Ruth Ann Bolen Estoup, BHS 1970

Ruth Ann Bolen Estoup ......... June 27, 1952 ~ January 17, 2016 ............ Ruth passed away on Sunday, January 17,2016 in Oregon. She had won a battle with breast cancer 18 years ago, but just two months ago in November she was diagnosed with the same form of cancer, but this time it had already metastasized to her spine and stomach. I had a number of e-mails back and forth with her in December regarding the upcoming BHS reunion of her older brother, but I had no idea about her current illness. Joyce Starleaf received a Christmas card from Ruth last month, but no mention about her being seriously ill. On Sunday Ruth's life-long close friend, Jennie Burke Schneider, phoned Joyce to let her know the very sad news of Ruth's passing................ Ruth Ann Bolen grew up at 825 Bethany Rd. in Burbank. She attended Emerson Elementary, John Muir, and BHS with all of us. While in school in Burbank she was a member of the Burbank Y Girl's Club, The Thoactleans, along with several that remained her closest friends throughout life. In the early 1970's Ruth moved to Oregon, which is where she has lived since, and where she passed away. She had lived with her family in Milton Freewater, Oregon for many, many years until now. Ruth worked in the banking industry for many years, and had retired within the past couple of years. The last BHS '70 Reunion that Ruth attended was our 2010 Reunion, which happened to be held on her birthday, June 27, 2010. She and her husband were on a trip to Europe this past June at the time of our 2015 class reunion. ............. Ruth is survived by her husband, Tom Estoup, her son Matthew Estoup (age 39), and her daughter Rebecca Estoup (age 36). She is also survived by her sister, Barbara (BHS '69) of Southern California, and her brother, Dennis (BHS '66) of Florida. ................... Alan Landros, BHS 1970, January 19, 2016

Lynn Diana Koethe Cole, BHS 1959

Lynn Diana Cole, creative, artist, professional marketer and merry-maker, died peacefully Nov. 24, 2015, in Hot Springs after a lengthy battle with dementia. She was 74. Born in Long Beach, Calif., Lynn was the eldest of two daughters of William Oscar Sylvanis Koethe and Mildred Lorraine, descendants of 18th century German artist and philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 

In the 60s, Lynn worked at Whittaker Corporation, where she met and married Dr. Leland G. Cole, a former JPL executive, who helped develop rocket fuel for the inaugural mission to the moon. Lynn and Lee were married 11 years, had two children and enjoyed entertaining in their home on the water in Huntington Harbor, Calif. After the divorce, Lynn moved to Santa Ana, worked for Jack LaLanne European Health Spa, became the lead singer of a folk band and volunteered for then Governor Ronald Reagan. 

Lynn can best be described as "larger than life." Her beauty and smile were matched by an uncommon zest for life. She loved to travel and engage in all things artistic. An avid painter, Lynn created over 60 works of art, often gifting portraits to friends and family, including one to Lawrence Welk, who once asked Lynn to join his television show as a singer. 

In 1977, Lynn became a Christian and began working for Calvary Chapel Church of Costa Mesa, Calif., where she soon met and married an associate pastor. This union resulted in a move across country to open a Bible bookstore in Amity. The marriage was brief, and Lynn and her children then settled in Hot Springs. Lynn worked 20 years in the hospitality industry including manager of the Music Hall, a theater-in-the-round, booking musical acts like Conway Twitty and Crystal Gayle.

Her favorite job was public relations and marketing manager for the Arlington Hotel. For more than a decade, Lynn orchestrated elaborate parties, events and hosted VIPs including The Clintons, Barbara Bush, Jimmy Carter, Lawrence Welk performers, Miss Americas and Miss Arkansas. Lynn was proud to show visitors around Hot Springs, always believing in the town's potential to become world renown for the arts, abundant natural resources and healing environment. 

Her civic and community involvements included Chamber of Commerce Red Coat Ambassador; guest speaker, White House/Governor's Conference on Families; founding President, Hot Springs/Diamond Lakes Film & Video Commission; founding committee member, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, now in its 25th year; founding member, Hot Springs Opera Guild; board member, Downtown Merchants Association; Main Street USA Steering Committee to "Adopt a Bath House;" chairman, Greater Hot Springs Remembers; co-chairman, Taste of Hot Springs; H.S. Business & Professional Women; and she spear-headed the "Scenic Gateway" steering committee, which resulted in the state highway department revamping and beautifying the highway interchanges. 

