By Albert Jackson Sehorn Sr.
Albert Jackson Sehorn Sr. of Los Altos died May 9. A native of Portland, Ore., he was 84.
Before his retirement, Mr. Sehorn was president of International Paint Company and Carboline Chemical Company, Marine Division. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Much of Mr. Sehorn’s life was devoted to the world of swimming, promoting the Amateur Athletic Union and the U.S Olympic Swimming Organization. He qualified for the 1936 Olympics as an alternate in freestyle swimming. From 1959-73, he was chairman of the U.S. Olympic finance committee. From 1972-75, he was vice chairman of the U.S. Olympic swimming committee. He also served as the director of the Amateur Athletic Union USA from 1948-72, and as manager of the 1964 U.S. Olympic women’s swimming team.
Mr. Sehorn is survived by children, Al Sehorn Jr., Laurie Mittier and Barbara Sehorn; and grandsons, A.J. Sehorn and Jamie Colby.
Nancy Hetzner Van Kirk
Nancy Hetzner Van Kirk, a 29-year Los Altos resident, died May 18.
She was a native of Peru, Indiana.
Mrs. Van Kirk is survived by her husband, Frederick; daughters Baba and Mimi; and grandchildren, Margaux, Annie and Ben.
Helen Hykin
Helen Hykin of Los Altos died May 17. A New York native, she was 96.
Mrs. Hykin worked as a receptionist for A.H.C.P.A.
Mrs. Hykin is survived by a daughter, Iona Lindauer of Los Altos; a son, Mark Hykin; and three grandchildren.
Helen Ingols
Helen Ingols died May 17 in Los Altos. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., she was 93.
Mrs. Ingols was the widow of Mervel Ingols. She is survived by children, Robert, Donald and Beverley Mumm; grandchildren, Adam, Jonathan, Steven and Paula Mumm, and Lindsy and Chad Ingols; great-grandchildren Katherine and Jack; and in-laws Kathy Ingols, Ray Mumm and Mary Ingols.
Funeral services were held.
Olga Damassa
Olga Damassa died April 21. A native of Pennsylvania, she was 79.
Mrs. Damassa was the widow of Paschal “Pat” Damassa. She is survived by children, Donna Teresi and David and Joe Damassa; siblings, Anne Ziss and John Kobaly; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Grace Mary Hudson
Grace Mary Hudson, a former Los Altos resident, died April 26. A native of New York, she was 80.
Mrs. Hudson was active with the Childrens Health Council of Palo Alto, Christ Episcopal Church Choir and the Palo Alto Women’s Auxiliary. She and her husband owned and operated the Olga store in the Orca Islands in Washington.
Mrs. Hudson was the widow of John “Jack” Hall. She is survived by children, Nancy Forrest, D. Lawrence Hall, Katherine Ciaccio and Stacey Gynp; and 12 grandchildren, Kim, Matthew, Mark, Jennifer, William, Victoria, Ashley, Katey, Steven and Brian.
Annie Thacker Place
Annie Thacker Place died May 2. A native of Virginia, she was 88.
Mrs. Place grew up with her six siblings after her parents died when she was a young girl. She spent her career as an occupational therapist with the United States Army and the Veteran’s Administration.
Mrs. Place served in the Womens Army Corp during World War II. She met her husband in the Army. When they married in 1952, she as a captain, outranked her lieutenant groom. For the next 30 years, she worked at Veterans hospitals in Palo Altos, Oakland and Menlo Park.
She was the widow of Lt. Col. John E. Place. She is survived by her son, John Place of Los Altos; grandchildren, Shelly and Samantha Place; and several nieces and nephews.
Irvin Wesley Popnoe
Irvin Wesley Popnoe died May 2 in Los Altos. A native of New Mexico, he was 81.
Mr. Popnoe was a draftsman for Westinghouse Inc. for 40 years. He enjoyed sailing and working in his garden.
