The Memorial Wall

Eugene "Gene" Creech passed away April 9, 2021, at his home in Indian Wells, California after a lengthy illness. He was born in Cumberland, Kentucky to Lewis and Matilda Creech, and was the middle child of six. The Creech family moved to Portland, Oregon where Gene attended Gresham High School and graduated in 1952.

Gene met and married Norene "Joyce" Ochsner on June 26, 1953, and they had two daughters, Trudi Lynn, and Patti Ann. The family relocated to Albany in 1959 when Gene became manager of Copeland Lumber Company. He remained there until 1966 when he left to begin his own business, Concord Development Corporation. He was instrumental in bringing the Boys and Girls Club to Albany and served as President. Gene was an active member of the Albany Jaycees and the Chamber of Commerce where he was awarded Junior First Citizen in January 1968. He was also active in the Toastmasters Club and served as an Albany City Councilman.

Gene and Joyce were divorced after 20 years of marriage. He relocated to Reno, Nevada to expand Concord Development Corporation in 1972. It was there that he met his future wife, Mary Johnson. They were married in 1993 and together until Mary's death in 2012.

Gene was a well-known builder in Albany and surrounding areas and developed commercial and residential property in upstate New York, New Jersey, Las Vegas, and Reno, Nevada. He invented and patented Eagle Scoreboard Systems, unique ceramic porcelain scoreboards, for well-known golf tournaments and golf courses throughout the U.S. and other countries.

Gene loved his family, traveling the world and flying his private airplane, in addition to being a licensed glider pilot. Other activities he enjoyed during his life were skiing, scuba diving, golfing, and collecting fine artwork. He was loved by so many family and friends and will be greatly missed.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Lewis and Matilda Creech; wife Mary Creech; one brother and two sisters.

Gene is survived by his two daughters, Trudi (Creech) Jackson of Bend, Oregon, Patti (Creech) Steiger, and son-in-law Steve of Green Valley, Arizona; brothers Hubert "Dave" Creech of Rhododendron, Oregon and Elmo Creech of Blaine, Washington. He is also survived by stepchildren Ryan Daggett of Reno, Nevada, Danielle Bowen of Severna, Maryland, Christine Barton of Reno, Nevada; grandchildren Tiffany Simmons of Bend, Oregon, Clayton Morgan of Arlington, Washington and Cameron Morgan of Everett, Washington; step-grandchildren Ella and Austin Bowen of Severna, Maryland, Logan Barton of Reno, Nevada; five great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

A special thank you to his wonderful caregiver Brianna of Hope Care Professional Caregiving, Palm Desert, California, and Family Hospice Care, Palm Springs, California.

James Harold Sheehy was born June 1, 1945, and passed away peacefully on April 23, 2021. He had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease Dementia.

Jim was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York to Harold Duke Sheehy and Eloise Ashby Sheehy, and grew up there with his sister Elinor, who passed away last year. During his childhood Jim spent his time playing stickball with his "gang", experimenting with soon-to-be-considered unsafe chemistry sets, and taking part in the general sort of troublemaking to be expected from an NYC kid in the 1950s. A sign of his business endeavors to come, at age 10 he often went to Manhattan to buy handfuls of prisms that he resold in the neighborhood for a healthy profit. In his teens, Jim's father was shocked to discover he had $2,000 in his bank account.

Jim was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War but received a medical discharge due to his asthma. One of his first jobs in New York was with the American Broadcasting Co. He could recall seeing the Beatles first arrive to the US amid screaming crowds.

In the late 1960s, Jim moved to Northern Virginia with his first wife, Camille, where they raised their two daughters, Laura and Lisa. He started work in Virginia as a Customer Service Rep with American Airlines, which sparked his love for the travel business. After a series of other jobs, he returned to travel as a Sales Rep at the Air Transport Association before co-founding and heading sales for National Air Charters.

In 1982 he started at United Airlines, where he coordinated the Washington Redskins' away from football travel program, traveling on the team jet and attending games during the height of their franchise success with Joe Theismann as QB. Jim loved being on the field for their Super Bowl years and made lasting connections with members of the team and the organization.

It was during this time that he met his second wife, Kim Shanks, on a "fam" trip to Asia. They spent their first two weeks getting to know each other amid the romantic settings of Bali, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Within two months they were engaged and on September 20, 1986, they married in Pasadena, CA.

In 1991, their son, Ryan, was born in Virginia, and a year later they moved to Southern California where Jim purchased a travel agency in Pasadena. In 1999 he partnered with Protravel International, headquartered in NYC, and expanded the business to Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Palm Desert, where he, Kim, and Ryan relocated in 2001. He was a longstanding member of Virtuoso, a luxury travel consortium, and hand-picked as one of the 45 accredited agents authorized to sell trips to space with Virgin Galactic. While he sold the business in 2012, he kept the relationships and memories he forged traveling across the globe with his family and friends dear to him.