Later in life, Lynn earned a double associate's degree from National Park College and co-founded a summer art program called "Youth Arts," aimed at building confidence and social skills for underprivileged children. Lynn was an active member of two churches during her time in Hot springs, Grace Bible Fellowship Church and Lake Valley Church. 

Lynn is survived by daughter, Lisa, and husband, Mark, of Los Angeles; son, Lance, and wife, Pam, of Hot Springs; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, in the Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs with a Christmas cookie reception after the service. Lynn was interred Monday, Dec. 7, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Calif.  

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Arkansas Alzheimer's Association, The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Arkansas Hospice, Guardian Angels Cat Shelter of Hot Springs, Gene Cunningham's Bible Ministries of Hot Springs. 

Sentinel-Record, The (Hot Springs, AR) - Sunday, December 13, 2015.

Gene Rogers Fore, BHS 1949

Gene Rogers Fore was born in Hollywood, California and raised in Burbank, California. She attended Miller and Emerson Grade School, John Muir Junior High and graduated from Burbank High School in 1949. Gene passed away on October 11, 2015 in Golden Valley, Arzona, where she was in hospice care after surgery and strokes. 

She is survived by her twin sister, Glenna Rogers Vannice, BHS 49, and brother-in-law, Don, of Fort Mohave, Arizona; sister, Barbara Rogers Roberts, BHS 47 and brother-in-law, Ed, of North Hollywood, California; two sons, Steven and James of Arizona; two grandchildren, Donna and Michael; two great-grandsons, Theodore, Jr. and Hunter, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and several nieces and nephews in California, Illinois and Virginia.

Gene was predeceased by her daughter, Nancy, in January 2015. Gene loved football and going to Laughlin, Nevada. She will be missed by her family and friends.

Gene Warren Butler, BHS 1945

Gene Warren Butler, 82, passed away on February 10, 2010 in his home located in Scottsdale, Arizona following an extended illness. He was born on April 7, 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri. He spent most of the early years of his life in Burbank, California. He graduated from Burbank High School in the fall semester of 1945. He then attended Glendale (California) Junior College and being classified 1A in the draft, he was drafted shortly there after into the army in early 1946. He was then sent to Camp Roberts and was being trained for the invasion of Japan, when the bombing of Japan ended the war. He was then sent to Nome, Alaska. He spent a little over a year in Alaska and was then honorably discharged. He returned home and resumed his life long dream of being a professional baseball pitcher. ...............With the help of the Fifty-Two Twenty Club (unemployment fifty-two weeks with $20 dollars per week) veteran's benefit, he signed a baseball Minor League contract with the Cleveland Indians Minor League Farm Club, known as the Tucson Cowboys, in the old Arizona-Texas Baseball League. His baseball league career was short lived so he returned home and decided he needed to get a real job. He found a truck driving job with Dunn-Edwards Paint in Glendale, California. This was the start of his 54 year career with Dunn-Edwards. He worked as a truck driver, clerk, store manager, and outside salesman. In 1954 he was offered a job to come to Phoenix, Arizona as their store manager. He moved his wife Clara, and their three small children: Janet, Nancy and Brian to the Valley of the Sun. .......................

When he arrived in Phoenix he found that the store had only three employees. The store was located at 3119 North Central Avenue across the street from where the Park Central shopping mall would later be built. There were cows grazing in the field since it was the Old Central Park Dairy. In 1964 Dunn-Edwards built a store at 233 East Camelback Road where he spent the rest of his career until retirement. He always enjoyed his association with his fellow employees. He often said the success he enjoyed was the true relationships that he had developed with his fellow employees and customers. He called on hundreds of painting contractors in his 54 year career, among them were some of the legends in the painting industry. They included his sales manager Jim Murphy; and names like Ernie Sauer, Bill Reagan, Jerry King, Carrol Smith and Mickey Smith are just a few of his customers that helped mold the residential and commercial painting industry in Phoenix. ......................He and his first wife Clara were blessed with 3 children, 9 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. He has one surviving sister Laura Geary of McMinnville, Oregon along with a stepdaughter Marissa, son-in-law Harry Spieker and granddaughter Allison. ............................Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2010, 10:00 A.M. at A.L. Moore Grimshaw Mortuary located at 710 West Bethany Home Road in Phoenix, AZ. In Lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Hospice of the Valley. Interment will be at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona on Monday, February 22, 2010. The grave will be dedicated on the following Saturday in a private family ceremony. ...........Published in The Arizona Republic from Feb. 18 to Feb. 20, 2010

