Sunday Obituaries

12/25/05

BERNAU, George Frank

died on December 12, 2005 of complications from a stroke suffered in October. His life is a lesson in the healing nature of love and the wisdom of following your dreams.

Born in Minneapolis, MN in 1945 to Frank and Helen Bernau, George spent his early years living in Minnesota, Hawaii, and California. In 1966, he graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He then accepted a job in the marketing department at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. In 1967, he married Laurel Lockhart, his college sweetheart. After serving in the National Guard, George received a law degree from USC and joined the law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps in San Diego. In 1977, his daughter, Erin, was born. George and Laurie created a home that was filled with kindness, warmth, and laughter and they delighted in raising their daughter with unconditional love. Several years after Erin's birth, George left his legal career to follow his dream of becoming an author. Warner Books published his bestselling novel, Promises to Keep, in 1988, followed by Candle in the Wind (1990) and Black Phoenix (1994). The family moved to Santa Barbara in 1991 soon after Laurie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Throughout her treatment, George was a great source of optimism, courage, and strength for his family. After she died in 1998, George moved to an island in Washington State where he continued to write, travel, and spend time with his nearby daughter.

George was a man of great intellect and moral conviction. His sense of humor and gentle, generous nature endeared him to those who knew him. George strongly believed that he would be reunited with his beloved wife at his death. He is survived by his daughter, Erin Bernau, son-in-law, Ethan, and a loving, supportive group of friends.

A memorial service will be held in the coming months. Memorial gifts may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

BRISTOW, June

June 9, 1928 - December 7, 2005

Family and friends lost a dear soul on December 7, 2005. June quietly slipped away, with her daughters by her side and her cat Sasha at her feet. Her more than three years struggle with pulmonary fibrosis was little known to her wide circle of friends. Her upbeat and positive outlook on life left no room for self-pity. June was courageous and graceful throughout her illness. She often reminded us of how luck we all were.

June was a wonderful and supportive mother and grandmother. June is now together with her son Kurt. She leaves in love her daughters, Karla and Lisa; grandchildren, Novy, Kyle, Katie, Aria, Kelli, Elijah, Tim, Jason and son-in-law Pat. Numerous other family and dear friends will miss her.

June lived a full and rewarding life. She had a long career as a teacher in the Los Angeles School District. June retired to Santa Barbara where she was the ultimate volunteer in her community. For many years she worked as a docent at the Botanic Gardens, where she was named Docent of the Year. She was one of the first docents to lead Lotusland tours. She worked with Nature Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, League of Women Voters and many other organizations. Her days were planned around helping others. It was only in the last stages of her illness did she reluctantly give up volunteering. Even then, she could take a negative thought and magically turn it into a positive experience. There were no negatives in June's life. June took her compassionate and positive attitude with her as she traveled through her years of retirement.

Her spiritual path was one of passion for her work and the joy of being surrounded by her family and friends. She made everyone feel like they were special. We will miss her good-natured spirit and smile. She will remain in our hearts always.

Contributions in her memory to the June Bristow Botanic Gardens Education Fund.

A memorial service will be held at the Santa Barbara Women's Club Rock Wood, 670 Mission Canyon, on Jan. 7 at 1:00 p.m.

CHURCH, Richard I.

August 15, 1925 - December 15, 2005

Richard "Dick" Ira Church, age 80, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 15, 2005. Richard graduated from the University of Santa Barbara, paying his way through college playing at local jazz clubs. He was a proud veteran of WWII, serving as a Marine Corpsman in Okinawa. Continuing his service to the community, Richard was Director of the Delta Blood Bank, Supervisor of Environmental Health at the San Joaquin Local Health District, and he ended his long career at the San Joaquin County Welfare Office.

As an accomplished musician and songwriter, Dick played the string bass, the French horn, and the piano. Dick had a passion for playing tennis, a sport he played until his diagnosis with cancer. He also had an amazing green thumb, exhibited by his fabulous orchids. Dick was a member of the Okinawa Veterans, past President of the San Joaquin Orchid Society and recent member of the Grandfather's Club.

