Memorial Wall

Julie Stevens. Charming and talented British television presenter known for captivating young audiences of the golden age in children's programming, has died at the age of 87.

Born on December 20, 1936, in Prestwich, Lancashire, Julie’s career began when she won a talent contest aged 20, which led to a contract with the new ABC Television channel.

She became the face of the Christian Youth programme Sunday Break, and learnt to act on the job in repertory theatre. In 1962 she was cast as nightclub singer Venus Smith, opposite Patrick Macnee in The Avengers, and in 1964 she played Gloria in Carry On Cleo.

But it was in children’s television where she really left her mark.Heavily pregnant in 1964 she auditioned for a newly commissioned programme, Playschool, and made her debut on the show two weeks after giving birth to her first child, Daniel.

Her warmth, creativity, and innate ability to connect with children quickly made her known and loved in homes across the UK.

Alongside her played many co-hosts - Rick Jones, Brian Cant, Jonny Ball, and Toni Arthur, to name but a few, not to forget the much loved toys Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima, Humpty and Hamble, Julie guided young viewers through songs, stories, and activities, earning a special place in the hearts of a generation.

In 1974 she divorced from her husband Actor John White and juggled life as a single parent, to Daniel and Rachel, with her career on screen, which now included the sitcom Girls About Town and Playaway, a Saturday show for slightly older children, where her comic timing and playful style really flourished. In 1980 she married actor and theatre director Michael Hucks, and (with her time in Playschool coming to an end) spent much of the 1980s working as Sir Harry Secombe’s personal assistant and then manager.In 1992 Julie and Michael bought a house in Provence and she split her time between there and London, whilst still performing - with Panto performances and a role in Holby City.In 2001 she divorced from Michael and in 2016 moved back to the UK permanently to be near her daughter.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 the last few years were difficult for Julie, but she faced it as she did all challenges, with good humour and great charm.

She leaves behind her two children, four grandchildren, three great grandchildren.Julie Stevens will be remembered for her joyful spirit, her ability to make every child feel seen, and her lasting legacy in the world of children’s television.
 

Teresa “Terrie” Marie Heemsbergen, a beloved mother, grandmother and sister, passed away peacefully at home in Seabrook, Texas surrounded by her family on December 3, 2024, at the age of 78. Terrie was born on May 12, 1946, in Peoria, Illinois to Joseph Anthony Rudzianski and Gladys Irene Joelson.

Terrie was a practicing nurse for 44 years. She got her nursing degree from St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Rochester, MN in 1967, her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in 1981, and her Master’s in Health Administration/Health Education from Southwest Texas State University in 1990. She took various classes towards her Master’s in Nursing and Doctorate in Educational Technology until 2006 when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and Parkinson’s Disease.

Her passion for teaching was evident in her 20-year career as a Nursing Instructor at McLennan Community College and Temple College, where she touched the lives of countless students with her kindness, knowledge and humor. She was also actively involved with the TPAPN Association for over 15 years and a dedicated volunteer with the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation until her death.

She is survived by her sister, Cathy Marketis of Orlando, FL, her daughter Laura and husband John Dollar, son Eric and Melissa Beam, 6 grandchildren Katlyn Reed and her husband Wyatt Reed, Amber Gajevsky, Joseph Gajevsky, Jackson Dollar, Chloe Harris and Ireland Sebetka. Terrie also met and married Ronald Nelson in Temple, Texas and they remained married until 2023.

Terrie was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Gladys Rudzianski, her brother, Robert Rudzianski and husband, William “Bill” Heemsbergen.

Terrie was a devoted mother, grandmother and sister. She courageously fought Parkinson’s Disease for over 18 years, always finding joy in family gatherings and the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren.

 Isabel née Shapiro was born in Los Angeles on May 30,1937 and attended Los Angeles High School. Isabel met Hugo, her husband, at a Wilshire Blvd Temple dance in high school. They were married July 25, 1958 and spent nearly 70 years together, building a beautiful life and family. Isabel was a beautiful, kind, funny and gentle soul. She was a wonderful friend, but her greatest joy and pleasure was her role as a mother and grandmother. She ran their home with love, filling it with delicious food and a large crowd as it was always "the more the merrier". Multiple generations of their community felt at home and were always welcomed in the de Castro house, affectionately known as "La Quinta Isabel". Every Sunday was family day followed by a regular weekly routine of expert mahjong and scrabble with friends. Isabel loved the LA Philharmonic, sailing and traveling around the world with her closest friends. However, her greatest pride and joy was her large loving family. 
After a 15-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Isabel passed away on September 17, 2022. Her unwavering strength and courage was remarkable. Isabel died peacefully at home surrounded by her loving husband of 64 years, Hugo, and all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Ending a few weeks of grave illness, Mariko, GrandMa Buku as she was known in the family, early Monday morning slipped quietly into the peace of the hereafter. Mariko was born on Kita Daito, a small island pair well east of Okinawa, to Yushu and Natsu Shimabukuro, who also gave Mariko six brothers and a sister. As a young girl of 8 Mariko saw the terrible battle for Okinawa. At age 18 she married and immigrated to California where she bore four children who have grown to successful and respected adults. They in turn blessed the family with ten grand children, to be followed by sixteen great-grandchildren.
Mariko's interest in electronics led to her employment with aerospace companies where she, as a vacuum tube specialist, was able to make significant contributions to missile and space navigation technologies. Mariko spent the later third of her life in Wilmington and in retirement watched her family grow, enjoyed annual family camping trips and winning an occasional jackpot in a casino. The hole GrandMa Buku's passing leaves in our hearts is readily filled by the many wonderful memories she leaves with us.

