Claremont Obituaries

Beloved stepmother, longtime Claremont Colleges employee Phyllis Jean Huss, 96, of Boise, Idaho, died peacefully on May 27. Phyllis was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Leland and Ruth (Clayton) Blythe on August 28, 1928. She married Robert Kehoe in 1951. That marriage ended in divorce. She married again, to Richard Huss, in 1978. “Phil,” as […]

Sandra Kay (“Sandy”) Hester, a Claremont resident since 1972, died July 28 at the age of 80 in Claremont. She was born in Los Angeles on January 19, 1943 to Sally Alexander and Stan Smalley. Sandy’s parents, both accomplished individuals, instilled in her a strong commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others and her community.

Dennis Blay, 84, died August 17 at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center of a subdural hematoma suffered from a fall at home. He had been a resident of Claremont since 1964.

Herman Jude Ruether, a resident of Pilgrim Place in Claremont, died there on June 17. 

Dean Allen Holcomb, 81, of Claremont, died peacefully at home with his wife and son by his side on August 8.

Margarita Cecilia Roby died peacefully Friday, June 9 surrounded by her family at her home in Claremont. She was 80 years old.

Jaime Amezcua Jr. was born on February 10, 1955 in King City, California. He died July 6 after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke while visiting in Maui, Hawaii.

Todd Robert Thornstrom died peacefully, at home, with his mother by his side, the morning of August 4.

Gary Lucas died July 14 at age 71. Gary had a strong Christian faith and was a member of Claremont United Church of Christ.

John Harold Calvin was born April 21, 1932, to Homer Calvin and Lucille (Robertson) Calvin, in Concordia, Kansas, and died on July 19, 2023, in Portland, Oregon surrounded by loving family.

The Rev. Robert B. “Bob” Davis was born April 3, 1939 in Burbank, California, the only child of Robert C. and Isabelle M. (Bryant) Davis. He grew up in North Hollywood where he attended Victory Boulevard Elementary, Sun Valley Jr. High, and North Hollywood High School. He attended the North Hollywood Methodist Church with his family, was active in scouting and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1955.

James (Jim) Otto Hillman, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died June 27 at the age of 88. He resided in Claremont with his wife Judy.

Artist, gardener, seamstress, friend Kathryn Herrman, textile artist and long-time participant in the Claremont arts community, died July 16 from complications from surgery. She was 72. Kathryn lived nearly all of her life in the Pomona Valley, moving to Montclair with her family at age 3. Always a talented artist, she learned to make batik […]

C. Dean Freudenberger died quietly on July 2 at age 93 with family present at home, Pilgrim Place.

Dean was born in Los Angeles on March 9, 1930 to Carl and Minerva Freudenberger. He attended LA schools, graduating from Dorsey High School in 1948. Though he entered Occidental College that fall, “history of civilization” was not for him, and he transferred to then all men’s Cal Poly, San Louis Obispo, where he majored in landscape design and crops, graduating in 1953.

Virginia Benningfield, mother of former Claremont Mayor Diann Ring, died peacefully July 1 at Mount San Antonio Gardens with her granddaughter, Susan Ring, and close friends and caregivers at her side. She was born July 7, 1922, and had celebrated her 100th birthday with a large party last year.

Claremont resident and former mayor Joe Lyons died Thursday, December 8, 2022 at the age of 77. A celebration of life service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, July 22 at La Verne Church of the Brethren, 2425 E St., La Verne, CA 91750. It will be recorded and livestreamed on YouTube at youtube.com/live/5h0zxaNNALI?feature=share.

Colin Campbell McDonald, M.D., died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes March 10 at the age of 93.