Miscellaneous Orange County, California Obituaries
2000

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Nov. 30
Stanley Gordon
Irvine resident Stanley Gordon died Nov. 8 of heart failure. He was at home in Woodbridge with his two daughters by his side. He was 75.
Services were Nov. 13 with Rabbi Sol Rothstein presiding. He was buried beside his parents at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills in the San Fernando Valley.
Mr. Gordon was born March 29, 1925, in New York City. His family lived in Manhattan where his father worked in the clothing industry and his mother worked at May Co. They moved to California when Mr. Gordon was in high school. He graduated from Belmont High School in Los Angeles. He served as a pilot in the Army Air Corp during World War II. He became a public accountant after he returned. He had his accounting practice in Santa Monica for many years and was still working up until the time he died. Some of his clients had been with him 30 years.
Mr. Gordon was a friendly person who liked to talk to people, yet had a private side as well, said his daughter.
"Everybody liked him who met him. When he talked to you he really listened to you, and gave you the time of day. He was friendly and always talked to people, but he was actually a private person," she said.
He loved to travel and went to many places around the world. He was always interested in exploring different cultures and enjoyed the multicultural aspect of Irvine. He liked going to all kinds of places and seeing new things, museums, gardens, ethnic fairs. He also very much enjoyed watching old movies from the 1940s and 1950s and loved listening to music, especially older popular and classical music. 
He also enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He thought it especially noteworthy that his grandson, Tyler Carlson, would be in the first graduating class of Northwood High School. He was a fan of the Timberwolves and followed their activities closely, said his daughter.
Mr. Gordon was preceded in death by his oldest son, David Gordon of Carmel. He is survived by his son, Marcus Gordon of San Jose; his daughter, Shirley Gordon of Maui, Hawaii; his daughter and son-in-law, Rosanne and Bob St. Onge of Irvine; his former wife, Joy Gordon of West Los Angeles; his brother, Art Gordon of Honolulu, Hawaii; and six grandchildren, Hannah Gordon, Leah Gordon, Amanda Gordon, Matthew Gordon, Tyler Carlson and Christopher St. Onge.

Nov. 16
Donald Adams Plumb
Longtime Irvine resident and Tustin native Donald Adams Plumb died Nov. 9 of natural causes at his home at Regents Point in Irvine. He was 88.
Mr. Plumb was born in Tustin on March 7, 1912. He grew up there and graduated from Tustin High School, where he was the president of the student body. 
Mr. Plumb attended Pomona College in Pomona. He was the first Pomona College student athlete to go to a national competition.
He went to the national NCAA meet in 1933 as a sprinter. 
He also caught the winning touchdown in a game against the school's arch football rivals, Occidental College. 
He was inducted into the Pomona College Athletic Hall of Fame for his record in track and football. After graduating from Pomona College in 1934, he attended Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
During World War II, Mr. Plumb served as an officer in the Navy Supply Corps. For 38 years, he worked for Smart and Final Corp. as manager and buyer.
Mr. Plumb lived in Long Beach for many years. After he and his wife Beth were married 22 years ago, they lived in the Pasadena area and Coronado. They moved to Regents Point in Irvine in the early 1980s soon after the facility opened. 
Mr. Plumb was active in the Residents Association and served as president for two years. He was also a representative to the facility's home offices in Glendale and was instrumental in the development of many of the programs and policies now existing at Regents Point, according to his brother Hugh Plumb.
He was a good bridge player and an excellent golfer for many years. He also enjoyed swimming. 
He and his wife especially enjoyed traveling together and went all over the world by air and on cruises.
He is survived by his wife, Beth Morrish Plumb of Irvine; four daughters; his brother, Hugh Plumb Jr. of Irvine; 14 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Regents Point Benevolence Fund, 19191 Harvard Ave., Irvine 92612.