Jim served as an elder in the Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church, heading Personnel and helping the Church develop the Academy school. He enjoyed coaching his son in baseball and soccer, and actively assisted local Boy Scout Troop 131 where he was a merit badge counselor for some of his favorite hobbies like Astronomy and Fishing. If the Scouts had badges in good wine and food, he would have gladly helped with those as well.

Jim cared deeply for his family and is loved and will be missed by those close to him. Jim is survived by his wife of nearly 35 years, Kim, their son, Ryan, his daughters, Laura (Tim) Delaney and Lisa (Jimmy) Roach, and grandchildren, Anna, Connor, Cameron, and Alex.

Rafael "Ray" Vega, an entrepreneur and restaurateur passed away peacefully on January 9, 2021 at the age of 86.

Ray was born on August 27, 1934 to Rafael and Maria Vega. He migrated to the US from Tijuana with his parents as a toddler. His parents had dreams of owning a restaurant in LA and were able to bring that dream to fruition. Ray grew up on Olvera Street in downtown LA, around his parent's Mexican Restaurant, Café Caliente. He attended John Boroughs High School in Burbank and continued on to study Hospitality at San Francisco State University. He came back to LA at the age of 22 to find a way to support his parents who had recently been forced to close their restaurant. In 1956, with the promise of a few months free rent and while working a few other side jobs, Ray opened Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks on Ventura Blvd. Ray's father was the first bartender and his mother was welcoming guests while keeping an eye on the family recipes coming out of the kitchen. He was very active in local LA politics serving on the LA County Housing Authority and as Commissioner of Dept. of Public Social Service in the late 1960's-1970's. In 1976, Ray married Charleen, a beautiful woman whom he had met at Casa Vega.

As a young businessman, Ray was successful in obtaining government contracts for dining services all around California and Nevada. One of those contracts, Nellis Air Force Base, took Ray and Charleen to Las Vegas in 1978. Las Vegas opened lot of opportunities with Ray's love of work, his vision, creativity, drive and willingness to take risks. Ray started and owned numerous successful businesses in Las Vegas under VEGA Enterprise: VEGA Vending; VEGA Wholesale; VEGA Bar & Concessions; VEGA Foods; VEGA Marketing; VEGA Spirits; VEGA Dairy and many others, along with buildings, warehouses and other business ventures. Ray loved being a businessman and was a trailblazer within the Latino Community. In 1996, Ray was appointed Honorary Counsel General to Mexico for the State of Nevada. He sat on more hospital (Providence Hospitals) and bank boards than we can list.

After retiring from Las Vega, Ray was happy to move back to his hometown of Los Angeles, to spend his days near his first (and favorite) business, Casa Vega. He never missed a day of work. Ray took immense pride in teaching his daughter, Christina "Christy" Vega, how to navigate in business and keep his legacy alive. This year, Casa Vega Restaurant celebrates 65 years of business in Ray's honor.

Ray is survived by his wife, Charleen; his children Kelly, Robbie and Christina; and his grandchildren Anthony, Taylor, Emillee, Lizzy, Jackson, Rafael Palmer, Ryan' Jr., Cruz and Mia.

Services are pending.

Eugene E. Loya, age 83, resident of Lake Shore, passed away on Thursday, September 3, 2020 at Good Samaritan Society – Bethany. Gene was born on June 6, 1937 in Brainerd to Ernest and Elsie (Kruger) Loya.

Gene graduated from Brainerd High School and was on the basketball state championship team of 1954. After graduation, he attended the University of Minnesota where he earned his Doctorate in Dental Medicine. After school, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Tinker Air Force base in Del City, Oklahoma. Eventually, Gene opened his own dental practice in Minneapolis which was later relocated to Nisswa. He was an avid fisherman until he found his true passion in golf. Him and his wife, Patricia, were longtime golf members at Madden’s. His children will miss him and remember him as a fun, yet always a practical father.

He is survived by his children, Kristi (Don) Nelson, Greg (Denise), Brad (Heather); grandchildren, Tyler and Brett Nelson, Kelly (Derek) Jackson, Blake Loya, and Caitlyn and Makenna Loya; great-grandson, Owen Jackson; sister, Darlene Bolme; sister-in-law, Karen (Roger) Johnson; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 61 years, Patricia (Marttila) Loya; brothers-in-law, Robert Marttila and Jeff Bolme; and sister-in-law, Jackie Marttila.

Eugene Loya lived with Parkinson's disease