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who will be missed by all who knew him. He loved his family and friends and took such pleasure in doing something for someone else.

Richard is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, June, of Stockton. Also survived by his son, Tim Church of Fresno; daughter, Sally Powers of Galt; daughter, Jennifer Church Hahus of Martinez; sons-in-law, David Powers and Allen Hahus and grandsons, Andrew Powers of Los Angeles and Evan Powers of Davis.

A Celebration of his Life will be held in January, 2006.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Hospice of San Joaquin or the Stockton Symphony.

FILARSKY, Marlene Deibler

Marlene Deibler Filarsky, of Lompoc, passed away peacefully on December 16, 2005. Mrs. Filarsky was born on March 11, 1932 in Mifflin Township, PA to Claude Deibler and Joyce Almeta Radel Deibler.

She married Richard Emil Filarsky on May 7, 1950. They raised a family of four children and were blessed with nine grandchildren.

Mrs. Filarsky prided herself in running an efficient and structured household all-the-while showering her children and grandchildren with love and attention. After her children where grown, she and her husband took numerous trips together.

The family would like to publicly thank Dr. Thomas Lossing of Lompoc, and his staff, for the outstanding medical care given to both Richard and Marlene Filarsky.

An Open House is planned at the family home for friends and family on Friday, December 30, from 1:00 P.M. To 4:00 P.M. to celebrate the life of Marlene as well as her husband, Richard Filarsky. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lompoc Chapter of the American Cancer Society.

FREIDELL, Hugh Vernon, MD

Dr. H. Vernon Freidell passed away peacefully on December 20, 2005 at the Valle Verde Health Center. He was a long time Santa Barbara resident, accomplished internal medicine physician, dedicated family man and 53 year husband to Ann, was born June 21, 1923 to Dr Hugh Freidell and Selina Maria Friedell at Cottage Hospital. He attended Washington, Roosevelt, La Cumbre Jr. High and graduated from Santa Barbara High in the January Class of 1941. He attended Virginia Military Institute from 1941 to 1943 when the school closed because of World War II and Vernon joined the US Army and the tank destroyers of North Camp Hood, Texas.

In 1944, Vernon was selected for the US Army's Specialized Training Program, a prestigious academic program for US soldiers which enabled Vernon to attend University of New Hampshire and Baylor University College of Medicine in Houston Texas which he graduated from in 1948. It was during his medical education where Vernon developed his acute focus and passion in internal medicine and nephrology. While at the University of Nebraska Medical School, under the direction of his good friend, Herbert Jacobi, Professor of Biochemistry, Vernon became interested in electrolyte therapy and peritoneal dialysis treatment for chronic renal failure, a disease which leads to gradual and progressive loss of the ability of the kidneys to properly function. This interest persisted throughout Vernon's medical career.

Vernon's accomplished medical career started as an intern in Alameda Hospital in Oakland, California from 1948-49 and as an internal medicine intern in Santa Barbara's Cottage and County Hospitals from 1949 to 1950. He spent two years at the University of Nebraska Medical Hospital in Omaha where in 1950 he met Anna Mae Davis, a student nurse at the Immanuel Hospital. Vernon and Anna Mae married April 6, 1952 in Glenwood, Iowa.

In 1952, Vernon joined the U.S. Air force as a Captain during the Korean conflict and was assigned at the Lackland Airforce Base Hospital in San Antonio, Texas from 1952 to 1954. Kathy Ann, the first of Vernon and Ann's four daughters was born during this Lackland Airforce assignment. The family returned to Santa Barbara in 1954 where Vernon joined his father in the practice of medicine at an office at 1515 State Street. He worked with his father in Santa Barbara until 1967, when his father retired and Vernon joined the Santa Barbara Medical Clinic where he eventually worked for 25 years till 1992 serving the medical needs for patients in the Santa Barbara area.

