Obituaries

Bryan Grether passed away on January 29, 2020. Many in the Los Altos community knew and admired him as a member of the band Fully Funded that played at the First Friday event for over 5 years. His singing brought great joy to his numerous loyal fans who turned out to see him perform every month. We will remember his vocals and harmonies, and he will continue to inspire us to sing.

John Frank Mather: Born: November 29, 1931 Died: December 30, 2019 A native of San Francisco: Lincoln High School, UC Berkeley, Stanford University. Jack taught at Hamilton Junior High School in Oakland, Woodside High School, and Adult Education. Married Joan in 1957 - Three children and 7 grandchildren. We moved to Los Altos in 1962 where all seven grandchildren as toddlers were introduced to the moon, named FRED by Grandpa! BA University of California Berkeley, 1955 MA Stanford 1973 Many lives have been touched and enriched by having Jack among us. He was a proud human being of intelligence, honesty, integrity and respect for each individual - man or woman - and to their right of personal choice in life. Jack was a teacher for 40 years after realizing just before we were married that he did not wish be be The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit and subsequently dropped out of the Cal MBA program to seek a Secondary Teaching Credential. We have never looked back. We met when we were 19 and 20 and had 63 years of an incredibly dynamic partnership and life, in many dimensions. In 1972 when Jack was on sabbatical attending Stanford we took our children (12-10 & 7) tp Europe for two months of travel, learning, and adventure. It was a never to be forgotten experience of "togetherness" in the best sense of the word! During the trip we also visited Jack's 83 year old Aunt Thrush in Edinburgh, Scotland. When she later passed away and left a small inheritance, Jack couldn't conceive of taking the funds out of Scotland and created scholarships for young men or women who sought an education to become sheep herders in Northern Scotland. For ten years we received photos of earnest young people who benefitted. Jack coached Little League, Girls Soccer and was around in summer to drive to Covington Critters, etc. and home to help and be an active part of family daily life.

After a long battle with breast cancer, Joanne Provines passed away on the afternoon of February 4th, 2020. She passed peacefully, surrounded by her husband of 62 years, Richard, her son Jeff and daughter Julie, and her brother-in-law Joe Provines. Joanne was born on September 28th, 1935 in Illinois, attended high school in Olney and college at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. She earned her degree in music education and taught music in the lower grades for several years. She played violin, clarinet, piano and sang in church choirs and other groups and was asked to sing at the weddings of several friends. Joanne had a passion for caring for young children and her pets, and especially loved being with and reading to her grandchildren.

James Blair Oney, 82, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2020, in Cary, NC, after a short illness. Born in Combs, KY, Jim spent his youth in Ypsilanti, MI. After graduating from Stanford University, he served in the US Navy. He was honorably discharged with the rank of LCdr. Settling in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Anne Woolf Oney, they raised their family in Los Altos, CA. Jim worked in the field of Information Technology his entire career. They moved to Cary in 2015. Jim is survived by his wife, Anne Oney of Cary, NC; sons, Brian Oney of Palos Verdes, CA; Steven Oney of Seattle, WA; and John Oney (Meghan Oney) of Cary, NC. Also grandchildren, Ava Oney and Ethan Oney of Las Vegas, NV, and Teagan Oney and Lilah Oney of Cary, NC; and brother, John E. Oney of Newport Beach, CA. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 21, from 3 to 5pm at the Searstone Retirement Community, 17001 Searstone Dr, Cary, NC 27513. Memorial contributions may be made to the Searstone Endowment, 17001 Searstone Drive, Cary, NC 27513.

Joyce Lois (Hansen) Windham, long-time resident of Napa and Los Altos/Mt. View, CA, passed away January 27, 2020, after a brief hospitalization, where she was surrounded by family. Joyce was born in 1933 to Clara (Mueller) and Hans Lenhardt Hansen who resided in Villa Park, Illinois, the youngest of three children. Joyce excelled academically, graduating from Oak Park High School with honors and a scholarship to the University of Denver. There she pledged Kappa Delta sorority and met her future husband of 51 years, Edwin O. Windham. Joyce left college to get married and start a home for Ed to come back to after serving in the Army in Korea, in Berkeley, CA. Joyce and Ed’s first two children, Gayle Claire and Jeffrey Lind, were born while they still lived in the Berkeley/Richmond area. Joyce and Ed moved their young family to Puerto Rico when Ed accepted a placement with Arthur Anderson & Co. and Glenn Kirby, was born there.

December 14, 1923–January 18, 2020 Jere Jeffrey Austin, age 96, passed away on January 18, 2020, in Cupertino. He is survived by his 3 children: Pamela Starkey (Mike), Peggy Austin, and Edward Austin (Denice); 5 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren—all residents of California. His wife of 71 years, Jean Anderson Austin, passed away in 2018. Raised on an orange ranch in Exeter, California, Jere left home to serve in the Navy from 1942 to 1946 and earn his degree in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley. For most of his professional career he worked at Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Marine Division in Sunnyvale. In retirement, Jere continued as an active member of Union Presbyterian Church of Los Altos; volunteered for the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary; and enjoyed the company of buddies from Westinghouse and friends in the Sons in Retirement (SIR) organization, Branch 5.