The Memorial Wall

Robert A. Waller died peacefully at his home in Pasadena, California, surrounded by his wife and six children on July 7, 2019. He was 91 years old. Bob Waller, as he preferred to be called by all he met, had a fierce will to live and valiantly fought the effects of Parkinson's and strokes for several years. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 22, 1928, Robert Alexander Waller was the second son of Chicago Alderman, James Breckenridge Waller and Sarah Given Waller. His older brother, Jim, predeceased him in 1999. In the mid 1950s, Bob moved from Chicago to Los Angeles to start his business career and soon after, a family of his own. In 1960, Bob met the love of his life, Judy Trepanier, and the two were married soon after on October 14, 1960. The couple settled in San Marino, California, and began their family, which ultimately grew to six children after moving to Pasadena. He was a graduate of Occidental College (which he fondly referred to as "the Princeton of the West") and took graduate classes at both USC and UCLA. Bob was a successful businessman, philanthropist, community volunteer, and a serial entrepreneur, creating and investing in many companies ranging from stamps, to coins, to department stores, to venture capital, to real estate investments. Bob sat on numerous boards, and served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of real estate development companies, Northern California Developers Financial and R.A. Waller & Company. Bob was an active investor in both private and public companies. Outside of his professional pursuits, Bob made an impact in a variety of arenas. As a longtime member of the Jonathan Club, Bob was among the founding members of the Toastmasters organization within the Jonathan Club, eventually becoming Toastmasters Area Governor. After many years of Little League coaching, Bob became President of Pasadena Southwest Little League and Commissioner of Region 13 of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). Bob embraced philanthropy, and recognized the importance of giving back to his community, establishing the Robert A. Waller Foundation to provide support to a wide assortment of charitable organizations. Bob was passionate about many things and had many interests, including being an early adopter of technology. He was one of the first avid fans of Apple computers, which included being actively involved in the San Gabriel Valley Macintosh User Group for decades. Among his other interests were education, health, fitness, volunteering, mentoring others, and animals. He was very curious and loved meeting new people. He had a love and appreciation for magic that he passed on to his grandchildren. He was focused on personal improvement and made a point of striving for constant and never-ending improvement. He was always an optimist and exuded an incredible positive energy that drew people to him like a magnet. He had tremendous wisdom that he shared through a collection of sayings that have become part of the Waller family lexicon. Bob Waller will be remembered as an amazing and loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, mentor, and friend. He was incredibly generous and touched the lives of so many. The Waller house was always a "safe haven" for both neighborhood kids and animals, taking in and nurturing many "strays" along the way. What he loved most was spending time with his wife and family. He always put family first. The Waller Family was blessed to have many amazing "Waller Family Vacations" and holidays with siblings, spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, creating many memories that we will never forget. His devotion to his family is his most important and marked legacy. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Judy, and by his six children, Rob (wife Julie and children, Hailey, Lindsey, and Gracie), Sarah (husband Tom and children, Ryan, Samantha, Shauna, grandchild, Adalyn), Bill (wife Shauna and children, Natalie, Blake, and Alison), Mark, Ellen (husband Mark and children, Chase and Hayden), John (wife Michele and children Brooke and Alex), and his half-sister Wilda. He set a great example for all of us, and he touched many people profoundly during his journey through life. The world is a better place having had him in it. He will be greatly missed by all that knew him.

Surrounded by loved ones, Bart Johnson, 94, died peacefully on Sept. 23, 2019, at his home in Rancho Mirage. After battling cancer and Parkinson’s disease with courage and grace, Bart passed peacefully to God, secure in his faith.

Born in Rockford, IL, on Feb. 16, 1925, Bart was the son of Harry and Della Johnson. The second of two children, Bart was close with his brother, Stan, and the two maintained a dear friendship that lasted their entire lives, crossing generations through the relationships of their children and grandchildren. The Johnson family moved to Los Angeles when Bart was in junior high.

Through the Navy V-12 program, Bart earned his pre-medical degree from the University of California Los Angeles. Though he finished his undergraduate work in less than three years, his love of the Bruins lasted a lifetime. An avid sports fan, Bart held season tickets to UCLA football games for decades and was known to lead an 8-clap at family gatherings and holiday events.

The Navy then sent Bart on to Northwestern University for Dental School, where he graduated first in his class. He served in the Navy for 16 years, both as a medical officer and in the reserves, before returning to Los Angeles to open his dental practice, which he operated for more than 40 years.

In 1970, Bart married Judie, the love of his life. The two combined their families—each with three children—who affectionally call themselves “The Barty Bunch.” The couple raised their six children and many dogs together, filling their home with laughter and love. They instilled in their children and grandchildren a strong sense of togetherness, instigating summer family trips to Balboa Island, festive holiday traditions and more.

Judie and Bart traveled frequently and truly loved seeing the world together, including trips to China, Japan, Israel, France, Italy and many more. Their home base was Encino, where they were entrenched in their community and active members of the congregation at Bel Air Presbyterian Church.

