Claremont Obituaries
Beloved father, husband, son, brother, and friend Karl Gregory Johnson, 52, was born in Boston and grew up in central Ohio, where he attended Upper Arlington High School. He then moved to Grinnell College, majoring in biology, and finished his education at UC San Diego and the University of Cambridge for his Ph.D. After his […]
Grandfather, pastor, peacemaker, volunteer The Rev. Robert Bruce Wallace died April 8 at the age of 90. He was born in Phoenix, and lived for the early part of his life in Mesa, Arizona, where his grandfather had homesteaded in the 1890s. The Wallaces prided themselves in their Scottish heritage. Bob was born in 1933, […]
Beloved great-grandfather, entrepreneur, volunteer, philanthropist “Woody Norman Douglas left an unforgettable legacy of love, service, and generosity,” his family shared. “Born on January 9, 1937, in Los Angeles to Ira Earnest Douglas and Lillian M.E. Munson, Woody’s life was a testament to the power of family, community, and resilience. “From his early days at Benjamin […]
Grandmother, private investigator, aikido enthusiast, chef The Mary Jo Esquibel matter … “In the dimly lit corners of Southern California’s Inland Empire, where shadows danced with secrets and whispers lingered like cigarette smoke, Mary Jo Esquibel, known in the underbelly of the city as Mary Schildmeyer, made her mark. Born on a stormy night in […]
Proud son and father, Claremont High School grad Michael Joseph Torrez, 47, of Boise, Idaho, died February 24. He was born in Pomona on June 19, 1976 to the late Michael G. Torrez and Karen Carlon. Michael was known for his unwavering love for his children and the Claremont community in which he grew up. […]
Mother, educator, theater lover, athlete “After a life devoted to connecting people, helping others, and simply brightening her corner of the world, Elizabeth (Sullivan) Walkenbach passed away unexpectedly on March 11th, 2024,” her family shared. Elizabeth, fondly known as Beth, was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She was the eldest daughter of James and Judith […]
After a life filled with a love of family, friends, adventure, and dedication to work, Michael Christopher Dorsey died unexpectedly on January 26.
Purnima Suresh Chaurushiya, M.D., died at her home in Claremont on March 21, the first day of spring, after a year of battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Loretta Warmbrunn, a longtime Claremont resident, Pitzer College alumna, and beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, died March 30. She was 90 years old.
Robert (Bob) Weingartner, a longtime resident of Claremont, died peacefully at his home on March 28, surrounded by his children and caregivers.
Diann Benningfield Ring died at age 81 on March 2, her hand firmly held by Robert, her husband of 60 years.
Bertha Peters died March 3 at Kaiser Hospital in Walnut Creek, California after a short illness, in the loving presence of two of her grown children. She was 92.
John Michael Layne died March 16 at the age of 88 after a brief illness.
Bob Redick died March 22, 2023 “following a valiant battle with Covid pneumonia,” his family shared. “As his niece said, ‘The loss is palpable, leaving an empty space in our lives once filled with humor, laughter and grace.’
Octavio Gustavo Boubion, a longtime Claremont resident who launched the Upward Bound program at the Claremont Colleges and built it into a nationally recognized model of excellence, died March 14 in Claremont, surrounded by family. He was 89 and suffered a long decline due to Alzheimer’s disease.
John Thomas Kusleika was born on July 6, 1968, to Tom Kusleika and Janey Cole in Monte Vista, Colorado. Two years later his brother Dant rounded out the family.
Paul Andrew O’Leary, a 55-year resident of Claremont, died February 19. He was 89.