James Alfred Rogers, BHS 1949

James Alfred Rogers, BHS 1949

 

James Alfred Rogers was born 1931 in Los Angeles and moved to Burbank with his family when he was 5. A proud Burbank Bulldog quarterback, he remained involved as Booster Club President when his sons joined the Burbank High football program in 1978.

 

He joined the Air Force out of high school and was stationed in Nebraska where he met the love of his life and remained married for 62 years. He graduated from UCLA and remained an avid Bruins fan. After over 40 years in management, he retired from Tube Service, a division of Reliance Steel. He loved spending time with his three children and their families, especially watching all of the sporting and dance events. His passion was football, working in the yard and watching the view from his beloved home in the Burbank Hills.

 

He is survived by his wife Angie, and children, Jennifer and husband Scott, Stephen and wife Gail, Chris and wife Shelly, and eight beautiful grandkids that he loved very much. 
                                                                     

Published in The Burbank Leader from Oct. 8 to Oct. 15, 2016

Stephen Hollis Stoll, BHS 2008

The driver of a Nissan sedan that crashed into the wall of a concrete freeway underpass in Burbank in September, killing himself and four passengers, had marijuana and more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, according to reports released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.

Stephen Stoll, 23, and four passengers in the car - Sebastian Forero, 20; Malak Hariri, 19; Sameer Nevarez, 18; and Sugey Cuevas, 19 - were killed Sept. 28, when the car crashed into the freeway abutment underneath the 5 Freeway on San Fernando Road around 4 a.m. and erupted in flames soon after.
 One passenger, Savannah Underwood, 18, was able to crawl from the vehicle before it became engulfed in flames. She suffered a broken pelvis and other injuries but is expected to fully recover.

The driver and Nevarez, who was in the front passenger seat, were both wearing seat belts, according to the autopsy reports. The passengers killed in the backseat were not, and it is unknown if Underwood was wearing one.

There were six people in the car, which is only equipped with five seat belts.
Stoll's blood-alcohol content was 0.18 percent at the time of the crash, more than double the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent. The coroner's report indicates the four passengers who died were also highly intoxicated.
 
Nevarez and Forero had marijuana in their system, and Forero's tests also indicated the presence of the drug Ecstasy, according to the toxicology reports.Drug paraphernalia was found in the car as well, including a glass pipe, a "green leafy substance" and an empty small plastic bag with skulls on it - often associated with drug transport.

Investigators said all six had been at a house party before the accident. Responding firefighters reported smelling alcohol on Underwood's breath, according to The Associated Press.

The Burbank Police Department is continuing to investigate the solo crash but has said speed played a factor. The report noted that, by Underwood's account, the car was "traveling faster than freeway speeds on the surface street" prior to the crash. The speed limit along the stretch of road near the Scott Road off-ramp drops quickly from 65 mph to 40 at the point of the turn into the tunnel underpass. Stoll lost control of the car, investigators said, crashed through a guardrail and crashed into the cement freeway abutment. Underwood was able to crawl from the car, and a bakery delivery man heard her screams. He carried her away from the crash, and she reportedly asked him to help her friends. When he turned back to the car, he heard a series of small explosions and saw the car on fire.

 When firefighters and paramedics arrived on scene, the car was completely engulfed. All five died of a combination of injuries from the crash and the subsequent fire.The six occupants were recent graduates of area high schools, and the community was shocked by the violent crash. Makeshift memorials of flowers, candles and signs expressing grief and condolences, sprang up at the site.

Grief counselors were called to Burbank and John Burroughs high schools to help students, staff and faculty deal with the sudden loss.
The Burbank City Council observed a moment of silence in memory of the young adults in the week following the crash, with Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy issuing a statement on behalf of the city. "A tragedy of this magnitude affects the entire community, particularly one as close knit as Burbank," she said in the statement.

Los Angeles Daily News

Alice Tirre, BHS 1966

Alice Tirre, BHS 1966

Burbank Daily Review, November 19, 1974

Alice Tirre, 26, died Thursday, November 14, 1974 in a Burbank hospital. She is survived by her mother; Emma Tirre of Burbank; her daughter, Shawn Rene Ybarra of Burbank; two brothers, Rudy of North Hollywood and Danny of Burbank; and one sister, Mary Tirre of Burbank.

Recitation of the rosary was Monday, November 18, in the Eckerman Heisman Funeral Service Chapel in Burbank. Funeral mass was celebrated today November 19, at St. Robert  Bellarmine Catholic Church. Interment followed at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Ralph Walroth, BHS 1933

Our beloved father, Ralph Walroth passed away in the early morning hours of July 22, 2014 at his home in Glendale following a courageous battle with cancer, he was 98.

He was born January 17, 1916 in Omaha, Nebraska the son of Ernest and Notia Walroth. Ralph is preceded in death by his parents, first wife Virginia (Lester) and second wife Eileen (Rogers).

The Walroth's moved to Burbank, California in 1923. Ralph attended Burbank High School and graduated in 1933. He then enrolled at Glendale Junior College, earning a degree in Business Administration. He was also very active in the YMCA, Junior Chamber of Commerce and especially involved in the First Presbyterian Church of Burbank - where he was a member for 86 years. In 1937 he signed on with Lockheed Aircraft and worked there for the next 41 years!

After retiring from Lockheed he began working part time at the main Glendale Library and has worked there for 31 years until his passing, and was the oldest employee of the City of Glendale.

Ralph had four children with his first wife Virginia. From 1960-1965 he raised his four children as a single Dad until he married Eileen in 1965. When all the children were grown and out of the house Ralph and Eileen moved to Chevy Chase Canyon in Glendale where they lived their lives to the fullest! Golfing, traveling and time with family filled their calendars. After Eileen's passing in 2010, Ralph moved to Scholl Canyon Estates, in Glendale.

 Ralph is survived by his children, Betty Jo Mac Caughtry (Dave), Terry Walroth (Cindy), Nancy Eke (Zoltan), and Rick Walroth (Sue); and stepdaughters, Pat Grigsby (John) and Connie Froeberg (Doug). He is also survived by his 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. There will be a Celebration of Ralph's Life on August 28, 2014 at 1:00 PM at the First Presbyterian Church of Burbank, 521 East Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91501. In lieu of flowers, Ralph requested donations to his church or a charity of your choosing. 

Los Angeles Daily News,  Sunday, August 17, 2014