The Memorial Wall

North County resident Gene Shefrin, an entertainment industry publicist who represented such stars as Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis, has died at age 90.

Shefrin’s son, Paul, said his father died April 6 in Encinitas after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

During his career, Shefrin represented the likes of Guy Lombardo, Frankie Laine, Vic Damone, Perry Como, Sam Cooke, author Irving Wallace, Don Rickles, Don Adams, Richard Pryor, Jackie Mason, Peter Falk, James Caan, Monty Hall, Peggy Lee, Kate Smith, Connie Francis, Sarah Vaughan, Freda Payne and Dick Clark.

Gene Shefrin was born in New York City in 1921, graduated from City College of New York, and during World War II served in an Army Air Force bomber group.

He began his career in New York in 1945 and started his own company in Los Angeles in the 1960s. He retired in 1987.

Born Feb. 10, 1921 in New York City, Shefrin attended Townsend Harris High School and then City College of New York from which he graduated in 1942 with a bachelor of social sciences degree. He then joined the U.S. Army Air Force and was initially stationed at Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas, and was assigned as a reporter on the base newspaper, the Randolph Rookie, according to information provided by his family.

While there, he married Sophie Schwimmer on Jan. 9, 1943. During World War II, he served in the 96th Bomber Group in England and was awarded two battle stars. He was honorably discharged in 1945.

Later that year, he started his career in public relations at Fred Stengel Associates in New York as an apprentice publicist and, the following year, he joined David O. Alber Associates. In 1963 he left the Alber company and soon thereafter moved to Los Angeles, founding Gene Shefrin Associates, which was re-named The Shefrin Company in 1976 when his son, Paul, joined the firm.

Shefrin retired to North County, primarily Carlsbad, where he lived until his death.

He was a longtime member of both The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Publicists Guild.

Shefrin was well-known for his sense of humor, which he maintained until his final days, his family said.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Sophie; his son, Paul, along time publicist; and his two grandchildren, Jordan and Michael.

Lester E. McCoun Lester E. McCoun, 75, of Ambler, a retired technology sales specialist and financial planner, died on Saturday, January 29, 2011 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Mr. McCoun was raised in Omaha, Nebraska and then went on for an undergraduate degree at Elmhurst College, and a Masters in Business from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a commissioned officer in the Army’s Medical Corps before beginning a career with IBM in Charlotte in the early 1960’s. He stayed in the field of technology sales for the next 28 years and then opened his own financial planning business before retiring in 2002. A lifelong Mason and long-time member of Jarrettown United Methodist Church, he could often be found working in the yard or building furniture in his shop, both avocations in which he delighted. Numerous family vacations to the Outer Banks and decades long friendships with the “Connecticut Crowd” and area friends were another source of great joy. But his deepest satisfaction came from investing in his own family and seeing his grandchildren (Rachael, Christine, Josh, Sara, Alison, Brian, and Chris) be born and blossom. He fought with courage and dignity against Parkinson’s Disease for the last 23 years of his life with the loving support of his family and a team of dedicated caregivers. He was the son of the late Geneva F. and Leonard P. McCoun and is survived by his wife, Sue B. McCoun; three children, Holly M. Foster, David E. McCoun and Robert B. McCoun; seven grandchildren; and a sister, Elizabeth M. Smith. 

Francis "Frank" Jaskulski, 81, of Lakeview entered into rest on December 16, 2010. He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Carol Jaskulski. Also surviving are their five children, Wanda and Wesley Harris, Frank and Brenda Jaskulski, Carla and Loren Whitney, Diane Jaskulski, and Robert Jaskulski; five grandchildren, Gregory, Geoffrey, and Rebekah Harris, Michael Whitney, and Denise Snow; a great granddaughter, Laura Snow; a sister, Irene Welch; brothers-in-law Harry, Lewis, Thomas, and Jack Cramer; and numerous nieces and nephews. Frank was a veteran of the Korean War, serving with the US Army. He retired from Canron Construction, Conklin, NY in 1995. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, football, amusement parks, and loved his family.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, December 18, 2010 at the Tuttle-Yeisley Funeral Home, Hallstead, PA. Spring interment with military honors will be in Lakeview Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m. on Friday. 

Dr. S. Jerome Tamkin died peacefully at his home in Pacific Palisades on November 29, 2010, of complications from Parkinson's disease.

He was born in Los Angeles on April 19, 1926 to Thelma and William Tamkin.

He was exceptional as a young student, and was particularly interested in science and engineering. He was involved in the invention of an electronic device to detect dangerous gas, preventing explosions on naval vessels. He was one of our military's youngest commissioned officers, working at the Naval Research Laboratories in Washington, DC at the age of 18 during World War II. He attended and taught at University of Southern California and University of California at Los Angeles and ultimately achieved a PhD studying and researching mechanical and chemical engineering. 

