), Joy Karns (Marvin) and many nephews, nieces, great nephews and nieces.

NANCY GRIMM GEU

Nancy was born September 30, 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska to Gerhard and Jean (Godden) Grimm. She was the third child of five in the family. She graduated from Woodbine High School of Woodbine, IA in 1984. Nancy attended and graduated from Wayne State College in Wayne, NE in December 1989 with a BA of Fine Arts in Music Education.

Nancy married Thomas Geu on August 6, 1988. Together they started their journey which lead them to such locations as Jacksonville, NC, San Angelo, TX, San Diego, CA, San Marcos, CA, and end in Oceanside, CA. Nancy had many careers that went from working in fabric stores, restaurants, and ends with doing Graphic Arts. Nancy taught herself everything she needed to know. She worked at the Pennysaver for 20 plus years working her way up to Supervisor. She ended her work career at Aloha Printing in San Marcos, CA.

Nancy enjoyed supporting her children in every endeavor they pursued. She was a big supporter of the Arts. Music, dance and theatre never left her heart. She would help with costumes and backstage wherever she was needed in numerous theatre groups that her kids were involved in. Nancy loved helping people. She would help out family, friends, and co-workers whenever possible.

Nancy died June 25th, 2019 after a long battle with colon cancer. She is survived by her husband of 30 years. Her children Zachary, Brystal and her fiance Matt Nevins, Spencer and McKenna. She was also survived by her mother Jean Ford, sisters Anita Schuckert, Valerie Coleman, and Karen Parr along with their brother Gery Grimm. Nancy was loved and cherished by loving in-laws, nieces and nephews. Numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Nancy was preceded in death by her father Gerhard Grimm, Grandparents Curt and Anita Grimm, Ruby Marsh, and Francis Godden.

Mark Welsh

Mark Charles Welsh (aka Blade), born on October 25, 1960 in Aston, Pennsylvania passed away at age 58 on May 15, 2019 in San Diego, California. Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Paul Welsh and Eleanor Lucas Welsh. Mark is survived by his brother, Gary Welsh (Maryellen); and sister, Kelly Welsh Monti (Bill) and his niece Gabriella Welsh. He started working at the age of 16 at Pathmark in Aston, PA. He continued working at various grocery stores throughout the rest of his life.

At a very young age, Mark acquired a passion for fishing . If he wasn't outside playing baseball or football with the neighborhood kids, he was fishing down at the local creek. Mark’s other passion was drawing and painting. In ninth grade, he was asked to paint a mural in the Northley Junior High School cafeteria. He also had a sense of adventure and a love for life. At the age of 21, he traveled across country with his best friend Steve Lee and eventually settled in San Diego. He lived there until 2001, and then decided to move back to Aston, PA to help his family take care of their ailing father. After his father's death, he moved back to the area he truly loved, San Diego. He had many friends who shared his love of football and his favorite team, the Miami Dolphins. He enjoyed traveling around the country to see his favorite team play. He was also known for his love of chocolate chip cookies and milk, which he enjoyed having often, and his love of animals, especially dogs. He would be seen outside feeding the birds potato chips when he finished working his shift at Von’s Grocery Store in San Diego.

He will be truly missed by his family and friends, but we know he is at peace. Mark will always be in his loved ones hearts.

Those who wish to honor his memory, a service will be held on Friday, August 9 at 10am at St. Joseph’s Church in Aston, PA followed by a Celebration of Life luncheon at Noon at Slowdown Grill located at 4700 Pennell Rd, Aston, PA.

If you like to make a donation in his memory, Mark would have appreciated a donation to the Humane Society of the United States.

DOMENICA MARIA TERESA PACHI LI VECCHI

View fullsize

Alfred R. Melanson

Alfred Roosevelt Melanson, 85, of Vista, CA passed away peacefully on Friday May 17, 2019 at his assisted living facility in Escondido, CA after years of declining health.

Al was born in Arlington, MA on February 25, 1934 to the late Jess T Melanson and Thelma T Melanson (Wilson). He grew up in Massachusetts, joined and served in the Air Force before ultimately returning to the states and moving to California. Al was involved in finance working for several organizations over the years. His primary focus was valuation services, and mergers/acquisitions. His passion was golf, he also enjoyed walking on the beach, sports, and investing.

