Richard A. Froese, EdD

Richard A. Froese, EdD, 74, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on March 11, 2004. He brought his young family to the valley in 1958 from New York where be grew up and had his first teaching job. He began teaching industrial arts for the Phoenix Union High School District (PUHSD) at Carl Hayden High School, later became department head at Maryvale High School and a supervisor at the District level. The American Industrial Arts Association named him Arizona Industrial Arts Teacher of the Year in 1964. Richard earned his doctorate at ASU in 1972, and was principal of the Area Vocational Center at its downtown site from 1975-79. He also served as president of several vocational educator organizations. Dr. Froese retired from the district in 1980 to become Executive Director of the State Council on Vocational Education for ten years. In the 1960s, he worked summers as Ranch Manager for Adventure Unlimited camps for children in Colorado and volunteered for their local chapter activities. As an active member of Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Phoenix since 1958, he served in many capacities and conducted services as First Reader for several years. He was also board president in the 1980s of El Dorado Vista Christian Science care facility and instrumental to its new building program. A skilled carpenter, Richard built his family's first home and left behind a trail of cherished woodworking projects he made for family, friends and church. Surviving include his wife, Diane, of 55 years; children, Judy Schwiebert, Richard (Rick) Jr., Christy VanderMolen, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 27th, at 3:30 p.m. in Unity of Phoenix Church, 1500 E. Greenway Pkwy. (Enter from 16th St.). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to El Dorado Vista, 4122 N. 17th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016 or Adventure Unlimited, 5201 South Quebec, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. Arrangements by Hansen Mortuary.

Charles Robert Gilbert

Gilbert, Charles Robert passed away on October 10, 2009, from complications of pneumonia. Charlie was born to Leona and Clifford Orville Gilbert May 9, 1925, in Dade City Florida. In 1943 during WWII he enlisted in the Navy Seabees. His service was in the Pacific on the islands of Tulagi and Okinawa. With assistance from the G.I. Bill Charlie received his undergraduate education and Masters Degree in Biology from the University of Chicago where he met his wife Betty. They married in Chicago in 1949. There daughter Kathy was born. In 1953 Charlie and Betty moved to Superior, Arizona where daughter Carol was born. Charles taught biology at Superior High School and was the Explorer Scout leader. Many critters were brought to the door of Mr. Gilbert because all knew of his keen interest in the science of living things. His curiosity knew no bounds. In 1962 the family moved to Glendale where he taught at the new Maryvale High School until 1983. At Maryvale he was very involved with science clubs. Charlie was a very active member of the Arizona Archeological Society. He and his wife Betty made lifelong friends while serving with other volunteers. In ?retirement' he taught clay classes. Daily throughout his 80+ years he used his creativity to make something - a pot, jewelry for a friend, furniture for the home, various marble sculptures, a field microscope, even a sailboat. When he wasn't crafting, he was an avid reader of science, history and mysteries. He described himself as a political 'junkie' for his love in following government affairs. Charlie was preceded in death by his loving wife Betty. He is survived by daughter Kathy and her husband, John Noll of Sugar Land, Texas and their children , Laura and Daniel Noll and his daughter Carol and her husband Steven Lee of Federal Way, Washington and their son Brian and his wife Tara and their children, Riley and Awinita and many dear friends, caregivers, and colleagues. The family would like to thank the wonderful caregiver team, Gloria Arizona, Marion Austin, Tycora Garland, Kathy Gluvna, Tasha Marriott, Karen McCully, Evelyn Patchell, Alicia Peoples, Clair Scott and the many doctors, nurses, and health aides who helped him during his difficulties. There will be a graveside service Friday, October 23 at 3 P.M. at Desert Hills Memorial Park, 6500 E. Bell Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254. The following day, Saturday, October 24, friends are invited to a picnic gathering to remember and celebrate the lives of Charlie and Betty Gilbert at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 E. US Highway 60, Superior, AZ 85273. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be sent to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phx, AZ 85014, the Cave Creek Museum, www.cavecreekmuseum.com, or the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu. Through the site www.obits.azcentral.com we invite you to share your thoughts and fond memories. Memories and condolences may also be sent to bcgilbert@cox.net, katherine.noll@earthlink.net or clee@fwps.org.