Vernon was the first physician in Santa Barbara to start practicing peritoneal dialysis at Cottage and St. Francis Hospitals in 1954. In the interest of advancing internal medicine and nephrology in Santa Barbara, Vernon worked with William Gebhart, MD who were both trained under the direction of Dr Willem Johan Kolff in 1958, the pioneer developer for the artificial kidney, heart lung machine and other organs at the Dept. of Artificial Organs, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. After training at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, the Assistance League of Santa Barbara purchased the Kolff Twin Coil Kidney to be used for kidney dialysis in a special operating unit at Cottage Hospital. This department has expanded over the years and continues to serve patients and save people's lives from throughout California today. Vernon was a board certified Diplomat-American Board, Internal Medicine and Nephrology, member of the CMA, past president of the Santa Barbara Medical Society 1971, Fellow ACP, Undersea Med. Society Internal Society of Aquatic Medicine, CMA Board of Appeals, 1972-1992. He was a 50 year member of SB #192 Masonic Lodge and member of the Shriners 32nd degree.

Vernon was extremely active outside of medicine with family, friends and the community. He was a member of the Santa Barbara Power Squadron and served as commander 1998-99 and enjoyed many years of recreational boating (with "Firewater") and fishing with his father, family and friends. Vernon was an avid backcountry hunter, fisherman and rode with the "Rancheros" in the Santa Barbara area. He was an instrument rated private pilot and co-owned a private plane with R. John Rutten MD and Henry Hoegerman, MD. He also was an avid scuba diver, tennis player and loved being around horses.

Survivors include Ann, daughters, Kathy Ann Day and Brad, Susan Mosby and Mark, Sharon Paratte, Debra Babai and Danny and extended family, John Mosby and Rebecca. John came to live with the Freidell's in 1980. Also sister, Mary Jane Spencer and her husband George, nephews, Scott, Rick and Vernon. Grandchildren include Devon Thomas and Patrick Day and Hannah, Kelly and Kristen Mosby, Ryan and Tyler Paratte, Erika and Garrett Gruendyke, and Ryder Mosby and great grandson Benjamin Thomas.

A Memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church, 21 East Constance in Santa Barbara.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Alzheimer's Association, Santa Barbara County Chapter, 2024 De la Vina, SB, CA 93105, Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Santa Barbara, 222 East Canon Perdido, SB, CA 93101 or the charity of your choice.

The family would like especially to thank the nursing staff and caregivers at the Valle Verde Health Care Unit.

JOHNSON, Bernice W.

was born June 21, 1915 in Ridgeway, PA and died peacefully in her Santa Barbara home on December 14, 2005 at age 90. She grew up in Erie, PA, where she met and married her husband Harold who preceded her in death. During their marriage they enjoyed living in many locations throughout the United States until settling in Santa Barbara in 1956 where she felt she had come home.

Bernice was employed by two local electronic companies, Ratel, Inc. and then Mosley & Assoc., until her retirement. Her interests included dancing, traveling, bowling, sewing, knitting and crafts.

She is survived by her son Richard living in Tucson, AZ and daughter Carole living in Santa Barbara, 7 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.

A Memorial Service will be held at Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapel, 15 East Sola Street, Santa Barbara, CA at 2:00pm on December 29, 2005. Her remains will be scattered at sea.

Rest in peace Dear Sweet Mom and know how much you are loved. We pray that you and Dad are together again holding hands and traveling through heaven dancing on the stars.

Those who would like to remember Bernice, please do so by donating to Visiting Nurses end Hospice of Santa Barbara.

LARKIN, Evelyn Coltharp

a remarkable woman of great wit and beauty, died Dec. 18, 2005 at her home in Montecito of pancreatic cancer. She had been sick for a number of months. Her husband of 55 years, H. Robert (Bob) Larkin, died in 2000.

Evelyn was born and raised in New Albany, Mississippi. Her parents were Walter and Freda Coltharp. Evelyn always took great pride in being from the South, and no one would doubt that she was after listening to her talk.

After receiving her B.A. from MSCW Evelyn moved to Centreville, Miss., where she met her future husband, Bob. They were married shortly afterwards but Bob was soon sent overseas in 1944 as a Captain in the U.S. Army. He would remain there for one and one half years. Evelyn moved to St. Louis, MO. which was Bob's home town. After the war Jo Anne was born in 1948 and Bobby in 1951.

