Claremont Obituaries
Beloved stepmother, longtime Claremont Colleges employee Phyllis Jean Huss, 96, of Boise, Idaho, died peacefully on May 27. Phyllis was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Leland and Ruth (Clayton) Blythe on August 28, 1928. She married Robert Kehoe in 1951. That marriage ended in divorce. She married again, to Richard Huss, in 1978. “Phil,” as […]
Mother, minister, volunteer, accountant “With great sadness we announce the passing of the Rev. Miriam Mercado, who died of natural causes, peacefully, in her home on Easter Sunday, April 20, at the age of 101 years,” her family shared. She is pictured below her 101st birthday party. Miriam was born in Puerto Rico on July […]
Beloved grandmother, daycare business owner Sandy Deon Hoy, age 78, of Cerritos, California, died peacefully on May 4. Born on April 18, 1947, in Compton, California, to Zelma and Emerson Dolan, Sandy grew up with a deep love for family, learning, and laughter. She married Jack William Hoy and together they shared 25 years. She […]
Husband, father, grandfather, musician, craftsman Lief David Frederick died peacefully on April 25 at the age of 73. Born on August 16, 1951 in Pomona, Lief was the second of four children born to Dr. Paul and Emmy Frederick. In 1960, they settled in Claremont, where he would remain a lifelong resident. He carried a […]
Grandmother, minister, activist, dancer After a lifetime of service and self-expression, Penelope Dawn Clark Mann, United Church of Christ minister, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, died April 27 at the Pilgrim Place Health Center in Claremont. Penny was born March 6, 1942 in Clinton, Iowa. Raised in Columbus, Ohio, she attended University High School, […]
Mother, nurse, traveler Sally Kohnman died April 27. “For three days she was surrounded in the hospital by loved ones from all the various roles she had played in life: wife, mother, nurse, and world traveler,” her family shared. Sally was born in Bath, Pennsylvania on May 5, 1954 and lived a good portion for […]
Grandfather, 40 year Cal Poly Pomona biology professor, traveler Lenard R. Troncale, 81, of Claremont, died peacefully on April 24 surrounded by his family. He was born May 14, 1943 in Chicago, and raised in Southern California from a young age. He was in the first graduating class of Bishop Amat Memorial High School in […]
Great-grandfather, competitive skier, traveler, volunteer Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Lynn Joseph (Joe) Rhodes died April 21 in Claremont after a four-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 89 and resided in Claremont for 44 years with his wife, Marilyn Rhodes. A native Californian, he was born on November 21, 1935 in Alhambra to […]
Grandmother, longtime Cal Poly Pomona professor, poet Nancy Carolyn Ware, 82, died March 28 at Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, California. Born in Montana and raised primarily in Tucson, Arizona, Nancy eventually married fellow Claremont Colleges student James Ware, and together they made their home in Southern California. She was a passionate scholar, poet, naturalist, […]
Beloved grandmother, exuberant and devoted St. Louis sports fan “If this world has seemed a bit cheerless lately, one reason is that Bonnie Louise Ferrell departed it on the evening of March 26, 2025,” her family shared. “Known for her ready smile, her sense of humor and of style, and her endless delight in bragging […]
Louise Kestenbaum died peacefully in her home on April 26. She was with her beloved husband and daughters and surrounded by the love and care of her family and many friends. She lived with stage four cancer for the last three years of her life. She embraced every treatment possible to extend her life so […]
Grandfather, engineer, competitive swimmer, coach Surrounded by family, Stephen Scott Wilder died peacefully the morning of March 12. Steve was born in the neighborhood of Zenith, near Seattle, Washington, to Barbara and Leo Wilder. One of four boys, he grew up in Manhattan Beach and spent his teenage years living in Miami, Florida. […]
It is with profound sadness that we are announcing the passing of Kenny Brage. Kenny was born in Huntington Park, California to Oscar Kennth and Eva Lillie Brage. He died peacefully at his home in Lake Arrowhead surrounded by his family.
Larry L. Schiller: Veteran, volunteer, dog lover Larry L. Schiller died suddenly at home on March 9 after a long battle with cancer. Larry was born in Craig, Colorado on November 29, 1938. He was a resident of Claremont for 48 years, and was a letter carrier in Pomona for 30 years. Larry was a veteran, […]
Martha (Marty) Carson: Volunteer, adult educator, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother Martha J. Hall-Carson, a long-time Claremont resident, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2025 with family by her side; she was 98 years old. Marty was born in 1927 in Cambridge, Ohio, to Harold and Alma Hall, a school principal and homemaker. Although she was an only […]
Joanne Elizabeth (Schrier) McCandless: Mother, grandmother, cherished friend Joanne Elizabeth (Schrier) McCandless peacefully passed away on March 30, 2025, embraced by her children and granddaughter. She was born in Kalamazoo, MI, in 1928, to a physician father and a piano teacher-mother. Joanne intended a career in Christian education, but her college professors encouraged her to […]
Jean Ullrich Moore: mother grandmother, volunteer, administrator Jean Ullrich Moore died peacefully on January 24, 2025, at the age of 96. She was a mother, grandmother, volunteer, administrator, and longtime resident of Pilgrim Place in Claremont, CA. Her roots were in Waco, Texas, where she was born and lived her early life. During those years, […]