Santa Clara Magazine

Steven Emerson Curtis M.S. ’77, our wonderful husband, father, Papa, and hero, passed away on January 5, 2013 after a courageous eight-year battle with cancer. He valiantly inspired others and proved that this is still a day of miracles. Steve was born in Salt Lake City on March 16, 1948 to Reuben Emerson and Alice Call Curtis. He graduated from Highland High School and served an LDS mission to Northern Germany. He married his eternal sweetheart, Janice Derrick in the Salt Lake Temple. He graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in electrical engineering and received a master's degree from Santa Clara University in California. He spent the majority of his career designing medical imaging equipment and managing research and development departments. He loved solving mathematical engineering problems and was granted many patents. Steve was a man of absolute integrity. He had sound judgment and great wisdom. He possessed charity for all and so appreciated the love and prayers offered for him during his health struggles. He left a legacy of love, service, humor, and devotion to his family. He endured to the end with steadfast faith in the Savior and a testimony of the gospel. He was without guile and was a true disciple of Christ. Steve loved gardening and his beautiful flowers were legendary. He passed on his love of camping and hiking in the mountains and national parks to his family. He loved music and sang every chance he had in choirs, quartets and duets with Jani and was an excellent choir director. He enjoyed traveling and saw much of the world. He delighted in the scriptures and was continually immersed in them. He had an extensive knowledge of the gospel and lived its principles with exactness. He served faithfully in many callings, but his favorite was teaching, where he constantly bore his testimony of the love, kindness, and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He will be deeply missed by his wife, Jani, their children Michael (Rochelle) Curtis, Matthew (Brooke) Curtis, Alisa (Kevin) Bolander, Jennifer (Alan) Stout, and 14 grandchildren. 

Richard F. Lee JD '77 died peacefully on January 9, 2012, after living bravely and valiantly with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and ALS. Rick never complained or felt self-pity about his diagnosis. Instead, he accepted it and committed himself to staying active and serving others. Until his final month, he volunteered at the Unity Shoppe and Central Office of AA, and loved walking long distances sharing hope with everyone he met. He participated in a research project at UCSF so future families will not experience this devastating disease.

Rick was born in San Francisco to Bruce P. Lee and Barbara L. Lee (Pierce), and raised in Millbrae, California. From the time he was a toddler he was the consummate jokester. In his own inimitable way he was also a leader. He was captain of the safety patrol at his elementary school, and senior class president at Mills High School. He was on the debate team at UCSB, and graduated summa cum laude from Santa Clara Law School in 1977. He returned to Santa Barbara as an associate at Schramm & Raddue where he later became a senior partner.

He was married to Barbara Conway from 1976 to 1990 and they had three wonderful children: Allison, Andrea and Adam. In 1993 he married Diana Jessup and together they adopted Diana's foster daughter Lorraine Monroy. Rick loved being a father and grandfather.

He also loved being a lawyer and helping people. When Schramm & Raddue dissolved, he opened his own office where he enjoyed representing a wide variety of clients. In 2007 he joined Reicker, Pfau, Pyle & McRoy LLP where he practiced until his medical retirement in 2010. He had a passion for correcting injustices, whether the cause was worth millions of dollars or none at all.

Rick held leadership roles in many civic organizations, including Legal Aid, Santa Barbara County Bar Association, Alano Club, Barristers' Club, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and Teen Court. Rick was a role model in dealing openly and candidly with the challenges he faced in life. He was proud to have 29 years of sobriety and to have survived prostate cancer. Rick had amazing stamina and always strove to see the best in people. His commitment to enjoying life and helping others will live on in the many people he mentored and loved. One of the greatest gifts Rick received in his last year was the loving care of his son-in-law Nathan who was his full time caregiver.

Rick is survived by his wife Diana; his children Allison in San Francisco, Andrea (Nathan) Ridgell in Santa Barbara, Adam in San Francisco, and Lorraine (Marcus) Haynes in Las Vegas; his brother Steve in Santa Barbara; his sister Janet in Lincoln; his grandchildren Kaden and Kashton Ridgell, Anthony, Monique and Chauntal Monroy, and Brooklynn Haynes; and his aunt and cousins in the Sanfillipo family. His parents and sister Joanne predeceased him.

Mimi Murray Meriwether ’77 died on September 28, after a very long struggle with cancer. Born in Pittsburg, PA in 1955, Mimi' s early schooling was at The Trinita dei Monti in Rome, Italy, where her family resided for a number of years while her father pursued business interests in Europe. Returning to the United States, her family settled in Pebble Beach, California in 1966. Mimi entered Santa Catalina School in Monterey, and remained there until completing her high school years. After her freshman year at Santa Clara University, Mimi transferred to Georgetown University, where she graduated in 1977. Mimi's marriage to John Meriwether brought her to New York City living and then to their home in North Salem, NY. In later years Mimi found great serenity in her cherished Taos, New Mexico. Mimi was beloved by friends beyond number. The charity in her heart was unrestrained, and often found exercise in her generosity to friends in need. The parade of visitors to the hospital from near, far and very far was remarkable. How she was loved! Mimi was a profoundly spiritual person whose virtue was evident to all who knew her. Many times she traveled to Medjugorje, a place of pilgrimage in the former Yugoslavia, where she often brought friends as her guests. From childhood, Mimi loved horses, and she became a very accomplished competitive horsewoman. She achieved international success in the demanding sport of three day eventing, which has been likened to competing in a triathlon. Arrestingly courageous in coping with her illness, Mimi was small of frame and had an extraordinary sweetness and magical delicacy that captivated all who had the great grace of knowing her. Mimi's parents, Mr. and Mrs James G. Murray, Jr. are deceased, as is her sister, Pamela Murray, who was a nun. She is survived by John Meriwether, her sisters Joan Murray, Judy Allrich and Patricia Huse and by her brother James G. Murray, III. She leaves three nieces, five nephews and an enormous number of friends, particularly Heather Croome-Carroll and Diane Summers, who were so good to Mimi in her sickness as were so many others.

