ELEANOR LEOTA (SUND) MEREDITH
Eleanor Leota (Sund) Meredith, a native of the Santa Clara Valley for 84 years, born on March 17, 1920 at O’Connor Hospital, passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 22, 2005. She will be greatly missed by her relatives and friends. Eleanor (Sunny) is survived by her husband of 61 years, John Thomas Meredith, daughter, Sherry Ginn of Los Gatos and her husband Tom, son John Thomas Meredith Jr. of New Zealand and Colorado and his wife Nancy; grandchildren Wendy Meredith of Arizona, John Russell Meredith of New York, David Ginn of Texas and wife Marisa, Laurie Ginn of California, and one great-grandchild, Noah David Ginn of Texas. She is also survived by many cousins, including Mildred (Sund) Garth of Los Gatos, Alberta (Sund) Dixon, Earle Bagley, Charles Bagley, her sister-in-law Geri Sund, and her nephews, Herman E. (Sandy) Sund V and Steven Sund. Predeceased by her brother, Herman E. Sund IV, she was the granddaughter of Herman Sund, an early settler, builder, and member of the first Los Gatos Town Council.
Eleanor attended San Jose schools, including Hester School, Hoover Junior High, San Jose High, and San Jose State. She was active in Christian Endeavor. She served as president of Delta Bar sorority in high school and college. In 1942 she met John Meredith of Zanesville, Ohio (U.S. Navy) at a USO Valentine’s party in San Jose, and they married in 1943. They lived in Los Altos for thirty years, where they raised their two children.
She volunteered at El Camino Hospital, and later at the Village House and Happy Dragon in Los Gatos. She worked for many years at Los Altos High as English Department secretary, and then in Driver Ed. She was active with John in the Ambassador Class at First Baptist Church of Los Altos, where they were members for 52 years.
A memorial service was held on March 1, at the First Baptist Church of Los Altos. Donations can be made in her memory to CityTeam Ministries, 2304 Zanker Rd, San Jose, CA 95131, or the First Baptist Church of Los Altos, 625 Magdalena Ave, Los Altos, CA 94024.
Arrangements by Darling-Fischer Chapel of the Hills, Los Gatos, CA.
RALPH W. SCHWARZE
Ralph W. Schwarze, born on December 3, 1920, died peacefully on February 23, 2005. A native of California, he was raised in Lodi and graduated from Lodi High School. He attended UCLA before being drafted into the army during World War II. He served for four years in the Corps of Engineers, attaining the rank of Captain. Part of his service was with the 1572nd Engineer Heavy Shop Company on Okinawa. After the war, he completed his degree in engineering at UC Berkeley. He was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity. While at Berkeley, he met his wife, Margaret. In 1957, he and his family moved to Los Altos Hills to a house he designed and built himself. He worked as a mechanical engineer and enjoyed many activities, including ice-skating, skiing, backpacking, bodysurfing, and tending his apricot orchard. A familiar figure around the town of Los Altos, he could be seen riding a bicycle to his office on Main Street and having coffee with friends at the local deli. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of 55 years, their daughters, Mary, Judy, and Penny, and son-in-law David. He is also survived by sisters Betty, Lois, Mary Ann, brother Conrad, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lydia and Conrad, and his brother Jack. A private memorial gathering will be held.
DALE MONTE WALTZ
Dale Monte Waltz 1914-2005, passed away at home in his sleep. He was born in Creston, Iowa. Two years later, his family moved to a ranch in Twin Falls, Idaho. He graduated from Menlo College, where he played football, sang and was the leader of a band, which played for the school dances at Menlo, Stanford and Mills College. He sang for orchestras in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York. He served in the Coast Guard in WW II from 1941-1945. After this, he was active in Waltz Real Estate firm in Los Altos. He loved golf and playing racquetball at the Elks Club.
We wanted to thank all the nurses, doctors and the staff at the VA Hospitals in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Menlo Park for their tender, loving care. We also would like to thank all the “LADDIES”, wonderful friends and staff at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club for their friendship and support.
