In Memoriam

2024

Sir Robert (Bob) Burley May 19, 1927 - July 16, 2024.

Bob Burley was born on May 19, 1927 in a farm house east of Lancaster, California with the aid of a midwife. A country doctor came by a day or two later to collect his $5 and fill out a birth certificate. Bob stayed in the Antelope Valley for the next eighteen years, attending a four room grade school with four very good teachers through eighth grade and then taking long bus rides to attend a high school that was eleven miles away and covered a 50 square mile radius.

The depression was in full swing and so there were no luxuries. But his family was far better off than those in other parts of the country and he and his siblings grew up as a happy lot. There are many games that can be played with little or no equipment.

Bob’s high school advisor predicted that he would fail but, instead, he graduated with honors and was accepted at Occidental College. However, his college career was immediately cut short by the draft. He was sent to Camp Roberts for infantry training and was about to set sail for fighting in Japan when the atomic bomb led to the Japanese surrender. Instead, he was sent to Korea as part of the occupation army.

After about a year in Korea, Bob was discharged and returned to Occidental College. He earned his bachelor’s degree there and then went on to dental school at the University of Southern California.

In 1954, Bob took his dental board exams and married Sally Reynolds. They moved to Walnut Creek where Bob opened a dental practice and he never left. When Bob and Sally arrived, they knew no one and so they joined everything to become part of the community. Somehow he ended up being a member of various boards and going through the chairs. This turned out to be rewarding in many ways.

Bob and Sally had three children, Brian, Steve, and Cheryl. They all live in the Bay Area and each has two children---four granddaughters and two grandsons.

Sir William (Bill) Hartman April 29, 1937 - June 25, 2024.

Bill Hartman was born in Sacramento in 1937 and was raised in Berkeley. He watched the town transition from a conservative community to the most liberal in the country.

Bill graduated from Berkeley High in 1955 and then entered Stanford, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1959. He then joined the Army, serving in both the infantry and in intelligence. During that tour, he supplemented the Secret Service at the Kennedy inaugural in 1960. After his discharge from the Army in 1962, he enrolled at Boalt Hall (now the University of California Law School) and earned a J.D. degree in 1964.

Bill began his legal career as a deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County in 1965. In 1968, he joined a law firm in San Francisco where he rose to partner. In 1985, he started his own law firm in Walnut Creek with several other attorneys and retired from the firm in 2002.

Bill lived in Walnut Creek. His wife Pat died in 2013 after 49 years of marriage. Bill has three children and seven grandchildren, all of whom live in the Bay Area.

Bill enjoyed world affairs, travel, sports, tennis, classical music, spending time with his grandchildren, cooking, and literature.

Sir Robert (Bob) White August 25, 1933 - May 28, 2024.

Bob White was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1933. His father worked for Western Electric doing power plant installations in the upper Midwest, which necessitated family moves every four to eight weeks or so. The family finally settled in St. Louis County, Missouri, where he and his younger sister were raised from kindergarten through high school.

After high school graduation in 1951, he joined the US Navy and did six months’ training in anti-submarine warfare. From there, he was assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Two at Ream Field on the Mexican border near San Ysidro, California. He left the service in 1956 as a sonarman first class.

Bob used the GI Bill to go to Park College in Parkville, Missouri, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in US history. He then received a Woodrow Wilson scholarship to attend Stanford University. After a year at Stanford, he received a fellowship to attend San Francisco Theological Seminary. In the summer after his first year at the seminary, he served at a church in the tiny town of Bickleton, Washington. That is where he and his young family became fully immersed in a much different kind of life---cattle ranching and wheat farming.

By far one of the most interesting experiences of his life occurred during his last year in the seminary in March 1965. He and other seminary students accepted a request from Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to come to Selma, Alabama to participate in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. They took a two day bus trip to Brown Memorial Chapel in Selma where they bedded down on and under the church pews. Among other assigned chores, they helped put up an enormous circus tent for the marchers to sleep in. They then got to march to Montgomery and hear the speeches. Sadly, a great day was ruined when he heard that one of the marchers had been shot to death along the highway between Selma and Montgomery.

After that bittersweet experience, its aftermath, and for other reasons, Bob began a 32 year career in September 1965 teaching, coaching, and counseling at Campolindo High School in Moraga. He also moved to Concord and has lived there ever since.

Sadly, Bob lost his wife Frances in 2016, leaving three children, seven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Sir Dominic 'Dee' Di Matteo September 2, 1921 - March 22, 2024.

Dominic “Dee” J. Di Matteo, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2024, with his family at his side at the age of 102. Dee was born on Sept. 2, 1921, in Wickliffe, Ohio, to Italian Immigrants Berardino and Lucia Di Matteo. Dee graduated from Wickliffe High School as Valedictorian and later was one of their first Hall of Fame inductees. After graduating, he briefly worked for the Ohio Rubber Co. before enlisting in the US Navy in 1940 at the age of 18. He spent 3years as an aviation mechanic and tail-gunner at NAS Miami before being selected for the Navy’s V-5 Pilot Training Program. He earned his “Wings of Gold” in 1945. He loved flying and was recognized early on as an exceptional pilot.

Dee was transferred to study at Stanford University and continued to fly out of NAS Moffitt Field. Called back to flying fulltime for the Korean War, he completed several carrier deployments and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and multiple Air Medals. He served during 3 wars (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam) and flew over 50 Navy fixed & rotary wing aircraft, mostly fighters then on to the early carrier jets. He was beyond proud as his two sons followed him as Naval Aviators. He retired as Commanding Officer of the 12th Naval Recruiting District in San Francisco in 1971 completing 30 plus years of a distinguished Naval career.

While attending Stanford, at the Newman Club, Dee met the love of his life, Florie. They were married until Florie’s passing in 2018, after 66 amazing years together.

He worked at BART for 14 years. A very full life continued with Church, 3 Bridge Groups and cards, many classes, woodworking, gardening, house renovations, sports (bocci, Walnut Creekers Baseball, gym), SIRS, and lots of travel with family and decades long friends.

Sir Ron Sparacino May 21, 1943 - March 7, 2024.

Sir Denny O'Loughlin November 25, 1925 - February 8, 2024.

2023

Sir Chuck Denney March 19,1938 - December 21, 2023.

Chuck Denney was born in Everett, Washington in 1938 and was raised there. He graduated from Everett High School in 1954 and enrolled at the University of Washington. He then received an appointment to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis and graduated from there in 1961. From 1961 to 1968, he served in the US Navy on submarine duty. He left the Navy as a lieutenant commander.

Chuck’s civilian career included working for Fibreboard Corporation and C&H Sugar Company prior to becoming a residential real estate broker at Century 21, Remax, and Better Homes real estate companies. During that period, he received an MBA from Golden Gate University in 1975.

Chuck retired in 2010. He and his wife Mary have lived in Walnut Creek since 1969. They have a son, two daughters, and four grandchildren. His interests included golf, yardwork, poker, and SIR social activities.

Sir Bill Weinberg October 26, 1935 - August 24, 2023.

Bill Weinberg was born in Van Nuys, California on October 26, 1935. He graduated from Huntington Park High School and then attended California Polytechnical Institute for two years, majoring in animal husbandry.

Bill then joined the Naval Air Corps and was stationed at North Island in Coronado, California. He spent two years in the Navy and was discharged with the rate of personnelman (records) PNA second class.

After discharge from the Navy, Bill embarked on a 23 year career in management at J.C. Penney. He began in the Compton store in 1957. In 1960, he was transferred to the new Westgate Mall store in San Jose as merchandise manager. In 1970, he transferred to the Eastmont Mall store in Oakland as operations manager. That transfer caused Bill to move his family to Walnut Creek.

In 1975, Bill was transferred to the Sun Valley Mall store in Concord as general manager. He left J.C. Penney in 1980 to start his own business as a manufacturer's representative in gift lines. He operated this business until 1998, when he retired.

Bill was a widower and had a son and daughter. He enjoyed golf, pool, and target shooting and reloading his own ammunition.

Sir Dick Richmond December 2, 1940 - July 11, 2023.

Dick Richmond was born in Yakima, Washington in 1940 and was raised in eastern Washington and western Oregon.

Dick worked for Boeing Aircraft from 1961 to 1965. He was a member of the US Army from 1965 to 1967 and spent the last two years of his tour in Viet Nam. He was discharged as an E5.

After his discharge from the Army, Dick joined AT&T and worked there until his retirement in 1995.

Dick and his wife Judy moved to Walnut Creek in 1984.

Dick enjoyed golf and German Shepherd rescue and was a volunteer for Sentinels of Freedom.

Sir Joe Nelms September 29, 1939 - April 30, 2023.

Sir Edward (Ed) Hewitson November 19, 1937 - January 2023.

Ed Hewitson was born in Los Banos in 1937 and grew up in Martinez. He graduated from Alhambra High School in Martinez and then earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Oregon. Later, he received a master of arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Ed also spent eight years in the US Naval Reserve.

Ed began his working career as a teacher at Santa Maria High School in 1960. At the same time, he ran the German program at Vandenberg Air Force Base, which was offered through Hancock College in Santa Maria This was during the Cold War when American military personnel and their families were being sent to Germany.

In 1963, Ed joined the faculty at Campolindo High School. Ed mostly taught English at Campolindo, but he also taught French and German, where he put his 40 years of European travel with his wife to good use. He retired from Campolindo in 1999.

Ed was a widower and lived in Alamo. He had three grandchildren. His son Matt is a principal at a high school in San Jose. Ed had given up skiing, but he still likes to travel abroad and he enjoyed gardening, cooking, reading, music, pinochle, wine tasting, visiting museums, walking tours, and the theatre. He was a regular attendee at the Lesher Theatre, ACT, the Berkeley Rep, the Commonwealth Club, and the San Francisco Symphony.

Sir William (Bill) Hansen December 8, 1927 - January 15,2023.

William "Bill" R Hansen was born December 3, 1927, to Myron and Gladys Hansen. He grew up in Berkley California where he attended Berkley High. After graduation, Bill volunteered for Military Service. He spent most of his enlistment in Alaska.

Following his service, he enrolled at San Francisco Community College where he met his future wife, Helen (Sandy) McKay. Bill transferred to SFSU where he played basketball and was the Activities Director for the college. During this time in SF, he also worked at the Golden Gate Theater. Bill and Sandy were married in 1951 and soon after accepted teaching jobs in Whittier, CA. They returned to the Bay Area in 1955.

Bill began his long tenure in the Mount Diablo School District as a History teacher at Pacifica High School, then Clayton Valley High School. He transferred to Ygnacio Valley High School in 1963 to become a vice principal. In 1966 Bill was offered his first principalship at Pleasant Hill High School where he remained until the district opened Northgate High School in 1973.

Northgate would prove to be the crowning achievement of Bill's long and storied career as an educator. He loved both the staff and students and attended every event put on by the student body. After retiring in 1988, he took an assignment at Chatman College working with student teachers.

He also remained active in the community by volunteering at Shadelands Museum, Walnut Creek Sister Cities, the Retired Teachers Assn. and local SIR group. He peacefully passed away on January 15, 2024.

He is survived by his son, Lon Hansen and wife Carla, his daughter, Jill Beechinor and husband Bill, his adopted daughter Christi and her husband Steve, 7 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

A celebration of his life will be held on April 15th at Shadelands Museum in Walnut Creek from 1-3pm.

Sir Max Burchett July 16, 1937 - January 4, 2023.

Max Burchett was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1937. His family moved to Berkeley in 1940 and, when Max was in third grade in 1946, the family moved to Modesto, where Max spent the rest of his childhood.

Max graduated from Modesto High School in 1955 and then entered UC Berkeley. He earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and a master of science in civil /sanitary engineering from Berkeley.

After receiving his bachelors' degree, he served in the United States Public Health Service, achieving the rank of lieutenant. He was a sanitary engineer officer in the water and air pollution programs. Those functions are now under the umbrella of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In 1964, he joined Metcalf and Eddy Consulting Engineers in Palo Alto. He moved to Walnut Creek when he joined Yoder Trotter and Associates (later Trotter Yoder and Associates) in 1967. He remained employed with that firm through 1977, when he joined Brown and Caldwell, consulting engineers, also in Walnut Creek.

During his tour with Brown and Caldwell, Max was sent to Madrid, Spain in order to work on a large wastewater treatment plant project. The project was to take two years and so Max was allowed to bring his family with him and the time in Spain proved to be the highlight of his family's life. They loved Spain and especially Madrid. And though Max and his Spanish team members worked very hard in the engineering office, he learned that "manana lives". His Spanish co-workers reminded him that "you Americans live to work, but we Spaniards work to live". Max soon learned that nobody can party better than the Spanish.

Max left Brown and Caldwell in 1983 to form his own consulting engineering firm. In 1985, he joined with one of his classmates at Cal to form Whitley Burchett and Associates. Max retired in 2003.

Max and his wife Nancy lived in Walnut Creek. His son Jonathan is a social studies teacher at Northgate High School. His daughter, Christina Petersen, is an elementary teacher in Winters, California, and also co-owns Main Street Cellars in Winters, which is a "Cheers" kind of place.

Max enjoyed playing golf and traveling. He was also an A's fan and regularly went to spring training in Phoenix. In Branch 146, he was a member of the Retired Old Men Eating Out group, was active in couples golf, and was co-leader of the Macintosh Users Group.