The Memorial Wall

Captain Thomas E. Bruyere USN, (Ret), 75, died peacefully on January 4, 2009, in San Diego, CA, from complications associated with Parkinson's disease which he endured for 15 years.

Tom was born to Bolton and Annette Bruyere on January 15, 1933, in Waco, TX. He grew up in east Texas, graduated from Longview High School in 1951, and attended Kilgore College until his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from which he graduated in 1956.

Captain Bruyere had a distinguished 28-year career as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot where he flew 4200 hours in jet aircraft, 371 combat missions in Southeast Asia, and over 800 carrier arrested landings. Tom's career highlights included command of Fighter Squadron 142 "Ghostriders," navigator of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and command of Navy Recruiting District, New York.

After retirement from the Navy, he began TNT Hydrolines Inc., building and operating high-speed catamarans to carry commuters from New Jersey to the Wall Street Pier.

His major philanthropic activities included the establishment of Fleet Week in New York City; directing the San Francisco Air Show featuring the Navy's Blue Angels; serving as President of the Navy League Council in New York City, and active in the Navy League Councils of San Francisco and Baltimore.

Tom's hobbies, besides flying fast, were people and laughter. He had the great gifts of charm and clever humor. People were drawn to him not only because of his great character but his special ability to put everyone at ease.

Tom is survived by Kathy Bruyere, his wife, and selfless caregiver for the last 20 years; three sons from his marriage to Joan Bruyere; Brett Bruyere and wife Mandi of Boise, ID, Major Trent Bruyere, U.S. Army and wife Valeria of Coral Gables, FL, and T.J. Bruyere and wife Blanca of Coronado, CA; sister, Marilyn Brunkhorst and husband Robert of Dallas, TX; brothers, Bolton Bruyere of Snyder, TX, Robert Bruyere and wife Blanche of Longview, TX, Milton Bruyere and wife Kristin of Shreveport, LA, and Helen Bruyere his sister-in-law and wife of brother David Bruyere who recently preceded him in death of Longview, TX; ten grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and many friends.

His body will be cremated and buried at a National veteran's cemetery to be announced at a later date.

https://parkinsonsresource.org/the-memorial-wall/bruyere

Jay Fiondella, owner of the Chez Jay restaurant in Santa Monica, died November 6th, 2008 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 82.

Chez Jay, Fiondella’s small, casual “joint” is known worldwide as a magnet for celebrities and is still going strong nearly a half-century after opening, said friends.

Aside from his longevity as a restaurateur, Fiondella was equally celebrated for his exploits as an adventurer, playboy, treasure-hunter, sailor, balloonist, boxing manager, stage producer and part-time actor, friends said. He was a pioneering competitive hot air balloonist and was reportedly the only balloonist in the Screen Actors Guild in the 1960s.

Fiondella was Cosmopolitan magazine’s “Bachelor of the Month” in 1970. In the 1980s he located and helped recover lost World War II aircraft buried in the Arctic ice famously known as the “Lost Squadron.” He was also part of a team that successfully recovered millions of dollars’ worth of silver coins from a sunken World War II-era ship off the coast of Yemen, friends said.

As an actor, Fiondella appeared in more than 50 TV shows and feature films from the 1950s through the 1990s. He invariably played bit parts, although in consistently high-profile productions, friends said. His credits include television’s Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Batman, Mission Impossible and Fantasy Island, as well as several of the Lethal Weapon films and director Robert Altman’s Short Cuts.

Friends said Fiondella’s restaurant was frequented by an endless list of show business icons, many of whom were his personal friends, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Marlon Brando, Lee Marvin, Robert Stack, Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, Elizabeth Taylor, Johnny Carson, Nancy Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mel Gibson, Jerry Seinfeld, Sean Penn, Drew Barrymore and countless others.

Fiondella was always protective of his famous customers and forbade any photographers, reporters or autograph seekers from staking out his place.

Considered a Chez Jay staple is its free baskets of unshelled “gourmet” peanuts, one of which Apollo 14 commander Alan Shephard took to the moon and back in 1971, friends said. Fiondella dubbed it his “Astro-nut,” proudly showing it off to patrons at his bar until the night actor Steve McQueen nearly ate it. The Astro-nut has resided in a safe deposit box ever since, friends noted.

Born August 6th, 1926 in East Haven, Connecticut, Fiondella served in the Navy in World War II as a Seabee in the Philippines and China. After attending the University of Miami, Fiondella moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950s, hoping to become an actor. His first Hollywood roommate was actor Leonard Nimoy.

