The Memorial Wall

John James Katsaros died with his wife and one of his sons by his side at Coterie, a senior living facility, in San Francisco, CA, at 72.

Born in Astoria, NY to Gus and Mary Katsaros, the family later moved to Massapequa Park, NY on Long Island. But the real family locus growing up was always Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where John and his brother Arthur, as well as their cousins - Marilyn, Hope, Donna, Carol, to name a few - spent countless summers, playing cards (Canasta) in the sun at the Trotting Park Beach in West Dennis or perfecting their soft serve cones while working summer jobs at the Kream ‘N Kone.

John graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Elec-trical Engineering, which gave him the itch to move to California, together with a job offer at Fairchild Semiconductors. A fresh face in the Bay Area, he and his fraternity brother, Steve Cox, met lifelong friends like Jim Willenborg. In 1993, John and his business partner and dear friend Larry Gordon, founded the Internet Research Group, a security and infrastructure research agency, which was later bought by Jupiter Communications in 2000. He got an MBA from Santa Clara University, and authored two books: Selling High-Tech: High Ticket (1993) and Getting It Right the First Time (2005).

But most important to John during this time: he met his wife, Robin, and they started a family together. While many couples have romantic stories of their first meeting, John and Robin liked to joke their “meet cute” was…less cute: they met at a bar. Specifically, The British Bankers Club in Menlo Park, California. John would later joke that was the most expensive drink of his life. They wed in 1984 at St. Helena Catholic Church, with a reception at Meadowood in Napa Valley; three days before their wedding, ominously, the resort burnt down, leading radio DJ Don Bleu of “Don Bleu in the Morning” to dedicate an entire morning of his show for people to call in with suggestions to help John and Robin find a new venue. Luckily this wasn’t a foreshadowing of their marriage: Sunday, May 26 will be John and Robin’s 40th wedding anniversary. And we consulted with the umpire, who is calling this slide into home plate for John “Safe!” in celebrating the milestone (John loved baseball).

John and Robin have two sons, Christopher and Matthew, and raised their family in Los Altos Hills, California, where they lived for over 40 years. John kept his offices in downtown Los Altos so that he could see his family as much as possible; the children would always stop by after school for a snack and a “hello!” to their Dad. John liked to joke that his commute doubled if he got a red light at Foothill Express-way; perhaps you remember him driving in his convertible - top down, even when it was entirely too cold for that. John and his other Dad friends - Milt McColl, John Burr - loved coaching their childrens’ baseball teams. In Los Altos’ “highly competitive” 10-12 year old baseball landscape, their teams were famous for losing, because they always put an emphasis on having fun with friends and team bonding over winning.

John was fortunate enough to see both of his children partner off (to Matthew Sargenti and Jen Maples, respectively), and even got to meet his first grandchild, Lenny John, born in 2020 - whom he and Robin adore.

But let’s not ignore the end of the story. John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 57, but he probably had it much earlier (he lost his sense of smell at 40, which is an early indicator for the disease). Parkinson’s is a tough, slow disease. He died from Parkinson’s, but like all Parkinson’s patients, it was actually from complications due to Parkinson’s; in his case, a fall that he wasn’t able to bounce back from. He hated falling, not because of the physical pain, but that it made him feel like a burden. But he was never a burden: even in those darker moments, the only thing we ever saw was his quick wit and strong sense of humor.

But we’re glad he won’t have to fall again.

Jimmy James, whose ballad Come To Me Softly won him fans in Jamaica and the United Kingdom, died in London yesterday at age 84.

His family told the Jamaica Observer that James passed away at Northwick Park Hospital. They said James had Parkinson’s disease and a heart condition which caused him to retire from performing.

Born in Brown’s Town, St Ann, James moved to Kingston in the late 1950s and got involved in music, recording songs for producers including Lindon Pottinger (husband of Sonia) and Clement Dodd.

Pottinger produced the original version of Come To Me Softly, a soul ballad that remained James’ signature song. He was lead singer of The Vagabonds, a band led by bassist Colston Chen and included Phil Chen (later Rod Stewart’s bass player), Colston’s cousin.