Nov. 9
Genn Conklin Hart
Irvine resident and longtime city employee Genn Conklin Hart died Nov. 5 of a heart attack at her home in University Park. She was 63.
Services were planned for today, Nov. 9, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Irvine. Monsignor Bill McLaughlin, a longtime family friend, will preside at the service. She will be buried at Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest with her late husband, Daniel Hart, on one side and her late parents on the other.
Mrs. Hart was born Oct. 3, 1937, in Connecticut. She grew up in Derby, Conn., an old Irish-Catholic factory town. 
Her father was the chemistry teacher at the public high school, a position he took after retiring from professional football and boxing. 
After graduating from the town's Catholic girls school, Mrs. Hart went to St. Vincent's nursing school in New Haven, Conn. She was a registered nurse and worked in nursing after she graduated.
After college she was out one night with her sister, Micki, and the rest of their crowd. She was introduced to Daniel Hart and he asked her to be his date. However she was already with someone else that night. But that date turned out to be so unpleasant, she called Mr. Hart and they were together from then on, said her sister Micki.
The Harts were married in 1961 at Holy Infant Catholic Church in Orange, Conn. They made their home in Hamden, where Mrs. Hart kept busy raising their five children. 
Except for some short stays in the Chicago area, the Harts lived in Hamden until 1974 when they moved to Irvine.
Mr. Hart had worked in sales in Connecticut but the couple owned and operated Hart's King Printing in Irvine. Later, Mr. Hart worked as a courier in the aerospace industry.
Mrs. Hart was active with her kids in the Irvine schools, always volunteering to help in the classrooms or act as chaperone, said her son, Jim Hart.
She worked at City Hall for more than 20 years. She was most recently an administrative secretary in the Central Program Services section of Community Services and secretary to the Irvine Senior Citizens Council. 
She loved her work and the people she worked with.
"Everyone there in Community Services and even beyond that were like an extended family to her," said her son.
"Genn will be fondly remembered not only for her exemplary skills and contributions to the city but for her wonderful way with people. She loved her job and was always eager to take on new challenges and to continue to grow," said a spokesperson from the city.
She wasn't shy and quiet, her son added, but she was reserved. She liked a quiet atmosphere more than a loud one. But she liked to take everybody in and take care of anyone she could.
Mrs. Hart is survived by her three sons, William Hart, John Hart and Jim Hart, all of Irvine; her two daughters, Susan Wellman of San Clemente and Sheila Crofts of Irvine; her mother-in-law, Grace Hart, of Irvine; her sister, Micki Conklin, of Hercules in the Bay Area; and her five grandchildren, Kevin Crofts, Brendan Crofts, Anthony Hart, Jordan Hart, and Danielle Wellman.

Nov. 2
Steven Allan Fiske
Longtime Irvine resident Steven Allan Fiske died Oct. 29 of complications of amyothrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) at his home in the Colony. He was 49.
Services are planned for Saturday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m. at Aldersgate Methodist Church in Tustin, where his wife Debbie is the minister of Christian education. The reverends Brian Kent and Allan Waterson will preside. Interment will be private. Arrangements are by Ferrara Family Mortuary in Orange.
Mr. Fiske was born Sept. 28, 1951, in Inglewood. He grew up in Whittier and graduated from Whittier High School. He graduated from California State University Fullerton with a bachelor's degree in sociology. 
He spent most of his career as a Farmer's Insurance agent and had his office in the Spectrum area of Irvine.
"He liked his work," said his wife. "He was a good agent and took time to really talk to people. He enjoyed people."
Though he was reserved in large groups, he was outgoing with individuals and this fit his work perfectly, she added. Mr. Fiske had to retire from his work in early 1998 after his January diagnosis of ALS.
The most important things in his life were his daughters, said his wife. Mr. Fiske was well known at El Camino Real Elementary School where he volunteered every year in each of his daughters' classrooms. His oldest daughter Danelle is a senior at Irvine High School and this fall went to the Sydney, Australia, Olympics as part of the Irvine High Band. The band dedicated part of its performance to Mr. Fiske. His younger daughter Carly is a freshman at Northwood High School and participates on the cross-country team. He loved going to her althletic events.
He was an active person and enjoyed playing regularly in pickup basketball games at Heritage Park and Orchard Park before his illness.
After he had to retire from work he rekindled his interest in photography and the work he produced was impressive, according to family friend Gail Kendall.
"He did beautiful landscape pictures especially. Really beautiful," she said.
His wife said she will honor him and his work as a photographer by giving copies of his photos to friends and family.
Mr. Fiske married Debbie Britt in June 1980 at Aldersgate Methodist Church. Her father, the Rev. Rex Britt, officiated at the ceremony. He was the minister at Aldersgate at the time.
The couple made their home in Irvine. They lived in Walnut Square for many years and moved to the Colony about a year ago. 
The Fiskes remained active at Aldersgate, with the Rev. Debbie Fiske now on the ministry staff there. Mr. Fiske did many things for the church including teaching senior high Sunday school for several years.
"He had a way of understanding and appreciating youth," said his wife.
People also enjoyed his sense of humor.
"Another thing about him was he loved a good joke. He had such a good straight face you would get drawn in every time. I don't know anyone who knew him who didn't like him," said friend Gail Kendall.
Mr. Fiske is survived by his wife, Debbie Fiske of Irvine; his two daughters, Danelle Fiske and Carly Fiske, both of Irvine; his parents, Robert and Carleen Fiske of Brea; his brother, Ted Fiske of Ridgecrest; and his two sisters, Susie Brown of Whittier and Patty Williams of Palm Desert.
The family asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Orange County ALS Association, 16787 Beach Blvd., Suite 271, Huntington Beach 92647.

Roland Rutter
Longtime University Park resident Roland Rutter died unexpectedly Oct. 27 while vacationing in San Francisco. He was 69.
Mr. Rutter taught in the sciences more than 35 years. His career included teaching in Germany, Japan and at University and Woodbridge high schools in Irvine. He retired from the Irvine school district in 1990.
Mr. Rutter was known among family, friends and colleagues as having tremendous zest for life. He seized every opportunity to travel and learn while always taking time to help people in need, said friend Judith Marks.
There will be no public service.
Mr. Rutter is survived by his wife, CoraLee Rutter of Irvine; two brothers; a sister; and many nieces and nephews.
The family said that in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Roland Rutter Scholarship Fund, c/o ASB Woodbridge High School, 2 Meadowbrook, Irvine 92604.

Herbert Noble
Irvine resident the Rev. Herbert Noble died Oct. 10 at his residence. He was 95. He moved to Regents Point from Laguna Hills in May 1992.
The Rev. Noble was born Feb. 20, 1905, in Essex, England. He moved to Canada when he was 6 with his parents, Alexander John Noble of Scotland and Ada Simons Noble of England. 
After graduating from high school in Vancouver, x British Columbia, he moved to California and graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles in 1928. He went on to earn a bachelor of divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York and a master's degree from the Teachers College at Columbia University in New York. He received honorary degrees from Occidental College, the University of Dubuque in Iowa, and Davis and Ekins College in West Virginia.
As an ordained minister of the United Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Noble served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Downey from 1936 to 1944. He was chaplain and professor of religion at Occidental College from 1944 to 1955. He then served as executive director of the Department of Higher Education, National Council of Churches in New York City until 1970.
He married Janice Harker in 1935 and they were married 50 years when she died in 1985.
A memorial service was held Oct. 21 at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach.
The Rev. Noble is survived by his daughter, Gaile Patricia Noble, of British Columbia; his daughter and son-in-law, Leslie and Ralph Purdy, of Newport Beach; and his grandsons, Christopher and George Purdy, of Newport Beach.
The family suggested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, Ind. 46515 or to the Alzheimer's Association Orange County Chapter, 2540 N. Santiago Blvd., Orange 92867.