The two eventually settled in Rancho Mirage, where Bart could enjoy some of his greatest pleasures: golf, books, and bridge—which he is said to have taken as seriously as his medical exams.  

Bart was a man of the highest integrity, morals and a man of deep and abiding faith. He is survived by his wife, Judie; his six children, Kathy, Brian, Dana, Bryn, Greg, and Colleen, and their spouses; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A celebration of life will be held at 2:30 pm on October 13, 2019, at Desert Springs Church in Palm Desert. A light supper will follow.

Well done, my good and faithful servant!  Matthew 25:21

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to http://parkinsonsresource.org or sent to: 

Parkinson’s Resource Organization

74090 El Paseo #104, Palm Desert, CA 92260

KARCHER, CARL NICHOLAS More Than a Star Carl Nicholas Karcher was the very definition of a man of the people. Perhaps it might be better to say that he was a man for the people. Once you met him, you would always remember him, and he would remember you. He would greet you with that strong voice of his, large sincere handshake, and expansive countenance that seemed to enclose you with him in a private conversation. "How are you?" was his calling card. He always looked right at you, never intimidating but evoking a warmth that seemed to come from some inner reservoir of good will. It bespoke his true character: "How are you?" is what he said. For meeting Carl Karcher was not so much about him as it was about you. And you remembered. He had a remarkable memory for recalling names and could usually recite the exact date of a previous encounter with almost anyone he ever met. Of course, you would also walk away with a personally signed card entitling you to a free Carl's Jr. Famous Star Hamburger that was placed inside a card that expressed his personal philosophy, his gratitude, and a favorite family prayer: the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi. He never left home without those cards that he loved to pass out, and many people kept them as a memento and never redeemed them for a meal. For many, the experience of meeting Carl Karcher might have happened at a community event, perhaps at a business lunch or a charity event. Over the years it seemed that he could be seen at most of the big Orange County and Southern California events, especially those dedicated to charity. This was the man the public saw, and it was certainly part of who he was. But the true measure of the man is what he did for others when he was away from the public eye. Carl lived first and foremost in the certitude of Family. It was within his family that he anchored his true self, and he cannot properly be understood apart from this fact. Friends, relatives and anyone who visited the Karcher home were thrown right into the family mix and felt very comfortable. Carl was smart and quick. He enjoyed conversations, telling stories, and being a "ham" with plenty of jokes and pranks with a good sense of humor. He also played a mean game of Ping Pong and loved card games. One card game called Casini was played with the children and grandchildren. It was part of the Ohio legacy and he enjoyed playing it for hours at family gatherings. Born on January 16, 1917, in the north of Ohio, Carl Karcher hailed from the pure farm country of America's heartland, and the seeds of that land were always in his soul. From his birthplace he took the deep, sincere values of the traditional American hearthstone: honesty in dealing with others, perseverance, hard work and the stable framework of the nuclear family. And he had faith -- a deep, abiding, penetrating faith in a God who directed and guided him through the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church, the type of faith that has fallen out of favor for many, but was, for him, always his bedrock, his core. When he finally came to California to stay, it was for the person whom he would love with all his heart and for the rest of his life, Margaret Magdalen Heinz. It was in her that the values of his young life were to be realized. It was in Margaret that he truly found himself and was able to achieve his vast potential. It was with Margaret that he raised twelve children and immersed himself in their upbringing. Family was, literally, his life. He deeply respected the most important woman in his life, his beloved wife of 66 years whom he lost to cancer in June 2006 and missed every day of his remaining life. Margaret was not only his partner in family life, but in business as well. She operated his first hotdog carts when Carl was in the service during WWII and served on the Board of Directors when Carl Karcher Enterprises became a world-class corporation. She was a stay-at-home mom and the center of support for Carl and their children. If you wanted to see Carl on any given day, you had to rise early. You would find him at Saint Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim attending Mass every day at six thirty in the morning. That was usually after two hours of personal work at home in the wee morning hours. He would go to the office only after time in prayer in the church. It was the same parish church at which he met Margaret, married her, and brought their children every Sunday for Mass. When Carl returned home at the end of the day, never missing family dinner, it was to the same home in Anaheim that he and Margaret purchased in 1949 when they had five children. Seven more would follow in that same home. Each night after dinner, the entire family would spend half an hour in family prayer around the dinner table. In the last few years of his life, living with Parkinson's disease, Carl experienced a diminished ability to speak clearly. This made him a bit quieter in the public eye. At home, however, he continued to be a communicator, even when he could not get the words out easily. Every grandchild knew that three knocks on the table meant "I Love You," and then he would wrap his large hands around their little ones to complete the message. Such love ennobled his life and ours. Carl Nicholas Karcher was not a great man because he had success in business; rather he had success in business because he was a great man. Carl passed away last Friday evening January 11, 2008, five days before his ninety-first birthday, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He is survived by eleven of his twelve children: Anne Wiles, Patricia LaGraffe, Margaret LeVecke, Carl Leo Karcher, Kadie Karcher, Father Jerome Karcher, Janelle Karcher, Rosemary Miller, Barbara Wall, Joseph Karcher and Mary Miller. His daughter, Carleen Karcher, preceded him in death in 1993. He is also survived by forty-eight of his fifty-one grandchildren, forty five great-grandchildren and four brothers, Albert, Leo, Bernard and Frank. Visitation is Thursday, January 17 at Hilgenfeld Mortuary in Anaheim from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 p.m. A Vigil and Rosary Service will be held on January 17 at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Funeral Mass on Friday, January 18 at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim. Burial will be January 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange. A Memorial Mass will also be celebrated on Monday, January 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Huntington Beach.

