class notes in memoriam | 37 | Alfred T. Twigg BA ’35, March 8, 2004. | | 40 | John Alan Cost B.S. ’37, Dec. 5, 2005. He was an FBI agent before practicing law in San Mateo County, where he specialized in high-profile murder cases. He also served on the Sequoia Union High School Board of Trustees. He is survived by his wife, June Lacy; sons Jud, Jeff, Jim and John; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. | | 50 | Grant Bishop, Sept. 9, 2005. He was an aviator for the U.S. Navy during World War II. He never practiced law, and worked as an automobile dealer for many years. His businesses included Grant Bishop Chevrolet in Los Gatos, Campbell-Bishop Chevrolet and Merced Honda Mercedes. He was a co-founder of Eastfield Ming Quong in Los Gatos. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, a daughter and a sister. | | 52 | Sidney Berlin, June, 26, 2005. He was best known for his efforts to desegregate schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. He was one of three attorneys who brought a 1976 suit that allowed children from East Palo Alto to transfer to districts in nearby wealthier communities. He earned his undergraduate degree from Fresno State College. He grew Cabernet grapes in the Napa Valley after he retired and was an active member of Rotary International. He is survived by his wife, Peggy; daughters Elaine White, Ruth Wheeler and Elizabeth Fishback; son Louis; and seven grandchildren. | | 73 | David Hans Rammler, Oct. 10, 2005. He served in the Marine Corps from 1951 to 1955 and earned several degrees, including a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He maintained a long association with Syntex (now Roche Pharmaceuticals) from 1964 to1978, worked in venture capital during the 1980s, and started numerous companies. He is survived by his wife, Christine, and a sister. | | 78 | Robert (Bob) M. Vezzolini, Aug. 12, 2005. He practiced law in San Jose, and was a Vietnam veteran. He is survived by his wife, Loni, children Suzanne Dineson and Amber Vezzolini, two siblings, and his mother. | Kathleen Akao ’81 in memoriam The Hon. Kathleen Akao ’81, presiding judge of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court, died on Nov. 27, 2005. She was 57, and died of heart failure while undergoing a biopsy. Judge Akao was the first woman and first Asian-American to become a judge in the county. Judge Akao was born in Long Beach, and raised in the Oxnard area of Ventura County, but came north for her education. Her parents were sharecroppers after World War II, and as a child she picked strawberries in the fields, according to the San Jose Mercury News. She was a graduate of San Jose State University. While in law school at Santa Clara, she was president of the Asian Law Students Association, and later worked as an attorney for the Asian Law Alliance. She was a public defender and private practice attorney in Santa Clara County, and later worked for the Santa Cruz County Counsel’s Office. She also worked with the State Bar’s subcommittee on redress, researching Americans interned during World War II, according to the Mercury News. Her mother was interned at Manzanar during the war. She was first elected to the bench in 1994, and was re-elected in 2000. She was respected for her work hearing juvenile delinquency and dependency cases, and had a special interest in family law. She is survived by her son, Kris; father Tokio Katayama; and brothers Danny, Robert, and David Katayama. |
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