Friday Obituaries

12/23/05

AGGELER, Shirley Donovan

passed away after a long illness on Dec. 22, 2005. Born in Dallas, South Dakota, on Sept. 28, 1917, she grew up in Casper, Wyoming, but lived in Santa Barbara most of her life. She loved Santa Barbara and leaves behind a legacy of commitment to preserving its charm and beauty. As president of both the Mesa Improvement Association and the Citizens Planning Association, she frequently attended meetings of the Planning Commission and opposed irresponsible development that threatened to diminish the city's integrity. She graduated with honors in biochemistry from the University of Colorado in 1944, having also attended Mills College and UC Berkeley, where she met her husband, William F. Aggeler, who became chair of languages at UCSB and predeceased her in 1974. For many years, she was a medical technologist at Sansum Medical Clinic. She is survived by her son Geoffrey, and her daughter-in-law, Sondra, as well as three grandchildren, Brian, Jill, and Christian, and four great-grandchildren. Recently, she was visited by her three sisters, Mary, Dorothy, and Pat, and enjoyed with them a final Donovan reunion. She was a member of St. Barbara's parish, and her life was guided by her Catholic faith. A private memorial service will be arranged. The family wishes to thank the staff of Serenity House for their kindness and consideration.

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow as the night the day

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

MANZULLO, Richard "Bomer"

professionally and affectionately known as "Bomer" by his many friends, family and followers, passed away on Tuesday, December 12, 2005, at the age of 38. Richard was born July 19 to Richard and Sharry Manzullo in the Los Angeles area in 1967. He was well recognized for his talent and songwriting abilities back in the early 80s as part of the legendary punk rock-era band known as R.K.L.

Bomer took off at an early age to tour with his band. He continued on with his music career and traveled throughout the world. He considered the San Francisco Bay area and Santa Barbara County his "home."

Bomer lived a full and eclectic life. He was a free spirit and he experienced much of the highs and lows of fortune and misfortune throughout his life and was able to experience many of his dreams. Richard had come full-circle and had recently returned to the Santa Barbara area to set up residence and was in the process of composing symphonies of classical music, intending to audition for Music Academy of the West, in Santa Barbara.

Richard was a bright, talented, funny and intelligent child. He took to music as a bird does to flight. Richard and his family relocated to the Santa Barbara area in 1979 where he attended Carpinteria Jr. High School. He rode dirt bikes, surfed and played the drums. He was an honor student and finished high school at age 16. Once intent on becoming a lawyer or physician, he chose his "calling" music and art, as opposed to a "formal education."

A self-taught musician, Bomer was a deeply spiritual, unconditionally loving, reverent human being, and a generous man with a gentle soul. He was a high-energy, philosophical genius who had a hard time finding balance in a world he found so conflicting. He often spoke of the curse that came with intelligence and talent. He had graduated to a higher dimension some time ago and could no longer participate in what he referred to as "this world."

Bomer was a born comedian and never failed to captivate a crowd or audience with his humor, wit and charm.

He found meaning and significance through nature and had come to a place where he no longer felt he needed to make things happen, but rather to let things happen the way God intended them to. He did not look back anymore, choosing to live in the moment and find the beauty in every note struck by a piano key, sea shell, paintbrush stroke, guitar string or flower petal and was always up for surfing a good south swell.

He is survived by his mother, Sharry Rose, of Summerland; father, Richard F. Manzullo, of Atlanta, GA; longtime companion, Kevin Harder, of Montecito; grandmother, Sue Manzullo, of Chicago, IL; friends, Jerico Woggon, Charlotte Johnson, Ted Townsend, Jason Sears and Chris Rest; sister, Lori and her children, Tyler, Breanna and Chelsea, of Ventura; and by all those not mentioned whose lives touched and enhanced his and whose lives he touched and enhanced.

He was recently preceded in passing and has gone to join his good friend, Bob Cavaness and his great-grandma, Jinny.

Bomer's memory, magic, antics and lessons will forever live on as legend.

Please smile as he would have and be certain that he is showing the Angels how the harp was meant to be ROCKED. (Thanks Chris!)

Bomer is a bright shining star and will be deeply missed; all who knew him will agree that life will be a little duller without him.

His most recent art and music are phenomenal and will be released and on display at a date yet to be determined.

A celebration of Richard's life will take place at Lookout Park in Summerland, CA, Wednesday, December 21, 2005, 12:30 P.M. Instruments and surfboards are encouraged. For more information please go to www.rkl.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard Manzullo's name may be made to any musical, arts or drug rehabilitation program of your choice.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home & Crematory, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura.