Santa Clara Magazine

Gerald A. Kimble Jr. J.D. ’79, 69, died September 21, 2012, in Colorado Springs. A retired Naval Officer and Attorney, he was born on August 26, 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio to Gerald and Katurah Kimble. Jerry graduated in Engineering Physics from the University of Kansas, 1969, and was promoted from enlisted to Naval Officer, serving 21 years as a Naval Flight Officer, retiring as Lt. Commander. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Santa Clara,1979, and practiced as a Prosecutor for the District Attorney, as a County Attorney prosecuting child abuse and neglect; and for both offices started recovery of welfare fraud and collections for arrears of child support. During private practice, he fought to end child abuse as Guardian ad Litem for abused or neglected children and disabled adults. He proudly served as the first board President of Pikes Peak Family Connections, teaching nurturing classes for court ordered families and establishing KPC Kid's Place, a crisis respite center for children. During his illness, he volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate to continue his work against abuse. In 2009, the El Paso County Bar honored him with the Lohman Award for his work to protect children. Surviving him are his wife, Cheryl Kimble, daughter, Jami Kimble and her husband Evan McLain, his two grandsons, Colm and Rafferty McLain, as well as his siblings, JoAn, Fleda, Phyllis, Jean, June, Harold, Roger, Tom, Vicky, and Jim. 

Mary Nell (Applegate) Rogers MBA '81 of Los Altos passed away Sept. 1, 2012, after a long illness. Born Jan. 26, 1934, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mary studied electrical engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduating, she worked for General Electric in New York and in 1955 married Robert Rogers MBA '74, a fellow engineer from GE. Three years later she "retired" to raise a family and in 1961 the family moved west, settling in Los Altos. In 1976 Mary returned to work as an engineer, joining Lockheed Missiles & Space. Mary also volunteered for the Girl Scouts and was an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, eventually holding high offices for both organizations and gaining national recognition as an advocate for women in science. In 1981 she received her MBA from Santa Clara University. Upon her second retirement, in 1998, Mary spent much of her time gardening; she also enjoyed puzzles and needlepoint. Mary is survived by her children, Bob Jr., Beverly, Beth and Molly; and four grandchildren.

John Patrick Mirch ’81 May 15, 1959 - October 27, 2012 Resident of San Jose--a great man, a father of two, a loving husband, a brother and a son. John Patrick Mirch was born May 15, 1959 to his loving parents Eileen and Patrick Mirch ’55 in San Francisco, CA. He enjoyed this life and shared that joy with all of those around him including his three sisters, Mary Ellen Mirch, Kathy (Hal) Hainley and Patty (Scott) Weber, his two brothers Joe (Irene) Mirch and Michael Mirch, and numerous nieces and nephews. On April 24th, 1982 he married the love of his life, Laurie Borello ’80. Together they raised two beautiful sons Matthew and David. Something can be said about his spirit - he bravely fought cancer for two years, smiling and joking until the very end. The generosity and kindness he had for others showed in the immense love and support that was bestowed upon him in his final days. He passed peacefully in his sleep with his family by his side and now resides with our Lord in heaven. He will be dearly missed.

David Louis Normandin '81, resident of San Jose, passed away suddenly of natural causes on November 20. He was known for his generosity, heart of gold, and spontaneous free spirit.   David was born June 1, 1957, in Colorado Springs, Colo., graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory in 1975, and earned a business degree from Santa Clara University in 1981.  He worked at Normandin Chrysler Jeep and Dodge in the Customer Service Department for many years, and spent his recent years caring for his two children as well as working as a jack-of-all-trades. He touched the lives of those who knew him with his kindness, generosity and sense of adventure. He often pulled up to his family members' driveways in his van, blasting classic rock music and inviting them along to catch frogs with him. He had a deep love for nature, and enjoyed visiting Yosemite for fishing trips. David approached the prospect of helping others with unbridled enthusiasm, from moving his niece into her college dorm room to spending hours painting fences or working on projects at his siblings' and friends' houses. He also had a sharp focus for creativity - the Christmas lights that adorned his home each year became famous throughout the neighborhood. Visits with David would usually involve some great barbeque (lots of meat), plenty of laughter, and at least one adventure.  David is survived by his wife Michelle, and is the adored father of Tristan and Sarah. He is also survived by his parents Lon '81 and Peggy Normandin and siblings Caren Normandin '79, Lisa McHugh '81, Mark Normandin, Diane Azevedo, and Paul Normandin. He was a beloved uncle to 16 nieces and nephews. He will be sorely missed.

