Obituaries

 
 

Funeral services today for Samuel Dixon

DOWNEY-Funeral services for Samuel Dixon, a 65-year resident of Downey and a member of the Operating Engineers Union Local 12, will be today (Friday, Dec. 18) at 9 a.m. at Forest Lawn in Long Beach.

He was 89, born in Denison, Texas, and died at Norwalk Meadows Dec. 12. He was the owner of Dixon Crane Service, Inc.

Survivors include his wife, Sarah Dixon; and a son, Steve Dixon.

Burial will follow at Forest Lawn in Long Beach. Arrangements are by the Miller-Mies Mortuary of Downey.


Funeral at St. Raymond's for Carmela Presicci

DOWNEY-Funeral services were held Thursday, Dec. 17, at St. Raymond's Church in Downey for Carmela Presicci, a Downey resident for four years, who died Dec. 12 at her home.

She was 84, born in New York, N.Y., and was a member of St. Raymond's Church of Downey.

Survivors include five children and their spouses, Phil Presicci and wife Bonnie of Downey, Angelo Presicci of San Francisco, Marie Reinald and husband Bob of Riverside, Richard Presicci and wife Elizabeth of Ashland, Oregon, Lydia Trinone and husband Charles of Huntington Beach; brothers Salvatore and Emilio; sisters Martha and Repuldina, all of New York; eight grandchildren, and one married-in grandchild.

Father Steve Davoren officiated. Burial followed at All Souls Cemetery in Long Beach. Arrangements were by the Miller-Mies Mortuary of Downey.


Memorial Wednesday for Myrtle Virginia Roche

DOWNEY-Memorial services were held Wednesday, Dec. 16, at the Downey Zrelak Family Mortuary Chapel for Myrtle Virginia Roche.

She was 85, born Jan. 26, 1913 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and died at Whittier Hospital Dec. 14.

Survivors include her sons, James (Lois) of Escondido, William (Patricia) of Texas, Thomas (Joann) of Missouri and Robert of Texas; a brother, John Flerlage of Chicago; nine grandchildren, 13-great-grandchildren; and a daughter-in-law, Charlene Roche of Downey.

The Rev. John B. Toay officiated. After cremation, interment will take place in Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City, Arizona.


Friends, family mourn Louis Anthony Ambrose

DOWNEY-Graveside services will be held at 1:30 p.m. today (Friday, Dec. 18) at Rose Hills Memorial Park for Louis Anthony Ambrose, an auto mechanic for General Motors Corp. for 30 years and a 22 year resident of Downey.

He was 84 born in Tooele, Utah, Aug. 12, 1914, and died Dec. 12 in Downey Commmunity Hospital.

He was a former resident of South Gate, and was a veteran of the U..S. Army in World War II, serving in the European and African Theaters with the 2012th Ord. Maint. Company.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; his children, Louis (Pat) Ambrose of Carmichael; Robert (Linda) Ambrose of Walnut Creek; Richard (Rosalie) Barber of Cerritos, Diane Cunningham of Cherry Valley, and Kathleen (Rick) Hart of Cerritos; 21 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren; sisters Josephine Erickson and Anne Hansen of Utah, and Frances Vidmar of Goleta.

Arrangements are by the Downey Zrelak Family Mortuary.


Friends, family mourn Nita S. Peterson at 97

DOWNEY-Services were held Nov. 16 at the First Presbyterian Church of Downey for Nita S. Peterson, a Downey resident since 1942, who died Nov. 12 of cardiac arrest at Downey Community Hospital.

She was 97, born Jan. 13, 1901 in Charlestown, Indiana.

She taught school in Indiana for 17 years prior to her marriage, and received an Indiana State Life License to teach elementary grades. She was a homemaker after marriage, but also volunteered in Downey schools during the 1940s and 1950s. She also helped with the family lumber company business, Clearwater Lumber Co. Inc., in Paramount, founded by her husband, John H. Peterson in the 1930s. Following his death in 1961 she and her two children continued with the business for 14 years before selling it.

She was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Downey, where she taught Sunday school. She was a member of the Green Tree Tavern Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in Charlestown, Indiana, a member of the Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem-Gethsemane Shrine No. 79, a Million Dollar Club Member of the Downey Community Hospital Memorial Trust Fund, a financial supporter of the Historical Landmarks of Indiana and the Clark's Grant Historical Society in Indiana. She made numerous contributions over the years, including one room of the Downs House, a historical home in Charlestown, Indiana, which now bears her name.

Survivors include her son, John H. Peterson, Jr.; a daughter-in-law Ingrid; a daughter, Betty Bewak; son-in-law Robert; grandchildren John H. Peterson III, Jenni Peterson, Andrea Bewak and Monica Bewak.

The Rev. David Q. Hall officiated. A private family burial service was held at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood. Arrangements were by the Miller-Mies Mortuary of Downey.


Evelyn Adams services to be held tomorrow

DOWNEY-Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 19) at the 3rd Ward LDS Church, 10511 Paramount Blvd., for Evelyn Adams, a former school teacher for more than 30 years with the Downey Unified School District, who died Dec. 11 in Ontario.

She was 92, born Sept. 7, 1906 in Wellsville, Utah, and was a longtime resident of Downey prior to her move six years ago.

She was a longtime teacher at Imperial Elementary, and was an active member of the 3rd Ward Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Survivors include sons, Charles Adams of Santa Maria, Joseph Adams of Bellflower, Henry Adams of Wildomar; a daughter, Linda Norman of Chino; 15 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Visitation will be tonight (Friday, Dec. 18) from 5 to 9 p.m., and tomorrow prior to the services at the Allen-English & Estrada Funeral Service, Bell Gardens. The funeral services at the church will be followed by burial at Rose Hills Memorial Park.


Brian C. Raine, age 42 laid to rest Wednesday

WHITTIER-Graveside services were held Wednesday, Dec. 16, at Rose Hills Memorial Park for Brian C. Raine, a former employee in testing equipment sales for Hewlett-Packard, who died Dec. 6 of natural causes.

He was 42, born Oct. 20, 1956 at Downey Community Hospital.

He underwent a serious brain operation in 1990 from which he never fully recovered.

He attended Jordan Elementary School, Starbuck Junior High, and Lowell High School, and played freshman football and baseball at Lowell. He was the catcher on the Leffingwell Majors Little League team that won the Whittier City Championship in 1968. He won the Los Compadres award at Lowell High in the field of science and math. Brian continued his studies at U.C. Irvine in chemistry and taught freshman chemistry at the University of Illinois before pursuing a doctorate in chemistry at U.C. Berkeley.

Following graduation from U.C. Berkeley, he worked at Hewlett-Packard. An accomplished hunter and fisherman he was a member of the Boy Scouts at Friends Church. He enjoyed the John Muir Trail, hiking throughout the High Sierras.

Survivors include his daughter, Kristen of Portland, Ore.; his mother and father, Jan and Don Raine of Whittier; a sister, Ellen Burkhart of Orinda; his grandfather, Charles Raine and his aunt, Patricia Clark, both of Downey; and his uncle, Gene Raine of Huntington Beach.

The Rev. Gary Beard of the United Methodist Church of Downey officiated. Arrangements were by the Downey Zrelak Family Mortuary.
 
 




End Obituaries