Evelyn was foremost a dedicated wife and mother. She and her husband were rarely separated. They had many wonderful friends in St. Louis with whom they remained close even after their move to CA in 1978 following Bob's retirement. Afterwards they divided their time between Indian Wells where they were members of the Eldorado Country Club, and Santa Barbara where they also had a home. In Santa Barbara they were members of the Birnam Wood Golf Club and the Coral Casino.

Her husband's business success allowed them many wonderful opportunities for travel and they truly traveled the world, usually by cruise ship. They made numerous friends on these trips and they maintained these precious friendships over the years. Everyone mentions how much fun they had with the Larkins and what a remarkable and beautiful couple they were.

Evelyn was truly a lover of life and good times with friends. Always on the lookout for a funny prank to play, she was the "life of the party," a woman who was excited to be alive. In addition, she was a woman of extraordinary generosity. She and Bob always tried to help those less fortunate and they donated to many charities. This spirit of generosity is often mentioned by friends and others with whom they had contact.

It is difficult to find the right words to capture the true spirit of such a complex and multi-faceted person. A tenacious woman of indomitable will, she had a way of just making things happen. She could always be counted on to get things done. At the same time she was surprisingly vulnerable and sensitive. In death she showed remarkable strength, consideration for others, character, and even humor.

Evelyn gave her all to life and she will be greatly missed by her children Bob and Jo Anne, her grandchildren Lynne Sutherland and Eirik Larkin, and her great-grandchildren Ashley Larkin and Ava and Wyatt Sutherland. She was pre-deceased by two sisters Eloise, aged four, and Marguerite McGehee of St. Louis.

The family would like to thank Dr. Fred Kass and the wonderful nurses at the SB Cancer Center for their outstanding care and life-affirming attitude. Also, thanks to Dr. Steven Young who was always available and always kind and to VNA-Hospice of Santa Barbara. Special gratitude goes to friend Mavis Carmona and caretakers Margo Zapata and Barbara Orth. It is difficult to imagine how we could have gotten through this without you.

A memorial service will be held Jan. 6 at 1:00 in the chapel at the Santa Barbara Cemetery on Channel Drive. Donations in Evelyn's name may be made to Direct Relief International, 27 South Patera Lane, Goleta, CA 93117, her favorite charity.

A beautiful woman with a beautiful soul. She will be remembered with deep love and respect.

SCHULTE, Rudi

Rudolf (Rudi) Robert Schulte passed away on December 20, 2005 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Rudi put up a valiant fight which was in keeping with the kind of man he was, strong-minded, ambitious and determined. Born February 8, 1932 in Altenhundem/Sauerland, Germany, it was Rudi's desire from as early as he could remember to make America his home. In 1954 he realized his dream when the Mauritania passed below the Statue of Liberty and a twenty-two-year-old German man with his pregnant wife, Maria, and their year-and-a-half-old son, Henry, touched American soil for the first time.

Having achieved the distinction of being the youngest Master Watch Maker in Germany by the age of 21, Rudi utilized those skills and started his new life in Los Angeles working at watch repair for $40 a week. However, his ambitions, creativity and patience to work with tiny objects soon found him working on the prototype space suit pressure sensors used by Chuck Yeager in his pioneer supersonic flights. As it turned out, this was the perfect segue from which Rudi launched himself toward a future of new inventions and new companies. As destiny would have it, Mr. Ted Heyer, a nearby neighbor from his Pasadena home (which he purchased after only four years of living in the country), was working with a famous neurosurgeon, the late Dr. Robert Pudenz, on developing a shunt for hydrocephalus (excessive fluid on the brain). His watch making skills, his mind for inventing, and his gift to work with doctors initiated a flurry of products that are still widely used today, one of those being the first tri-leaflet heart valve designed in cooperation with the renowned heart surgeon, the late Dr. Charles Hufnagel of Georgetown University and his head nurse, Linda Kildea. The heart valve prototype is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

As Rudi's business career blossomed, in 1961 he chose Santa Barbara to take up permanent residence and it was here the Heyer-Schulte Medical Corporation was born. The company flourished; founded on Rudi's 1961 patent of the hydrocephalus shunt, Heyer-Schulte branched out into the first inflatable breast implant, silicone breast implants, eye lenses, shunts, and a myriad of other silicone implant devices. In 1974, Heyer-Schulte was sold to American Supply Corporation.