In addition to his parents, Al was predeceased in life by his brother Donald Melanson of Glastonbury, CT, brother Gerald Melanson of Weymouth, MA, and Anna Otis (married name Melanson, maiden name Tidwell) of Hemet, CA, the mother of his children. He is survived by his children Richard, David, Edward, Catherine, and John, and 10 grandchildren. Should friends desire memorial, in lieu of flowers contributions may be made in his name to the American Council of the Blind, Alexandria, VA.

James Patrick Farley

James Patrick Farley, 72, of Escondido, CA, passed away on Monday, April 29, 2019, following a period of declining health.

Jim was born on November 24, 1946 in Litchfield, MN to the late Thomas M Farley, Sr and Katherine M Farley. He grew up on a farm in Minnesota. Jim served two years in the United States Army before moving to Escondido, where he spent 40 years as the owner of Farley Tile Company. In his retirement, as a hobby he sold golf carts. He loved sports, especially football.

In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his beloved daughter Julianna Farley, brother-in-law Ron Chessen, brother-in-law John Andrews, and niece Theresa Dressel. He is survived by his son Matthew Farley, granddaughter Lauren Farley, former wife Karen Farley, 9 brothers, 4 sisters and many nieces & nephews.

Janet Shore Boysen

January 23, 1935 – April 22, 2019

Janet Constance Shore Boysen, 84, of Oceanside, CA died peacefully in the loving arms of her husband Jack, son and daughter Eric and Dortha, her daughter-in-law Robynne and her beloved pastor Beth Johnson at 6:31 pm on Earth Day, April 22, 2019. Jan leaves behind, in addition to family noted above, her son-in-law Edward Zinke and grandchildren Chandler and Spencer Zinke, and Amanda, Zoralei, Joseph, Enoch, Mahonri, Esmyral and Renaria Boysen. She is also survived by her first cousins Tom and Geoff Hargreaves, Jim Thornton and Becky Mausolf, as well as countless friends and relatives around the globe.

Jan was born January 23, 1935 to Delbert and Dorothy Shore at the Worthington, MN hospital which served her small nearby town of Rushmore. It was in Rushmore that she was raised, attended elementary school, and made many life-long friends. She graduated from Worthington High School as salutatorian.

Graduating magna cum laude in 1957 from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Journalism and a minor in Geology, Jan began writing for Minnesota Motorist Magazine of the Minnesota State Automobile Association, the state AAA affiliate. It was there in Minneapolis that she met and married Jack at the First Universalist Church. Their association with the Unitarian-Universalist movement continued in each community in which they lived.

After brief residence in Rapid City, SD where Eric was born and Jacksonville, FL where Dortha was born, Jan and Jack moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area, first to Rockville, MD, then to Reston and later Vienna, VA.

Janet returned to the world of work at the leading edge of a generation of women who sought a larger role in the world than the confines of hearth and home. While living in Rockville, she leveraged her geology minor and wrote for GeoTimes, the journal of the American Geosciences Institute. Jan later worked at Robert E. Perry High School as a teacher’s aide, beginning her long association with public education.

After the move to Reston in 1971, Jan again worked as a teacher’s aide at Langley High School in McLean, VA. When a vacancy opened in the Langley Science department, she became an Earth Science teacher.

Janet left teaching after Dortha’s high school graduation in 1982 and resumed her writing career, this time for National Wildlife magazine, the flagship publication of the National Wildlife Federation. She made a home there as an advocate for ecology and stewardship of the environment. Starting as a clerk, Jan worked her way up through the organization until her name found its way to the masthead as an associate editor and staff writer.

Retiring in 1991, Jan and Jack relocated to Oceanside, CA. Retirement is in many ways a misstatement as she became highly involved with the Palomar Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, serving in many capacities including a pastoral search committee, in the choir, and as fellowship archivist. She also served as president of the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, and led AAUW’s education program about the history of California. She shared her passion for genealogy with her multi-volume family history beginning with The Family Quilt, a project to which she devoted herself for over 10 years, and which has enjoyed wide circulation among her scattered relatives.

This warm-hearted woman won friends everywhere she went. As an accomplished writer, Jan’s skill with the written word was inspiring and brought people together. Her descriptions are works of art, connecting generations. Her home remains a reflection of Jan’s beauty, open and inviting, with colorful gardens she lovingly tended, a picturesque view of the mountains and city below, and rooms filled with mementos representing a rich tapestry of cultures from around the globe. Jan made everyone feel like family.