James and the band moved to the UK in 1964 at the height of The British Invasion, led by bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Later that decade, as he and The Vagabonds established themselves, they performed on a number of shows with a young American guitarist named Jimi Hendrix.

In the 1970s, James had two solid pop hits with I’ll Go Where Your Music Takes Me (covered with great success by Tina Charles) and Now is The Time.

In 2010, Jimmy James was honoured by Tribute To The Greats, an organisation operated by Kingsley Goodison, for his contribution to Jamaican music.

He is survived by his wife Paula, five sons, two daughters, grandchildren, two sisters, nieces and nephews.

You entered HaShem's Kingdom peacefully May 14, 2024 with Daniel and me at your side.  Born August 20, 1946 in Berea, OH, you were the eldest son of the late Charles W. Showalter, scientist with the Atomic Energy Commission, and Genevieve (Bullock) Showalter, mother, secretary and successful entrepreneur ("Gene's Costumes").  In your youth, you lived in many places, but considered yourself a "southern boy" from Oak Ridge, TN.  Armed with a BA in history From Lehigh University and two masters degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, you set out to live your life.  In addition to your parents, you were predeceased by former first wife Barbara (Remen) Showalter.  You are survived by spouse Paula D'Auria-Showalter and Spinel, our black lab mix (Pioneertown, CA); brothers Bradley A. (Nancy) Showalter (Phoenix, AZ) and Jonathan L. (Loris Gielczyk) Showalter (Santa Cruz, CA); sons Charles W. Showalter III (Pittsburgh, PA) and Daniel J. (Patricia Hredzak) Showalter (Verona, PA); grandchildren Heather, Gwendolyn ("Winnie"), "Jack Jack" and several nieces. Interment will take place at the Tower of David,  Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Cathedral City, CA. Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Resource Organization (parkinsonsresource.org) and to the American Heart Association.  

You were employed, among other positions, as an assistant buyer  for Gimbel's Pittsburgh (furniture and bedding), an educator (Pittsburgh yeshiva) and as an alcohol/drug therapist (Aleutian Tribes Corp. in Cold Bay, AK).  Strongly feeling the need to help the disadvantaged and disenfranchised, you actively volunteered assisting the Pittsburgh homeless and worked as a trauma counselor.  A member of the Morongo Basin Democratic Club, the Morongo Basin CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and the Morongo Basin Sexual Assault Services, you dedicated your life to giving back.  You enjoyed contributing as a volunteer educator for Desert Oasis Health Care, teaching the "Healthier Living Workshop" and "A Matter of Balance" classes with your wife.  "Well, hello there!" Who could resist that effervescent personality and smile as you strolled into the classroom sporting your red straw fedora and carrying your book bag?  Into politics, you proudly recounted being beaten by Chicago police while demonstrating during the 1968 Democratic convention.  Faith was extremely important to you as a member of Chabad of Rancho Mirage and Temple Isaiah Palm Springs.

A devoted follower of Bill and Dr. Bob, you were fond of saying, "The only meeting you need to attend is the one you don't want to."  Being of service to others was paramount in your life.  You established the Yucca Valley "House of Hope", a sober living house for women, and a housecleaning service, "Aaprons, the fine arts of housewifery", which you later paid it forward to those in recovery. A voracious reader especially of Civil War and WW II history, you visited all of the eastern and southern Civil War battlefields with Danny, enjoyed all types of music (playing the flute, piccolo and recorder) and were an eclectic art collector.  You enthusiastically waved the "Terrible Towel" at every chance for the Pittsburgh Steelers, your favorite football team in good and bad years.  You were witty, intelligent and creative.  You designed greeting cards, were always writing and researching topics of interest and constantly curious about the world.  More than once you only half-jokingly declared that anyone would want you on their Trivial Pursuit team.  We met in the fall of 1997 through a tiny " dwm seeking d/swf" ad placed in a village rag.  You were selling Alaska, and I was buying.  We corresponded and by Pesach 1998, I traveled to Cold Bay, AK to accept your proposal.  Back in PA, I sold my home and its contents, secured a position as Home Health Director for tiny native Kanakanak Hospital and moved to Dillingham, AK.  On July 9, 1998 we were married by the Court.  You were miffed that we married in the morning. We shared wedding cake with Yupi'k Native Americans by noon and by afternoon I returned to work!  We were amateur rock hounds.  While other couples had a favorite song, our favorite "rock" was labradorite.  