James Michel Hold

Hold, James Michel 67, of Mesa, AZ, passed away on November 7, 2008. He was born and raised in Phoenix. Jim graduated from West High School in 1958. He attended 2 years at Phoenix College where he was a Jr. College All-American Wide Receiver, then Univ. of Colorado on football scholarship. After obtaining a BS and Masters in Education from ASU, Jim taught and coached at Phoenix Indian School, Maryvale High School, Calexico (CA) High School, Mark Keppel High School (Arcadia, CA) and Redondo Beach (CA) High School. In 1975 Jim started Hold Construction/Development Co., and built custom homes around the Valley until his retirement this year. An avid lover of classic cars and street rods, he is well-known among the regulars at weekly car shows in the East Valley, and around the Southwestern US. He is survived by his brother Pete, son Mike and his wife Nicole, daughters Alyson Hold and Lisa Beemiller and her husband Vince, and four grandchildren: Hudsen Hold; Holden, Harrison and Heath Beemiller. A celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, November 22, 2008 at 1pm at Red Mountain Community Church, 6101 E. Virginia St. at the NE Corner of Recker & 202/Red Mtn Freeway. Those wishing to join the street rod procession to the celebration can meet at 11am at the corner of Alma School and Main St. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts to The Village at Mayo Clinic, c/o Dept. of Development, 13400 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85259.

Laura E. Kelly

Kelly, Laura E. 48, passed away on June 25, 2009. Known for her big smile and her generous nature, Laura always went out of her way to make others feel special. A second career teacher at Maryvale High School with a passion for helping those less fortunate she also served on the Board of the Maryvale YMCA. Laura was an avid scuba diver and loved traveling the world with her husband. She will be remembered for her loving nature, adventurous spirit, and generous soul. Laura is survived by her devoted husband, Clif, her mother Donna, her sisters Karen and Dana, and her beloved dogs Buddy and Pearl. Memorial donations in Laura's name may be made to: Maryvale YMCA, 3825 N 67th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85033

Joan M. Monihan

Joan M. Monihan 72 of Glendale, AZ, passed away on February 2, 2009 in Peoria, AZ. After Joan graduated from High School she attended Kent State graduating with a BA in Education. She came to Phoenix in 1958 and married Richard Monihan in 1963. Joan taught for the Phoenix Union High School District which included teaching at Central, Maryvale and Trevor Browne High Schools. Joan is survived by 2 daughters, Patricia and Shawna Monihan, 4 grandchildren and many other relatives and friends. Visitation will be held February 6, 2009 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. with Rosary being recited at St. Jerome's Catholic Church 10815 N. 35th Ave., Phoenix, AZ. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Entombment will follow at Holy Redeemer Cemetery 23015 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, AZ. Arrangements entrusted to Queen of Heaven Mortuary 1562 E. Baseline Rd., Mesa, AZ.

Sol Nepsky

Sol Nepsky passed away on January 17, 2009 in his Glendale, Arizona home. He was born on February 27, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Nathan and Carrie (Evanson) Nepsky. Sol was 81. As a young man, Sol was a talented football player and was drafted by the San Francisco 49'ers in 1947. He served in the U.S. Army from 1948-1950, in the Tank Destroyer Division. He also played football for the Army. Sol married Renee Pritsky in 1950 and they moved to Phoenix from Los Angeles in 1958. Sol attended ASU and was the founder and head coach for the Phoenix Dolphin Swim Club for many years. He worked for the Athletic Department of the Maryvale High School, from which he retired in 1989. Sol was a member of the Arizona Athletic Association and was very proud of his coaching ability and accomplishments. He was an avid stamp collector and enjoyed horse and dog racing. He also enjoyed traveling with his dear wife, Renee, who preceded him in death in 2003. Sol is survived by his sons and their wives: Neil and Carolyn of Prescott, AZ; Craig and Anne of Flagstaff, AZ; and Eric and June of Telluride, CO; he is also survived by his 5 grandchildren, Taylor, Ariel, Nathan, Patrick and David, and his beautiful four-footed family "The Cats". A Celebration of Sol's life will be held at 11:00 a.m., January 23, 2009 at the Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home, 303 S. Cortez St. in Prescott, AZ, with burial immediately following at Mountain View Cemetery with military honors. The family suggests memorials to Miss Kitty's Cat House, 608 S. Granite, Prescott, AZ 86303. You are invited to log on to www.ruffnerwakelin.com to sign Sol's guest book and to share a memory with the family. The Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home assisted the family with the arrangements.

