obituaries cont’ Persons Programs in the U.S. Zone of Germany. There she served as assistant to the woman who became her life partner, Gertrude “Gertie” Richman, then Deputy Director for Social Services in the U.S. Zone of Occupation. Following her work with UNRAA, Conny returned to Maryland with Gertie and reentered government service. She was later fired from her government position because, in her words, they “decided I was a suspicious character.” She answered a newspaper ad looking for people with a liberal arts education and became a 6th grade social studies teacher — teaching by day and getting her credentials at night. Maryland schools were required to accept black students; faculty members were asked who would take them. Conny said she was happy to do so. She remembered that her students came from good backgrounds and were accepting of one another. She taught for nine years, and after taking a travel sabbatical with Gertie, her position was filled before her return. Conny and Gertie moved to Santa Barbara in the fall of 1967. They traveled extensively in retirement, observing and learning about other cultures: they visited Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and the Sudan, as well as China, Japan, Burma, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Mexico, and other countries. Conny was committed to increasing opportunities for people; her volunteer service and philanthropic efforts benefited a variety of activities and causes, among them health services, social services, education, culture and the environment. Many local institutions recognized her efforts. She was involved with the Botanic Garden, The Art Museum, The Women’s Fund, Rape Crisis Shelter Services, Santa Barbara City College, The Santa Barbara Foundation, The Santa Barbara Symphony, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Direct Relief, Santa Barbara History Museum, Community Arts, Healthcare for All, UCSB Music Affiliates, Douglas Preserve, the Fund for Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Music Club, and others. Conny was loved by many friends, young and old. She had a twinkle in her eyes, an infectious chuckle, and droll sense of humor; was a faithful letter writer; and could also give an occasional disapproving look that spoke volumes of her opinion. She did not suffer fools. Conny is survived by a loving family: Nieces/Nephews: Joan Paddock Maxwell, Michele Clark Durkin, Thomas Abbot Clark, Diane Clark Chapman, Harriet Clark Sutin and Patricia Clark de Gramont. Great-nieces/nephews: Elizabeth de Gramont Plummer, Charlotte Moseley Chapman, Diane de Gramont, Tara Sutin, Alexander Chapman, Alix Aure de Gramont, Alexandra Clark, Vanessa Clark and 20
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Lindsey Clark. Great-grandniece: Margot Plummer. She appreciated the many kindnesses of the Vista del Monte staff. Donations in her name may be made to the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, P.O. Box 3620, Santa Barbara, CA 93130, and to the Santa Barbara Music Club Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 3974, Santa Barbara, CA 93130. Memorial Service Saturday, June 6, 2015 10:30 AM Unitarian Church, 1535 Santa Barbara Street. Reception follows.
Richard William McInnis II 01/11/58 – 05/16/15
Richard William McInnis II, was born on January 11, 1958, to Barbara Thomas and Richard McInnis in Santa Barbara, CA. Richard, affectionately known as Rick and Ricky, attended public school in his hometown, and developed a skill, as well as a love, for his profession of painting. Incredibly, Richard's work is reflected in many buildings standing in Santa Barbara today. Richard possessed a tremendous love and respect for animals which was unsurpassed—except for his love of people to whom he was always quick to lend a helping hand and assist others in their time of need. It has been said that all who met him liked him, and the general feeling of many is that he was a "gentle soul." In 2012 he was welcomed in to the First Baptist Church and became a member -which he attributed to be the most meaningful move of his life. Richard passed away on May 16, 2015. He will forever be remembered by his positive and upbeat presence that touched all lives. He will be terribly missed and mourned by all who knew and loved him. Richard was preceded in death by his father, Richard William McInnis, and his step-father, Theo Thomas, and is survived by his loving mother, Barbara Thomas; his sister, Cathleen McDearmon (Jerry) of Long Beach; his brother, Amahl Thomas (Charrma) of Fontana; three nephews and two nieces. A Memorial Service will be held on June 6, 2015, at 4:00pm at the First Baptist Church, 949 Veronica Springs Road, Santa Barbara, CA. 93105. A reception will follow. All are welcome to come. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to New House, 2934 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.