Frances Helen von Seggern Bach, BHS 1969

Frances Helen von Seggern Bach 

Well done, good and faithful servant Frances went to be with the Lord on December 29, 2015, after a two-year struggle with a brain tumor. She was born on May 26, 1951 in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Ernest and Helen von Seggern of Burbank. She attended Miller Elementary School, Muir Junior High, and Burbank High School. Frances began playing cello in elementary school and was a student of Joseph DiTullio. She continued her study of the cello at Whittier College and California State University, Northridge, where she earned a Master of Arts in Music in 1979. She also studied the viola da gamba with Shirley Marcus at UCLA and Carol Herman of Claremont, California.

While at Whittier College, Frances gave her life to Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She was active in the College Life group at Whittier, at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and at Kaysville Bible Church in Utah, where she played cello and piano, led the adult choir and handbell choir, and served as an AWANA leader and a deaconess. 

Frances met her husband Phil in 1979 at Grace Community Church. They were married in 1981, and made their first home in Burbank. Julie was added to the family in 1986. In 1987, Phil began working as a clinical chemist at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City and the family moved to Utah. Soon after the move, Amy joined the family in 1988. 

Frances’ musical activities were many and varied. She played cello in the Edmonton Symphony in Alberta for three seasons beginning in 1973. While living in Burbank, she began playing viola da gamba and baroque cello with the Los Angeles Baroque Players, without doubt her favorite musical activity. She continued playing with the LABP after the family moved to Utah, flying several times a year to Los Angeles for concerts. Soon after moving to Utah, Frances played a year with the Utah Symphony, and played occasionally with them after that. As Julie and Amy grew in their musical ability, Frances greatly enjoyed playing with them for church services, weddings, and community events. 

When Frances wasn’t making music she home-schooled her daughters from kindergarten through twelfth grade. She also greatly enjoyed camping and hiking with her family and exploring scenic and historical places, from national parks near home to London and the Swiss Alps.

Frances is survived by her husband Phil, daughters Julie and Amy, mother Helen von Seggern, and brothers Ernest and Albert von Seggern. Memorial services for Frances are scheduled for 11:00 on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Kaysville Bible Church, 181 N. Flint Street (the southwest corner of 200 North and Flint) in Kaysville, Utah; and for 11:00 on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at the Burbank First United Methodist Church, 700 North Glenoaks Blvd in Burbank, California. Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary.

John Subia Lara, BHS 1952

John S. Lara, 81, of Apple Valley, passed away on Saturday, June 6th, 2015. John was born to the late Santos and Josefa Lara, March 30, 1934, in Burbank, CA. John graduated from Burbank High School in 1952. He served in the United States Air Force from 1952-1956. John worked for the City of Burbank, Public Works for 32 years. He retired in 1989 and moved to Bullhead City, AZ in 1990, where he resided for 15 years. In June of 2005 he moved to Apple Valley, California. John is survived by his wife Stephanie of 57 years. Also survived by six children, Edward, Edna, Steve, Alfred, Albert and John and their spouses, 12 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. John is also survived by his older brother Art and sister Armida. John also has many extended families and good friends.

Joyce Nelson Neumeier, BHS 1947

Joyce Neumeier was born in Jamestown, NY, on January 29, 1929, and entered the gates of heaven on Wednesday, November 4 , 2015. Muz is remembered as a faithful wife, a caring mother and grandmother, a volunteer, and a minister of hospitality. ................. Joyce is survived by Paul, her husband of 65 years; their family, Tom and Aleen Neumeier of Fresno, Mark and Kathy Neumeier of Texas, Vickie and Mike Evangelho of Fresno, and Peggy and Stan Bell of Hanford; and her sister, Diana Murray of Sacramento. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. ................ Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Thursday, November 12, 2015, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. followed by a Recitation of the Holy Rosary at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at 6:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church on Friday, November 13, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Clovis Cemetery. ....................

In lieu of flowers, please send remembrances to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 5770 N. Maroa Ave., Fresno, CA 93704; or the Poverello House, P.O. Box 1225, Fresno, CA 93777. Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home, 1525 East Saginaw Way, Fresno, California (559)227-4048.................. Published in the Fresno Bee on Nov. 11, 2015