Roger A. Parshall J.D. ’83, passed away on Feb. 8, 2013, in Arcata Calif. After his graduation, he practiced law in Humboldt County, originally as a public defender. In recent years, he came to support the Occupy Movement locally. A native of Detroit, Mich., he is survived by his younger sister, Nanci Parshall. He is remembered as a good friend by all his law school classmates.

Donna L. Hasbrouck MBA ’83, June 13, 1956 to July 12, 2012 Resident of Los Gatos. Donna L. Hasbrouck passed on after a courageous journey with cancer. Donna achieved a business degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Santa Clara University. She retired from Intel after 25 years working in both finance and human resources. Donna is survived by her father and his wife, Leo and Louise Hasbrouck, her sister and husband, Lisa and Jerry Roth, her sister Terri McLennan, her brother and his wife, Steven and Veronica Hasbrouck and her aunt Judy. Theresa, her mother, passed on in 1995.

Gary Skinner MBA '84 passed away on March 16, 2011. He was from Chico, Calif., and a graduate of Chico High School and U.C. Davis. His obituary appeared in The Herald newspaper in Monterey County, where he lived for the last 28 years of his life. It also appeared in the Chico Enterprise-Record.

Miguel S. Demapan J.D. ’85, retired chief justice of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, passed away on June 30, 2012, in Saipan. During the course of his nearly 20-year career, Demapan served as both a Judge Pro Tempore in the Superior Court of Guam and Justice Pro Tempore of the Supreme Court of Guam. Chief Justice of Guam F. Philip Carbullido said, “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Chief Justice Miguel S. Demapan.  He served the judiciaries of the CNMI, Guam, and Micronesia with integrity and fairness. His colleagues throughout the Marianas and Micronesia had the deepest respect and admiration for his untiring commitment to the Rule of Law. I join my colleagues in the CNMI, Guam, and Micronesia in extending our deepest sympathy to Frances and their children.”

Marion Roberta (Danskin) Milligan M.A. '85, age 77 of Valparaiso, formerly of Sunnyvale, CA, passed away Saturday, October 13, 2012. She was born in Gary, IN, the daughter of Robert and Elsie Fern Danskin (nee Willmoth). Survived by her husband, David Milligan of Valparaiso; sister, Margaret (George) Yetsko and aunt, Virginia Park, both of Hobart. Marion graduated from Emerson High School, Class of 1953. She received her B.S. Degree in Nursing from Indiana University and her Master's Degree from the University of Santa Clara, California. Marion retired as Head Nurse at NASA AMES, Moffett Field, CA. She lived in California for 38 years. Marion loved golf and was a world traveler.

Robert J. Radford M.S. ’91, 54 of Fremont, formerly of Somis, passed away on August 1, 2012. Survived by his sons, Bryan 23, Nolan 18, and his siblings, Janet and David as well as his double-first cousins, John, Steve, and Bill and his former wife, Debra. Rob graduated from Moorpark College, UC Santa Barbara, and Santa Clara University with degrees in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Finite Element Analysis (FEA). His favorite hobbies were golfing, surfing, soccer, hiking, and brewing his own beer.

Linda Crockett M.A. ’91, 67 years old, lost her life in a tragic automobile accident on July 26. 

Born on July 17, 1945, in Palo Alto, where she grew up, Linda received her B.A. degree from San Jose State University in 1976. She built a successful sales and marketing career in the publishing industry. In 1991, though, she made a major career change after earning her MFT master's from Santa Clara University.

