Claremont Obituaries
Nora Amalia Vignoli died at the age of 91, her hand firmly held by Peter, her husband of 68 years. Nora’s life encompassed the era of the nuclear family and transitioned to forging a new career after her children graduated from high school.
US Marine, construction manager, certified building official, instructor Theodore (Ted) Newman died October 24 in San Dimas after several years of declining health. He was 70 years old. Ted was born in Washington, DC in 1948, the sixth of seven children to Dorothy and Cave Newman. Following graduation in 1968 from Calvin Coolidge High School, […]
Great-great grandmother, teacher, entrepreneur, activist, devoted friend to many In the presence of her family and while singing songs, Marcia Nygaard Olney died peacefully October 3, in Fargo, North Dakota at 78 years of age. Marcia was born November 2, 1939, in Flaxton, North Dakota to Norman and Meredith Nygaard. She was the first granddaughter […]
Founder of Citrus Singers, Candlelight Pavilion, proud Trojan “We all lost a music visionary, a devoted family man and a world-renowned educator on October 17, as Ben D. Bollinger passed away at age 80 in Pomona,” said Mr. Bollinger’s family. Ben was born on July 4, 1938 in Anaconda, Montana, the oldest of five children […]
Longtime CGU president, civil rights activist, lifelong champion for racial equality Family, friends, and community members from Claremont and across the nation whose lives were touched during his lifetime are mourning the loss of John David Maguire, 86, who died October 26 after suffering a massive stroke. A resident of Claremont, he was an accomplished […]
Beloved daughter, wife, mother, Claremont High, Pomona College grad Audrey Grace Peterson, a Claremont High and Pomona College graduate, died October 12 after fighting rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, for the past three years. She was 33. She was born on May 18, 1985 in Fontana, the second of four children of Tom and […]
Cloisonne artist, gregarious personality, grandmother Gretchen Fassbinder, a 54-year Claremont resident, died October 1. She was 81 years old. Mrs. Fassbinder was born on March 25, 1937 in Charleston, West Virginia to Edward and Eleanor Day. The family moved to Ellensburg, Washington in 1953. Young Gretchen attended the University of Washington, where she met her […]
Minister, professor emeritus, college dean, author Philip Algot Anderson, Jr. died September 26 at Pilgrim Place in Claremont after several years of declining health. He was 96. He was born March 15, 1922 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College in St. Paul, and then a bachelor of divinity degree […]
Lifelong companions died together Professor Rolf Paul Knierim and Hildegard Emma Knierim (nee Salm) were in a fatal car accident on September 29, 2018 while driving west on Interstate 40 near Winslow, Arizona. They were 90 and 89 years old, respectively. They were both born in Germany, professor Knierim on July 8, 1928 in Pirmasens, […]
Artist, teacher, loving aunt, dedicated Christian Scientist Artist, teacher and loving aunt Nancy Orange Birch died August 24 at Claremont Manor Care Center. She was 97 years old. Nancy was born in Indiana in 1921, the first of three daughters to Vera and Verne Orange. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Ohio University in Athens, […]
Decorated US Navy veteran, engineer, hunter, pilot, artist On the one-year anniversary of his death on October 25, 2017, the family of Robert Vern Phillips remembers their dearly loved husband, father and grandfather. He was born November 19, 1928 in Fremont, Ohio, the eldest of three children. Throughout his life his given name, Robert, was exchanged with nicknames […]
Tireless volunteer, instrumental in Harvey Mudd College founding Velma Enriqueta Vergara McKelvey, a proud Claremont resident since 1959, died peacefully at her home on July 13. She was 86 years old. Velma was born in Los Angeles in 1932 to Julia Ann and Joaquin Vergara. Her mother was a direct descendant of hearty relatives who […]
Mother, Pilates instructor, dancer, choreographer Julia Elizabeth Bourne died peacefully at home September 18 surrounded by family and friends after battling brain cancer for more than two years. She was 45 years old. Raised in Newcastle-Under-Lyme in England, her love of dance was evident at a very early age. She began ballet classes at six, […]
Co-founder of Foothill Country Day School, longtime Claremonter Betty (Docker) Webb, wife of the late Howell Webb and co-founder of Foothill Country Day School, died June 5 from heart failure after 97 full years of life. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Betty Docker moved to Southern California in 1945 and took a position teaching English […]
Municipal employee, accounting professor, devoted volunteer Clarence Matthew Markham, III, age 81, resident of Newport, Oregon, died August 28, 2018. Clarence was born April 26, 1937 to Clarence Markham and Olga Hughes in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1960 with a bachelor of science in accounting. In 1971, he earned a […]
Longtime nurse, traveler, descendant of 17 Mayflower passengers Elizabeth “Betsy” Caddes died at home in Costa Mesa on September 3 after battling ovarian cancer for the past year. She was 70 years old. Born December 21, 1947 in Boston, she was raised in nearby Hyde Park, Massachusetts by parents Harry and Rachel, who began calling […]
Aerospace engineer, Cal Poly Pomona professor emeritus Former Cal Poly Pomona professor Terrance H. Tennant completed what he called his “voyage of discovery” in March 2018, when he died in Morro Bay. Mr. Tennant was born in Syracuse, New York to loving parents Herman and Mary Tennant. He was raised most of his early life […]