Claremont Obituaries

Loving husband, father, son, friend, doctor and teacher David Shofler, 40, died suddenly during May. A polymath with a quick wit and dry sense of humor, Dave will be sorely missed by his family, friends, coworkers and students. He was born in Pasadena. After earning a degree in mathematics from UC Berkeley, he earned his […]

Kind, gregarious, dedicated father who believed in second chances Chris Rhoades, a longtime Claremont resident, died in Rancho Cucamonga on the week of May 10, 2021, at the age of 59. Chris will be remembered as a generous man who firmly believed in second chances, human kindness and the power of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, his favorite […]

A long life devoted to family and friends Laura Nancy (Bassett) Emerson, 98, died April 23 at home in Mt. San Antonio Gardens in Claremont. Born to Ray and Laura Bassett in Valley City, North Dakota, on August 10, 1922, young Nancy moved with her family to Long Beach, California. It was the California dream! […]

Professor emeritus, storyteller, inspirational educator, devoted family man Leonhard McLain Myers, a resident of Claremont for the last 57 years, died February 24 at his family home. He was 90 years old. Leonhard was born in 1930 to Mildred and William Myers in the heavily German area of south St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of […]

Grandfather, bicycling enthusiast, traveler, worldly extrovert Oris V. Barber, age 86, died peacefully on May 5 following a stroke. His friends knew him best as the “crazy guy on a bike” who pedaled over 115,000 miles across he U.S. and Europe, sharing his journeys via his well-followed blogs. He never met a stranger, and they […]

Beloved son, lawyer, sports fan, Claremont High grad Garett Patrick Talve Hill, JD, 29, died Sunday, May 2 while watching the Angels game at home in Santa Monica. Garett had a dry sense of humor and a compelling demeanor; he took as well as he gave, but he was never mean. The cause of death […]

Longtime Pomona College professor, passionate urban explorer, historic preservationist Longtime Pomona College sociology professor, railroad enthusiast, and lifelong Claremont booster Bob Herman died on April 9 of complications following a recent fall. He was 92 years old. Robert Dunton Herman was born in 1928 in Champaign, Illinois, to parents Abbott P. Herman and Marjorie Dunton […]

Father, dedicated husband, loving grandfather, U.S. Marine William Paul Yerzyk died March 23 at age 86.  Born and raised in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Bill was an avid football player. He played quarterback and punter at Ambridge High School, earning a scholarship to Juniata College, where he caddied with future NFL coach, Chuck Knox. He was forever a […]

Loving grandfather, father, longtime Claremont resident, real estate agent Robert Paul Schreiber was born to Frank and Opal Schreiber in Berkeley, California on May 24, 1948. In 1952 he became an older brother to sister Marcia Eve Schreiber, and the family moved to Altadena/Pasadena, where they made their roots. He graduated from John Muir High […]

Paul Minus, a resident of Pilgrim Place in Claremont, died on February 12, of a heart attack. Paul was born on July 16, 1935 in Columbia, South Carolina and grew up in Charleston. A few weeks after turning 16 he left this home to attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.   In 1962, after […]

Dorothy Leslie Murray Hawkins died March 20 at the age of 85. Ms. Hawkins was born September 18, 1935. Pre-war Balboa Island and wartime Long Beach shaped her earliest years. She lost her father when she was only 13. The girl who emerged from those experiences had friends she would keep forever, and a strong […]

Grandmother, Holocaust survivor, author, musical prodigy Isabelle Teresa Huber, a Claremont resident since 1973, died November 13, 2020 after a valiant two-year battle with stomach cancer. She was the beloved mother of three children and devoted wife of Donald J. Huber, MD, who died July 14, 2020. She was born March 19, 1939 in Czarnkow, […]

Longtime Claremont resident, 25-year bilingual, elementary school teacher, community volunteer Longtime Claremont resident Charlene Betts died January 31.  Charlene taught bilingual primary and music education for 25 years. She was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader in Claremont, and worked in support of underprivileged children through Children’s Home Society and as a 50-year member of […]

Amateur naturalist, volunteer, longtime Claremont resident Longtime Claremont resident Alan Sydney “Fraser” Pemberton died at home on February 1 of COPD-related causes. He was 86.  Fraser was born in Hertfordshire, England and emigrated to Ontario, Canada at age 17, where he found work on a farm. He then joined Babson Bros. Co. as a salesman, […]

Beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend Claremont resident Lori Clonts Bodhaine died January 25 at the age of 57. She was a beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Lori was born in Los Angeles in 1963. She grew up in Glendora, and was the third child in a family of eight children. Being […]

Devoted father, grandfather, artist, athlete, avid sports fan, baseball coach Gary Clobes, a Claremont resident for the past 40 years, died February 6 at Inter-Community Hospital in Covina. He was 73. Friends and family gathered for a celebration of his life on Saturday, February 20. Gary graduated from La Habra High School and immediately joined […]