Andrew John Solomon ’91 passed away quietly on Dec. 5, 2012, following a prolonged battle with brain cancer. Andy was a longtime pillar of the Fresno community having grown up in Fresno where he attended Bullard High School and went on to Santa Clara University, where he was their first baseman all four years. Following college, Andy returned to Fresno to complete a 25 year career in commercial real estate, during which he made innumerable friends, supported community improvements, and was admired and respected by everyone who came in contact with him. Andy, together with his family, fought against his illness for over five years. Andy's incredible strength and will to live resulted in him becoming one of the longest living survivors of full brain radiation treatment. We may all take some solace in the fact that Andy's participation in numerous experimental cancer treatment programs may help to improve the chances for future patients to possibly survive this now incurable disease. During this time he also felt a strong calling to reach out to others in hope of helping them face their own personal challenges. Andy's great love of baseball continued to the very end and was exceeded only by his love for his family and Faith in God. The family would like to thank the staff for the great dedication and care Andy received at both the University of California San Francisco, the Helen Diller Family Cancer Center; and Hinds Hospice. He leaves behind a loving wife Monique; and his two devoted daughters, Meg and Tess. In addition to the young family he leaves behind, there is an extended and devoted family that will continue to morn his loss. He also leaves behind his mother and father, Lew and Linda Solomon, of Fresno; his three siblings, Jeff Solomon '84 and his wife Carolyn of Tualatin, Or., Jim Solomon and his wife Melissa of Fresno, Susie Jones and her husband Tom of Sacramento; and numerous aunts; uncles; cousins; nephews and nieces. 

Paul Siggins M.S. ’94 was a resident of Santa Clara. Born September 21, 1960 in San Jose, died at home in Santa Clara July 28, 2012 of melanoma cancer after a brave and valiant 6 month fight with family and friends at his side. He is survived by his devoted wife, soul mate, and best friend of 21 years Karen Siggins. Loving son of Hugh (deceased), and Frances Siggins. Caring brother of Carol (deceased), Gary (Barbara), Bruce (Laura). Cherished son in law of Irene Capurso. Brother in Law of John & Alan Field. Dear nephew of Don & Kathy Sindel. Uncle of many nieces and nephews. Lifelong friend of David Lowery. Paul was warm, patient & kind. He had a loving, good natured disposition & effervescent zest for life. Although death took him at age 51, Paul lived life to the fullest and experienced more than most people do over a long lifetime. He & Karen traveled the world together. He especially loved cruising, reading, & watching the 49ers with his BFF Dave. He was a huge animal lover. Paul was a well respected & talented Electrical Engineer who enjoyed his job. He rec'd his BSEE from San Jose State, and his MSEE from Santa Clara University. Paul was most recently employed by Alara, Intellidx, and Thermo Fisher.

Thatcher Bryant Perkins ’95 of Woodinville, a much-loved son, brother, husband, and father, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 26. He was born in Tarrytown, N.Y. on July 5, 1972. Thatcher graduated from Woodinville High School and Santa Clara University. He is survived by his grandparents, John and Jeanne Quinn; his parents, Dennis and Robin Perkins; his brothers, Chris, John and Patrick; and his own family: Aimee, daughters Parker and Morgan, and son Brenner. Thatcher's appetite for adventure and dynamic humor were second only to his love for his children. Parker shares his zest and spirit, Brenner carries his daddy's boyish charm, and Morgan has Thatcher's smile and laughing eyes. He lives in each moment we remember his life and his love for us.

Rachel Brant Peres ’95, a resident of San Jose, entered into peaceful rest at age 39 on October 13, 2012 in San Jose after a courageous and inspiring 20-month battle with leukemia. Rachel was born March 6, 1973 at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. As a military "brat" she lived in 5 states prior to moving to Davis, Calif. in 1981. She graduated from Davis Sr. High School in 1991 where she played varsity soccer and volleyball. She earned a B.A. in Communications from Santa Clara University in 1995 and completed a semester abroad in Vienna, Austria. Rachel was an amazing writer and worked as a Public Relations and Marketing Specialist in Silicon Valley and she also started a small business selling her hand-made felt creations online and to boutiques in the Bay Area.

