Janet Elizabeth Davis Claypool, BHS 1958

Janet Elizabeth Davis Claypool, BHS 1958

Burbank Leader, July 1996

Janet E. Claypool, 55, died July 13, 1996 in a Mission Hills hospital. Born in Long Beach, she was a former 18-year Burbank resident.

Mrs. Claypool was a Crisis Intake Director for San Fernando Valley Community Heath Center. She attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Reseda Ward.

She is survived by he faher, William H. Davis of Burbank; her two sons, Rod Dean of Los Angeles and Cary Dean of Sun City, California; her two daughters, Wendy Claypool of Canoga Park and Stacie Parsley of Reseda; one brother, William R. Davis of Valencia; two sisters, Mariilyn Burton of Castaic and Francis Davis of Tustin,; and five grandchildren.

Services were held July 18 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Reseda.Interment will followat Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth. Eckerman-Heisman Funeral Service was in charge of arrangements. 

Tom Christopher, BHS 1985

Tom Christopher, BHS 1985

Posted on Facebook by Tom's brother Douglas about 14 hours ago. 

Dear Friends, it is with a heavy heart that I announce that my brother Tom Christopher passed away suddenly today. Tom was a Christian and lived as one to his family, loved ones, friends, and clients - loving God and loving others.

He loved and cherished his wife of 30 years, Heidi, and could never stop talking about his boys Travis, Adam, and Michael. Please pray for God’s true comfort and wisdom for Heidi and the boys. Tom and Heidi just celebrated their 30th anniversary with a cruise to Alaska. They spent time with each of their boys together and in recent trips to see Travis’ band in SF, Michael’s last hockey game in Missouri, and to see Adam pitch in Utah less than two weeks ago. 

Besides being my brother and friend, Tom was a great son to Janice Christopher, a twin brother  (younger by three minutes) and best friend to Margaret , and caring brother to Cathy. He was an amazing uncle to Tommy, Patrick, Cami, Angela, Kiley, and Alexis. 

Tom’s early accomplishment was bicycle motocross NBA District X #1 for the years 1979 and 1980. He won and placed in several nationals in the NBA, ABA, and NBL among sanctioned bodies. 

Tom played football (League Champions) and threw shotput (a CIF leader) at Burbank High School. He played football at CSUN and was a member of Csun Zeta Omicron Pi Kappa Alpha (stayed involved for decades).

In the late 80s and early-to-mid 90s Tom learned  the Chinese street fighting art of Kung Fu San Soo where he earned a Black Belt (likely more than one). 

Tom was an attorney who would never give up and eventually settled down to being a Trust attorney with his own Chrisopher Law Group in Porter Ranch.

There is much more. I will miss Tom greatly.  

I have comfort that Tom loved Jesus.

Services could be this weekend. I’ll follow up with day and time when we know.

Karen Lovina Richardson Nelson, BHS 1962

Karen Lovina Richardson Nelson, BHS 1962

April 2, 1944 — June 25, 2025

Vidor, Texas

Karen Lovina Nelson, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of love, faith, and devoted service. Karen was born on April 2, 1944, in Burbank, California, to Elwood and Marie Richardson. Raised in Burbank, Karen graduated from Burbank High School in 1962 and went on to attend Brigham Young University in both Provo, Utah, and Laie, Hawaii.

In 1965, Karen met the love of her life, Clyde Nelson, at a church dance. Their courtship included date nights at Bob’s Big Boy where Clyde charmed Karen with his stories and humor over burgers, shakes, and fries. Karen and Clyde fell in love and were soon engaged, leading to their marriage later that year in the Los Angeles Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 28, 1965. Together, they built a strong and loving home, raising six children with care, commitment, and enduring values.

Karen dedicated her life to her family and her faith. As a homemaker, she nurtured her children with warmth and wisdom. She served faithfully in numerous church callings and was always a source of comfort and guidance to those around her. In addition to her work at home, she also supported her husband’s dental practice and later in life worked as a collector for an advertising agency, earning top collector several times.

Karen was a woman of many talents and interests. She enjoyed reading, drawing, quilting, cooking, and playing the piano. Her love of history and politics was matched only by her devotion to her country—Karen was a true patriot with a deep appreciation for American heritage. Ever curious and intellectually engaged, Karen kept up with the news daily and never turned down a challenging crossword puzzle or a competitive game of Skip-Bo.

Karen was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Elwood and Marie Richardson, her cherished daughter Lisa, and her beloved son Jason. She is survived by her devoted husband of nearly 60 years, Clyde Nelson; her children Garett (Rachel) Nelson, Michael (Jennifer) Nelson, Katie (George) Williamson, and Jeff Nelson; and many grandchildren who will miss her deeply.

A private memorial service in honor of Karen’s life will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 6198 FM 105, Vidor, Texas.

Karen will be remembered for her faith, her love of family, her quiet strength, and the countless lives she touched through her kindness and example.

Published on the Memorial Funeral Home, Vidor, Texas.

John Alfred Borg, BHS 1963

John Alfred Borg, BHS 1963

February 5, 1945 - December 9, 2024

John was the son of Laverne and Ivy Borg. John was born in Indiana on February 5, 1945. Somewhere along the way the family moved to Burbank, California. John graduated from Burbank High School in 1963.

Sadly, a tumor was found on his liver in the beginning of November and he had dialysis for kidney failure. John Alfred Borg passed away on December 9, 2024.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Jim Borg BHS 1965 and sister Linda Borg Prue, BHS 60.

