1963 Obituaries


William Barkhurst

I talked with Bill's cousin Sandra Crossland Cordell '63 in March 2005 and learned that he passed away at age 45 of a heart-related cause. His sister, Nancy, is living in Houston, Texas, I think. His other sister, Julie, is in San Diego but soon to move to Michigan.

Jim Horner '63


 

Stephanie Bedillion


David Bentley

David died in early 1992. He was married for 23 years to former state Assemblywoman Carol Bentley. They divorced in 1990. He was survived by his wife, Gay, the daughter of former state senator Jim Ellis. Notice of his death was published in San Diego Union on 5-7-92 and 5-12-92.


John Bielfeldt 

John Bielfeldt died in the summer of l966. John was 20 and attending SDSU at the time. He was on vacation and drowned while swimming in Millerton Lake, 15 miles southeast of Madera, California.


Sherry Bolstein

My step-sister Sherry died of cancer, I think around 1985. Sherry lived in the Los Angeles area and was survived by her two children.

Marie Stout ‘62


Branch S. Cox

Jan. 26, 1946-June 1, 2002

Branch was born in Oakland and was a chemist for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy J. Cox; daughter, Jacqueline Flores of San Diego; sons, Bob Cox and Branch Cox of San Diego; brother, Steve Cox of Tucson; and two grandchildren.


 

William Craig

Passed away in an ATC accident Ocotillo Wells April 20, 1996


 Jerry Crites

Jerry died from melanoma in 1980 while living in Texas with his wife and two young daughters.

Kathy Houser Nolan


Kathy Cuvala Dronenburg

May 20, 1946 - March 9, 2002


Marcia Degen

On April 5, 1963 -- the Good Friday before Easter Vacation -- Marcia was killed walking to school by James Jungblut '60 who then turned the gun on himself. James was distraught over the fact that Marcia had ended their relationship.

Classmate Memories and Media Reports of the tragedy


Maria de la Torre

I met Maria in art classes at Crawford. It was she who taught me how to do calligraphy. Maria graduated from SDSU in l967 and joined the Army soon after. I believe she went through an officer's training program. She was killed in an auto accident while stationed in the south. I cannot recall the year or state where she died but know it was in the late l960s. She is buried at El Camino Cemetery in Sorrento Valley.


Willus Drescher

 

Marcia Erickson


Steve Flesner

 Steve Flesner passed away in May 1988 at his home in Yreka, CA, where he had lived for many years. Steve loved the outdoors, surfing, baseball, friends, and family. He loved Yreka California, and the surrounding mountains and hills. He loved baseball, and was the "ACE" pitcher on the town’s baseball team all through his 30s and early 40s. He took many camping/surfing trips to Costa Rica and Mexico
Steve grew up in San Diego, and had many friends in the Class of 1963. He finished his last year of high school in Northern California. He then joined the Air Force and had a stint of four years. Upon returning to civilian life, Steve attended San Diego State University. Steve married near the end of college, and they had a daughter, Kelli. The young family moved to Yreka at that point.
Steve's wonderful daughter is married and resides in Northern California. She and her husband have two beautiful children. Steve is missed by many, including his 91-year old mother, his brother, family, and friends.

Dave Flesner ‘60


  

Ellis Gilley, Jr.

Died of a heart attack December 26, 1995


 

Kathy Goldie Lindsey

My sister died very suddenly and unexpectedly of a cerebral hemorrhage, (basically a massive stroke), on October 22, 2001. She was divorced at the time of her death, had worked as a legal secretary for many years and is survived by two sons, Brent Lindsey and Shawn Lindsey.