Entering the industrial sector with his extensive educational qualifications, Dr. Tamkin enjoyed a diverse career path as he performed engineering and management work for firms such as U.S. Rubber, Wilco and Waste King. 

Dr. Tamkin was a founding director of American Medical International. With his father, he founded TGT Petroleum in Kansas, where he has continuously served as its chairman.

He became a prolific, successful investor, particularly in real estate and petroleum.

In the post war era Dr. Tamkin he served as a Civil Defense coordinator responsible for administering over 1,000 other volunteers. He later held a position on the Board of Directors of the Crime Prevention Advisory Council for the Los Angeles Police Department and was one of the founders of the successful "DARE" program targeting youth drug abuse. 

Dr. Tamkin became an extremely active philanthropist. An Eagle Scout, he partnered with his wife, Judith, in supporting Boy Scouts of America and related programs. Dr. Tamkin and his father formed the Tamkin Foundation, where he served as its chairman. Some of his abundant generosity was directed to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Cedars Sinai, UCI medical school, UCLA medical school and hospital (where he served as a board member), Betty Ford Center, countless Jewish and secular educational and outreach institutions, and hundreds of individual charities.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Judith, his brother Jack, sons Steven Tamkin and Dr. Gary Tamkin, daughters Sherry Catlett and Windy Litvak, grandsons Evan Harmon, Andrew Litvak and William Tamkin, granddaughters Erin Campbell , Lina Litvak, Emily Tamkin and Megan Tamkin, great granddaughter Jenna Campbell, Nephew Douglas Tamkin, and cousins Robert Rich, Kenneth Rich, Errol Kader, and Donald Kader.

Darlene Mary Kirshner is finally at peace after a long and difficult illness causing severe dementia. Darlene passed away on October 26, 2010. Darlene enjoyed entertaining her friends, singing, music, and attending and participating in theatrical events. She will be remembered by dear friends for embracing them in her gracious and loving manner. How lucky are the angels to have her join their choir. She is survived by her husband, Mervyn, sons Shaun and Shea, grandchildren Nicole, Geneva, Kyle, and Giles, and sister Dorothy Van Zeyl.

Our family is grateful for all the care, love, and comfort are given to Darlene by Rebecca Wilson, her caregivers at Helena House in Tustin, and Hospice of California. Donations may be made in her memory to Parkinson's Resource Organization, 74-785 Highway 111, #208, Palm Desert, CA 92210. Services Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 pm in the Mount Sinai Chapel, Mount Sinai Memorial Parks & Mortuaries, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles (Hollywood Hills) 1-800-600-0076.

Rosita Fern McDonald was born in Monterey County in California to the county librarian (mother) and a free-spirited musician (dad). She took elements of both to become an incredibly gifted and uber-organized wife, mother and artist. 

During WWII, Rosita married a local Navy dreamboat, Gene Montgomery. After the war, they designed and built their first home in Pasadena, CA - and had their daughter, Paula. They soon moved to Newport Beach, CA the place Rosita loved more than any other on earth. Parkinson's took her life - but not her spirit - at the age of 91.

"My mother seemed to be a bit of a daunting figure when I was a child - in spite of her diminutive stature! She seemed to do EVERYTHING - and do it well. She accomplished more in any given day than most of us mortals could even dream of doing. She never seemed rushed or flustered - but simply confident that if one starts a thing, one will naturally continue it - and finish it - and beautifully! 

"Once, in the midst of multi-tasking, she said, 'I think I should be doing something else.' I replied, 'I'm going to put that on your gravestone!' And so, etched on her lovely urn of ashes, there it is. I am sure she's in heaven right now, completing her 'to-do' list - and mine, probably - and maybe even yours!" - Paula Montgomery

Wah Yew Ong 1919-2010, beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, peacefully passed away in Richardson, Texas on July 1st, 2010. He was 91 years old. Born in China, Wah immigrated to the United States. He served proudly in the U.S. Navy and then settled with his wife, Yee "Sandy" Ong in Arizona. They became busines owners and raised their three children in Tempe, Phoenix, and Scotsdale. Wah lived a full life, and he will be deeply missed by all. He was preceded in death by his wife, and is survived by his son and daughters, Gordon, Violet and Jennie, and their spouses; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Visitation is on July 16th, between 6-8 p.m. Services will be held on Saturday, July 17th, at 9:30 a.m. Both will be at Green Acres Mortuary on 401 N. Hayden Rd. in Scottsdale, AZ. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Parkinson's Resource Organization, 74-478 Highway 111, #102, Palm Desert, CA 92260

Our dear friend, Joyce, went home on June 1, 2010.