Janet fought for life against breast cancer and complications of pneumonia and a stroke that ultimately she was unable to overcome. Attending her in her last hours were family gathered from California, Washington, Utah, Colorado, and Norway.

Jan will be honored in a memorial service on June 29, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1600 Buena Vista Drive, Vista, CA 92081.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation at 28 West 44th Street, Suite 609, New York, NY 10036 or online at www.bcrf.org; or to the Palomar U-U Fellowship at 1600 Buena Vista Drive, Vista, CA 92081.

Kenneth "Kenny" Jamison

On March 29, 2019, Kenny earned his wings at the early age of 31. He was born on September 12, 1987 to proud parents, Richard and Teresa Jamison, with his sisters, Alex & Francesca, and brother Rich, completing this family of six. Kenny proudly spent the first eight years of his life in South Gate, CA, and spent the remainder of his years in Oceanside, CA. He graduated from El Camino High School in 2005 and later went on to receive his Bachelor's Degree in Communication from California State University San Marcos, graduating with honors cum laude, in 2013. He had a natural kindness about him and matching sense of humor, which made him someone who was easy to talk to once you caught his attention. His dream was to one day become a writer for a TV sitcom, within the comedy genre of course; some of his favorite TV shows were “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, and “Family Guy”. He held himself to high standards, and seemed to want everything perfectly in place before he would allow himself to “take off” in life. He loved his family dearly and had a special affinity for his nieces and nephews, mostly due to his "inner kid" self. We are especially thankful to his lovely girlfriend, Lili, who showed him how great life could be once he let God take the wheel. We will miss our Kenny like the deserts miss the rain, forever in our hearts, knowing he dwells above the orange sky in the House of the Lord.

Services will be held on April 26, 2019 and further details are available upon request.

Helen Louise Vance Hespel Ruppelt

August 27, 1923-February 4, 2019

Helen was born to Fred Sumner Vance, a salesman and Blanche Francis Fowler Vance, his wife, on the evening of August 27, 1923, at their home in Santa Ana California. She had two older brothers, Wendell and Wayne, a younger sister Barbara, and a younger brother Wallace. She grew up in Orange County in various homes while it was still a very rural community.

Sadly her mother passed away when Helen was only 11 years of age, and soon after she was sent to live with her maternal grandparents, as her father had a difficult time keeping the family together.

One fact that she was always very proud of was that her father’s brother was Charles Arthur “Dazzy” Vance. He was one of the great pitchers in 1920’s and 1930’s baseball and played the majority of his career for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. Helen always said her earliest recollected memory of reading was when she would read the baseball scores to her “Pop.” She remained a dedicated Baseball fan all her life, including her beloved Padres whether they were winning or losing.

When she was 13 she moved in with Her Aunt Nell and her husband, and was overjoyed to be reunited with her sister Barbara who was already residing with them. The girls worked hard at school, helping their aunt with the household chores and they felt loved and secure.

At the age of 18, Helen met Joseph A. Hespel and they married in Las Vegas, Nevada, after only 6 weeks of dating. Joe and Helen drove back to his tiny hometown of Fennville, Michigan, where his father owned a peach tree farm. She spent her first and only winter in the snow there, and as WWII was escalating, Joe’s Dad sold the farm and the whole family moved back to the West Coast.

At that point, Joe joined the US Coast Guard and was stationed in San Diego. Housing was hard to find there at that time so Joe and Helen settled into a tiny 13 foot trailer and lived there until the end of the war. He was stationed in San Diego for his entire enlistment and planted most of the (now) huge eucalyptus trees at the Naval Training Center on Rosecrans Street.

At the end of the war, they had saved up enough money to purchase a small house in Pacific Beach on Missouri St. in 1945. Soon after, they had the opportunity to buy some lots across the street from their home which included the only barn remaining in PB. In 1946 they had their only son, Laurence (Larry) in 1950 they welcomed Marianne, and in 1954 Elaine was born to complete their family. Her favorite experience in life came from being a mother.