Hal Levin, a pioneer and leader in the field of indoor air quality and building ecology, died in Laveno, Italy on February 21, 2023.
Hal was born in Portland, Oregon on October 6, 1941, the son of Mollie Schnitzer Levin and Bernard Levin. After his father returned from World War II, the family moved to Beverly Hills, California. Hal's lifelong love of baseball began there, as he played from Little League through high school. He attended Cornell University before transferring to the University of California at Berkeley, pitching on both baseball teams. He continued to pitch throughout his life and pitched in senior leagues until he was seventy-seven years old.
Hal was a volunteer architect in the Peace Corps in Colombia from 1966-1968. After returning from the Peace Corps, he graduated from Cal with degrees in architecture and English. For the next several years, he worked at the Organization for Social and Technological Innovation and Building Systems Development, working on affordable and sustainable housing. Hal moved to Boulder Creek, California in 1973 and built houses. He was a Research Specialist at the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley where he taught budding architects about the need to understand the realities of constructing the things that they designed. In 1972, he founded the Building Ecology Research Group.
In 1977, then Governor Jerry Brown appointed Hal as a public member of the California State Board of Architectural Examiners, a position he held until 1985, and was President of the Board in 1983 and 1984. As a member of the Board, he held hearings on "sick building syndrome". These hearings ignited his interest in indoor air quality and the ecology of buildings. He was early to recognize the need for and value of examining the toxicity of building materials and systems used in their construction and operation. His work focused on the integration of knowledge about indoor and outdoor air pollution as well as other risk factors into the design, construction, and operation of residential and commercial buildings and communities.
Hal was the President of the Indoor Air Institute and a Principal in Building Ecology Research Group. He was a prolific author on the subject of indoor air quality. He was engaged by many institutions as a lecturer, research scientist, architect, and consultant throughout the world. These included Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, UC Davis, the University of California, the State of California, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He lectured extensively all over the world and taught at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and Harvard University. Hal was a member of many organizations, including the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) which gave him its distinguished service award, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), which gave him its Award of Merit, and the International Society of Indoor Air Sciences. Hal was the President of Indoor Air 2002, organizing the Ninth International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, held in Monterey, California in 2002. In 2018, at the Fifteenth International Conference, Hal was given the Lifetime Service Award for his exceptional contributions to indoor air sciences.
Hal's influence in the field was profound. He recognized the gaps in his knowledge of an evolving field, the result of which was the extent to which he pressed himself and others to stretch their own efforts to make buildings increasingly healthy and sustainable. Among his strengths was an ability to help his students and colleagues find both voice and encouragement where it had been absent. As one colleague said, "He made me a better person." Similar reflections like "a better researcher;" "a better professional" "a better carpenter" are a few of the expressions from his many friends and colleagues.
Having developed an interest in South American music while in the Peace Corps, Hal hosted a show on Santa Cruz public radio station KUSP for eighteen years. Hal was a vegetarian for fifty years and enjoyed organic gardening.
In 2003, Hal met the love of his life, Mariachiara Tallacchini-a law professor and ethicist-- in Milan, Italy. They were married in 2004 and shared a bicontinental marriage for the next fifteen years. In 2019, he concluded that it was time to retire and, with their dog, Aki, move to Reno di Leggiuno, Italy, by Lake Maggiore so that he could be with Mariachiara full time. Sadly, Hal was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in April 2020, and his health declined rapidly.
In addition to his wife, Hal is survived by his sisters, Ellen Jacobs (Martin) and Nancy Levin (Daniel Caraco); his nephews Joel Jacobs (Denise Wolf) and Joshua Caraco; his niece Margie Jacobs (Andrew Seplow); great-nieces and cousins; and Aki. Hal's parents and his nephew Benjamin Caraco predeceased him.