Claremont Obituaries
Louise Kestenbaum died peacefully in her home on April 26. She was with her beloved husband and daughters and surrounded by the love and care of her family and many friends. She lived with stage four cancer for the last three years of her life. She embraced every treatment possible to extend her life so […]
Man of integrity George Wainwright Stanley, a longtime Claremont resident, died on January 22, 2017 after a brave yearlong fight with lymphoma. He was 88. The oldest of six children, he was born in Du Quoin, Illinois on April 18, 1928 to George and Margaret Stanley. He attended Du Quoin High School and then joined […]
Professor, pro-democracy activist Longtime Claremont resident Dr. Kamol Somvichian died Wednesday, February 8 at the age of 80. Dr. Somvichian was born to parents Phol and Chalual Somvichian on March 14, 1936 in Bangkok, Thailand. He met his wife Marielena Somvichian in New York in 1960. The couple married in 1961. Dr. Somvichian was an […]
Loving wife and mother, education advocate Shirley Abrams, a longtime Pomona resident and active member of Temple Beth Israel, died in Pomona on January 1, 2017. She was 82. She was born on February 28, 1934 in Twin Falls, Idaho and lived there until she was 10 years old. Three years after the tragic death […]
Inspiring teacher, tenor singer, scholar Waldemar “Bill” Vaskis, a longtime Claremont High School history teacher who influenced generations of students, died by suicide on December 21, 2016 at Mt. San Antonio Gardens. He was 78. He came into the world in Philadelphia on April 16, 1938, the second of three children born to Latvian immigrants […]
Former longtime Claremont resident Barbara Jean Crayton died unexpectedly on August 2, 2016. She was 84. She was born in Joplin, Missouri on October 18, 1931 to George Yancey and Lillian Lindsay. At the age of 7, her parents divorced and she moved to Los Angeles with her mother and sister, Yvonne. Barbara came of […]
Allen Joe Moore, a longtime professor and administrator at Claremont School of Theology, died on September 18, 2016. He was 89. Born September 7, 1927, he was named after his two grandfathers, whom he liked to call “the heretic” and “the preacher.” He inherited the free-thinking of Pa Crider and the preaching enthusiasm of his […]
James “Jim” Kay Hightower, a longtime Claremont resident, died on October 3, 2016 at the age of 79. Causes of death were advanced prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. He was born March 22, 1937 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Raymond Lee Hightower and Jeanne Matthews Hightower. His father was a professor of sociology at Kalamazoo College […]
Dedicated educator, proud veteran John Mann, former principal of Claremont High School, died peacefully at home in La Verne on August 17, 2016. He was 85 years old. He was born on February 25, 1931 in his grandmother’s house in York, Nebraska and grew up in Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. Mr. Mann attended York […]
Loving wife and mother, Latin scholar Jane Barr, a longtime resident of the Mt. San Antonio Gardens retirement community in Claremont, died on August 7, 2016. She was 89. She was born February 18, 1927 in Perth, Scotland to James and Catherine Hepburn. Dux (i.e., “top pupil”) of her graduating class in Perth Academy, Jane […]
Alma Charlotte (Miller) Schneider, a longtime resident of the Pilgrim Place retirement community in Claremont, died Saturday, August 6, 2016. She was 98. She was born February 17, 1918 in Orella, Nebraska to Alva Theodore and Amelia (Smith) Miller. After receiving her teaching certificate from Chadron State Teacher’s College in 1937, she taught in various […]
Dedicated professor, loving husband Jack Holmes Waggoner, a longtime Harvey Mudd College physics professor, died Saturday, July 2, 2016. He was 88. He was born September 4, 1927 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. His family soon moved to Newark, Ohio where he attended public schools, graduating from Newark High School in 1945. He earned a Bachelor of […]
Teacher, musician, loving wife Yasuko Fukada Shorrock died peacefully in the late afternoon of June 12, 2016 in the Health Services Center of Pilgrim Place. She was 88. She was born February 24, 1928 to Tanetsugu and Shisa Fukada in a suburban town near Tokyo. Both her parents were led to the Christian faith by […]
Historic conservationist, world traveler Mary Ann Barkey, who was Claremont’s 2002 Honored Citizen, died peacefully in her home on June 3, 2016 with family by her side. She was 81. Mrs. Barkey, a resident of Claremont for 40-plus years, was for many years an active fixture on the local scene, from leading the volunteer effort […]
Teacher, watercolor painter, devoted wife and mother Anne Davenport, a 65-year Claremont resident, died Thursday, June 16 at the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. She was 90. Anne Geoghegan was born in Pasadena, California on March 26, 1926 to Gladys and Hugh Geoghegan. She, her parents and her sister Jane moved to the San Joaquin […]
Loving father, financial advisor, lover of the outdoors Bruce Charles White, a former longtime resident of Claremont, died on May 31, 2016 in Whitefish, Montana. He was 61. He was born on January 15, 1955 to Milton R. “Bob” and Annadale White. Bruce attended Sumner Elementary and El Roble Intermediate School and graduated from Claremont […]
Community leader, champion of sustainability Liz Allen, a longtime resident actively engaged with the Claremont community, died peacefully on April 29, 2016 at Pilgrim Place Health Services Center following a stroke in February. She was 88. She was born Elizabeth Farol in Chicago in 1928 while her father was attending the university. Six days later […]