Obituaries

Margaret P. Blanco 84, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on January 3, 2017. Margaret was an Arizona native who married the love of her life, Ismael Blanco and had three beautiful children. She dedicated her life to taking care of her family and was the caregiver for three generations of kids. She loved her family more than life...

Bill Desmarais, 52, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away January 5, 2017. He was born in Dover, Delaware on October 2, 1964 to Lawrence and Margaret Desmarais. He was raised in Phoenix and attended grade school at Campo Bello Elementary and graduated from Paradise Valley High School. Bill began his professional life in the printing business and eventually joined American Express...

Norma Leonard died on Dec. 30, 2016 at age 82. Norma was born in Santa Fe, N.M., and died in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was a gentle and patient mother. She earned a nursing degree from Phoenix College and found inspiration with Catholic women in Theresians of America. She is survived by her husband Bill, seven children and their spouses (Susan...

John Paul Ovens, a retired orthodontist, died on December 31, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 89.  John was born in Bisbee, Arizona on July 26, 1927, the fourth child of James Mason Ovens and Marguerite A. Ovens.  Being raised in Phoenix, he attended St Mary’s Grammar School and St Mary’s Boys’ High School.  John received a Bachelor’s...

81 of Phoenix, passed away on December 29, 2016. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and came to Arizona in 1956 while serving in the U.S. Air Force. John was stationed at Williams Air Force Base. John had a private pilot’s license and enjoyed taking his kids flying when they were young. He was a machinist by trade until retirement....

Hilario (Larry) M Casillas, age 85 of Superior AZ passed away December 28, 2016 at his home with his wife of 65 years, Consuelo (Connie) at his side. Born January 13, 1931 to Carmen and Guadalupe Casillas in Superior, and raised with his 3 brothers Adolfo, Eddie and Louis. He is survived by his wife Connie, daughter Susan, son Larry...

Albert “Al” Basila, 87, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31, 2016. Al was born November 20, 1929 in Alamogordo, New Mexico to Fred and Edna Basila. He graduated from North High School and attended the University of Arizona prior to being drafted into the United States Army in 1951 where he served our country...

Alfred Philip (Chuck) Savage, 94, died peacefully in Phoenix, Arizona on January 1, 2017. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut on February 16, 1922, the son of Anne and Jacob Savage. Following graduation from the Norwich Free Academy, Chuck joined the U.S. Army where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant. Chuck was the founder of A.P. Savage Supply Co., a...

Arthur Phillip Murphy Jr, 94, was born on March 25, 1922 in Baraboo, Wisconsin to Arthur Phillip Murphy Sr. and Caecilia Thiemann Murphy. He passed away peacefully on December 25, 2016 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. Arthur was a veteran of World War II and served in the Army Air Corps. While in Florida, he met the love of...

95, passed away on Friday, December 30, 2016 surrounded by her loving family in Phoenix, Arizona. She was born on December 8, 1921 in Phoenix, Arizona as a third generation Phoenician. Hope was preceded in death by her loving husband of 76 years, Joe Coassolo; her parents, Ralph and Antonia Fierros; three brothers and four sisters; and her granddaughter Yonna...

Katherine Grace Cook, 41, went to our Lord on Wednesday, December 28, 2016. Born December 1, 1975 in Laramie WY, she was adopted by Pete and Marilyn Cook of Cheyenne WY. An Air Force family, they moved to Mesa and San Antonio before settling permanently in Phoenix. Kathy was active in gymnastics in her early years, and graduated from Red...

91, of Phoenix, AZ died peacefully on Thursday, December 29, 2016. Kathleen was born to Charles and Mildred Ciepiot on August 6, 1925 in Kansas City, MO. She spent her youth and early adulthood in Kansas City where she met and married Elmer Joseph Himmelberg on October 20, 1951. Kathleen was preceded in death by Elmer in 1985 and he...

76, passed away December 29, 2016 in Chino Valley, Arizona. Sylvia was born in Phoenix to Dolores and Juan Espinoza and attended Roosevelt Grammar School and South Mountain High School. Sylvia began working as a waitress at age 16 and continued in that profession for 48 years. She was preceded in death by one son and one daughter. Sylvia is...

Following a brief illness, he went to be with his Lord on Friday, December 23, 2016. Robert was born on October 25, 1938 to Otto and Elvira Heil in Omaha, NE. He married his wife Beverly in 1957 and moved to Phoenix, where they started a family. In 1970, he and his family relocated to Elko, NV where he was...

Victor Leon was born, September 17, 1921 in Juarez, Mexico to Soledad and Gumesindo Leon and passed away Saturday, December 24, 2016, in Paradise Valley, Arizona. One of nine children, Victor moved with the family throughout the West – Texas, Arizona and California, ultimately settling in Arizona. Victor served during World War II in the Navy. A great source of...

Robert (Bob) Eugene Stejskal, 85, passed away, surrounded by his family, on November 5, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born on September 6, 1931, in Crete, Nebraska, to Francis and Helen (Krejci) Stejskal. Robert attended the University of Notre Dame until 1953, and graduated from Creighton University Medical College in Omaha, Nebraska in 1957. As a medical student, he...

Dr. John A. Noel, “Daddo” passed away peacefully on December 21, 2016. He was 99 years old and a parishioner at St. Theresa in Phoenix, Arizona and Sacred Heart in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He loved Notre Dame football, college wrestling, reading and a tough cross-word puzzle. John was preceded in death by his father Larry Noel, mother Emma Buckwalter Noel, wife...

87, of Phoenix passed away on December 15, 2016. He was born on February 23, 1929 to Roy and Mary Logan in Des Moines, Iowa. He served his country in the United States Marine Corps during The Korean War and was a successful businessman with a generous heart. He owned Pioneer Ford, Canyon Mazda, Bell Honda, Logan Land & Cattle,...

On December 15th at 6:01am Salvatore Blaise Fortunato went home. He will be remembered by many names Sal, Sally, Babe, Dad, Daddy, Popa, Big Guy, Uncle Sal, Hunk, Number One and has even been called Alice. Sal is survived by his wife and partner, who was love of his life of over 44 years, Barbara, his two children; son Steven,...

89, of Phoenix passed away peacefully at home on December 21, 2016, surrounded by family. Joe was born in Superior, Arizona in 1927 to Antonio and Catalina Tameron. He served in WWII and then attended ASU on the GI Bill, where he played baseball and graduated Summa Cum Laude. In 1958, Joe married his one true love, Patricia Fernandez. Joe...