Rachel was married to Robert Peres in Santa Clara on September 17, 2000 and leaves two children Evan age 7 and Katherine age 5. As a family they enjoyed traveling around California and vacations to Hawaii. Rachel was active in the Hacienda Elementary School parent group and volunteering in her children's classrooms.

Rachel will be missed by many and forgotten by few. Survived by her loving husband Rob; her two beloved children, Evan and Kate: mother Linda Brant: stepfather William Brant (Barbara): stepmother Lesley Funk: brothers Ryan Brant (Tiffany), Dan Brant (Lindsay) and Jon Brant; and 10 adoring nieces and nephews. Rachel was predeceased by her father Warren K. Funk.

Rachel chronicled her illness on her Caringbridge blog which drew in thousands of readers who were inspired by her wit and courage.

Sister Celia Ann Cavazos, MCDP M.A. ’95, a Missionary Catechist of Divine Providence for 55 years, died on August 28, 2012, at the age of 75. She was born to Esteban Cavazos and Celia Gonzales on December 22, 1936, in Pierce, TX.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Stephen Cavazos, Jr., her sisters and brothers-in-law, Minnie Rodriguez, Alice Montalvo, Domingo Montalvo, Rudy Rodriguez, and Luis Madrid. Sister Celia Ann is survived by her sisters and brothers-in-law, Alma and Joseph C. Diaz, Mary Carmen Madrid, Celia Martha Weiss, Annie Marie Morales and Elias Morales; nieces and nephews, Domingo, Jr., Margaret, Elizabeth, Joseph, Virginia, Rudy, Steven, Christopher, Brian, Katherine, Mark, Jason and 17 great nieces and nephews.

Sister Celia Ann made her first vows as a Missionary Catechist of Divine Providence on August 6, 1957. She served her religious community as General Superior of the Congregation, a member of the Leadership Council, formation directress, and directress of a house of discernment in Fresno, CA. She served as Vicar of Educational Services and the Vocations Office in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. She also served as Director of the Office of Religious Education in the Diocese of Fresno and in the Offices of Religious Education and Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Austin. Sister Celia Ann served the needs of People of God as a catechetical leader in Texas parishes of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the Diocese of Fresno, the Diocese of Austin, the Diocese of Brownsville, and the Diocese of Corpus Christi. She was well known as a national catechetical leader. A graduate from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA, Sister served God's people with compassion and love. 

Sherwin Manalo ’97, who was 37 and a former resident of South Lake Tahoe, California, passed away in a tragic car accident on September 3, 2012. He was the South Tahoe High School valedictorian for the Class of 1993 and graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Santa Clara University in 1997. After graduating from SCU, he was involved in many structural design projects with engineering consulting firms such as Mark Thomas & Company, Rajappan & Meyer, and BkF. Sherwin has left a mark in our communities with his structural designs which included improvements in our freeway interchanges and bridges. Sherwin left a mark in our hearts as well and will be sorely missed. He is survived by his parents, Tony and Elisa Manalo, brother, Ariel, and sister, Noreen. Sherwin loved his family and friends and will always be remembered for his generosity and keen wit. He will be missed dearly. 

Sean Gabriel O'Bryan ’99 left this world on Jan. 18, 2013. Born July 4, 1977, he attended Brophy College Preparatory and Santa Clara University (Computer Engineering). He was a gifted trumpet player. Gabriel lived a full, joy-filled and generous life in Seattle, working for Microsoft and creating a company of his own. He joins his beloved grandfathers Dr. Eugene Acosta Marin and Louis Bertrand O'Bryan, Sr., and awaits being reunited with his loved ones: parents Bert & Marty; brothers Michael, Seamus Raphael, Devin; grandmothers Marie Marin and Frances O'Bryan, his loving aunts and uncles, and many, many cousins. 

Alice Joy BA ’06 of San Francisco passed away on May 18, 2012.

