Claremont Obituaries

Cheerful presence around the Village for decades, gifted gardener, former Claremont Colleges employee Silviano Aguilar, a longtime presence in the Claremont community, died January 16 at the age of 76.   Silviano was born on October 18, 1944 in Jalisco, Mexico, and at the age of 16 moved to La Verne. As a young man, […]

Gentle, easygoing, up for a challenging Sadly, Roderick Mitchell, 70, affectionately known as “Rod,” died December 19, 2020. His body already weakened from a 10-year battle with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), his exposure to COVID-19 triggered a rapid decline. Rod was born and brought up in the south west of England. A few years after graduating […]

Husband, father, grandfather, brother, teacher and friend On February 5th, at the age of 81, “Robert Speakman left this world for a joyous reunion with his wife,” his family shared. “He spent his life faithfully serving the Lord, his family, and the community.”  Robert influenced many young people’s lives as an industrial arts teacher and […]

Devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend John Ward Sr. was born on March 5, 1928 in Blakely, Georgia to the late Laura Jakes Ward and Clifford Ward. The family moved to New Jersey a year after his birth. John was the eldest of three children. His sister Carmella Hamilton, and his brother Charles, […]

Longtime CEO of Rain Bird, philanthropist, grandfather Anthony LaFetra, president and chief executive officer of the Rain Bird Corporation, died peacefully in his sleep on January 29 from an undiagnosed cancer at the age of 80. Mr. LaFetra joined Rain Bird in 1964. During his 57-year tenure, Rain Bird grew from a small irrigation company […]

Beloved free-spirited mother of nine, artist, was 100 years old Arlene Chloe Warhurst died quietly in her sleep on January 26. She lived in Claremont for 63 of her 100 years.  Arlene was an artist and a free spirit. She threw her whole self into projects and never took no for an answer. She was […]

Beloved great-grandfather, dentist, sports enthusiast John Thomas McGwire died December 29, 2020 at the age of 83 at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo of pneumonia caused by leukemia. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Virginia (Ginger); sons Michael, Mark, Robert, Daniel and Jay; eighteen grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. John McGwire was […]

Longtime Claremont residents married 56 years, died a month apart On Saturday, December 5, 2020, Edward Johnson died of natural causes at his home at the age of 82. His death was followed by that of his wife, Tsuyako Yamabe Johnson, on New Year’s Eve at Country Villa Claremont, where she had been residing for […]

  Principled, resourceful, modest, insightful Leslie Arthur Brewer, 97, lived life with integrity, used words sparingly but effectively, and was well known for his dry, clever humor. In many ways, he lived a remarkable life, but did so unassumingly. Known by friends and family as Les, he was a lifelong resident of the Pomona Valley […]

Loving husband, father, scuba enthusiast, pilot Loving husband and father Robert (Bob) Gene Simpson died peacefully on December 24, 2020,  at home with his wife by his side. He was 67 years old. Robert was born November 19, 1953 in Pomona. He was an only child and was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and […]

Wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Peggy Ericson died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 in her home. She had celebrated her 95th birthday the prior week. Margaret (Peggy) was born to Ernest and Doris on December 2 in Tampa, Florida, and was always proud to be a native Floridian, maintaining a lifelong […]

Beloved patriarch, U.S. Navy veteran, construction company executive, outdoorsman, sharpshooter Jerald Bert Laird, of Rancho Cucamonga, left for a joyous reunion with his parents, sister and extended family on December 23, 2020. He was born February 12, 1935 in Jesup, Iowa, to Ralph and Sarah Laird, the youngest of three children. Soon after his birth, […]

University of La Verne Dean Emeritus, professor, traveler, musician and mentor John H. Gingrich, Dean Emeritus and professor of religion and philosophy at the University of La Verne, died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at the age of 79. John was born in New Holland, Pennsylvania to John and Miriam Gingrich. […]

We mourn the loss of Los Angeles artist Roland Reiss who passed away from natural causes on December 13, 2020 at the age of 91. As Chair of the Claremont Graduate University Art Department from 1971 to 2001, he mentored generations of students in an innovative program that set a standard for graduate art education. […]

Beloved grandmother, mother, wife Rhonda Jean Clark, a longtime Claremont resident, died December 10 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 57.  Rhonda was born in Pomona on November 14, 1963. She was raised in Claremont until she married the love of her life, Curtis. They resided in Ontario and Upland until they […]

Beloved great grandmother, teacher, prolific volunteer, artist, dancer, musician Adeline Keehan Hill, beloved “Omi,” died November 22 in Sacramento at the age of 90. She is survived by her three daughters, Deborah Sutherland, Roberta Suronen and Pamela Reynolds; brother, Rudy Padilla; ten grandchildren; and seven great grandchildren. Adeline was born on December 27, 1929 in […]