In 1959, he opened his own restaurant and named it Chez Jay as a tribute to his eventual friend Frank Sinatra, who ran a restaurant named “Chez Joey” in his film Pal Joey. Chez Jay is now managed by Michael Anderson, Fiondella’s co-owner.

Married twice, Fiondella is survived by his daughter, Anita Fiondella Eck; his son Chaz Fiondella; his sister Rita Lurate and many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Celebration for Fiondella is scheduled at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, December 6th, at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson’s Resource Organization, 74090 El Paseo, Suite 102, Palm Desert 92260.

Elaine Hackel Comess, (81), died Sunday from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. Her passing was gentle and painless. In 1973, after a thirty-year hiatus from school during which she raised a family, Elaine graduated from UCLA with a bachelors in Anthropology.

She served as a docent at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, UCLA and the Skirball Museum, and collected the oral histories of the generation of Jews which preceded hers. Blessed with an active intelligence, she was a woman who could read a book and take from its pages what was there. With her husband Leonard Comess M.D., Elaine traveled the world, and followed her interests in art, archaeology, ancient history, and architecture. In fact, Elaine spent her lifetime pursuing knowledge, understanding and social justice. She was a remarkable hostess. Perhaps her greatest accomplishment was creating a sense of graciousness for those close to her. Elaine’s life was a success in every aspect important to her. If the totality of a human being may be described in a word, hers would be “class.”

Elaine is survived by her husband, Leonard; her children, Richard and Toby; son-in-law, Neil; grandchildren, Max, Hart, Lily and Eden; and great-granddaughter, Ellie. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her well.

Funeral Services, 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 15, Hillside Memorial Park, Los Angeles.

In lieu of flowers, kindly make contributions to the Elaine Comess Memorial Fund at Parkinson’s Resource Organization:
www.ParkinsonsResource.org

CATHERINE LUCILLE CARTER

NOV 4, 1939 - OCT 13, 2008

Catherine was born November 4, 1939, to Paul and Catherine Scheck in Gilroy, California and entered into eternal rest at her home in Modesto, California on October 13, 2008. Catherine is survived by her devoted husband of 47 years, Marcus Carter of Modesto, daughter Paula, son-in-law Joe, grandchildren Joey and Ben Simonds of La Quinta, California. She was preceded in death by her loving son, Jeffrey Paul Carter, parents, and sister, Shirley Trujillo. Catherine was raised in Gilroy, California and graduated from Gilroy High School in 1957. Many special friendships were formed while living in Gilroy and she enjoyed staying in touch with her lifelong friends over the past 50 years! Catherine moved to Modesto and attended MJC where she met her husband Marcus. She then graduated from Sacramento State and worked as a teacher for the Modesto City Schools District. Catherine was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, aunt and friend. She found great joy in spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandsons, Joey and Ben. Her caring, supportive and friendly nature will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22, 2008, at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park, 1000 1st. Street, Gilroy, California under the direction of Habing Family Funeral Home. Catherine's family would like to thank 2nd daughter Julie Ibanez for her love, compassion, and care of Catherine during her final weeks of life. It was a gift that will always be remembered. Also, a special thank you to the staff of Community Hospice for their support and care. 

Crisálida Cano Arreaga de Hernández (Doña Cris) died September 1, 2008 in the city of Miami, Florida, aided by the final sacraments. 

Her sister Magda Cano Arreaga de Leòn shares this great sadness with her nephews, Edwin Arnulfo, Normita y Raúl de Leòn Cano, and they share their heavy grief with her husband, Max Hernández Ruano, with her children Lily, Max Arnoldo, and Claudia Hernández Cano and with her grandchildren, asking that God grant them Christian resignation.  