Jesuit Father Charles Delano Sullivan, a Baltimore native who taught and coached for nearly 50 years in Bronx, N.Y., died May 13 of Parkinson’s disease. 

He was ordained in Baltimore by Cardinal Lawrence Sheehan in 1972. He spent 49 years teaching math and coaching basketball at Fordham Prep. Father Sullivan also was a noted retreat speaker.

The youngest of three children, Father Sullivan grew up just blocks from The Johns Hopkins University in Homewood. He attended what are now Loyola Blakefield High School and Loyola University Maryland.

At the end of his junior year of college in 1960, he joined the Society of Jesus and after two years in the novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, Pa., he did philosophical studies at Shrub Oak, N.Y. (1963-1965). He earned a master’s degree in math at Boston College and then spent regency teaching math at Georgetown Prep and the lower school in North Bethesda. 

According to a Jesuit obituary, Father Sullivan was a longtime friend of Hall of Fame University of Notre Dame basketball coach Richard “Digger” Phelps, with whom he worked basketball camps for more than 30 years. 

“You will not find a person who represents the values of Fordham Prep, its students, and the Jesuit community better than Charlie,” Phelps said upon Father Sullivan’s induction into the Fordham Prep Hall of Honor in 2011. “His dedication to teaching and serving the young men of Fordham Prep for over 40 years has prepared many academically and spiritually for the years ahead. Add to this his commitment to coaching and impacting young men in the field of athletics and you have a deserving person for this special honor.”

In 2019, declining health forced him to retire. He was diagnosed with Parkinson ’s disease and moved to Campion Center, the Jesuit health care facility in Weston, Mass. 

We are very sad to report that Bill Giduz passed away on May 11th, 2024. Born William Roland Giduz on April 12, 1952, Bill grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His father was a journalist and his mother was the town manager for Chapel Hill.

Bill Giduz was an extremely important figure in the juggling community around the world. His contributions were many, varied, and of great importance. Bill is universally credited as the inventor of the sport of joggling, where track and long-distance races are run while juggling. Bill started joggling in 1975 and brought that activity to the International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) in 1980. He organized and ran the races for many years at the IJA as the Joggling Director and took the sport to many other regional festivals as well. The sport of joggling is recognized by the Guinness World Record Book and continues as a part of the annual IJA Festival and elsewhere. 

Bill became an IJA Board member in the 1970s and served in various capacities over the next several decades, including working as the Affiliates Director, Joggling Director, and heading up World Juggling Day celebrations. In 1979, Bill Giduz took over publishing the IJA Newsletter, which he later turned in the professional quality Juggler’s World Magazine. Bill served as editor of Juggler’s World from 1981 to 1997, working to connect jugglers around the world. His work with Juggler’s World showcased his immense talent as a writer and photographer. He served as IJA President from 1985 to 1987. Bill received the IJA Extraordinary Service Award in 1993. 

Bill was one of the founders of the Atlanta Juggling Association and was the first secretary in 1977. He researched and obtained the Phil trophies for the Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival from 1979 to 2017. Even after moving away, Bill continued to support and attend the Groundhog Day festival and bring the trophies with him each year. 

In 1980, Bill moved to Davidson, NC to work as the Director of Media Relations at Davidson College. He brought his love for juggling with him and helped run the Hurricane Hugo Juggling Festival there for over two decades. He also established a yearly survey of Davidson College students to find what percentage of them could juggle. Bill retired from Davidson College in 2017. 

Bill served as a photographer at many juggling festivals for decades, recording wonderful memories that are still enjoyed and appreciated today. Bill was renowned for his gentle spirit and generosity to all who came in contact with him.

Bill had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and succumbed to a bout of pneumonia on May 11th, 2024. Our sincere condolences go out to his family and many friends.

Former Walsall boss Frank Sibley has died at the age of 76.

Sibley, who began his career as a player with Queens Park Rangers, went on to manage the Rs for a season.

After leaving Loftus Road he had a brief stint a manager at the Saddlers.

