MILLI YATES
Milli Yates passed away peacefully at home in Roseville, CA on October 14 at the age of 81.
Preceded in death by her beloved husband Paul Yates (2001), Milli (aka Missy) was the loving mother of Suzanne Johnson, Cynthia Schneider, Paul Yates and Doug Yates. She was the loving grandmother of Max Schneider, Brynne Schneider, Paul Austin Yates and Samantha Yates. Her other “child” was her loyal companion Sweetie Pie, a fluffy and affectionate cat.
Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Milli graduated with a degree in Journalism and a minor in French from the University of Illinois where she was also a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. (Later in life, Milli continued to be active in the sorority, serving as Rush Advisor for Northern California.)
Milli spent the majority of her early years in Chicago, a city she adored all her life. After college, she pursued a career in journalism. Here also began her lifelong interest in politics. She was active in the Young Republicans and assisted her husband’s campaign for the Illinois House of Representatives.
In 1965, Milli and Paul moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she raised her four children. She loved the Bay Area and lived in Los Altos for nearly 30 years. In addition to raising her own children, Milli positively impacted the lives of dozens of other kids as a Special Education teacher at various local elementary schools. She and Paul also taught Sunday School at Los Altos Presbyterian Church.
Milli loved reading and watching mysteries, cooking, traveling, playing French Bridge, doing crossword puzzles and listening to conservative talk shows on one of her many radios. But above all, her greatest passion in life was her family.
Milli and Paul moved to Sun City, Roseville in 1995 where she met many wonderful friends. Enjoying the Sun City lifestyle, she participated in water aerobics and was active in numerous clubs, including the French, Drama and Scribes Clubs. An Alto, one of her greatest joys was being a member of the Sun City Singers.
A memorial service to celebrate Milli’s life was held on October 20 at Pleasant Grove Community Church in Roseville. In recognition of her favorite color, guests wore blue.
Honoring Milli’s wishes, her and her husband’s ashes will be scattered at sea near Pismo Beach, an area that she loved and visited throughout her life.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to your local SPCA, her favorite charity, or to Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Breast Cancer (www.komen.org)
MARGARET STRAKA
Margaret Morris Straka, 72, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, died Sept. 28 after a long illness.
Margaret was born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts in 1956. Soon after graduation she married and moved to California, living in Los Altos, Stanford, and then Palo Alto. She raised three children, was active in the arts, and co-founded the opera company Scholar Opera. Scholar Opera produced operas in English for the community and took young professional singers into the schools to introduce children to opera.
Later, Margaret had an active career in real estate, working for Alain Pinel Realtors in Woodside and Menlo Park.
She is survived by her sister, Harriet Howell, her children, Charles Kruger and Beth Curran, a nephew, Justin Howell, and five grandchildren. Her husband, Donald Straka, and a daughter, Sarah Gibson, preceded her in death.
A celebration of her life was held on Monday, October 15 at the First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto.
Flowers may be sent to the church in memory of Margaret, or gifts can be made to Healing Environments, 3461 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94118 or http://www.healingenvironments.org.
