Claremont Obituaries

Teacher, traveler, artist, gardener, champion of Claremont’s international students Louise W. Bell died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on August 16, 2018. Louise, who deeply appreciated the global community and its international culture, arts and people, was born in Turkey in 1929. Her parents worked for the American Board Service Committee. By the time she […]

Devoted friend to hundreds, talented athlete, 2009 Claremont High graduate Taylor Kristofer Meyer, 27, who attended Mountain View and Condit elementary schools, El Roble Intermediate, and was a 2009 Claremont High School graduate, was robbed and brutally murdered by three attackers on November 9 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where he had been vacationing with […]

Minister, grandfather, devoted missionary Much loved husband, father, grandfather, son and brother, Richard Clement Elwell died October 13. “Full of faith in God, he bravely fought liver disease while waiting for a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Florida,” his family shared. He was 66 years old. Richard was born June 12, 1952, to […]

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 […]