Ruth M. Lange
Ruth M. Lange died Aug. 21 at home after a three-year battle with bladder cancer. She was 81 and lived in Irvine for the past eight years. 
Mrs. Lange was born in Burlington, Vt., the youngest of five children of Italian immigrants Carmelo and Mary Bellino. As a young girl she ice skated on frozen lakes, ate maple syrup straight from the tree, and skied on barrel staves.
She attended the University of Vermont and then became an executive secretary. She married George Lange on June 5, 1948, in Rye, N.Y., and settled into a suburban lifestyle in Long Island, N.Y. She was a full-time homemaker and mother to her three children for 18 years.
The family moved to Tustin in 1963 and she returned in 1965 to the workforce as a secretary. Upon retiring in 1977, she and her husband moved to seven acres in San Marcos in San Diego County where they lived a rural lifestyle for 15 years. In 1992, they moved to Woodbridge in Irvine to be nearer family.
Mrs. Lange's hobbies included sewing, walking, gardening, reading mystery novels and enjoying her grandchildren and friends. She was well-known as the "lady with the green thumb," said her daughter Phyllis Strozier. Her frequent shopping walks to Alton Square with her special "granny cart" made her a familiar figure to the merchants. She had many friends there, including at Fantastic Sam's, Ralphs market, Sav-On and Nail Star.
Mrs. Lange enjoyed her life with grace, dignity and courage. She always said her strong Christian faith was her guiding strength. Her memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew her, said her daughter.
Mrs. Lange was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, George, and their daughter, Marsha. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Eileen Lange, and their children, Adam, Nathan, Justin and Emily Lange; and her daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and Hardy Strozier, of Irvine and their children, Paul and Annie Strozier.

David Lawrence Kelly
On the morning of Oct. 17, as David Lawrence Kelly prepared to drop off his son Jonathan at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, he suffered a massive heart attack. Jonathan was with his father as the paramedics worked on Mr. Kelly and then took him to the hospital, but death had been instantaneous. Mr. Kelly was 52.
He was born July 18, 1948, and grew up on the northwest side of Chicago, Ill., the son of the late Lawrence and Anne Kelly.
He graduated from St. Patrick's High School in Chicago and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He earned his law degree at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. 
Mr. Kelly practiced law for a time in Chicago and then worked as an attorney for Waste Management, who transferred him to California in 1987. In 1992, he started his own business, Environlaw Strategies, through which he was a consultant for the waste management industry and municipal governments throughout California.
Mr. Kelly loved sports and politics, but his greatest love was his family ­ his wife, Barbara, and his children, Jessica, Julia and Jonathan.
Jessica, 22, graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder in May and is working in television production in Los Angeles. Julia, 19, is a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. 
Mr. Kelly was proud to see Jessica graduate and begin her life and was pleased to see Julia attend his alma mater. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly recently returned from Chicago where Julia and the members of the Notre Dame varsity rowing team raced.
Mr. Kelly was happiest when he was keeping stats as his children played club and high school sports. He attended every game and meet his children participated in from the time his oldest daughter, Jessica, began soccer 15 years ago.
"He loved sports, and knew the stats on the professional, college and high school levels. He was so proud to see his children compete," said a family spokesperson.
Mr. Kelly served on the Irvine Planning Commission for five years as Greg Smith's appointee and enjoyed being involved in city government. He was a member of the Orange County Round Table and served as the organization's president in 1998.
"Dave Kelly was a happy man who gave his laughter and friendship to many. He believed in always doing the right thing for others. He was a man of integrity who will be greatly missed by his family, his friends and the community," said the spokesperson.
Services were held Oct. 21 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Irvine.
The family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Dave Kelly Memorial Fund where funds will be distributed to St. Patrick's High School in Chicago; Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana; and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Donations may be sent to the fund c/o Pam Swenson, AYCO Co., 17877 Von Karmen Ave., Suite 500, Irvine 92614.


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