The Memorial Wall

Rafael "Ray" Vega, an entrepreneur and restaurateur passed away peacefully on January 9, 2021 at the age of 86.

Ray was born on August 27, 1934 to Rafael and Maria Vega. He migrated to the US from Tijuana with his parents as a toddler. His parents had dreams of owning a restaurant in LA and were able to bring that dream to fruition. Ray grew up on Olvera Street in downtown LA, around his parent's Mexican Restaurant, Café Caliente. He attended John Boroughs High School in Burbank and continued on to study Hospitality at San Francisco State University. He came back to LA at the age of 22 to find a way to support his parents who had recently been forced to close their restaurant. In 1956, with the promise of a few months free rent and while working a few other side jobs, Ray opened Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks on Ventura Blvd. Ray's father was the first bartender and his mother was welcoming guests while keeping an eye on the family recipes coming out of the kitchen. He was very active in local LA politics serving on the LA County Housing Authority and as Commissioner of Dept. of Public Social Service in the late 1960's-1970's. In 1976, Ray married Charleen, a beautiful woman whom he had met at Casa Vega.

As a young businessman, Ray was successful in obtaining government contracts for dining services all around California and Nevada. One of those contracts, Nellis Air Force Base, took Ray and Charleen to Las Vegas in 1978. Las Vegas opened lot of opportunities with Ray's love of work, his vision, creativity, drive and willingness to take risks. Ray started and owned numerous successful businesses in Las Vegas under VEGA Enterprise: VEGA Vending; VEGA Wholesale; VEGA Bar & Concessions; VEGA Foods; VEGA Marketing; VEGA Spirits; VEGA Dairy and many others, along with buildings, warehouses and other business ventures. Ray loved being a businessman and was a trailblazer within the Latino Community. In 1996, Ray was appointed Honorary Counsel General to Mexico for the State of Nevada. He sat on more hospital (Providence Hospitals) and bank boards than we can list.

After retiring from Las Vega, Ray was happy to move back to his hometown of Los Angeles, to spend his days near his first (and favorite) business, Casa Vega. He never missed a day of work. Ray took immense pride in teaching his daughter, Christina "Christy" Vega, how to navigate in business and keep his legacy alive. This year, Casa Vega Restaurant celebrates 65 years of business in Ray's honor.

Ray is survived by his wife, Charleen; his children Kelly, Robbie and Christina; and his grandchildren Anthony, Taylor, Emillee, Lizzy, Jackson, Rafael Palmer, Ryan' Jr., Cruz and Mia.

Services are pending.

William H. Kobin, a public television executive who led KCET in Los Angeles and spearheaded a diverse range of programs, died Jan. 8 at his home in Brentwood, Calif., due to health complications caused by Parkinson’s disease. He was 91.

Mike Henry, a former NFL linebacker and actor known for playing Tarzan in the 1960s, has died. He was 84.

Henry died Jan. 8 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after many years of dealing with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Parkinson’s disease brought on by the head injuries in the NFL and at the University of Southern California.

He traded football for acting and went on to star in the Tarzan films of the 1960s and worked alongside Burt Reynolds in the “Smokey and the Bandit” movies.

Henry grew up in East Los Angeles. In high school, former city council member John Ferraro saw him play football and facilitated his tryout for USC’s football team. After college, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, for which he played from 1958 to 1961. Wanting to try his luck with acting, Henry requested a transfer to play for the Los Angeles Rams.

In one of his final games as a Ram linebacker, a producer spotted Henry and asked him to test for the role of Tarzan. Between 1966 and 1968, he starred in three films based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ creation: “Tarzan and the Valley of Gold,” “Tarzan and the Great River” and “Tarzan and the Jungle Boy.”

But he was best known for his role in three “Smokey and the Bandit” action comedies from 1977, 1980 and 1983. He played Junior, the son of Jackie Gleason’s character. His other movie roles included 1974’s “The Longest Yard,” 1973’s “Soylent Green,” 1970’s “Rio Lobo” and 1968’s “The Green Berets.” TV roles included “General Hospital,” “Lou Grant,” “Rhoda,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “77 Sunset Strip.”

Henry worked behind the scenes in film and TV for the rest of his professional career until he retired in 1988 as a result of Parkinson’s disease.

“You could not find anyone who ever spoke ill of Mike. He was one of the loveliest men ever to grace this earth,” said Cheryl Henry, his wife of 36 years.

Mike Henry is also a survived by a daughter, Shannon Noble.

William F. Cahoone Jr. (Big Cahuna) 76, lost his battle with Parkinson’s on Thursday, January 7, 2021. He was born in Sacramento CA and grew up in Fair Oaks, CA surrounded by family and beauty. He graduated in 1967 from the University of Nevada, Reno in Business Administration. After a 2-year stint in the Army serving in Korea Bill went to work for Chevron Oil in the marketing department until he joined Atlas Powder in Salt Lake City as a Sales Representative. He then moved to Denver where he worked the Colorado and Utah mines and other powder using industries. He later worked for Behre Dolbear as Vice President of corporate development, then Atkinson Construction in business development until he retired.

