Nancy Carol Peckham Burres, BHS 1964

Nancy Carol Peckham Burres, BHS 1964
April 19, 1945, Los Angeles, California ~ July 29, 2020, Cloverdale, California

Nancy Carol Peckham Burres passed away on Wednesday morning, July 29th, in Cloverdale in northern California, at age 75.  Nancy’s daughter and son were with her at her passing.  She was diagnosed about two years ago with a rare bile duct liver cancer.  Nancy lived longer than predicted, in part due to her use of holistic medicine.  Nancy grew up in Burbank on Hilton Dr. at the corner of Eton Dr., and attended Thomas Jefferson, John Muir, and BHS, graduating in 1964.  She was the middle daughter of Lena Hobbs Peckham and Willard Peckham, who both passed away in 2013, six months apart, at ages 91 and one week short of 96.  Nancy’s father, Willard Peckham, was a Burbank Police Officer in the 1940’s and into the early 50’s, then became a Burbank Fireman where he worked at the Bel Aire Dr. station until his retirement in 1972, when they moved from Burbank to northern California to Clearlake Oaks, in part to be near Nancy who was already living in Cloverdale.  Nancy’s mother, Lena Hobbs Peckham, grew up in Burbank, and was a 1939 BHS graduate.  Nancy’s older sister, Linda Peckham Christian, BHS ‘60, lives in Portland, Oregon, and her younger sister, Janice Peckham Jennings, BHS ‘72, lives in Lucerne, California.

Nancy Burres was a very talented artist, from her school days until her death.  She was well known and loved for her paintings in her area of northern California, painting landscapes, including vineyards, forests, lakes, seascapes, with some of her paintings including wildlife.  She had lived in Cloverdale, California for over 50 years.  Nancy most recently attended the Foursquare Church in her area.  Her former husband, Bob Burres, “Eddie Bob,” now lives in Arizona.

Nancy is survived by her daughter Christine, her son Russell, three grandchildren, and her sisters Linda and Janice, and their families.  Because of the current situation with the pandemic no service is able to be planned yet for Nancy.

Alan Landros, BHS ‘70
August 1, 2020

Nicole Pamela Ruth Spencer Rader, BHS 1974

Nicole Pamela Ruth Spencer Rader, BHS 1974
1956 –2020

There is no greater joy then knowing the love of another, and no greater sorrow when we are separated. Our beloved wife, mother, and friend passed away at home in Arleta California on July 21st. Maiden name: Nicole Pamela Ruth Spencer, aka Pamela Ruth Spencer.

Nicole was born in Hazel Crest Illinois and moved to Burbank California at the age of five. She graduated from Burbank High School. Her favorite subjects were public speaking, history, and the art of jewelry making. She also attended Glendale City College.

Nicole is survived by: Son Robert, Husband Jeff Her late sister’s family John Kraft (brother in law) children; Mindy, Steve, & Greg, Brother Doug Spencer (children; April, Ryan, & Shannon), Aunt Clair Greinke, Aunt Ruth Schukei, Second Mother and family friend Katherine Laster

Eulogy Written by Robert Rader
Where there was a need, she found purpose. Everything from the birds in the yard to the earth she lived on. To the people she met, she was nothing if not giving and always wanted to be the light for anyone lost in the darkness of the world. The struggle against her health gave her many ups and downs; As her own light withered, she never stopped giving her love and kindness as she struggled, especially to any who needed her. As her son, I never knew a day without her love and support.

 Eulogy Written By Matthew Martins
To know her is to admire her – to know her is to be surrounded by her loving care – to have all your worries swept up like common dust straight into the river of stars, rinsed and perfectly dissolved into that greatest stream of kindness the world has ever known, that wonderful, ever-flowing River of Human Compassion, Nicole.

To know Nicole is to become kinder., Nicole is that smiling mother who made you proud to find success and proud to share your failures, for to her, you were her child – she accepted you entirely and kept you whole and her love never ran low or out. To know her smile is to be always loved.

She loved the birds and bees, the flowers and the trees, the squirrels and the stray cats, the lost dogs and their children and taught them all that they deserved a home and taught them how to feel safe, she saved them. She loved the post-persons who carried her lovely letters far and wide, the waiters at each restaurant, the clerks at every store, the strangers starving on the streets and taught them all that they deserved genuine human affection, and reminded them that they were human too.

To be in her life is to be cared for. She loved everyone she met with her special Nicole love, that pure and needless love that brightened nights till they were bright as days and brightened days till they were shining like the sun – she is that light that shares her light with everyone, the sun in our lives that blessed us with her endless kindness and eternal spirit of charity. In every home and every town, she stayed, from Illinois to California she is that light that never goes out – the greatest light in every heart she found a place in, shining, even in the darkest winter night, she is that brightest star in all the skies across the universe.

Talents/Hobbies:

Conversationalist - Nicole could have been a reporter or talk show host as she had a wonderful outgoing way of engaging people and making them comfortable.