Joan Marie Vellequette M.A. ’77, a resident of Los Altos, Calif. for 51 years, passed away peacefully on Nov. 13, 2012. Joan is survived by her loving husband, Murlin Vellequette MBA '68, her sister Margaret Bouthillier (& husband Conrad), her brother-in-law Roger Vellequette, her sister-in-law Bernadette Hall, and her eight children: Joseph Vellequette (& wife Suzy), John Vellequette, David Vellequette (& wife Mary), Mary Singleton (& husband D.J.), Ann Frates, Mark Vellequette '86, MBA '91 (& wife Mary Beth), Michael Vellequette (& wife Kim), and James Vellequette. Joan was blessed with 21 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren - all of whom she loved deeply. Joan had a knack for remembering everyone's birthday, graduation, and anniversary - while making it all look easy. Born Joan Marie Lynch in Chicopee, Mass., her family later moved to Michigan where she attended the University of Detroit as a Chemistry major graduating in 1951. Joan dated Murlin Vellequette in college and they married in 1952. Over the next 9 years, they lived in Huntsville, Detroit, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, and then moved to California in 1960 when Murlin accepted a position with Fairchild Semiconductor. In Los Altos, they bought one of the first homes in the Highlands area, where they made many close friends in that great neighborhood. Recently, with family and some long-time friends, Joan and Murlin celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, a true milestone of enduring love. Early on, Joan worked as a Chemist for Ethyl Corp., and then devoted herself to the whirlwind of raising eight children. Joan returned to college and obtained a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University in 1977. She also volunteered for many years with the St. Simon Catholic Parish ministries, the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary, and for St. Francis High School. Later on, she enjoyed being the office manager and psychological testing coordinator for the Behaviordyne Pyschological Corp. in Palo Alto, and she also acted as the bookkeeper for the family business. Joan's personal interests varied from celebrating and quietly helping her family, to frequent travels, to being an extremely avid reader. Her travels included India, Europe, China, Australia and many trips with family to destinations all over the US. Annual summer trips to Myrtle Beach were a favorite, and no one will ever forget seeing Joan and Murlin parasailing together way up in the sky during one terrific Vellequette & Bouthillier Family Reunion. Joan was always selflessly full of life and love, and she will be dearly missed by all who knew and cherished her.

Ivan Pesic M.S. ’77, founder, president and CEO of Silvaco, passed away from cancer at 61 in October 2012. He is survived by his wife Kathy ’74, M.S. ’80, daughter Yelena ’05, M.S. ’07 and son Iliya ’03, who now assumes the role of chairman of the board of Silvaco, a provider of TCAD, circuit simulation, and IC CAD software tools.

Pesic obtained a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from SCU and continued his education at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan where he obtained a master’s in electronic engineering under the guidance of Professor Fujio Masuoka, the inventor of Flash memory. Prior to his appointment as chairman of Silvaco, he worked for many years in the TCAD, semiconductor, MEMS and biomedical industry, most recently as a senior process engineer of a fabrication facility.

Carol Sue Moore MA ’77 of Sun Lakes passed away on May 21, 2012, surrounded by family. Carol was born in Colton, Calif., on May 11, 1938 to Virgil and Anna Hawelka Pinson. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Gerald Moore, and sons, Paul Brown (Tammy), Keith Moore (Jodi), and Michael Moore (Allyson), as well as 10 grandchildren and her sister Betty Pinson Harbin. She was preceded in death by her father and mother. After high school Carol went to beauty school and became a cosmetologist. After her cosmetology career Carol worked in the advertising department of the local newspaper, The Colton Courier. Carol received her AA degree from Gavilan College then continued on to achieve her bachelor's degree in English from San Jose State and furthered her education receiving her teaching credential and master's Degree from Santa Clara University. Carol completed her student teaching at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., and taught there for 28 years. During that time she was a mentor teacher and department chairperson, but her final and most rewarding position was heading the academy as lead teacher. The academy was a program that helped students with academic problems in their middle school years to graduate from high school. After retirement in 1996, Carol and Jerry moved to Sun Lakes, Ariz., where Carol learned to play golf. Carol volunteered at Chandler Regional Hospital in the Immunization Clinic and Volunteer Board. She served as vice president of community outreach, vice president of fund raising and president of the board for three years. Carol was also president of Arizona Association of Healthcare Volunteers. At her church, Carol worked with the Mission's Committee helping to improve the lives of homeless veterans and there she made the congregation aware of the need for special bicycles for the children afflicted with Spina Bifida. She and Jerry purchased a 1956 T Bird and belonged to the Arizona Classic Thunderbird Club. Carol wrote the New Members column for the newsletter and served as secretary, activities chairman and president of the club. Carol found great joy in the ladies she met in Sun Lakes, The Red Hat Ladies and the Gourmet Gals.