 

Phyllis Peterson Harr, BHS 1942

Phyllis Peterson Harr, BHS 1942

Burbank Leader, Burbank, California, Monday, June 2, 2008

Phyllis Harr died Thursday (May 29, 2001). She was 84. Harr was born May 5, 1924, in Burbank. She is survived by family and friends. A celebration of her life will be at 5 p.m. Sunday at her residence at 4234 W. Kling Street in Burbank.

Ralph Easton Cutler, BHS 1946

Ralph Easton Cutler, BHS 1946

Redlands Daily Facts, Redlands, California, Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Ralph Easton Cutler, a 26-year resident of Redlands, died of heart failure July 5, 2007 at his home in Redlands. He was 79. He was born March 15, 1928, in Lovell, Wyoming, to Mary Easton and Guy V. Cutler. In 1940 he moved with his family to Burbank, where he attended John Muir and Burbank high schools. He graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1952, and earned his medical degree from UCLA in 1958. Before finishing his education, he served a two-year mission in Ontario, Canada, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1948 to 1950.

He married Carol Barlow Clinger on September 5, 1952, and they lived in Glendale, Culver City and San Leandro. While he was attending medical school at UCLA, he and his wife had three sons and later a daughter. He spent two years in the United States Navy as lieutenant commander in medical services in Oakland.

In 1963, he moved his family to Seattle, where they later had their fifth child, a daughter. He took a job as chief of nephrology at Harborview Medical Center and a teaching position at the University of Washington. In 1961, he accepted a job offer as the chief of nephrology at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Hospital and a teaching position at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He retired in 1997, but continued teaching and writing for medical journals until March 2007.

According to his family, Cutler was a respected physician and pharmacologist, loving husband, affectionate father and tender grandfather. He was a religious man with a brilliant mind and a wonderful sense of humor, they said.

Survivors include his wife, Carol Cutler of Redlands; his children, Drew Cutler of Redlands, Curtis Cutler of Highland, Utah, Carin Ferris of Tucson, Arizona, and Allison Haight of Redlands; his sister, Gae Weaver of Las Cruces, New Mexico; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 640 S. Center St. Redlands, with visitation at 9 a.m. Emmerson-Bartlett Memorial Chapel in Redlands is handling arrangements.

Wesley Greer Ling, BHS 1936

Wesley Greer Ling, BHS 1936

Published in the Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet, Thursday, September 13, 1956

Wesley Ling Is Killed in Car Accident

Funeral services are pending today for Wesley Greer Ling, 38, advertising man of Burbank who was killed early yesterday when his car crashed into a bridge railing on Victory Blvd. east of Ethel Ave. Ling was the son of Harvey Ling, Sr., former owner and publisher of the Burbank Daily Review, and Mrs. Ling. The Lings now reside in Carlsbad, California.

Witnesses told police his car was traveling close to the curb when it reached a point where the street narrowed down. The vehicle then struck a wooden barricade, a reflector pole, chain link fence and came to rest on the end of a street railing that crosses the bridge. He suffered a crushed chest, compound fracture of the leg and other injuries.

Wesley Ling was a former Air Force pilot in World War II.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his widow, Eva, who was in Wisconsin at the time of the accident; two children, Marcie and Chris; three brothers and a sister. Max M. 

Eckerman Funeral Home of Burbank is in charge.

PFC Douglas Louis Dispensiero, BHS 1965

PFC Douglas Louis Dispensiero, BHS 1965

Bearcat Base was a U.S. Army base near the city of Bien Hoa in Bien Hoa Province, RVN. For most of 1967, it was the base camp for the 9th Infantry Division.

A little after noon on March 13, 1967, a 9th Infantry soldier was mortally wounded at Bearcat in an accidental discharge incident. PFC Douglas L. Dispensiero, an infantryman serving with A Company, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, was in a tent when after another soldier’s M16 rifle accidently discharged while he was cleaning it. The errant round struck Dispensiero in the right lower back above his ilium (hip bone and pelvis), rupturing his bladder and causing other abdominal injuries. 

He was admitted to the 24th Evacuation Hospital on Long Binh Post in critical condition. Despite life-saving measures applied by medical staff, Dispensiero succumbed two days later when circulatory difficulties developed. He was 20 years old. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]

Doug is buried at Forest Lawn memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles, CA.

Robert (Bob) Herman Bachenheimer, BHS 1958

Robert (Bob) Herman Bachenheimer, BHS 1958

Published in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Friday, April 1, 2011

Robert (Bob) Bachenheimer, May 11, 1940 - March 27, 2011

Beloved father of Todd and Adam, brother to Cecile (Ron) and uncle to Cary. He truly loved his family and friends and will be deeply missed. Mount Sinai Hollywood Hills, 800-600-0076

Norma Joyce Keith Newell, BHS 1953

Norma Joyce Keith Newell, BHS 1953 

Nov. 1, 1934 - Nov. 14, 2018 

Norma Newell, a woman of faith, love, compassion, and a world traveler, passed away following a sudden illness. She will be remembered as a loving sister, mom, grandma, and GG to her family. She was also a devoted friend to all who had the privilege to know her. 

Norma is survived by her brother, Curtis Keith, sisters, Valda Keith and Janis Miller, her two daughters, Kim (Fred) Parks and Jeri Newell- (Tom) Davis, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at First United Methodist Church, Pasadena, 500 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101, Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 10:00 AM with a reception immediately following. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR.org). 

Please sign the guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/pasadenastarnews.

Published by Pasadena Star-News on Dec. 23, 2018.