Photography - Nicole had many cameras but her favorite was an antique portrait camera. She has left behind a treasured photo archive.

Writing & story telling – Nicole mastered the lost art of personal letter writing.  Every letter she wrote was a careful and precious story.

Animal Advocate – Nicole treasured her pets and found homes for any animal that needed one. She once took-in a Golden Retriever and her seven puppies. Raised them for eight weeks and found all the pups good homes.

Cooking – Always creating new dishes and learning as much about food as possible.

Classic Film Buff – Loved to watch and learn about early Hollywood history.

In the early seventies, Nicole worked as a licensed Veterinarian Technician and in the late seventies as an engineering assistant with Wilber Smith & Associates who studied transportation systems in Los Angeles. Starting in the eighties, she worked for Buff & Hensman Architects as their office administrator & Manager. The company designed and built high-end custom homes in Southern California. In the late eighties she married, had a son and devoted her time, energy, and talents to her family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a contribution in Nicole’s memory to No Kid Hungry. Nicole was very passionate about the welfare of children. One of her favorite quotations was “100 years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove …..but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child”(by Forest E. Witcraft) The coronavirus is closing schools nationwide, and millions of vulnerable children are losing the school meals they depend on.

Link: Give a memorial donation to nokidhungry.org

Willis "Ted" Lind, BHS 1953

Willis "Ted" Lind, BHS 1953

1935 - 2015

Willis "Ted" Lind, 80, left this earth Thursday night, October 15, 2015. He left Jeanette behind, his wife and best friend of over 40 years, 3 children, 5 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren as well as 5 brother-in-laws and 5 sister-in-laws, all of whom loved him as a brother. 

A native Californian, he graduated Burbank High School, went on the Dana College in Blair, Nebraska for his Bachelors degree before joining the Marine Corps for his tour in Korea; a service he was proud of his entire life. 

After a notable career in the wire and cable industry designing harnesses and cable configurations for the aerospace industry, he came and spent the 16 years of his retirement in Lake Havasu City making new friends, bowling a perfect game and enjoying one of the places he loved best. Near both water and casinos. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, November 17th at 2:00 PM at VFW Post 9401. In lieu of flowers, send donations to VFW Post 9401. 

Beloved husband and one of the best men to ever grace this earth, he is sorely missed and will be for all time. 

Services were placed in the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home and Crematory. Thoughts and condolences may be sent to the family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com.

Carolyn Kurtz Biermann Simpson, Former BHS Teacher

Carolyn Kurtz Simpson
November 19, 1940 - November 10, 2019

Carolyn was born in San Diego, California, the first child of James Harald Kurtz, Jr., and Marian Stooke Kurtz. The family moved to Van Nuys, where Carolyn's sister Mary Lou was born. When Carolyn was seven, the Kurtzes moved to Albuquerque, where brother Jim was born. The family moved back to Los Angeles in 1955, but by then Carolyn had been in New Mexico long enough to acquire the love of mountains and high desert that eventually brought her to Nevada.

Carolyn graduated from George Washington High School in Los Angeles in 1958, then attended Los Angeles City College and Los Angeles State College (now Cal State LA). She received a BA and MA in Home Economics, which she taught at the junior high and high school level in LA and Burbank. She went into school administration in Burbank after receiving an MA in Family Counseling from Pepperdine University.

Carolyn married her high school sweetheart in 1962 but they split up while she was pregnant with her only child, Douglas James, born in 1967. In September 1971, she wed Melvin James Simpson, a World War II veteran. In March 1972, her beloved son Doug was lost in a tragic accident. Carolyn and Mel moved to the Hollywood Hills, but those hills didn't meet Carolyn's longing for mountains, so in 1985 they moved to Carson City at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

In Nevada, she worked in the office of the State Superintendent of Education, traveling around the state as a curriculum consultant. With Mel's encouragement, she enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno, as a candidate for a Doctorate in Education, but when Mel passed away in 1993, she put her dissertation on hold. During this time, she served as Director of Teacher Services at University of Nevada, Reno. In 1996, she moved to Reno where she served as Vice Principal at Hidden Valley and Marvin Piccolo Elementary, as well as Traner Middle School, before retiring in 2001. She was an active member of Chapter Q, Reno, of P.E.O., an international women's organization that provides scholarships, grants and loans for women in higher education.

In 2001, Carolyn found a new family, or perhaps they found her. In truth, she and the Meintjes family found each other. Carolyn became "OG" (short for "Other Granny") to two boys, Ian and Tate, and a dear friend and "OM" ("Other Mother") to André and Coral. The Meintjes family gained a local granny and another local mom while Carolyn helped raise two young boys as grannies do - "dessert first at my house."

Wherever she went, Carolyn made friends with people of all ages. From her housekeeper to her massage therapist, to all her neighbors and their children, those in her quilting group and in P.E.O., to the caregivers in the medical offices she visited as a patient, all were her friends. Indeed, Carolyn created friendships like no other.

