Obituaries

June 9, 1938 - July 11, 2020

A native of Menlo Park, Joan lived in Mountain View for 50 years with her husband, Mel, and daughters Julie and Susan. In 2014, Joan relocated to Austin, Texas, to be near her daughter and family.

Joan attended Menlo Atherton High School, Foothill College, and worked at Sylvania until staying home to raise her girls. Later, her love for children led her to become a preschool teacher and run a daycare in her home. Joan served her community through various charities, churches, and actively met needs wherever she could. Joan was laid to rest on July 20, 2020, at Gate of Heaven Cemetery joining her husband and daughter Julie. 

Joan is survived by her daughter Susan, son-in-law Joseph, grandchildren Juliana and David, brothers Richard and David, sister Diane, and extended family.

A memorial website can be found at www.joanmanchester.rest.

June 28, 1941 - August 22, 2020

Michael "Captain" Brennan was born in San Jose. He grew up in Atherton, attending

Saint Joseph, Sacred Heart schools, Bellarmine Prep in San Jose , he excelled in football receiving an All American honorable mention. Mike attended San Jose State University and received his BA from San Francisco State.

His family was a great supporter of Nativity Church in Menlo Park where Mike was an alter boy for several years. His family spent most summers in Carmel which remained a favorite haunt in his adult years.

After leaving the Marine Corp he joined TWA as a pilot. He retired as captain on the 767 aircraft. Mike flew out of SFO and JFK during his 33 year career at TWA.

Throughly enjoying his international travel, he loved the cultures and cuisines of the world. His personality was uplifting and entertaining. Always a fun and exciting tale to be told by Mike. He was an avid reader spending a generous amount of free time relaxing with a good book. It was not uncommon for him to be reading several books at one time.

Martin E. Packard died July 30, 2020 of natural causes in his home in Los Altos Hills, California.  He had celebrated his 99th birthday earlier in the year with family and friends. 

He was married to Barbara Packard, who died in 2012, and they built a life together that is a legacy of achievement and inspiration to the friends, family, colleagues and many, many others who knew them and worked with them through the years.

Martin was at heart, and by profession, a scientist. He was a deeply thoughtful man, an innovator who believed that an engaging problem was nothing more than an exciting challenge to help make something that people could use to make their lives better. 

He placed high value on working collaboratively with colleagues and was humble about his own achievements. He often employed his dry sense of humor to put people at ease. 

 

Mr. Varni

Both at home and abroad, Allan Varni spent most of his life helping people. The positive-thinking, lifelong educator enriched the lives of countless at-risk kids. He traveled all over the world helping the less fortunate, experiences that led him to remind his fellow Rotary Club of Los Altos members, “Remember, we are the lucky ones.”

November 19,1939- August 14, 2020

Our beloved Fremont Dwight Nash, age 80, of Cupertino, passed away on August 14, 2020 with his family at his side.  He was the oldest of three children whose parents were Diane and Fremont Sr. Nash.  He is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years Shirley, and his daughters Sara Liebert of Auburn, Ca.  Mary Snow and her husband, Dave, of Sunnyvale Ca. and his granddaughters Madison Snow, Kathryn Snow, and Hannah Liebert, whose hearts will be filled with loving memories of their Grandpa/Papa.

Fremont was born in San Francisco and graduated from Menlo Atherton High School and attended the college of San Mateo.  He proudly served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.

Upon returning from the service, Fremont started his work with PG&E where he completed 38 years of service before retiring.  However, he soon joined the Mountain View Police Department for an additional 15 years where he made many friends.  Fremont was a long-time resident of Los Altos.

Catharine (Howell) Zander, age 72, long-time resident of Los Altos, CA, passed away at home on 15 August 2020 from ALS (Lou Gherig’s disease). She is survived by Paul Albert Zander, her husband of 51 years; her children Virginia (Craig) Joplin and David Zander; and grandson Julian Anderson. Cathy was born to Thomas and Mary (Simmons) Howell in Cleveland, OH on Labor Day, 1947. The irony was her dad’s complaint that he couldn’t take an extra day off work for the birth because it was already a holiday. She was the oldest of four siblings: Mariette (Howell) St-Germain, A. Allen Howell, Robert Howell, all of whom survive her. On 16 August 1969, she married her best friend, Paul Zander in Cleveland. One year later, the couple moved to Los Altos, CA and became active members of the community.