He is survived by his wife, Clare of 55 years and his two daughters, Linda Tuttle and Sheila Zutavern.
Loretta A. ‘Lori’ Waterman
Loretta A. “Lori” Waterman died May 5. A native of Texas, she was 87.
Mrs. Waterman was a tap and acrobatic dancer, painter, weaver, sculptor and serigraphist. She left home at 18 and supported herself as a night-club dancer.
Mrs. Waterman earned an associate’s degree at Foothill College and a bachelor’s degree at San Jose State Unviversity. She later taught painting at Adult Education for several years. She belonged to several art groups, including the Menlo Art League, Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society and San Francisco Women Artists.
She is survived by her husband, Alan; sister, Betty Walker; four children, Linda Schrader and Donna, Dane and Bruce Waterman; 12 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Ruth W. Brown
Ruth W. Brown died May 6.
Mrs. Brown was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Mountain View.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. Wendell E. Brown, chilren, Geoffrey N. Brown, Randall S. Brown, Gordon D. Brown and Roger M. Brown; 13 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
James F. Thompson
James F. Thompson, a marine aviator and Los Altos dentist, died June 8. A native of Washington, he was 82.
Dr. Thompson moved to Los Altos in 1950, where he started his private dentistry practice at the Rancho Shopping Center as one of the first two dentists in Los Altos. He practiced dentistry for 45 years.
He attended the University of California at Berkeley, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco, now University of the Pacific.
Prior to his dentistry career, Dr. Thompson served as the youngest fireman in the history of the Los Angeles Fire Department at that time in 1939.
At the commencement of World War II, Dr. Thompson served as a U.S. Marine aviator. After receiving his wings, he was transferred to the Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 142 (VMSB-142), flying SBD Dauntless dive bombers in the South Pacific. As a result of his tour of duty during the Philippine Campaign, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Dr. Thompson helped establish banana plantations in Costa Rica during the 1960s. As a result of his numerous contacts and associations with Costa Rican officials, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded him the title “Honorary Vice Counsel of Costa Rica.”
During the early 1980s, Dr. Thompson became increasingly interested in alternative medicine and completed a 3-year education in acupuncture that culminated with an internship in a Bejing, China, earning his certification as a licensed acupuncturist.
Dr. Thomspon is survived by: his wife Maxine; children, Shelly Sims and husband Ivan, Kimberly Thompson, and Dr. Kelly Thompson and wife Carisa; grandchildren, Wendy and Carter Sims, Jason and Sean Thompson, and Brittany and Jeffrey Marion; his sisters, Virginia Whitby and Rosemary Newman.
A Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday at the United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos.
Viola Lucille Hartman
Viola Lucille Hartman died May 7 at her Los Altos Hills home. A native of Idaho, she was 78.
Mrs. Hartman lived in Los Altos Hills for 48 years.
She is survived by her husband, Bruce Hartman; children, William, Gary , Michael Rutherford and Donald Rutherford and Becky Silva.
Services were held in Idaho.
Edmund Taylor Rumble Jr.
Obituaries run on a space-available basis. All items will be edited for length and newspaper style. Notices must be typed and include name of the deceased, death date, age, place of birth, occupation, club affiliations, service date, connection to Los Altos, Los Altos Hills or Mountain View and names of surviving family members. Please include a contact name and phone number. Mail obituaries to Town Crier, 138 Main St. Los Altos 94022; fax 948-6647; or e-mail lindat@latc.com.
Edmund Taylor Rumble Jr. died May 7. A native of Philadelphia, he was 91.
Mr. Rumble was an orthopedic surgeon with Kaiser Permanente. He served two, one-year terms as president of the Sullivan County Medical Society while in New York and was also elected county coroner for three, four-year terms.
He served as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where his ship was sunk. He was condsidered missing in action for about four days until another Naval Vessel found him afloat in the sea.
He was the widower of Dorothy Brooks.
He is survived by children, Edmund Rumble and Ruth Simpkins; and four grandchildren.