He later returned to QPR as caretaker manager and as part of the coaching staff under Gerry Francis in the 1990s.

Sibley was diagnosed with Parkinson's back in 2004 - and QPR confirmed his death with a statement on their website on Monday morning.

Actor Kanakalatha, known for playing supporting characters in films and television serials, passed away here on Monday. She was 63. The actor had been suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s disease over the past couple of years. Born in Oachira in Kollam district, her acting career, spanning over 300 films in Malayalam and Tamil and several popular television serials, began in her younger days with drama performances. With a childhood marked by poverty, the stage was one of the sources of income for her family.

Filmmaker P.A. Backer, who watched one of her performances, cast her in the lead role in his film Unarthupaattu. Though the film unfortunately did not get a theatrical release, filmmaker Lenin Rajendran, who was one of its producers, cast her in his film Chillu (1982), which became Kanakalatha’s debut film.

Though she got more roles in films, she continued to perform on stage too with various troupes, including the Kalidasa Kalakendram.

When Doordarshan began telecasting television serials in the 1980s, she was one of the earliest to make the shift to television with a lead role in Oru Poo Viriyunnu. Soon, Kanakalatha became a familiar face in these thirteen episode-serials, at a time when these were the staple diet in almost every other household in Kerala in the pre-cable television era.

She later became a part of several popular mega serials in the private television channels that mushroomed in the 1990s.

In films, she continued to do supporting character roles, most often as the sister or mother of the principal characters. Some of her notable films include Kireedam, Kauravar, Harikrishnans, Bandhukkal Sathrukkal, Chenkol, Spadikam, Aadyathe Kanmani and Oru Yathramozhi.

Though she acted in a few films in the 2010s, she slowly faded out of cinema and television in recent years due to illnesses. Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian condoled her passing.

Dave Hewitt founded the White Rose Armoury around 34 years ago, working at the Clocktower in Hollingwood up until June 2023. He played bass in numerous bands including Traitors Gate, Wytchfynde and Stormwatch.

His son Ben commented on social media: “He was my absolute HERO!! He had so much time for us all and inspired so many people both through his amazing skill of his work and his music. He was loved so much.”

Dave, who lived in Newbold, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s four years ago. He was admitted to Chesterfield Royal Hospital on Thursday, May 2 with pneumonia and suffered respiratory arrest. From his hospital bed and with his wife Bec cuddling him, Dave watched a livestream of his son’s band Nothings Forgotten play a gig in aid of Parkinson’s on Friday at Real Time Live.

His last word to Bec was that he loved her ‘immeasurably’. Dave died on Monday – the day before his 68th birthday.

Bec said: “He was my soul mate. He loved his son Ben very, very much, and his stepson Jake and his two grandchildren, Sophie and Ava Mae.”Dave was a true gentleman and an absolute pleasure to be around. Generous and a highly skilled and intelligent man.

“I’m so proud of the things he did. He was a workaholic who loved doing his hobby as his job – it was his passion. He was Leeds Armoury’s main armourer and spent every Easter there for the yearly joust mending and helping the knights with their armour. He has a suit of armour in the Agincourt museum, he was especially proud of that.”

Royal Armouries in Leeds posted on X: “It's with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Master Armourer to the Royal Armouries, Dave Hewitt. Dave, a long-time friend and partner of the museum replenished, repaired and created new world-class armours for us for over 25 years.”

Dave founded the War of the Roses Federation, a group for re-enactors focusing on the 1455-1487 medieval period, which is still in existence.

Bec said: "He would buy the Royal British Legion small wooden crosses and put them on every soldier’s grave at St John's Road church, Brimington and Heath. Later he would do this with his mate Mark Weston.

“He travelled every year with four other mates to Belgium and France to look at battlefields and stay for a few days learning about WW1.

"He was an avid motorcyclist and loved nothing more than going out on distance trips with his nephews Mark and Steven and his brother Richard.”

On social media Jonathan Jones commented: “When it comes to charisma, wit, presence, passion, a lust for life and yes, skill with both hammer and sword, there is no finer example can be offered than Dave.”