Bill knew everyone in the mine and civil construction business especially underground.  As was said by everyone “you just have to like the guy.”  

Bill is survived by his wife Penny, daughters Kelli (Kal) her husband Michael, Sera, son Nathan and stepson Brian Tippett and is wife Shandi, sisters Kathleen Faircloth, JoAnne Claghorn, three grandchildren: Eliza Romero Cahoone, Braxton and Brodie Tippett.

Harry Fleming … Husband, Father and Parkinson’s Fight Club Leader, Dies age 74

Harry William Fleming passed away at home on January 6, 2021, with his high school sweetheart and loving wife Carol by his side.  Harry had heart failure, a result of an existing condition, compromised by Parkinson’s and COVID.

Harry was born on November 7, 1946, to Joseph G. Fleming and Mildred Miller Fleming.  An only child, he used to joke… as he was so perfect, there was no need for more siblings.

Homecoming services will be at 2 p.m. today at Galilee Baptist Church, Gadsden, for Mr. Harry William Fleming, who died recently. The Rev. G.W. Robinson Sr., pastor, and the Rev. Hugh Trammell, officiating. West Gadsden Funeral Home directing.

He was united in holy matrimony to Trucilla Beason, and to this union, three sons and one daughter were born. He was a very loving husband and a wonderful father. Harry and Trucilla held this union together for 45 years. He was preceded in death by his father, Charlie Lewis Fleming.

He leaves to cherish his memory, dedicated and loving wife, Trucilla Fleming, Gadsden; mother, Mrs. Thomasina Bessie Fleming; four sons, Calvin (Laura) Fleming, Kalvin (Jaccie) Fleming, Dewayne Fleming, Jermaine Hayes, Atlanta, Ga.; five daughters, Harriett Fleming, Lisa Mosley, Doretha Mosley, all of Gadsden, Consuelo and Chiquita Hayes, Atlanta, Ga.; 31 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; four brothers, Charles L. Fleming, William Fleming, Elbert Fleming and Gerome Wynn, all of Gadsden; three sisters-in-law, Ida (Joshua) Sawyer, Willie R. Beason and Cheryl (Charles) Coleman, all of Gadsden; a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives; special friends, Allen Oliver, Kenny Lackey and Mr. Sutton.  

Born and raised in Pasadena, CA, she was the eldest of four daughters of Norman Leffingwell Goss and Jean Armour Ericson.

After graduating from Westridge School, she devoted her life to music and food. She started a successful catering business, Heather's Affairs, and later opened two restaurants, The Gourmet Goose & The Heather. She was a president of the Orange County Philharmonic; served on the Corona Del Mar Baroque Music Festival's board for many years; and on the Newport Harbor Lutheran Church's council, where she also sang in the choir. In 1990 she joined the Vox Feminae singing group and toured with them in Europe.

Heather found joy in the great outdoors, hiking and biking the California Coast. Even when Parkinson's began to take its toll, she never lost her courage and faith.

We hear her voice, we see her smile, she is with us still.

Heather is survived by an extended family, including her sisters Shana, Devon and Briar, and many nieces and nephews. A full tribute is available from heathergossmemories@gmail.com.

Dan Lauck, the sincere, soft-spoken, and inquisitive journalist who perfected the art of a phrase, died early the morning of December 31, 2020. He was 72.

For almost two decades, Dan battled Parkinson’s disease, a disorder of the central nervous system.

In 2007, at age 58, the disease forced Lauck to retire early from KHOU when his symptoms made the tight television news deadlines too difficult to meet.

For years, though, Dan’s storytelling helped us put Houston in context. He was a thoughtful reporter who sought out unique characters and stories that many journalists missed.

Dan excelled as a wordsmith, the ability to craft a phrase in rich, vivid detail that put his audience in the heart of the story. Each word had weight in Dan’s dry but deliberate delivery on television. It was a warm, unforced style that helped him connect with viewers.

In an industry sometimes characterized by egos and showmanship, Lauck instinctively avoided both to earn the admiration of colleagues and the respect of competitors. 

 The Houston Chronicle described Lauck as “one of the best writers in the business.”

His peers thought so, too.

In 2001, Dan won the national Edward R. Murrow award for outstanding writing.  Over his television career, Lauck was also honored with three regional Murrow awards and six regional Emmy Awards. 

Dan married his wife, Meg, a director at ABC Sports, in 1983. He doted on her, his three daughters and loved to brag about his grandchildren.

After retiring, Dan and Meg lived in Sugar Land, Texas where he played golf for as long as his body would let him.