“A flower on a grave withers, a tear over the memory evaporates. A prayer for the soul, God receives.” – Saint Augustine

Barbara May Shelby, (86), of Palm Springs and Long Beach, CA, died August 18, 2008 from complications of Parkinson's. Born July 2, 1922, to Marion West Magruder and Esther Ida Post, Barbara grew up in Long Beach, CA, graduating from Poly High School in 1940, and from Long Beach City College in 1941 with an AA Degree. She worked for Union Oil from 1942 until shortly after marrying Eugene Forrest Shelby on September 7, 1946. Two months later, they created Shelby Instrument Company, an electronics firm. In the years that followed, Barbara and Gene raised three children and traveled frequently. She was a member of the Long Beach Memorial Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary until 1964, when her husband retired and the family moved to Palm Springs. There, she became Assistant Director of the Desert Hospital Volunteers and was active in the National Charity League. After her husband's death in 1968, Barbara returned to college and received her BA degree in English and her teaching credential from Redlands University. She then became a teacher at Nellie Coffman and Raymond Cree Junior High Schools. After her retirement from teaching in 1986, she worked as Administrator and Fundraiser for Northwood University till 1997. During that time, her fondness for large brimmed hats added an additional note of elegance to the many events she arranged for Northwood. For years, she was also active in the Assistance League of the Palm Springs Desert Area and the Parkinson's Resource Group. In 2005, she returned to Long Beach to be closer to her children. She is survived by her son, Eugene Forrest Shelby, II (age 60) of Anchorage, Alaska, and her two daughters, Carolyn June Shelby (age 59) of Los Angeles and Barbara Jean Shelby (age 57) of Huntington Beach, CA. She has one grandchild, Samantha Shelby Ames (age 21) of Santa Cruz, CA. Funeral services will take place at 10:00 a.m. on September 6, 2008 at The Church of St. Paul in the Desert, 125 W. El Alameda, Palm Springs. Immediately after, there will be a graveside service at Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City. All friends and former students are welcome to attend. A scholarship fund has been created in Barbara's name at Northwood University. 

Danton Burroughs, Chairman of the Board of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., who maintained the Tarzan legacy, dies at 63.

Danton Burroughs, a family man, businessman, and collector of art, artifacts and literary works, and protector and promoter of the legacy of his Grandfather, Edgar Rice Burroughs (the author of Tarzan of the Apes and other famous American literary works), died at home in Tarzana, California on May 1, 2008. Danton passed away in his sleep due to heart failure. Danton had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

[On a side note] At a Parkinson’s Resource Organization event in 2005, in a Tarzan and the Foreign Legion book given to actor Larry Pressman, whose father and brother had Parkinson’s, was inscribed: “Edgar Rice Burroughs, my grandfather who wrote this book, had Parkinson’s; John Coleman Burroughs, his son and my father, who illustrated this book, had Parkinson’s, and I, who gives this book, have Parkinson’s” signed Danton Burroughs.

Throughout his younger years Danton lived in a magical world created by the novels of his Grandfather which was filled with all the exciting illusions of exotic lands and inner earths that included heroes and villains larger than life. It was an exciting world that stimulated his imagination and Danton’s future was clearly set before him. Danton became an officer and director of the family owned business of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and was determined to keep his Grandfather’s legacy and fame alive. Danton’s engaging personality impressed all who knew him and his immense knowledge of the works and creations of his Grandfather allowed him to share his enthusiasm with business associates and friends. Danton was instrumental in the promotion and licensing of many diverse media properties, such as feature films, animated features, television series, daily and Sunday comic strips, live stage productions, theme park attractions, new editions of original novels and foreign editions, conventions, Burroughs Bibliophiles, fanzines, and comic books. Danton worked tirelessly, until the last day of his life, at Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the company created by his Grandfather to market and promote his literary works and the characters he created like Tarzan Lord of the Jungle and John Carter of Mars. The company will continue to promote and foster the legacy of not only Edgar Rice Burroughs but also Danton through its President James Sullos and the members of the Burroughs Family who will honor Danton’s legacy by keeping his dream alive to share the wonderful and fantastical worlds and characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Danton also sold real estate in the early 1970s in the San Fernando Valley and Venice, California.

Danton’s personal passion was collecting art, artifacts, historical memorabilia and literary works. His vast and varied eclectic collections included Wurlitzer and Seeburg Jukeboxes, an extensive record collection, sheet music and artist’s memorabilia of all sorts, bronze sculptures, rare pocket watches, marbles, street lamps, literary works and writings. The collections were amazing.

Danton was a son of the San Fernando Valley. He was born on June 21, 1944 to John Coleman Burroughs and Jane Ralston Burroughs in Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California. His Grandfather, Edgar Rice Burroughs, established the community of Tarzana with the renaming of the historic “Rancho del Cabrillo,” the “Tarzana Ranch” consisting of 550 acres which he had purchased in 1919 from the Estate of General Harrison Gray Otis, the former publisher of the Los Angeles Times and Mirror Company. Gen. Otis was one of the 5 principal partners in the “Suburban Homes Company” who in 1909 had purchased the southerly 47,500 acres of the San Fernando Valley and recorded Tract 1000 in 1910. General Otis had purchased from the syndicate the first parcel of this Tract which Burroughs now owned.