Mark Griffin posted on Dave’s page: “Knew you for nearly 40 years, see your wonderful work every day as I walk through the shelves of armour.”

Derbyshire born and bred, Dave had an eclectic taste in music ranging from Kate Bush, to Clannad, Rammstein to Harry Styles. He played bass in a number of bands including Das Raaven, Axis and Warrior down the years and supported rock icons Saxon, Budgie and Wishbone Ash.

KIrk Wells posted: “R.I.P. to a true rock legend, friend and gentleman, it was a pleasure to have rocked with you, rest easy god of thunder.”

Danny Bower wrote: “He will be missed by so many people, such a big loss to the music scene.”

David (Dai ) Davies, passed away surrounded by his family on Monday, May 6, aged 74 years.

David was the Community Policeman in Norton for 30 years and was often seen cycling around his beat.

Later on David worked for Beecham's Pharmacy delivering prescriptions to people at home.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2014.

A few years later he joined the Dancing With Parkinson's group at Kirkham Henry Performing Arts Centre in Malton.

Angela Kirkham, who runs the classes said: "Dave loved the music and enjoyed the comradery of the group. His sense of humour often came to the fore.

"We will fondly remember Dave for his sense of humour and initially questioning the reasoning behind some of the movements. Sending love to you and the family."

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Ellen Carol Hawkins (Marshall), beloved wife of Victor Cameron Hawkins and loving mother of Jennifer (Colin) and Lesley (Mark) and grandmother to Cameron, Gillian, Callum, and Fiona. She was a loving wife and partner, a caring mother, entertaining grandmother, courageous explorer, nurse, accomplished writer, avid hiker, Scottish country dance teacher, and a leader in all her community activities.

Ellen was raised in New Liskeard, Ontario and after graduating from nursing college in St. Catherines, Ontario, she moved out to Vancouver as her father had said that he had never seen the Rocky Mountains, so she felt that she had to go. There she met a group of English nurses who encouraged her to visit Britain. A year later she set off on a Greyhound bus for Acapulco where she boarded an ocean liner to Southampton, England. After a period in London and Edinburgh, Ellen and her traveling companion Lil then decided to go to Ireland and set off for Glasgow to catch the boat only to find that there were no sailings that day. Her friend Lil remembered that she had a contact in Glasgow through which Ellen met her husband-to-be.

Victor and Ellen had an immediate deep love. Three months later they announced their engagement in December and married in March as he worked for an international company and was being sent to Portugal. This was the beginning of an international adventure living in Switzerland, Chile (where Jennifer was born), Scotland (where Lesley was born), Indonesia, the Philippines, Canada, Chile again, and the USA, after which Victor retired. They moved back to Santiago, Chile where they spent a further 15 years before returning to Canada.

Throughout their many postings Ellen travelled widely. Ellen had the ability to adapt to many different situations always with a smile and a positive attitude. In Bogor, Indonesia many of the basics of living were missing or restricted. She raised their two girls there. Jennifer was three years old and Lesley 18 months old when they arrived. Medical assistance was rudimentary, so Ellen had to rely on her nursing training and good judgement. Ellen set up a school in the spare bedroom and garden for Jennifer and some other expatriate children and taught them for two years. With encouragement from the management of the local Goodyear facility she organized the start-up of a larger school to accommodate the increasing number of expatriate families living in the town. She ran the school and taught during the first year. That school has now grown into a major educational establishment in Bogor.

Ellen impacted every community in which she lived by volunteering for numerous charities and church organizations and led Scottish country dancing groups. During her time in Chile, she formed and led a hiking group, became an accomplished writer, penning Djinxed, a memoir about the family’s adventures in Indonesia, and wrote several anthologies with the Santiago Writers, a writing group which she founded.

Every family experiences death at some point. It is for our family a great sadness as Ellen was the fulcrum of the family. That she died from Parkinson’s disease which slowly destroyed her mind is perhaps the most tragic aspect because she had a fine mind, full of curiosity, humour, and great imagination. She was determined and one of several “pushy Marshall women” in her extended family who was a leader in all her activities. She will be greatly missed, not only by the family, but by many friends across the world.

We thank the wonderful team at Bradford Valley Care Community for their compassionate and loving care during her residence there.