Born in Canada on the 156th anniversary of Beethoven's birthday, she had a passion for music. With a contralto voice, her singing choices embraced spirituals, oratorio, operatic arias, and show tunes. She directed choirs, particularly children's choirs. She sang in a wide variety of venues. She joked that she had sung in so many different churches that she was ecumenical. Joyce had a non-stop zest for life, even as Parkinson's disease slowed her mobility.

Her lifelong mantra was "Don't take life too seriously; you'll never get out of it anyhow."

For nearly 53 years, Joyce and her cousin and best friend, Grace, laughed, traveled, attended all manner of events, made friends and volunteered, as they together enjoyed life to the full. Yes, they did work once in a while as well. Joyce's favorite spiritual was Anton Dovrak's "Goin' Home" "Mother's there 'specting me, Father's waiting, too. Lots of folks gathered there, All the friends I knew…. Through an open door…. Goin' home."

Joyce leaves behind a lot of friends who have yet to walk the final mile, but she looks forward to seeing them again, too. 

"Thanks for the Memories!!!" - Grace

Mary (May) Meyer, long time resident of Long Beach and Anaheim, CA, passed away peacefully on May 18, 2010, at the age of 80 years old.

Mary was a Licensed Vocational Nurse and longtime employee of St. Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach, CA. She was born on May 1, 1930, in Shotts, Scotland, and was predeceased by her parents, Mary and Philip Dolan, her sister, Margaret Kelly, and her beloved husband, Donald T. Meyer. Mary is survived by two loving daughters Diane Meyer Allweiler and Donna Brooks, son-in-law Joseph O. Allweiler, Jr., sister and brother-in-law Catherine and Gordon Leis, sister Eileen McSherry, and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Dorene and Howard Guthrie, along with numerous nieces and nephews in the United States and Scotland as well as her “Child of the Heart” Chriss Storms, and Chriss’ children, Claudia, Megan and Michael.

Mary will be remembered for her beautiful and sweet smile, kind heart, and loving spirit.

God looked around his garden and found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth and saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful; he always takes the best.
He saw the road was getting rough and the hills were hard to climb,
So He closed your weary eyelids and whispered, “Peace be thine”.
It broke our hearts to lose you but you didn’t go alone, for part of us
went with you the day God called you home.
~ Irish Blessing

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to the
Mary Meyer Memorial at Parkinson’s Resource Organization www.ParkinsonsResource.org

Dr. Myron Lind died Friday, March 19, 2010, in La Quinta, California at age 70 from End Stage Parkinson’s disease.

He was born on July 5, 1939, to George and Sadie Lind in Brooklyn, New York. Myron graduated from the State University of New York, College of Medicine in 1965. In 1966, he completed his internship at University of Florida at Gainesville and then completed a medical residency at Harbor General Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In 1970 Myron found his true calling in psychiatry and completed his residency at the VA/UCLA Medical Centers. In 1973, he entered private practice in Van Nuys, California and continued that practice for the next 20 years until illness necessitated his retirement. Myron served his country from 1967 to 1969 in the United States Air Force where he was a Flight Surgeon. Myron collected Medical Antiques.

He enjoyed painting and creating ceramic sculptures and pipes. His hobbies were gardening, tennis, swimming, skiing, bowling and poker. He enjoyed traveling, going to the theatre and cherished time with family and friends. Myron lived with Parkinson’s disease for 30 years, accepting each challenge and reinventing himself to embrace life the best he could in spite of the great difficulties he faced.

Myron is survived by his wife Anita M. Lind; brother, Arnold J. Lind; daughter Courtney Lind Korenkiewicz (Richard) and Lisa Wendy Vuskovic (Sergio); son, Dr. Mark Evan Jaffe, MD; grandchildren, Richard Lind Korenkiewicz, Eli Jerome Vuskovic, and Elizabeth Marie Kastner. He is also survived by Barbara Bradford Lind, mother of Joshua Daniel Lind (deceased) and Courtney Lind Korenkiewicz, and Kara Brook Schmidt, mother of Dr. Mark Evan Jaffe, MD, and Lisa Wendy Vuskovic. He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Sadie Lind, and son, Joshua Daniel Lind.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donations to the Parkinson’s Resource Organization, Myron Lind Memorial Fund, 74-478 Highway 111 #102, Palm Desert, CA 92260-4112.

Special thanks to the staff of Bella Casa, La Quinta, CA, and the staff of Vitas Hospice, Cathedral City, CA. for helping care for Myron and supporting the family over the last five months.

“The good life harmonizes the elements of love, work, and play.” Myron Lind 1983