The Memorial Wall

Rancho Mirage - Whitehouse, Harry Kenneth April 25, 1948 - May 10, 2020 Ken Whitehouse of Rancho Mirage, CA passed away after 72 years of love and laughter. Ken is lovingly remembered by Candy (Christina and Sunshine) and his brother Paul (johnny) of Vancouver BC. He is predeceased by his parents Stuart and Mary Whitehouse and will be interred at the family plot at Mountain View cemetery. Ken was born in Vancouver and moved to the Coachella Valley in 1979 to operate Canyon Furniture and later Custom Renovations. He was a hardworking and a funny guy. He chose to keep in touch with family and friends with his regular phone calls. Ken was also generous and kind. He kept moving, laughing and making us happy despite his failing health. Ken passed away at home peacefully after a stubborn fight with Parkinson's disease.

Samuel Selfman, 76, who had a long career in the food industry, died April 12, 1987, at Santa Barbara Convalescent Hospital after a seven-year struggle with Parkinson’s Disease and the effects of two strokes.

Born April 22, 1910, in the Ukraine, he emigrated with his parents and older brother to New York via Rumania in 1922. He began his career as a waiter, then chef, in the Catskills in New York. After a short stint as an airplane machinist at Curtiss-Wright in Columbus, Ohio, during World War II, he became the proprietor of a grocery store in Mansfield, Ohio, installing a deli counter to make “Big Mike’s” the town’s first delicatessen. He was an active member of B’nai Jacob Congregation in Mansfield. His family always said, “More people knew Daddy than knew the mayor.” 

He moved his family (wife, Zena, and two daughters) to Los Angeles in 1960 and became the owner/chef of Jordan’s Bar-B-Q in Santa Monica. Many of his customers were well-known entertainers and crews from foreign airlines who stayed at the Miramar Hotel (now Fairmont Miramar). Jordan’s and the Selfmans were written up frequently in the local papers; one called it the “Little U.N.” for the variety of its clientele. Later he became dietary supervisor for a chain of convalescent and acute care hospitals in the Los Angeles area, supervising not only a kosher kitchen but also learning to communicate with a staff who spoke several different languages. 

Mr. Selfman was also a vocational training teacher, for which he received numerous awards. He was a member of the local Parkinson’s associations in both Los Angeles (pre-PRO) and Santa Barbara. 

Mike was also an accomplished painter and sculptor who created ice statues and prepared culinary artworks for his many catered affairs from 1945-64.

He studied oil painting with the Impressionistic painter Samuel Markitante; his paintings were exhibited in both Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

He was tall, handsome, quiet, moral, and unfailingly kind. He and his wife (also from Ukraine; they met in New York) were immensely grateful to live in America and passed that love of country on to their children. 

He is currently survived by his daughters, Flo Selfman of Los Angeles and Julia A. Stephen of Santa Barbara, son-in-law, two grandsons and a granddaughter, all of whom he knew, and four great-grandchildren, who came along well after his passing.

Natalie Brenot, age 82, passed away on Friday, June 19, 2020 at Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek. Natalie was born on February 27, 1938 in Shirley, MA to parents Arthur Gendron and Anita (DePontdriand) Gendron. Natalie moved to Ohio in 1957, spending the next years raising her family in West Toledo. Mom was a devoted Catholic and it was her strong faith and huge heart that characterized her life. She loved going to mass, being a lector, volunteering at fish frys and other activities. She also spent countless hours working with the ladies auxiliary at VFW 606 on public service projects. Most of all Natalie lived for her family. She was a loving sister and mother who took great joy in being a wonderful grandma to her four grandchildren. A visit to grandma's home usually turned into a sleepover and the kids only complaint was having to go home. In her later years she developed a special bond with her granddaughter Erin, who provided unending love and companionship for her grandma.

Natalie was preceded in death by her parents; and her grandson, Kevin. She is survived by her sisters, Iris Aube and Rollie (Art) Cournoyer; sons, Mike (Mary Ellen) Luffy, Howard (Karen) Luffy; grandchildren, Brad (Abigail) Luffy, Erin (Chris) Livingston, Eric (Julie) Luffy; along with eight great grandkids. She also leaves behind many cherished friends, including Myrna, Judy and Joanne.

Lois Ann Pierce, 60, of Framingham, passed away on Sunday, December 31, 2017 after a long battle with Multiple Systems Atrophy. Lois was the
beloved wife of Scott Face, cherished daughter of the late Frank Pierce and Jean Ciardelli, and best friend and loving sister of Linda DeFruscio-Robinson and her husband Greg Robinson.

Lois was a greatly skilled hair stylist and proprietor of Shears Hair Salon in Framingham, MA. Her clients, friends, and relatives, cherished her for
her kindness, graciousness, and keen wit. Lois enjoyed photography, traveling, good food, and her pets, two birds and cat.
Her family would like to thank all of Lois’ dedicated healthcare team. A special appreciation is also extended to Lois’ special friends for their loving care. They also would like to acknowledge her husband Scott’s unyielding and unconditional love and devotion over the past several years. Lois’ spirit will surely be missed. She was one of our greatest treasures.

On Sunday July 19th our community lost one of its finest citizens. Samuel Reynolds Parke III passed away peacefully due to complications from Parkinsons disease. He was the son of Samuel Reynolds Parke and Elizabeth Lauck and a brother to Ned, and sisters Kay, Pollyanne, and Elizabeth. In his early years, he attended Lawrenceville School where he excelled in Varsity football, basketball and baseball and earned the nickname, ""Herky"" for his Herculean talents on the sports fields. But it was his intellect that allowed him to attend Princeton University where he graduated in 1953. Next for Reyn was the US Navy where he spent three years aboard the USS destroyer Manuel as a lieutenant. It was during that time that his desire and passion for travel took hold. Upon being discharged, he spent the summer traveling throughout Europe on a motor scooter before heading back to the states to attend Wharton School of Business, graduating in 1958. He had sales jobs at high profile advertising firms like McCann Erickson, Doyle, Dane, Bernbach, and ABC television which led to a position of Vice President of Specials at the network. The fast paced New York lifestyle fulfilled him until 1970 when he moved to Los Angeles to work as an agent with Creative Management Associates.

While living at the Marina City Club where he was an avid tennis player, he met the love of his life, Patty. They married and relocated to Manhattan Beach where they raised their daughter Shannon. In the mid 1970's, Reyn re-invented himself at Shorewood Realtors where he became one of the top performing and well respected agents in the South Bay. For close to 40 years, Reyn was a giant in the industry and a tireless advocate for community causes. He was respected and looked up to by so many for his legendary work ethic, professionalism, integrity, and unconditional selflessness. He was a competitor and a mentor, an adversary and advisor, a trend setter and a traditionalist, but most of all, Reyn was a friend.

Patty and Reyn continued their travels throughout the world, and eventually split time between Manhattan Beach and La Quinta. Reyn loved fine wines, classical music, reading, collecting history books, the Lakers, walking on the Strand, excellent dinners and conversations with friends, successfully closed escrows, and continually mastering the art of learning.
Reyn is survived by those he loved the most, his wife Patty, his daughter Shannon Shelton, his son-in-law Jeremy Shelton, his grandchildren Parker and Kendall, his brother-in-law Peter Smith and his wife Patti and his many nieces and nephews. His radiant smile will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all who knew him.