Dale is survived by his wife Catherine. He lost his sister Catherine in 1955. He is survived by three children, Patsy Walkup, Dr. Bill Hagbom, Christine Bebb and their spouses. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. His love and life will live on in our hearts forever.
The family will meet for a private memorial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to pathways Hospice, 201 San Antonio Circle, Suite 135, Mountain View, CA 94040-1252. Arrangements by Byrgan & Company of Los Gatos.
HAZEL IRENE SINCLAIR
Hazel Irene Sinclair (nee Stuart) died peacefully in Concord, New Hampshire on Saturday, February 19, 2005 at the age of 95.
Hazel was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia on December 29, 1909 to Annie May Marshall and Edward Warren Stuart. She was a graduate of Truro Normal School and Hawthorne School in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
As a young woman, she was a teacher and marathon swimmer. In 1927, she won the Herald Marathon Swim in Halifax Harbor.
In 1934, Hazel married William Gillies Sinclair of Greenock, Scotland, a marine engineer with Imperial Oil. They lived in Montreal, Quebec and raised three daughters: Mary, Jean and Katie. Hazel volunteered for the war effort, neighborhood schools and community organizations. She was widowed in 1957.
In 1961 she moved to New Hampshire and then to Palo Alto, California. Hazel volunteered as a ‘pink lady’ at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, CA for twenty years. She also enjoyed playing bridge, reading and being with children. She was Gramma Hazel to many in both California and New Hampshire.
Hazel moved back to Concord, New Hampshire in 1994 following the onset of Parkinson’s disease.
She is survived by Dr. Mary Stuart Gile and her husband Robert Gile of Concord, NH, Jean Anne Donnell and her husband Dr. James Donnell of Gorham, NH and Katie Clancy of Palo Alto, CA. Her grandchildren and their families include Chris, Nicole, Alicia and Andrew Trider, Julie and Tom Bagley, Rob Gile, Jessica Donnell, JeanAnne Donnell, Irene Donnell, Jeannie Clancy and Heather Clancy.
She is predeceased by her husband William G. Sinclair and her son in law Dr. Thomas Parks Clancy.
A celebration of her life will be held on April 3, 2005 in Concord, New Hampshire.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the SPCA or to a charity of personal choice.
JEANNE (MARY JEANNETTE) SULLOWAY LOW
Jeanne (Mary Jeannette) Sulloway Low was born on February 1, 1917, in Boston, and grew up in Franklin, New Hampshire. She was educated at Miss Hall’s School in Boston and 1935-37 at Miss Child’s School of Art in Florence, Italy. During World War II she later volunteered for the Red Cross helping wounded soldiers in North Africa and Naples, Italy. At the end of the war she met Preston (Bud) Low an Army officer from Portland, Oregon, and the couple was married in Florence, Italy and in 1946 returned to the United States to establish a home in California. She and Preston Low were divorced in 1981 and in 1985 Jeanne moved to Palo Alto.
In the 1950’s Jeanne started a nursery school in Los Altos. In the 1960’s she was president of the Foothill International League, helping foreign students. In that decade she focused on crafts- stitchery, textiles and basketry. She was a member of the Bay Area Arts and Crafts Guild and the Stitchery Guild. She operated a Christmas craft fair in a railroad car parked by the tracks of the defunct railway line in Los Altos. Both a collector and a maker, Jeanne was above all a promoter of young artists. She was the driving force behind the creation of the California Crafts Museum which secured gallery space at Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco. In 1993 it fused with the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Fort Mason, San Francisco.
She led a varied active life. She volunteered for the American Heart Association; she was a member of many animal rights groups. She was a longtime member of the Palo Alto Women’s Golf Club (she once partnered with Babe Zaharias), and hiked with local groups. She was a passionate gardener and a member of the Western Horticultural Association. From her youth she had traveled widely, and in later years made trips to Africa, India, South America, China, and throughout Asia, especially Indonesia and Japan, as well as repeatedly to Europe.
Jeanne died on February 16, 2005 from complications from a fall. She was 88. She leaves three sons John Low and David Low of Palo Alto and Richard Low of Mountain View.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday March 26th, from 2 to 4 PM at 125 Glenwood Avenue, Atherton, CA
