Artist. Mother. Designer. Teacher. Learner. Entertainer. Hostess with the mostest. Storyteller. Karen Louise Rongey-Conner passed away in Redwood City on April 13, 2026. She loved her walks through Woodside, her trips to Paris, her beautiful home, looking at and creating beautiful things, her parents, her husband, her daughters, her kitties and her dear friends. Her energy, compassion,...

Blake Nichols Sandy, 65, passed away on August 20, 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer. He lived his life to the fullest and would want his life remembered as a celebration of the opportunities we are given to make life extraordinary. Blake was born on February 5, 1961, at Stanford Hospital to Elmer Hugh and Norma Jean Sandy. He grew up in Ladera (now Portola Valley), California, where...

Alfred Aguilar Santana March 13, 1945 – July 26, 2026 Alfred Aguilar Santana, of Mountain View, California, passed away on July 26, 2026, at the age of 81. Born on March 13, 1945, Alfred lived a life that will be remembered through the family he loved and the memories he leaves behind. His presence touched the lives of those closest to him, and his memory will continue to live on in the he...

Alfred Aguilar Santana March 13, 1945 – July 26, 2026** Alfred Aguilar Santana, of Mountain View, California, passed away on July 26, 2026, at the age of 81. Born on March 13, 1945, Alfred lived a life that will be remembered through the family he loved and the memories he leaves behind. His presence touched the lives of those closest to him, and his memory will continue to live on in the ...

A few short days after Jeannie’s parents married (November 28, 1941), what should have been their honeymoon was cut short by Pearl Harbor: December 7. Her father, William H. Howard, was called up to active duty in the Navy, and her mother “Ginny” Virginia (née Wilson) returned to her parents’ home in Santa Cruz. Thus almost three years passed before Jeannie was born, in February 1944. Ba...

Samuel “Sam” Silverstein died unexpectedly on July 28, 2026, at the age of 35. Sam was a man of remarkable intelligence, creativity, compassion, and humor. He saw the world a little differently, and he had a gift for making others feel seen, accepted, and valued. He measured people not by what they had accomplished or owned, but by who they were. A gifted artist, talented athlete, an...

The only child of Avis (Besk) and Leland Dewitz, Clare grew up in Wisner, Nebraska, a town of just 1,200 people. As a Girl Scout, she earned the Curved Bar Award (now known as the Gold Award). After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Nebraska, majoring in Business Education and joining the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. In her senior year, she lost her father to brain cancer a...

In Loving Memory of Katherine Stiplosek-Pirslin 1928 – August 2026 Katherine Stiplosek-Pirslin passed away peacefully in early August 2026, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, determination, family, and extraordinary accomplishment. Katherine is survived by her beloved niece, Danielle Pirslin, and Danielle’s four children; nephew Tomislav Pirslin; and niece Emily Banks, along with ...

Author, historian, teacher, and world traveler Eleanor “Lee” Herz Swent died on May 24, 2026, surrounded by loved ones and just short of her 102nd birthday. Eleanor Martha Herz was born June 4, 1924 in her family’s home in Lead, South Dakota to Janet Herz Kimpston and Nathaniel Herz. She graduated from Lead High School, and graduated from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts in...

Joy Jean Cox Swift passed away peacefully on June 24, 2026, surrounded by family. The world is profoundly and forever brighter because she was here. Joy was born in a chicken coop in Oklahoma on November 4, 1932 to Beula and Beatrice Cox. She was raised in Muleshoe, then Bugscuffle, Texas in sharecropping communities where she helped pick cotton and watch her younger siblings. Joy began to coo...

Valorie Taylor (March 31, 1954 - August 12, 2026) passed away peacefully after a short stay in hospice in Atlanta, GA. Born in Detroit, MI, Valorie, an only child, moved with her family to Palo Alto CA, at the age of 10. Her parents Dr. Louis Taylor, college administrator and professor, and Stenetta Crayton Taylor, first black elementary teacher in the PAUSD, were both educators which shaped...

Carolyn Tucher was a Colorado girl, born in small-town Longmont in view of her beloved Rocky Mountains. She attended the University of Colorado, staying in-state because her parents didn’t want her going East for fear she’d marry far away and not return. Ironically, in Boulder she fell in love with a student from Germany, Tony Tucher. They married, moved to the Boston and New York areas, had f...

Rachel passed away peacefully on May 20th at the age of ninety. Deeply loved by her family, she will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Born Rachel Crawford in Emporia, Kansas in 1935, Rachel graduated from Emporia State University in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Education. Following graduation, she put her creative talents to work as the continuity writer for the local radio statio...

Jane Edwards Williams peacefully passed away on July 11, 2026, having twice turned back cancer. She was born May 29, 1945, to Elmo Wendall and Shirley Fredericka (Poland) Edwards in Antioch, Illinois. After graduating from University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s of Art in Education in 1966 Jane and her friends ventured West in pursuit of adventure. On Valentine’s Day 1968, she met her soon to...

John Baer Woodworth, 89, of Palo Alto, passed away peacefully at home with his family at his side. Born and raised in Gilroy, California, he left home at 14 to attend Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose and later the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. He worked at Fairchild Semiconductor as an electrical engineer in the early days of the semiconductor industry. He later became a...