By 1922, Edgar Rice Burroughs had subdivided the northerly 100 acres of the ranch and was actively marketing the “Tarzana Tract” on the “Tarzana Ranch,” and as noted in the October 15th issue of the Los Angeles Examiner, “New Town of Tarzana Is Established.”

In 1927, the Tarzana Women’s Club asked Burroughs permission to use the Tarzana Ranch name which was later submitted with application for the establishment of the “Tarzana Post Office,” on December 16, 1930.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, General Harrison Gray Otis, and William Mulholland, Chief Engineer of the City Water Department, who brought water into the San Fernando Valley via the Los Angeles Aqueduct, were the giants of that time who set the stage for the subdivision and development of the San Fernando Valley into the suburban communities it is today.

Danton grew up in Tarzana and attended Tarzana elementary school, Ridgewood Military Academy in Woodland Hills, Sequoia Jr. High School in Reseda, and Reseda High School. He attended Los Angeles Pierce College, he belonged to the Tri Chi Fraternity, and he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree.

Danton is survived by his wife Linda and daughters Jane and Dejah and brother John Ralston and sister Dian, who have vowed to continue to honor Danton’s legacy and that of his family by preserving and promoting the fantastical literary characters and creations of Edgar Rice Burroughs that so many Americans have enjoyed for almost a century.

All who knew him, loved him. He was a dear husband, father, brother, and friend to all and our hearts are deeply saddened by his passing.
For further insights into the life of Danton please see the following weblink: www.dantonburroughs.com

A Memorial Service to celebrate Danton will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.:
Tarzana Community & Cultural Center
19130 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, California 91356
(818) 705-1286
(Corner of Vanalden Ave. and Ventura Blvd., Parking available on surrounding streets)

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the Danton Burroughs’ Memorial Fund at Parkinson’s Resource Organization:
www.ParkinsonsResource.org

Our beloved Carol Ann McCain, 63, of Palm Desert passed away in her home on Wednesday, March 18 after a valiant struggle with a disease similar to Parkinson’s called Shy-Drager syndrome (also known as Multiple Systems Atrophy).

Born on June 25, 1945 in Swannanoa, North Carolina to William Montgomery and Jane Colbert McCain, Carol attended high school in Japan and New Mexico, and graduated from the University of Colorado in 1967 with a degree in business. Carol was an accomplished gourmet cook, and at one point gave lessons in her home. She had a lifelong passion for dance, hiking, and the outdoors. Carol was a girl scout and studied ballet as a child. Later she moonlighted as a cabaret dancer while handling the accounting on a ship for Club Med. Her life was adventure and discovery. She sailed, scuba dived, skied, backpacked, rafted, and traveled to every continent and far corner of the Earth. She volunteered to teach English in Vietnam. Her passion for life is reflected by her large circle of friends and bottomless generosity. She showed us how to live with joy and endure life’s hardships with grace and determination.

Carol is survived by her brother Bill, nieces Lina and Mara, nephew Greg and dog Mop.

Memorial service is April 18th at 10am at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert

Marilyn Visel Blue, 77, of Palm Desert, CA passed on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at Eisenhower Memorial Hospital.

She was born August 8, 1930, to Walter and Marie Metz in Los Angeles, CA. Well known for her beauty, social graces, innovative entrepreneurial businesses and charitable involvements, Marilyn Visel Blue was a much beloved personality in the desert for over 40 years. She died surrounded by her loving family and many friends.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Jerry Blue; daughter, Stacey Peterson and Stacey's four children; son, Scott Norton and his wife Laura.

