ROBERT BUSS
Robert Buss, long-time Palo Alto area resident, died at home in Los Altos Hills on July 5th. He was 91.
Born in Provo, Utah in 1913, he moved with his family to Palo Alto at age 10 and graduated from Palo Alto High School. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from San Jose State College with honors, then his Ph. D. from Stanford in Electrical Engineering. While at Stanford he met his future wife Eugenia. On August 12th they would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.
During World War II he worked for the armed services at Harvard University in top-secret counter-radar, then spent nine months in Italy as a civilian technical observer.
After the war, Robert and Eugenia moved their growing family to Evanston, Illinois, where he taught at Northwestern University. In 1951 they returned to this area, building their home on a hilltop in Los Altos Hills. Dr. Buss was Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford, teaching and doing research until 1967. He then worked for several electronics companies until his retirement at age 75. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Purissima Hills Water District, serving for 45 years until age 87.
In his 40’s Dr. Buss fulfilled a lifelong dream, earning his pilot’s license. He made several transcontinental business trips in single engine planes, accompanied by Eugenia, visiting friends and relatives on the way, as well as many shorter jaunts.
Music was a very important part of his life. Gifted with a beautiful bass-baritone voice, he sang in the choir at First Congregational Church of Palo Alto for over 40 years and, with Eugenia, went on six European performing tours with the choir. Robert and Eugenia attended innumerable concerts together and transmitted their shared love of music to their children. Two of their daughters are professional musicians.
Robert loved traveling with his wife. Together they visited Japan, British Columbia and Alaska, as well as Europe. During family car trips across the U.S. they taught their children to sing. He loved the mountains above all and was a life-long backpacker, belonging to the Palo Alto Boy Scouts as a youth. He and Eugenia spent their honeymoon in the high Sierra, where their family later went camping nearly every summer. His last trip to the Sierra was in 2003, when he went to Yosemite with family members.
He is survived by his wife Eugenia and five of their children: Katherine Buss of Berkeley; Jennifer Barron of Weston, Connecticut; Dr. Richard Buss of Jackson; Stephen Buss of Palo Alto and Laura Van Hook of Rocklin. Their eldest child Margaret Finney passed away in September. In addition, he is survived by his sister Helen Halsey of Jersey Island, as well as twelve grandchildren, one step-granddaughter, three great-grandsons and one step-great-granddaughter.
Memorial services will be held at First Congregational Church of Palo Alto on Saturday, August 14 at 1:00 p.m. Memorial gifts may be given to the church organ fund.
DR. CONWAY CATTON
Dr. Conway Catton, age 78 and a resident of Los Altos for 45 years, passed away on July 12, 2004 from pulmonary fibrosis. He was an orthodontist and an avid tournament tennis player, graduate of USF and UOP Dental School. Husband for 50 years of Rosemary Catton of Los Altos. Father of Dave Catton of San Diego, Mary Catton Newman and her husband Nate of Scottsdale, Arizona and Steve Catton and his wife Maureen Sheehy of Orinda, CA and the late Billy and Joe Catton. Grandfather of Naomi and Joey Newman, Billy and Katie Catton. He is also survived by his devoted bull mastiff, Bentley.
Funeral mass was held on July 16, 2004 at Saint William Catholic Church in Los Altos. Interment, Gate of Heaven Cemetery. The family prefers donations to the Donations to the Dominican Sisters, Vision of Hope, Robert M. Holstein, Jr. memorial Scholarship, P. O. Box 7465, Oakland, CA 94601.
Arrangements were made under the direction of Spangler Mortuaries, 399 So. San Antonio Road, Los Altos.
JAMES WAYNE CROOKS
James Wayne Crooks, a resident of Los Altos passed away on July 10, 2004. He was born in Kansas on November 2, 1909.
Mr. Crooks was an Econ Professor for 25 years at Menlo College in Atherton.
He was preceded in death by his wife Italia Crooks in 1985.
He is survived by his wife Carmen Crooks, a daughter Arlene Crooks, a grandson Jon Manougian, a granddaughter Tasha Isolani, and three great granddaughters Ariana and Alessia Isolani and Yanassa Manougian.
Donations to Menlo College Scholarship Department in Atherton, CA 94027, preferred. A private family service will be conducted.
REGINALD HEBER, JR.
Reginald Heber, Jr. lived a long and remarkable life. He was born December 26, 1908 in Brooklyn, NY and raised in White Plains, NY. In his youth, Reg was an Eagle Boy Scout and an amateur boxing champion for the State of MA while in college at Amherst. At 18, he traveled bumpy roads across the US to Denver in an early Ford. He served 26 months in WWII in the Aleutian Islands as a Staff Sergeant in charge of airplane maintenance and was later stationed at McDill Field in Florida. He married Caroline Binley Jahne from White Plains, NY on 9/12/45 and in 1949 they moved from NY to San Francisco. They lived on Orme St. in Palo Alto for 23 years then moved to Mountain View. Reg worked for Continental Insurance Co. until his retirement in 1973 when he went to work for friends at the Estill Travel Agency. He and Carol traveled the world. He was a gardener, a sharp bridge player, and a member of the PA Elks. He loved his family dearly and extended it warmly by giving his home to exchange students from New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, & Equador. His wife and daughters; Judy, Sherry, and Helen; grandchildren; Leslie, Caitlin, & Rachel; Nephew Nikolaus; sons-in-law Tom and David, and faithful cat Max - were all by his side at the end July 12, 2004, holding his hands and telling him how much they loved him; his generosity, his loyalty, his loving heart. We all have been, and will continue to be, blessed by his invincible spirit. Donations of remembrance may be made to the sweet angels at Pathways Hospice Care in Mt. View who made his passing a gentler journey.