Sandra Helen Blum ("Sandy") passed away on December 31, 2020, of complications from Parkinson's disease and COVID-19, at the age of 80, leaving behind Bob, her husband of 58 years, her children Eric (Michelle) and Josh (Meg), her grandchildren, Brian, Sam, Kevin, Cece and Matt, and her younger brother, Martin Frankel. Canadian (Toronto), by birth, she entered the world on April 6, 1940. The daughter of Ted (Tuvya) and Goldie (Golda) Frankel, she quickly adapted to her new "hometown" of Los Angeles in 1952, establishing a lifelong love of the beach and the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Living right across the street and having graduated from L.A. High in 1958, Sandy received her Bachelor's degree from Cal State L.A. and then earned her teaching credential. While an undergraduate, she met Bob after the two were set up on a date by a mutual friend. Following a fourteen-month courtship, the two were married on July 1, 1962. From that point, Sandy traveled near and far with Bob right beside her, collecting memories and art from their adventures over 58 years of marriage.

She first worked as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, supporting her husband as he made his way through medical school, and later taught in Oceanside, California when Bob was stationed at Camp Pendleton during the Vietnam War. She put her career on hold to be a terrific mom to her two boys. Though a devoted spouse who willingly moved the family to Fresno for six years so Bob could build a cardiac catheterization lab at Fresno Community Hospital, Sandy also was an independent woman who ran the house and made her own important choices.

After returning to L.A. (Encino) in 1977 and raising her sons, she had the bat mitzvah she was denied as a young girl and re-entered her chosen profession, teaching third grade for 20 years at the VBS Harold M. Schulweis Day School, helping hundreds of students get good starts in life. Following her teaching career, she volunteered for years as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate to the foster care system and as a docent at the Skirball Cultural Center.

She (square) danced her way through life with her friends, always with a song in her heart and usually on her lips. She eagerly participated in local musical productions, including Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, and South Pacific at Valley Beth Shalom. Always known for having a bit of a sweet tooth, there was little that ailed her which couldn't be cured with a pint of Ben & Jerry's or a one-pound box of See's Nuts & Chews. With a predisposition for optimism and calm and a degree of stubbornness, to the very end, she pushed against the limitations brought on by Parkinson's which she battled against and lived with for more than fifteen years.

Thomas "Tom" Fintan Young succumbed to a 35-year battle with Parkinson's on New Year's Eve in 2020. Born September 16, 1938, in Torrance, California to Bayley Bunce Young and Thomas F. Young, Sr. The family moved back to New Milford, Connecticut to be with family. Tom spent his early years working on the farm, playing ice hockey, and spending summers on the Cape with his Grandmother and Aunt where he learned to sail. He joined the Marines after graduating from high school, completing pilot training before finishing his service at El Toro Marine Base in California. A consummate sportsman he spent every spare moment surfing in San Clemente and Laguna Beach and later Hawaii. He also enjoyed sailing in Newport Beach and winters skiing in Colorado and Utah, where he was on ski patrol. In 1960 he met a young blonde on the beach in Laguna. He and Sue were married in 1964. His yacht racing on several boats led to a career in the industry and success as an entrepreneur with Blinn & Young canvas products, once covering a majority of the boats in Newport Harbor. He and Sue enjoyed many trips to the East Coast, Bermuda, and Europe through his yacht racing. Eventually their children Cari and Colin arrived, and the spirit of adventure continued with camping and ski trips and fly-fishing trips in the mountains. He later renewed his passion for flying and flew his beloved Cessna 185 down to Baja to spend time with good friends at Rancho El Barril and into the Rockies to go skiing and fly-fishing. He competed in rowing with his good friend Bill and was a keen cyclist joining the group rides at Como Street and often disappearing for hours to train. Despite the onset of Parkinson's in his late 40's, he continued his passion for rowing with the former doubles partner Bill and the crew at the Newport Aquatics Center. He would also train early most mornings with good friend Ted Newland and the UCI water polo team. Later as Parkinson's reduced his ability to participate in sports, his focus shifted to working on cars and tuning up old Fords with hot rod engines. Throughout his life, he was a voracious reader, his shelves lined with books on adventure, travel, and history. Tom is survived by his loving family including Sue, Cari, Colin, Sasha, and grandchildren Cassius and Laike. We will miss you Dad and Grampy. You are forever in our hearts.

Jeanne Marie Rogel Glazer died on Dec 27, 2020 due to complications from COVID at age 75. Her spirit was vibrant and steadfast despite enduring Parkinson's and Dystonia for nearly 25 years. She was born in Cleveland, the youngest of three. She graduated from BGSU Ohio in 1965 with teaching degrees. She moved to LA and married Howard Glazer in 1968. Jeanne was a school teacher, and sign language interpreter with the National Center on Deafness and CSUN for 25 years. She epitomized strength of character, and raised her children to be respectful of people and the environment. She was a proud member of CODA and was honored to carry the 2002 Olympic torch.Jeanne is preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, and her husband. She will be missed forever by her children, her family and friends.