Michael J. Percy ’07 (June 4, 1947 - May 30, 2012) Resident of Milpitas, Mike was born the son of Oran and Alta Percy in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He earned a bachelor's degree from U.C. Berkeley and a master's degree from San Jose State University. After a long career in urban planning he retired from the City of Mountain View to pursue his law degree from Santa Clara University and ultimately started his own law practice. He is survived by his wife Katheryn, sons James (Danielle) and Matthew (Erin), and grandchildren Abigail, Owen, Isabella and Megan.

David A. Godinez ’07, M.A. '10 of Morgan Hill was born in 1966 and died on Feb. 17, 2013. 

Richard W. Degnon, a resident of San Jose, was born Jan. 6, 1928. He is survived by daughter Kathleen Ransom; sons Timothy ’76, James, and Daniel; and nine grandchildren. Degnon was a 1953 journalism graduate of San Jose State University and worked as a reporter for the L.A. Times, Glendale News-Press, and San Jose Mercury-News. Degnon was SCU's athletic news director from 1962 to 1981. He was also a member of the Santa Clara Rotary Club and a board member of Branham Hills Senior Baseball League. He was the first president, in 1969, of Pioneer High School Sports Boosters Club. While in the Air Force, he edited Ladd Field, Alaska's, "farthest north newspaper in world". Degnon was the last serviceman to transfer from the Army to Air Force, June 30, 1948, before both became separate U.S. branches. 

Michael Anthony Sweeney, of Santa Cruz, died in his home on March 26, 2013 of pancreatic cancer. He was 81. Sweeney joined the chemistry faculty at Santa Clara University in 1966, and he taught until the fall of 2012. In 2001 he was named professor emeritus. Prior to teaching he worked as a research chemist for Standard Oil, and also rose to the rank of captain while serving in the US Air Force.

Sweeney was born on Dec. 5, 1931 in Los Angeles, to James Robert Sweeney and Ruth (Bauter) Sweeney.

He attended Loyola High School, and in 1953 graduated cum laude from Loyola Marymount University, (then, Loyola University).  He earned his master's, then doctorate in radiation chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1962. The research for his Ph.D. dissertation, Radiation Chemistry of Isopropyl Compounds, was directed by Nobel laureates Amos Newton and Glenn Seaborg at Lawrence Berkeley Labs, where Sweeney operated a cyclotron. During that period he is credited along with two other scientists with discovery of the isotope Rhenium (181).

He performed research and published scientific articles throughout his career. In conjunction with NASA-AMES, he studied the area of abiotic biosynthesis—the origin of organic molecules on the early earth and solar system, the formation of organic molecules resulting from radiation fluxes, and carbonaeous chondrite chemistry. His investigation into the radiation levels of the primitive Earth atmosphere added to our understanding of the origin of life.

In 1966 Sweeney began teaching chemistry at Santa Clara University. It was a position he called "the best job I've ever had." Students from his first graduating class presented him with a pamphlet titled "Sweeney's Similes," in which they had recorded many of the analogies from his lectures for which he was well-known. Ten of his first 11 chemistry majors went on to earn their doctorates in chemistry; the eleventh earned a J.D. Several of these students reached out to Sweeney during his final weeks, offering gratitude for his inspiration.

Sweeney is survived by three children, Matthew ’93, Anna ’86, and Daniel ’87, their spouses, and two grandchildren.  

A memorial service will be held at Mission Santa Clara on April 11 at 6:00 p.m. A reception will follow at the Arts and Sciences Building on the Santa Clara University Campus, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053. His ashes will be laid to rest in Ireland by his children.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a charitable donation be made to Santa Clara University, The Chemistry Dept., in Memory of Michael A. Sweeney, University Relations, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA  95053; or via the web at www.scu.edu/give/

Donations will be awarded to a chemistry major who demonstrates interest in a teaching career.


Notes of sympathy may be sent to:

The Sweeney Family

c/o Chemistry & Biochemistry Department

Daly Science Center

500 El Camino Real

Santa Clara, CA 95053