Obituaries

June 17, 1924 was a good day: In a little coal mining town named Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania, in a section called Moffitts Hill, two Polish immigrants welcomed a little girl into the world. Her name they chose was Amelia Clair Grucella. Family and friends would call her “Millie”. She grew up in Sugar Notch, attending a Catholic grade school and...

June 23, 1940-July 9, 2019David Gardos, (aka Blumberg), founder and former CEO of Merex Food Corporation, passed away peacefully at home Tuesday morning surrounded by his family after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife Jameela, children, Sophia and Nico Gardos and Lorenzo Bouchard, his sisters, Dr. Roxane Spitzer, Marian Cohen, and Susan Shaw and their families. Dave...

Alexander Ervanian was born on November 3rd, 1928 in Chicago, IL to Ardashes and Aghavni Ervanian and died on July 7, 2019 in Phoenix, AZ.Alex’s parents immigrated to Chicago from Armenia as a result of the Armenian Genocide. Thus, Alex grew up speaking Armenian and English, not speaking the latter until first grade. Always studious, he attended the University of...

Michael Keith Barilone, age 26, beloved son of Leonard and Charlotte Barilone, passed away peacefully at Hospice of the Valley on July 3, 2019. He was born in Chandler, Arizona on May 17, 1993 and was a lifelong resident of Phoenix and Scottsdale.Michael enjoyed visiting his grandparents summer home in Payson. He enjoyed both fresh and saltwater fishing where a...

Charles “Chuckles” Louis Sivak peacefully passed away July 4, 2019 at the age of 64. Born January 11, 1955 in Passaic, New Jersey to Charles Joseph and Grace Marie (Colaianni) Sivak (deceased), and brother of Dorian (deceased). He is survived by two loving and devoted children, Katherine “Katie” and Charles “Chip”, ex-wife Tracy Monaghan, and man’s best friend, Peanut. Charlie...

John Silva Carvalho, 92, passed away in Phoenix on July 1, 2019. John was born in Wailuku, Maui, HI on June 24, 1927. He is survived by his children, Theresa Cox, Paula Carvalho, Ramona Beneventi, David Carvalho and Glen Carvalho; siblings, Sr. Beatrice Carvalho (NY), Paul Hernandez (HI), Daniel Hernandez (CA), Roselin Demello (HI), Mildred Gonzalves (CA), Deana Hernandez (AZ),...

Manuel M Martinez, 92, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 1, 2019. Manuel was born on the 7th of August 1926 in Phoenix, Arizona. Manuel is preceded in death by his wife Viola, parents, sisters and brothers. Manuel is survived by his 2 sisters Lena Chavez and Georgia Moreno and his children Gloria Gonzales, Manuel Martinez, Jr. (Gloria), Rachel Dominguez...

Our beloved Karina Grethel Arzate vallin, was a child of joy and generosity as exemplified in her gifts of life to many both in life and in death, a devoted wife to her husband Agustin, a loving and devoted mother to her children Gael and Luna, an exemplary daughter to her mother Guadalupe and her father Deuri, and a caring...

Beloved Velia Renteria “Hita”, wife of Efren Renteria passed July 1, 2019. Mother of 4, 8 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren.Visitation will be held Monday, July 8, 2019 from 6:00 – 7:00 P.M. at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, July 9, 2019 at...

Beloved Veronica Carreon, 47 of Phoenix, Arizona passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on June 27th, 2019. Veronica was born on March 18th, 1972 to Rosario and Louisa Carreon. Veronica was a very inspirational and loving woman. She loved to make people smile, laugh and had a heart of gold. She was always helping anyone in need and was the...

On Monday July 1, 2019, Elsie Westbrook, loving wife and mother of five children passed away at the age of 99.Elsie was born December 13, 1919 in Moore, ID to James and Harriet Knighton. She received her Associates Degree in education from Ricks College in 1941. She taught school for a total of eight years, with a year and a...

Santina Thiel passed away peacefully June 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 91. She was born September 7, 1927, in Chicago IL to Vincent and Anna Marie Fauci.Santina was married to her neighborhood sweetheart, Edward Thiel for 47 years. They had three sons and two daughters Edmund, Ronald, Mark, Janet and LuAnne.In 1974 the whole family excluding...

Phoenix-Robin Josef “RJ” Kolkoski passed away peacefully on June 25, 2019. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1933 to Chester and Ruth Kolkoski. RJ graduated from Michigan State University and served 2 years in the Air Force. RJ moved to Phoenix in 1955 and worked for All State Insurance.In 1959 RJ met the love of his life Sara Lu and...

Raymond Curt Jivery, 64, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, June 15th, 2019. Raymond was born to Arthur and Florence Jivery on November 2nd, 1954 in Hibbing, Minnesota. He was named after Arthur’s army buddy but was known as Curt to family and all who knew him in his early years. His parents separated when...

Leatha Hazel Everett was born in Woodland, Maine, where her parents had a potato farm. She was the fourth of five children born to Hazel and Sam Everett. She contracted polio (infantile paralysis) at the age of 6 months, and the disease left her with a lame left leg. She had her own pony cart to get her to school...

Michael Thomas Bennett, born September 27th, 1957, passed away on June 24th, 2019 after a short battle with lung cancer.A beloved husband, father, son, brother, and papa, Michael is survived by his wife, Julie N. Bennett, two children, Christopher M. Bennett, his wife Ashley A. Bennett, and Lauren E. Bennett, one grandchild, Jackson Bennett Vass, two stepchildren, Jack Dimond and...

DeNee Millar passed away June 22, 2019, at the age of 101. She died peacefully on her own terms, surrounded by her family, at the Gardens of Scottsdale where she lived for the past two years.DeNee was born on October 30, 1917, on the family farm in Conklin Township, N.D. to Phillip & Helen Norden. She grew up on the...

Sherry Lou (Mitchell) Robertson, a lifelong resident of Phoenix, Arizona, died in the early morning hours, on June 12, 2019. Her devoted husband of 38 years, Rick Robertson, was at her side.Sherry was born in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on August 19,1950 and moved to Arizona when she was just an infant. Sherry attended the Madison Elementary School and was a...

Donald Richard Colo, born on January 5, 1925, passed away peacefully at his home with his family by his side on June 23, 2019. The son of Josephine and Virgilio Colo, Don was born in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.At 18 years old, on July 1, 1943, Don joined the U.S. Navy. He would serve his beloved country honorably, including serving on...

On Saturday, June 15, 2019, Larry Stapp of Phoenix, Arizona, loving father and grandfather passed away in his home at the age of 81.Larry was born in Vandalia, Illinois on July 25, 1937 to Gordon and Artie Stapp. He served in the United States Air Force as a Nuclear Weapons Technician and was actively arming U.S. aircraft during the 1956...