Claremont Obituaries

Great-grandmother was active in her community, church Raquel Arriaga died peacefully surrounded by loved ones on January 7. She was 93 years old and was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Rodolfo “Rudy” Arriaga. She was the sixth of nine children, the youngest daughter of Luz and Francisco Nuñez, and the last […]

Great-grandmother, long-time Claremont resident, volunteer Hanne Ansell (née Baer) died peacefully on Friday, December 20 at Mt. San Antonio Gardens in Pomona. She was 95 years old and spent most of the last six decades as an active member of the Claremont community. Born February 8, 1929, Hanne was the eldest child of Richard and […]

Long-time Claremont resident, volunteer, great-grandmother Claremont resident Darleen Rota, 90, died peacefully December 10 surrounded by loved ones. Darleen was born in Oklee, Minnesota on January 22, 1934, to Edwin and Martha Lande. She married Antonio Rota, and the couple moved west to Claremont. That marriage produced one daughter, Roxanne. Later in life she met […]

Theologian, poet, hymnist      Ruth Carolyn Duck died peacefully from pneumonia on December 26, 2024, with loved ones near her. Born in Washington D.C. on November 21, 1947 to Jesse Thomas Duck and Louise Farmer Duck, Ruth grew up in Washington and in Annapolis, MD. At the age of sixteen she and her family moved to […]

Beloved matriarch, hostess extraordinaire, gifted entertainer Sharon Sheila Schneider (née Gogin), 77, died in her home on November 22, with family by her side. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 18, 1947, to Richard and Frieda (née Kane) Gogin, Sheila was the second youngest of 13 siblings. She graduated high school in 1965 and attended […]

Long-time Claremonter, husband, adventurer Claremont native and longtime resident Rob Burwell died October 13 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where he had lived since 2018 with his wife of 25 years, Jan Burwell. “Rob was a man who loved adventure, ideas and new experiences,” his family shared. “He was devoted to his friends and […]

Great-grandmother, volunteer, long-time Claremont resident  Lorraine Freese, 91, died peacefully in her home with family on November 17. Born August 12, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York to Matt and Evelyn Houghton, Lorraine grew up in New York before relocating to California in 1952. In California, she met her first husband, Ralph Higgins, and they started a […]

Grandfather, CHS teacher for 41 years, athlete On Saturday, November 23, 2024, Robert (Bob) Fredrick Shamah, died peacefully at the age of 85 in his beloved Claremont home, whilst in the care of his son, Matthew Shamah. Bob was born on June 7, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York to Josephine Peshla and Fredrick Shamah. After attending […]

Grandmother, longtime activist for peace and justice, volunteer Gaynl Clair Trotter (Stouffer) was born on August 14, 1935, in Modesto, California, to Weslie and Mavis Stouffer (Proudfit). Growing up in the small farming town of Ripon, California, deeply influenced Gaynl’s values and provided her with many leadership opportunities (girls state, national 4-H, debate, high school yell […]

Grandmother, public servant, longtime Claremont resident  Longtime community member Marilyn Hazel Engelke, 79, died in the early morning hours of December 1 in Pomona after a brief hospitalization for sudden heart failure. She was described by family as a “devoted grandmother, mother and community member.” Born in 1945 in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley, Marilyn […]

Beloved family member, friend, colleague, accomplished archeologist John Gordon Douglass, beloved family member, friend, colleague, and accomplished archeologist, died peacefully at home on November 12 at the age of 56 after a brief illness. Born in Claremont, John loved the outdoors. He was deeply involved in scouting as a youth and earned the distinguished rank […]

Logician, scholar of ancient Greek philosophy and language Charles (“Chuck”) Young, longtime Claremont resident and professor of philosophy at Claremont Graduate University, died at home on August 30 in the loving arms of his wife of 40 years. He was 79. “Chuck was loved and admired by his family, friends, colleagues, and students,” his family […]

Mother, adventurer, Ironman athlete, traveler Roberta “Bobbi” Pollock, 91, of Claremont, died peacefully in her sleep on March 10, from natural causes. Born on May 25, 1932, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Robert and Velma Reaser, Bobbi was raised in Roanoke, Indiana, alongside her identical twin sister Peggy and younger brother Dan. Her childhood was […]

Mother, grandmother, social worker, singer Joyce Waters died November 4 of natural causes at her daughter’s home in Alta Loma. She was 102. Born Mona Joyce Burge on March 20, 1922 in Judsonia, Arkansas, the only child of Orion and Mona Burge, Joyce attended Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri, working in the school cafeteria […]

Great-grandmother, volunteer, longtime School of Theology employee Elaine Newton was born June 1, 1934 in Baltimore, Maryland and died October 20, in Pomona. Elaine attended local schools in Baltimore and graduated from Bard Avon Secretarial College in 1954. She worked as an executive secretary at Martin Marietta in Baltimore where she met Dick Newton. They […]

Grandmother, longtime PVHMC case manager, volunteer Twyla Flaherty Acosta died at home in Claremont surrounded by family members on Saturday, October 12. Twyla was born on June 17, 1950 in Redding, California, and moved at age 1 to the Atlanta area. She was the only child of Dennis Austin Flaherty, Jr. and Ouida Price Flaherty. […]