Gerald R. Piva PhD

Gerald R. Piva PhD., age 60, died Thursday, December 7, 2006 at John Lincoln Hospital, in Arizona, after a long illness. He was the son of Eleanor (Duport) Piva of Dartmouth and son of the late Anthony Piva. He is survived by two brothers: Philip R. Piva and his wife Patricia of Sagamore Beach, MA and Paul P. Piva and his wife Maxine of Westport, MA., an aunt Norma Sylvia and her husband Leonard of Tiverton, RI., one niece, three nephews, three great nephews and three cousins. Mr. Piva was born in New Bedford and lived in this area until 1989. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he has been teaching both high school (Maryvale High School) and college (Glendale Community College) in the Phoenix and Glendale areas. Mr. Piva was a graduate of Bishop Stang High School, of Villanova University where he received both his BA and his Masters degrees and he then received his PhD from LaSalle University. Mr. Piva was an avid sports fan and was especially fond of his college team, the Villanova Wildcats. There will be a Memorial Service pending in January 2007. For condolences please go to www.perryfuneral.com

Barbara Alice Stantz-Stephens

Barbara Alice Stantz-Stephens, 64, of Waddell, Arizona passed away on December 20, 2006. Barbara taught math and chemistry at Phx Union, Maryvale High, and Estrella College for over 30 yrs as well as being a member of PDK Sorority. She is survived by husband Larry, daughter Gail, grandson Karl DeShaun, mother Oma and 2 sisters Cozette and AnnEtta. Private graveside services held at Resthaven Cemetery in Glendale, AZ.

John Orlando Strickland

John Orlando Strickland, 74, of Phoenix, passed away on 9/24/04. He was born in Tombstone and grew up in Tucson. He is survived by wife, Cindy, and daughters Jennifer and Cassy, with husband Eddie Mendez. He is also survived by his brother William E. Strickland and sister Dorothy Waters, numerous nieces and nephews, 5 cats and 3 dogs. John earned a Masters Degree in Botany at Arizona State College, where he made life long friends. He taught high school biology for nearly 30 years first at Carl Hayden, and then at Maryvale High School and worked 15 summers as a seasonal park ranger at the Grand Canyon. Mr. Strickland will be remembered and missed by thousands of students and by all the pigeons at Encanto Park. Our deepest appreciation and thanks go to all of the care givers who have lovingly cared for John. Services will be held at the Chapel in Memory Mausoleum at Greenwood Cemetery at 1:00 P.M., on Sunday. October 3rd, followed by a gathering at John's favorite park. We love you DaDa.