 Jerry Grube


Homecoming Queen Barbara Lamb

Barbara MacNeil, her zeal as teacher inspired many others

Jack Williams, San Diego Union-Tribune, January 17, 2005

To meet the needs of special-education students, Barbara MacNeil refused to put limits on her time, her talents or her tenacity.
Long workdays were the norm owing to her growing responsibilities as a special-education administrator for the San Diego Unified School District and her roles on local, state and national advisory boards.
"Wherever she went, she recruited teachers or aides, anybody bright and unsure of what they wanted to do with their lives," said MarySue Glynn, director of special education for city schools. "She tried to talk them into being special educators."
Yet, for all her time-consuming projects, Dr. MacNeil rarely failed to engage her lighter side. On holidays, birthdays and special occasions, she would compose lyrics to the melodies of popular tunes and sing them with characteristic panache as a gift to her colleagues.
For her retirement party planned for the end of this school year in June, Dr. MacNeil had composed a tune patterned after the Cyndi Lauper hit "Time After Time."
Instead, it will be sung or read by others during a celebration of life for Dr. MacNeil scheduled for 1 p.m. January 29th at Francis Parker School.
Dr. MacNeil, who had undergone surgery December 3rd for congestive heart failure, died January 9th at Scripps Green Hospital. She was 59.
"Although she had a heart problem, nothing slowed her down – at work or at play," Glynn said. "Everything she did, she did hard."
Before being diagnosed in recent years with congestive heart failure, Dr. MacNeil twice overcame cancer – non-Hodgkins lymphoma in her 20s and throat cancer in her late 40s, Glynn said.
"When you first met Barbara, you could be intimidated by her passion, her verbal skills and her commitment," Glynn said, "but if you needed anything on a personal level, she would be right there. She nurtured her friends and was the first one to come to your side."
Dr. MacNeil's three decades with city schools began in the special-education classroom as a student teacher in 1974. It was apparent from her job interview that city schools had a gem in the making.
"Intelligent, poised, realistic, energetic – overall rating superior," wrote the administrator who interviewed her.
In 1981, Dr. MacNeil joined the administrative ranks, gradually expanding her role in a field in which she would receive national recognition.
She reviewed program grants for the federal government, edited and wrote for American Annals of the Deaf and developed strategies for the national Conference of Education Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf.
On the state level, she was co-chairwoman of the California Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Education Advisory Task Force. In 1999, the 16-member group published a report recommending that county offices of education should take the lead in coordinating statewide standards for such students.
As one who had overcome her own hearing impairment, partially through her lip-reading skills, Dr. MacNeil's compassion for special-education students ran deep.
Her experience as a student, however, was in mainstream classrooms.
Born Barbara Lamb in San Diego, she excelled academically and took music lessons as a youth.
After graduating 19th in her 800-student Crawford High School class, she earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's in speech pathology and audiology at San Diego State University.
In 1986, she added a doctorate in education at the University of Southern California, with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction.
At city schools, her work ethic became legend, and she expected staff members to keep up.
"I never worked harder in my life, but I've never been prouder to work for somebody," said Stephen Sanders, a program diagnostic-resource teacher. "She was able to instill in all of us what was best for the kids, no matter what it took."
Within the last year, Dr. MacNeil had been involved in creating a pilot course in Braille for high schools, a preschool program for the visually impaired and a low-vision clinic, Sanders said.
Through it all, she promoted a family atmosphere in her ranks, which included nearly 300 teachers and teachers' aides.
"We all felt we were part of a family," Sanders said. "Anyone can be replaced, but I don't think there'll be another one like Barbara."
Survivors include her daughter, Erin Anne MacNeil of Salem, Ore.; mother, Ellen Lamb of San Diego; and sisters, Sue Ellen Smith and Cathy Wittmayer, both of San Diego.


 

Robert Lee

 

Michael “Mickey” Lieberman

May 6, 1945 – August 18, 1992

My brother graduated from USC and became a captain in the army. He ultimately managed an insurance agency and had a daughter and a son. Mickey raised his family in Danville, California. He passed away from heart valve disease. His parents and three sisters miss him with all of our hearts. He was not just a “son” or a “brother” but our best friend.


Yvonne Louise Morse Cowan

Yvonne died of cancer on September 1, 1989. She married Ernie Cowan '62 and was the mother of three sons. The Cowans lived in Escondido.


Mark Mann


Harry Maulsby

Died in March 2003 after a 3-month battle with colon cancer

 

 

Larry Newport

Larry Newport was killed on April 22, 1966 in an army transport plane crash in Ardmore, Okla. He was enroute from Fort Ord to Fort Benning, GA to begin Green Beret training.

Barbara Earley Powell, '64

Tim O'Rourke

Tim died of muscular dystrophy around 1989. He was a good friend.

Henry Fuentes


 

Stanley Reed

Passed away in 1990 after a long bout with depression


Jo Anne Souza


Virginia Stout Jurkovich

My sister Virginia died of cancer August 20, 2001. "Ginger" was survived by her four children, two grand-children, mother, brother and sister. Ginger was blessed with a sweet and gentle spirit. She is missed.

Marie Stout ‘62


Sharon Thornton Jojola

Sharon died April 24, 2002 in Englewood, Colorado from a blood clot in the brain and dehydration brought on by complications from diabetes.


 

Alfred Tone

 

Donna Wentz



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