Santa Clara Magazine

Willys Irvine Peck J.D. ’69, a lifelong Saratogan, passed away on April 16. He was 89.

He was born August 21, 1923, and through the years became an iconic representative of the World War II generation. His spaciousness of soul was nourished in the orchards bordering his first childhood home; his character honed itself through the jobs he picked up around town, delivering magazines and groceries, cleaning houses, and getting up at 2 a.m. on Sundays to start the furnace in the church. Many of his adult passions were seeded in his youth. The printer's ink in his blood flowed from his newspaperman father, Llewellyn Peck, and his love for the witty and elegant turn of phrase came both from his father and his mother Lida, who was dedicated to good literature and writing. Willys considered himself a lucky man. A veteran of WWII, he was a member of the 20th armored division, one of three divisions credited by the U.S. army with the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in 1945. Yet he felt lucky to have entered the war late enough to return home unscathed. His next big stroke of luck was his marriage to Betty Ruth Wesson in 1952. Their home in Saratoga, with its giant oaks and the creek running behind the house, gave them the space to build a magical environment, with an amphitheater for producing theatrical events, a railroad that circled the house, a train station, blacksmith shop, and printing museum complete with linotype. An avid hand-press printer, Willys was a member of the San Jose Printer's Guild. He was passionate about theater, trains and the written word. He was an author, a playwright and a poet. Willys graduated from UC Berkeley in 1949 and began his career as a journalist for the San Jose Mercury News (for a tribute from that paper, read here) as a copy editor and assistant city editor. Years later he wrote a column for the Saratoga News. In 1962 he graduated from Santa Clara Law School and practiced law until returning to the Mercury where he continued to work on the city desk even after his official retirement in 1989 for a total of 55 years. Active in preserving his town's history, Willys was involved in the Saratoga Historical Foundation and Museum, Montalvo's Phelan Library, and the California History Center. He was a member of the Saratoga Men's Club and the Saratoga Federated Church where he was christened when "both he and the Julia Morgan Chapel were new." Involved in his community, he served on many local boards including the West Valley-Mission Community College District Foundation. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Betty, two children, Bill Peck of Santa Clara and Anna Rainville of Saratoga, two granddaughters, Sarah and Merina Rainville, and son-in-law, Don Rainville. 

William "Bill" Carnazzo ’62,  of Foresthill, Calif., passed away on Tuesday January 15, 2013, at the age of 71. Bill was born February 17, 1941, in Pacific Grove, CA, to William and Carmel Carnazzo. He was the first of four children. He often spent weekends with cousins and extended relatives in Big Sur and at home in Monterey. He graduated from Junipero Memorial High School in 1958, and attended Santa Clara University, graduating with high honors in 1962. Following graduation, he was accepted to the United States Naval Officer's Candidate School in Rhode Island. He then served in the United States Navy for four years, which included two tours of duty in Vietnam on aircraft carriers as the communications officer on the Admiral's staff. Following his discharge from the Navy, he attended the University Of San Francisco School Of Law. He received the President's Scholarship Award for Achievement during his first year and retained this award throughout law school. He was the president of the Law Review, and graduated first in his class in 1968. He practiced law in Salinas, California, for eleven years, and became a partner in the firm. He then moved to Sacramento, California, accepting a position with the Sacramento City Attorney's office, and retired in 2004 as the Assistant City Attorney. Bill was well-known and highly respected in the legal community throughout the State of California, and was frequently published in law review journals. Bill was an accomplished writer with a passion for intellectual pursuits. His other passions in life were fly fishing and his concern for the environment, especially our streams. His fishing talents resulted in many accolades, countless volunteer hours, and unforgettable family trips to trout destinations all over the great Northwest. Teaching the art of fly fishing, especially to his grandchildren, was an important part of his life. Bill was one of the founders and past presidents of the Granite Bay Flycasters' Club. He was a master fly tyer and renowned fly fishing guide. Bill was a frequent columnist for the Cal Fly Fisher magazine and other publications. At the time of his death, he was in the process of completing a book on fly fishing techniques. Bill was a great mentor to all who knew him, but especially to his immediate family. His wisdom, knowledge, passion, humor and quiet wit, which touched so many, was matched by a profound and personal love of solitude. He married the love of his life, Judy Reif '62, at Sacred Heart Church in Salinas in 1962. Their first child, Anthony, was born in 1964, while Bill was on his first tour of duty in Vietnam. Their second son, Dominic, was born in 1967, and their daughter, Regina, in 1971. Bill is survived by his wife Judy, his son Anthony of Springfield, MO, his son Dominic (Kathy) of Idaho Falls, ID, his daughter Regina Dvorak (Charles), of Penn Valley, CA, his grandchildren Nicholas, Evan, Kristen, Summer, CJ and Christopher. He is also survived by his brother Jerry (Gerry) of Monterey, CA, and sisters Carol Carnazzo-Brown (Ron) of Granite Bay and Gigi Knudtson (Bud) of El Dorado Hills, CA. He was preceded in death by his father William Carnazzo and his mother Carmel Carnazzo.