Jeanne (Reynolds) Sonico

In the morning of Dec. 5, 2019 Jeanne Sonico (June 20, 1939) was gently laid at the throne of her Lord and Savior. She had been afflicted for several years with Parkinson's Disease and all the complications that accompany it. She fought hard to maintain some sort of normalcy in her life.

Jeanne was born in San Pedro, CA to Olga Paine and Arthur Reynolds, a Navy seaman. On the advice of close friends who were told that the Japanese may attack California in some way Ms Paine moved herself and Jeanne to Mexico settling in Guadalajara, Jalisco. After several years they returned to the US with Jeanne speaking very little English.

Starting over in northern California they eventually came south to a warmer climate and settled first in Thousand Palms, then in Palm Springs in an area that was later annexed by Cathedral City.

Jeanne attended St. Theresa Elementary School and later, Palm Springs High School. She would go on to demonstrate a wonderful talent for swimming and diving.

It was at PSHS that she met her future husband, Dennis, who was a sophomore at the time, Jeanne was a freshman. They were separated from each other for several years but later resumed their friendship while Dennis was serving in the US Army at Ft. Campbell, Ky. They became engaged in March of 1959 and were married June 21 of same year at a little church in Clarksville, Tenn with Army buddies serving as witnesses.

Living off-base in New Providence, Tenn they raised their family in a tiny apartment and enjoyed the prospect of a wonderful life together, with their children, Michelledee and Dennis Jr.

Olga opened a small restaurant in Palm Desert named El Besame Mucho. After returning from service Jeanne became her Mother's assistant serving the many wonderful friends that so loved that tiny place and its excellent food. At home she spent many years volunteering with Scouting and aiding teachers when needed at Cielo Vista Elementary School. Over the years many children came forward to express their love for her and her gentle, kind spirit.

In 1976 Jeanne and Dennis started their own electrical contracting business, Gemini Electric, Inc and carried this on for some 35 years. When Jeanne came down with Parkinsons Dennis turned the business over to his son in order to devote extra time to Jeanne's needs. In June they celebrated their 60th.

Jeanne was preceded in death by her Mother and Father. She leaves her children, Michelledee and Dennis Jr., her grandchildren Jennifer, Nicole, Justin, Brandon, and Joshua, and great grandchildren Jason, Adrianna, Michael, Allieanna, Rafa, Jr, Alexis, Noah, and Liam, and her special cousin Mitch Poteet (JoAnn). In her 80th year she found a brother and sister she never knew she had. Arthur Reynolds, Jr and Terre Reynolds. This discovery brought her great joy in these her last days.

A memorial celebration will be announced in the near future.

Published in The Desert Sun from Dec. 6 to Dec. 13, 2019

CATHERINE LUCILLE CARTER

NOV 4, 1939 - OCT 13, 2008

Catherine was born November 4, 1939, to Paul and Catherine Scheck in Gilroy, California and entered into eternal rest at her home in Modesto, California on October 13, 2008. Catherine is survived by her devoted husband of 47 years, Marcus Carter of Modesto, daughter Paula, son-in-law Joe, grandchildren Joey and Ben Simonds of La Quinta, California. She was preceded in death by her loving son, Jeffrey Paul Carter, parents, and sister, Shirley Trujillo. Catherine was raised in Gilroy, California and graduated from Gilroy High School in 1957. Many special friendships were formed while living in Gilroy and she enjoyed staying in touch with her lifelong friends over the past 50 years! Catherine moved to Modesto and attended MJC where she met her husband Marcus. She then graduated from Sacramento State and worked as a teacher for the Modesto City Schools District. Catherine was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, aunt and friend. She found great joy in spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandsons, Joey and Ben. Her caring, supportive and friendly nature will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22, 2008, at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park, 1000 1st. Street, Gilroy, California under the direction of Habing Family Funeral Home. Catherine's family would like to thank 2nd daughter Julie Ibanez for her love, compassion, and care of Catherine during her final weeks of life. It was a gift that will always be remembered. Also, a special thank you to the staff of Community Hospice for their support and care.