Helen was very involved in her children’s lives, she was a Cub Scout den mother, Blue Bird leader, and involved with the PTA. Helen even sewed many of their clothes. She was also a Sunday school teacher at Christ Lutheran where she joined the church to make sure her kids were brought up with the love of God. Her sister Barbara had moved down to San Diego, so all of their kids attended church activities together and celebrated all holidays with the two families.

Helen created a lifelong love of the ocean and the bay in her family as she and Barbara took them several times a week in the summer.

She got a part time job at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla 2 nights a week to help out financially, and in 1962 began working at the hospital full time in the accounting department. She retired after 35 years at Scripps.

She and Joe parted ways in 1975, and she enhanced her social life while continuing to enjoy her kids and now her grandkids.

In 1985 she met Ellis Ruppelt who was a retired Lt. Col in the US Air Force and they married in 1989. Sadly, Ellis died 2 years after their marriage, but Helen considered him the love of her life.

She moved to a home in Rancho Bernardo in 1991 where she stayed happily until she sold it and moved to the beautiful retirement community of Wesley Palms, once again in Pacific Beach where she spent her last five years, making new friends, going to Bible study, playing bingo, and as always, spending time with her beloved family.

Cathlene Miriam Hofheimer

Cathlene (Willis) Hofheimer passed away peacefully at home listening to hymns with family and friends. She was 89. Her love for the Lord is still reflected in her many drawings, paintings, and calligraphy (scriptures, etc..). She also had a natural gift of music - gently singing and playing hymns on her piano.

Cathy was born in Brockton, Mass. and received a BFA from Mass College of Art. Her first job was drafting for MIT, where she met her husband, Richard Westfield Hofheimer. His team was designing one of the early computers. (She would much later part ways and remain friends). Cathy raised her children - Richard Jr, Linda, and Wendy Francisco (Don) in Del Mar, CA. where she was active in swimming and tennis and was known for her sensitive portraits in charcoal, and oil. She eventually moved to Carlsbad and used her talents in a multitude of projects for the Church and in local art galleries - putting her whole self into everything she did. A highlight in her life was a trip to the Cotswolds, England, were she drew trees and sheep out in the meadow.

Cathy was always encouraging and inspiring to family (including her granddaughter, Annie Brooks), to children (she taught in churches, schools, camps, home...) and to everyone else she met with the joy of art, music, nature and God. We will miss her smile, humor, and all the fun!! She is now with her son, Richard. A private service has been arranged.

Tom Jack Loftus

Tom Jack Loftus died on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 after a long battle with colon cancer, surrounded by loving family and friends at his home in Vista, California. 

Tom was a dependable and generous man, a loving husband and father, a successful businessman, an avid motorcyclist and adventurer, and a friend to many. Born on April 21, 1955 to parents, Jack and Lydia Loftus, in Honolulu, HI, Tom went on to serve in the United States Coast Guard, followed by a career as a program manager for the Federal Aviation Administration. After his experience in the FAA, Tom founded his company, LS Technologies, in 2000 to provide support services to the federal government. LS Technologies’ strong commitment to employees and customers began with Tom, and continues today.  

Tom partially retired in 2012 to dedicate more time to traveling the world by motorcycle with his wife, Mona. Tom's travels took him to all 50 States and around the world. Tom is survived by his wife, Mona; daughters, Carol and Emily Shiflett; parents, Jack and Lydia; siblings, David, Daniel, Melinda (Loftus) Santacruz, and Nathan; and loyal canine companions, Bella and Scout.

Memorial services to celebrate Tom's life will be held on his birthday, Sunday, April 21, 2019 at 1:00 PM at the Wyndham Oceanside Pier Resort, 333 N Myers St, Oceanside, CA 92054 . Memorial donations may be made to the Fisher House Foundation.

Mark Deschneau

Mark Deschneau of Poway, CA, born 4-15-1958 in Minot, ND passed away January 5th 2019 surrounded by family and friends in Escondido CA. Mark was proceeded by his parents Jim and Carmen DeSchneau and his nephew Ethan DeSchneau. Mark is survived by his significant other Marilee and his step daughter Lani. His brothers Kevin (Driggs, ID) Austin (Edwards, CO) Jay (Sheridan, WY) DeSchneau. Nephews Sonny, AJ, and Steven DeSchneau. Mark enjoyed hunting and fishing with his friends and family. Marks energetic personality and unforgettable laugh will be missed by all.