Carolyn loved dogs. She opened her home to many canine companions through the years. Her last three, Sophie, Lulu, and Jazzy, brought her great joy. Carolyn's dear friend and caretaker, Dianna Mott of Carson City, has given "the girls" a new and loving "forever home."

Carolyn was predeceased by her parents, her beloved son Doug, her husband Mel, and her much loved "Other Grandson" Tate Meintjes. She is survived by her sister Mary Louise Kurtz of Alameda, CA; her brother James H. Kurtz and his wife Diane and their son Christopher and his family, all of Virginia; her "adopted" son André Meintjes, his wife Coral, and her "Other Grandson" Ian Meintjes, all from Reno; and by many cousins, friends and past student Kathy Rera and other students from Burbank High School.

At Carolyn's request, there will be no services. At a later date her ashes will be scattered at the same site as her beloved Mel.

Published in Reno Gazette-Journal, November 2019

NOTE: She taught Home Economics at BHS as Mrs. Biermann from 1968 until 1971, then became Mrs. Simpson in September of 1971.

John Gilbert, BHS 1971

John Gilbert was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer stage 2 in 2017 and given only six months to live, but John was a fighter! 

He had an esophagectomy, proton therapy, chemotherapy, went to City of Hope and did several drug trials, but pneumonia set in and it is what finally took him unexpectedly on June 28, 2020. 

His family was at his side when it happened. The family asks for donations to the Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation in lieu of flowers. No other details at this time. May he rest in peace.

Terry Neil Pruett, BHS 1980

Terry Neil Pruett, BHS 1980

Terry Neil Pruett was born on October 12, 1962 in Tennessee and passed away on March 18, 1991. He was married on February 19, 1983 in Clark County, Nevada to Deborah May Youngs. According to his brother Terry died of a drug overdose. Terry was a loving husband, father, brother and son. As a child growing up Terry enjoyed playing the drums.

One of Terry's classmates remember Terry was a really kind and funny guy. Another classmate remembered him as a sweetheart  Everyone in the Class of 80 loved him! No other details at this time.

Terry Neil Pruett was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California. May he rest in peace! Terry is loved and missed by all who knew him.

Daniel Simon Gruber, BHS 1962

Daniel Simon  Gruber, BHS 1962
October 5, 1944 - July 10, 2020 (75 years old)

Dan S. Gruber, age 75 of Burbank, CA, passed away in his home on July 10th, 2020. Dan was born on Oct. 5, 1944 to Simon and Virginia Gruber in Chicago, IL. He was a resident of Burbank, CA most of his life, and graduated from Burbank High School in 1962. He worked as a general contractor and was well respected in the building industry. He was a Veteran in the U.S. Navy and served in the Vietnam War. He enjoyed fishing, cooking, wood working and best of all, his dog Cinnamon. 

Dan is preceded in death by his parents, Simon (aka Sam) and Virginia Gruber. He is survived by his daughter, Chrissy Gruber, his son, Eric Gruber and sister Marianne Gunther. Services and burial will be at: Los Angeles National Cemetery on Aug. 20th, 2020 at 1:00 pm. 950 South Sepulveda Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90049.

Robert E. Lee, BHS 1965

Posted on Facebook by his daughter Veronica

Robert E. Lee, class of 1965. My father passed away June 29,2020 from Natural causes. Daddy served in the Marine Corps, and fought in Vietnam. Many of you knew him, his brothers Binky and Tim! I would love to hear any stories or memories you have. My daddy was an amazing man. Tough as nails. No other details at this time.

Douglas Warren Boes, BHS 1967

Douglas Warren Boes
January 27, 1949 - October 18, 2018

Douglas Boes passed away after a short struggle with cancer at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center at the age of 69.

Doug was born in Burbank to Warren and Caroline Boes and lived in the area all his life. He graduated from Burbank High School and attended Valley College. He had his own mechanics business and also worked in the motion picture industry.

Doug was the great-grandson of David Buick and was interested in classic cars. He attended car shows locally and across the United States in his own classic Buick. He also built and raced his 1968 Dodge Charger for twenty years as a member of the Southern California Timing Association (SCAT). He was an avid reader of science fiction and history.

Doug made many friends over the years and is greatly missed by his special friend, Ruth.

Published in Los Angeles Times on Dec. 18, 2018.

Melvin Short, BHS 1939

Melvin Short, 83, died Feb. 23, 2004. He was born Jan. 24, 1921. He was the beloved husband of 62 years to Mary. Preceded in death by son Ronald Short. Survived by daughter, Melary Short, grandson Kenneth Short, granddaughter, Deeann Fackrell and families.

Born in Burbank, he moved to Placerville in 1956 at which time he became employed by Aerojet. He retired from Aerojet in 1984.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association.

A memorial will be held at the Federated Church in Placerville on March 1, at 1 p.m. to honor Melvin.

Arrangements handled by Chapel of the Pines Funeral Home.

Mountain Democrat, Placerville, California, Friday, February 27, 2004, page A-7.