KARCHER, CARL NICHOLAS More Than a Star Carl Nicholas Karcher was the very definition of a man of the people. Perhaps it might be better to say that he was a man for the people. Once you met him, you would always remember him, and he would remember you. He would greet you with that strong voice of his, large sincere handshake, and expansive countenance that seemed to enclose you with him in a private conversation. "How are you?" was his calling card. He always looked right at you, never intimidating but evoking a warmth that seemed to come from some inner reservoir of good will. It bespoke his true character: "How are you?" is what he said. For meeting Carl Karcher was not so much about him as it was about you. And you remembered. He had a remarkable memory for recalling names and could usually recite the exact date of a previous encounter with almost anyone he ever met. Of course, you would also walk away with a personally signed card entitling you to a free Carl's Jr. Famous Star Hamburger that was placed inside a card that expressed his personal philosophy, his gratitude, and a favorite family prayer: the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi. He never left home without those cards that he loved to pass out, and many people kept them as a memento and never redeemed them for a meal. For many, the experience of meeting Carl Karcher might have happened at a community event, perhaps at a business lunch or a charity event. Over the years it seemed that he could be seen at most of the big Orange County and Southern California events, especially those dedicated to charity. This was the man the public saw, and it was certainly part of who he was. But the true measure of the man is what he did for others when he was away from the public eye. Carl lived first and foremost in the certitude of Family. It was within his family that he anchored his true self, and he cannot properly be understood apart from this fact. Friends, relatives and anyone who visited the Karcher home were thrown right into the family mix and felt very comfortable. Carl was smart and quick. He enjoyed conversations, telling stories, and being a "ham" with plenty of jokes and pranks with a good sense of humor. He also played a mean game of Ping Pong and loved card games. One card game called Casini was played with the children and grandchildren. It was part of the Ohio legacy and he enjoyed playing it for hours at family gatherings. Born on January 16, 1917, in the north of Ohio, Carl Karcher hailed from the pure farm country of America's heartland, and the seeds of that land were always in his soul. From his birthplace he took the deep, sincere values of the traditional American hearthstone: honesty in dealing with others, perseverance, hard work and the stable framework of the nuclear family. And he had faith -- a deep, abiding, penetrating faith in a God who directed and guided him through the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church, the type of faith that has fallen out of favor for many, but was, for him, always his bedrock, his core. When he finally came to California to stay, it was for the person whom he would love with all his heart and for the rest of his life, Margaret Magdalen Heinz. It was in her that the values of his young life were to be realized. It was in Margaret that he truly found himself and was able to achieve his vast potential. It was with Margaret that he raised twelve children and immersed himself in their upbringing. Family was, literally, his life. He deeply respected the most important woman in his life, his beloved wife of 66 years whom he lost to cancer in June 2006 and missed every day of his remaining life. Margaret was not only his partner in family life, but in business as well. She operated his first hotdog carts when Carl was in the service during WWII and served on the Board of Directors when Carl Karcher Enterprises became a world-class corporation. She was a stay-at-home mom and the center of support for Carl and their children. If you wanted to see Carl on any given day, you had to rise early. You would find him at Saint Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim attending Mass every day at six thirty in the morning. That was usually after two hours of personal work at home in the wee morning hours. He would go to the office only after time in prayer in the church. It was the same parish church at which he met Margaret, married her, and brought their children every Sunday for Mass. When Carl returned home at the end of the day, never missing family dinner, it was to the same home in Anaheim that he and Margaret purchased in 1949 when they had five children. Seven more would follow in that same home. Each night after dinner, the entire family would spend half an hour in family prayer around the dinner table. In the last few years of his life, living with Parkinson's disease, Carl experienced a diminished ability to speak clearly. This made him a bit quieter in the public eye. At home, however, he continued to be a communicator, even when he could not get the words out easily. Every grandchild knew that three knocks on the table meant "I Love You," and then he would wrap his large hands around their little ones to complete the message. Such love ennobled his life and ours. Carl Nicholas Karcher was not a great man because he had success in business; rather he had success in business because he was a great man. Carl passed away last Friday evening January 11, 2008, five days before his ninety-first birthday, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He is survived by eleven of his twelve children: Anne Wiles, Patricia LaGraffe, Margaret LeVecke, Carl Leo Karcher, Kadie Karcher, Father Jerome Karcher, Janelle Karcher, Rosemary Miller, Barbara Wall, Joseph Karcher and Mary Miller. His daughter, Carleen Karcher, preceded him in death in 1993. He is also survived by forty-eight of his fifty-one grandchildren, forty five great-grandchildren and four brothers, Albert, Leo, Bernard and Frank. Visitation is Thursday, January 17 at Hilgenfeld Mortuary in Anaheim from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 p.m. A Vigil and Rosary Service will be held on January 17 at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Funeral Mass on Friday, January 18 at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim. Burial will be January 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange. A Memorial Mass will also be celebrated on Monday, January 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Huntington Beach.