Obituaries

Dora Rapisarda (nee DiStefano), 93, passed away January 12, 2012. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Dora retired to Scottsdale, AZ from Long Island, NY after selling her interest in clothier Harvé Bernard. Dora spent many years in the garment industry, and was a pioneering female business owner with the Rosalie Coat Company. She enjoyed a lifelong love of family, food, horses...

95, died peacefully of old age on January 7, 2012. She was a long-time Phoenix resident and member of St. Agnes Parish. She was retired from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She is preceded in death by her husband, William and son Richard and is survived by her children William, Marianne and Patricia; her grandchildren Shawn and Shannon; and great-grandchildren Hannah,...

74, of Rimrock, AZ passed away peacefully on January 6, after a long battle with Multiple Myeloma. He was born August 7, 1937 to Hiram and Gladys Tucker in Morrilton, AR. He has two brothers who have survived him Charles (Imgard) and Paul and James (Gloria) who preceded him in death. He proudly served his country in the Navy. He...

Our loving mother and grandmother passed away on January 9, 2012 at the age of 91. Merwyn was born to F. Wesley and Kathleen Davies in Royal Oaks, Michigan. The family relocated to Los Angeles in the 1930’s. Merwyn was the third oldest child in a family of seven children; six sisters and one brother. All of her siblings and...

88, passed away peacefully on January 8, 2012. She was born in Pittsburg, PA, and came to Phoenix in 1945. On the train to Phoenix she entertained our troops returning from WWII, as she was an accomplished accordion player. She spent many years as a baker for the Osborn School District and 1st National Bank Executive Dining Room. She thoroughly...

96, of Scottsdale, passed away January 6, 2012 in Phoenix. Funeral Services and Interment will be held in Banning, California. Arrangements entrusted to Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home.

of Phoenix, formerly of Tifton, Georgia, passed away January 5, 2012. She is survived by her son Jim and her brother Paul Spradley. There will be no services. Donations may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements entrusted to Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home.

William Gatesh, 96, of Scottsdale Az. and owner of Gatesh Optical passed away after a brief illness on Jan. 4, 2012. He was born in Ottawa, Canada in 1916. His family moved to Toronto a few years later where he spent his youth and early adulthood. He was a concert violinist for the Toronto Conservatory of Music. In June of...

Maria, known to her family and friends as Marisa, was born in Rome, Italy on July 31, 1919 and died in Scottsdale on January 4, 2012. She is preceded in death by parents, Ugo and Valentina, and sister, Renata. Survivors include her 5 children: Maria Pomeroy (Tom), Stefan (Nancy), Dennis (Ann), Leslie Cantrell (Paul), Jeffrey (Marta), niece, Giuseppina “Giusy” Tedesco-Gueli...

Died January 7, 2012 in Scottsdale. Born December 26, 1919 in Dayton, Ohio to Grace E. and Edward J. Regan. She was the eldest of three children. Virginia married John J. McMahon in April 1948. Preceded in death by her husband Jack, son Jim, brother Bill and son-in-law Pete Chapas. Survived by her children Molly Chapas, Elaine McMahon, John McMahon...

Spickler, Viola “Vi”99, of Phoenix, was born Viola Pohl, July 26, 1912 and was raised in Portland, MI. She passed away peacefully on January 2, 2012. Viola was the last surviving member of her family of nine. In 1936 she married her husband Ralph J. Spickler. She and Ralph had a diverse life on their farm in Romeo, Michigan and...

61, fun loving father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend passed away December 24, 2011. He was born May 8, 1950 in Petatlan, Mexico. Carlos proudly served his country in the Vietnam War from 1970-1972, Carlos could warm a room that he entered and make people laugh with his funny jokes and singing and could relate to people at all levels...

Died December 29, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ. Mary was born on January 25, 1927 in Hamilton, OH. Her family moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1953. On February 6, 1971 she married Floyd Auckly who preceded her in death on August 2, 2006. Mary and Floyd lived in Payson. After Floyd died, Mary moved back to Phoenix. She leaves her brother...

Richard Manuel Alvarez, 43 ofPhoenix, went to join our Lord on December 27, 2011. He was born in Germany on January 9, 1968. A Commercial Truck Driver for 14 years, his passion was music and playing his guitars, camping with his friends and smoking fine cigars and always by his side Malaki his German Rottweiler. Ricky’s strong belief in God...

Michael Bauer, 54, passed away December 25, 2011. Born on August 31, 1957 in Phoenix, AZ to Dick and Nancy Bauer. He is in heaven to meet his namesake maternal grandfather, Kent Moody and reunite with his grandmother, Von Moody, along with his beloved Samoyed, Beau, whom he “adopted” after dog-sitting and “forgot” to return him back to his sister-in-law,...

93 years, died peacefully on December 19, 2011. She was born in New York City to George and Mary Lavender on September 27, 1918. After graduating from St. Barnabas High School, she attended secretarial school and then worked at Sherman Ellis Advertising Agency in NYC where she met her husband of 66 years, Marshall Taylor. After marrying in 1941, and...

Art Canez Jr. “Doobie” passed away peacefully the morning of December 24, 2011 at the age of 36 in Phoenix, AZ. Art Jr. is survived by his father, Art Canez, Sr., his mother, Norma Bennett, his step-father, Frank Bennett, his sisters, Annette Canez and Courtney Canez and his brother Kevin Canez. If you had the honor of knowing Art Jr....

After a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, Helen Schilling passed away peacefully on December 15, 2011. It was her strong faith that enabled her to face this illness with such a positive outlook and she was an inspiration to us all. She was born May 28, 1924 in Merrillville, Indiana and married to her husband, John, almost 53 years until...

95, of Phoenix, passed away December 25. Born May 5, 1916 in San Francisco, CA and brought to Phoenix at the age of 5 when her parents purchased a farm on the outskirts of Phoenix on 44th Street near Roosevelt Road. Josephine was in the first graduating class of St. Mary High School. She was preceded in death by her...