Though Rudi's mind never stopped working on inventing more medical products, he held an even deeper love for the land. In many respects it was where his heart truly rested. In 1966 he purchased 260 acres in the foothills of Goleta and immediately began planting avocado trees. The ranch later expanded to 880 acres. In 1975 he purchased 1,100 acres up the Santa Barbara coast and developed the Baron Ranch into avocados as well. Two years later, word came that the magnificent 2,800 acre Dos Pueblos Ranch was up for sale. It took one visit and Rudi knew it was meant to be. And in 1988 he purchased the 1,400 acre Rancho Dos Vistas which shared its entrance with the late president Ronald Reagan's ranch. Rudi would spend time on one or all of the ranches nearly every day and oversaw the daily operations. His love for the land and the planting of trees was a passion of which he never grew tired. Not entirely satisfied with growing just avocados, Rudi branched out into Christmas trees, macadamia nuts, cherimoyas, raising abalone and producing lavender oil, his much beloved fragrance. Being an unpretentious man, Rudi made it clear many times that he never considered himself an owner but merely a "caretaker of God's land."

Rudi loved life and also shared a passion for boating, traveling around the world to exotic places, sports, daily exercise and making a lot of his own food, including his special blend of teas and soups. He was very proud of the tomatoes he grew every year and he especially enjoyed long walks on the beach with his dog, Sheba, and he made it a point to never miss a sunset.

In the same year that he purchased Dos Pueblos Ranch, Rudi ventured into an entirely different business. He partnered up with another gentleman by the name of Bob Stern and acquired fifty percent of the Pines Resort at Bass Lake, California. He eventually bought Stern's fifty percent and expanded the resort to include 84 chalets and built a 20 suite lake front hotel complete with gourmet restaurant and full service marina.

Rudi went on to establish the Pudenz-Schulte Medical Company which still continues making and selling his products under the ownership of Medtronic, Inc. His legacy will continue on through the not-for-profits Rudi Schulte Research Institute and the Rudi Schulte Family Foundation which contributes financially to worthy causes.

In 1999, Rudi had been awarded the Prestigious Pioneer Award in Santa Barbara for creating hundreds of jobs and bringing the medical business into the community.

Rudi was a man of his word and everyone in the business world knew that when Rudi made a promise he would keep it and his handshake was more powerful than any written contract. His inventions continue to save many lives, his companies still provide food for many tables, and his warm smile and fervor for life will be sorely missed.

Rudi is survived by his wife Berta A. Schulte (Banales); his four children, Henry Schulte (Dundie), Paul Schulte (Shelley), Sylvia Molony (Mike), Peter Schulte (Hollie) and step-daughter Alicia M. Guglielmo (P.J.); his grandchildren, Amber Donati (Rich), Marya Schulte, Jessica Willbanks (Mathew), Taylor Schulte, Brittanny Molony, Spenser Schulte, Alec Schulte, Danielle Schulte, Maxton Schulte, Skyler Schulte, Isabella Molony, Tiana Molony and great grandchild Daxton Donati and his brother Heinz Schulte and sister Anita Thamm who live in Germany.

We know Rudi will be expressing his eternal gratitude to all of those who were there for him during his illness with a special debt of gratitude to Dr. Thomas Woliver, Dr. James Dunn, Dr. Robert Byers and especially all the caring staff at the Santa Barbara Cancer Center and members of the Hospice team with Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara, Visiting Care and Companions and his caregiver Nora Gomez.

Of one thing we're certain, Rudi's creativity will be put to timeless use offering God a helping hand.

There will be a visitation on Monday, December 26 from 8am to 5pm at Welch-Ryce-Haider, 15 East Sola Street. Funeral service is Tuesday, 11am at Calvary Cemetery, 199 North Hope Avenue.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be sent to the Hydrocephalus Association at 870 Market Street, suite 705, San Francisco, CA 94102.