Dorann (Lewis) Thoreen

Dorann (Lewis) Thoreen, the daughter of Harmon and Hazel (Gaddis) Lewis, was born October 22, 1931, in Springfield, Missouri and passed from this life in Phoenix, Arizona on July 25, 2011, at the age of 79 after suffering a severe stroke. She had a most successful career as an educator being a very popular teacher of English and Spanish before her appointment as Assistant Principal at Maryvale High School in Phoenix. She left a profound influence upon her students at Parkview High School in Springfield, and Karl Hayden and Maryvale High Schools in Phoenix, and is cherished by them in their varied locations throughout the world. Dorann offered her students strong academic challenge coupled with fond affection and care. Her students now, achieving success in business, entertainment, professional sports, and varied occupations, cherish her memory and speak of her singular impact upon their lives. One student, Darrin Woodson, a well-known Dallas Cowboy, would pick up "Mrs. Thoreen" and twirl her about setting her down. She merely referred to the powerful athlete as her "sweet baby boy." Some Springfield students remember the inflections of her musical voice leading them in girl scout camp songs and laughter at Camp Pin Oak. Others remember her at Parkview High School as the beautiful, young sponsor of the Lassie Drum Corps.
A stunning beauty at Missouri State University, she was crowned Ozarko Standard Ball Queen and Rose Queen. She was the president of Pi Kappa Sigma (now Sigma Kappa), a member of the Panhellenic Council, and elected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. After college she attained a Master of Education Degree at the University of Missouri. On August 10, 1963 she married Art Thoreen at Stone Chapel on the Drury University Campus. Art and Dorann shared a love of sports holding season tickets in football and basketball enjoying college and professional games. They resided in Phoenix among dear friends where she sang in Sweet Adelines and was a member of the Skyharbor Navigators. In Phoenix she greatly enjoyed being in charge of escorting bus loads of high school students to Disneyland. Her travels included frequent trips to Springfield maintaining friendships with those close to her since childhood.
As a small child, her father's work required a series of moves to Indiana, Kentucky, and Nebraska leading to her likeable, adaptive personality enabling her to make friends easily. In later life Dorann was privileged to travel to many foreign countries. It was said of her that she could take a cruise, and by the time she got off of the ship, she knew ninety percent of the passengers.
Nicknamed "Dodie" and always colorful, she was genetically joyful, effusive, exuberant, fun-loving, full of life, and optimistic. Her tastes were refined and sophisticated, and her kindly intelligence drew admiration and respect from those who knew her. Growing up on the north side of Springfield, she had a happy childhood playing yard games, begging ice chunks from the ice man, enjoying Sunday School, V.B.S., and making trips to Pamplin's Store for ice cream sandwiches. Once, she and her younger cousin Terry Loveland were left alone at home, and their mothers gave them the stern warning, "We are going to the grocery store so don't go out that door!" Consequently, they crawled out of the window. As a teen, she loved bunking parties and outings to Doling Park or Valley Watermill. Friends dear to her then, continued dear to her always. Empathetic and good humored, she recently gave an ailing childhood friend a fruit basket saying, "Don't share it!"
Dorann was a life-long member of the Church of Christ. At church her most treasured beliefs were nurtured, and her strong traits of character and virtue were formed and developed. A special bond always existed with her friends within the church.
As Dorann held in highest esteem those who preceded her in death, her dearest relatives and friends who survive her, honor and cherish her now. Special to her is her husband Art, and her cousin Terry who was more like a younger brother. It was the habit of Dorann and Terry to end a telephone conversation by saying, "Toodle, mutual, love you mucho!" Terry is saying this one last time, and Art and all of us are saying to our departed loved one, "Goodnight here but good morning up there."
Visitation will be in Greenlawn Funeral Home North on Monday, August 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The funeral will be in the Greenlawn Funeral Home North Chapel on Tuesday, August 9, at 10:00 a.m. with internment following the service.

Danny Ray Wales

Danny Ray Wales was born January 27, 1925 to Virginia Lambert Wales and Glen Wales in Sullivan, West Virginia. The family moved to Portsmouth, Ohio in 1927, where brothers, Jack and Maurice, and sister Joann were born. Before his 18th birthday, while still in high school and before he would be drafted, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp. He served first as a drill instructor on Hawaii and then was sent to fight on Okinawa where he served until the end of the war. The marines on Okinawa were preparing to spearhead an invasion of the mainland of Japan when President Harry Truman approved the dropping of the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the war. On the advice of his commanding officer, he returned to the states, rather than go with his unit to China, to enter college. He received a football scholarship from Murray State University in Kentucky, where he played football for four years, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1950 and a Master's Degree in 1951. He taught and coached football in Marion, Illinois for 8 years before moving to Phoenix, AZ where he taught and coached at South Mountain and Maryvale High Schools for 26 years. He retired in 1988. Danny is preceded in death by his brothers, Jack and Maurice. He is survived by wife, Mildred Sanders Wales; his sister, Joann Lambert; and many nieces and nephews. A brief service will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, AZ on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 9:30 A.M. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions to the Alzheimer's Association , Desert Southwest Chapter, (1028 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006-2622) in Danny's honor would be greatly appreciated.