JUNE 4, 2015
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Margaret (‘Peaches’) S. Clarke 10/22/20 – 05/10/15
Margaret Mary (‘Peaches’) Simpson Clarke died peacefully on May 10, 2015, in Santa Barbara, CA. Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Peaches graduated from Stadium High School. She attended the University of Washington for two years, where she joined Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She met ‘that cute Herbie Clarke’ while in high school. They married in 1941, living in many places that included Bellevue, WA, Stamford, CT, and Los Angeles, CA, before settling in Santa Barbara in 1970. The matriarch of five generations, Peaches’ greatest delight and joy was her family. She deeply loved and was so very proud of her eight daughters and each and every member of their families. Exceptionally warm and welcoming, her home was filled with family and friends: others’ kids who considered her ‘Mom’, and strangers who were quickly made to feel like family. There was always room for one more at her table. Peaches loved people of all ages, but babies were her specialty. Often, Peaches was the most elegant woman in the room and, at the same time, the silliest. She loved a good story, a ribald joke and dissolved into laughter whenever possible. Long holding a love of travel and adventure, Peaches drank in the views, the people, and the experiences. She considered chocolate an essential food group, always maintaining a secret stash. Peaches loved music and sang tenor with various choirs and will be especially remembered for her deep, rich voice. Peaches is survived by daughters Merrill Hunn of Mill Valley, CA; Elizabeth Lashar (Rick) of Eugene, OR; Anne Dennis (Mickey) of Marysville, WA; Kathryn Clarke (Peter); Patricia Clarke; Susan Clarke (Rand); Virginia Clarke; and Laura Murphy (Michael), all of Santa Barbara. She was dearly loved and will be missed by her 17 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother, James Simpson (Rosemary), sister-in-law Yvonne Simpson, all of Seattle, WA, and sister-in-law Marion Berge (Bill) of Snohomish, WA, as well as her many loving nieces and nephews from both the Simpson and Clarke clans. She was preceded in death by her husband Herbert H. Clarke, Jr., parents John Philip Simpson, Sr. and Hazel Pohl
Simpson, son-in-law, Richard A. Lashar, and great-grandson Sullivan Clarke Rich. A celebration of her life will be held Sunday, July 19, at 3 pm at El Montecito Presbyterian Church in Montecito, CA. There will be a reception immediately following at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Smile Train (http://www. smiletrain.org); Doctors without Borders (http://www.doctorswith outborders.org); or Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara (http://www.vnhcsb.org).
Phil Schilling 1940 - 2015
Phil passed away peacefully in his sleep early on the morning of May 26, 2015, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was deeply loved by so many people and will be remembered for his big heart, kind spirit, generosity, intelligence, creativity, and competitive drive. Phil was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1940, the beloved and loving son of Lois and Irvin Schilling and younger brother to Susanne (whom he adored and vice versa). He grew up in nearby Huntington, active in the 4H and helping raise Shorthorn cattle on the family farm from the time he was in elementary school. After high school, Phil earned a BA in history from Northwestern University and then pursued a doctorate in American history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. It was during his time in Madison that he developed an abiding interest in motorcycle road racing and moto-journalism. Phil was teaching at the University of Wisconsin in 1970 when Cook Neilson, Cycle magazine’s editor in chief at the time, asked him to become the magazine’s managing editor. Thus began a friendship and partnership that would last for some 45 years. In addition to their work with Cycle, Cook and Phil are bestknown for giving Ducati its first AMA Superbike win in the United States during Daytona’s Bike Week in 1977 (Cook riding, Phil tuning) on a bike that is famously known as “Old Blue”; even more impressive, they accomplished this as privateer journalists racing against the muchbetter-financed factory-sponsored competition. Some years later, Phil organized a lower-profile but no less rewarding 250 two-stroke racing program, sponsoring and tuning
for a string of talented young riders. Cook and Phil chronicled their racing efforts in the pages of Cycle and are largely credited with introducing Ducati motorcycles to the American motorcycling public. Taking a short sabbatical from his magazine duties in 1974, Phil wrote The Motor Motorcycle World (RidgePress/Random House), one of the first generalinterest books about motorcycles and motorcycle racing. Phil’s Cycle editorship began in 1979 and lasted for nine years during which time he was known for connecting his readers to the heart of the motorcycling experience. Phil was inducted into the American Motorcycle Association Hall of Fame in 2011, joining Cook, who had been inducted in 2006, the same year that they were both inducted into Ducati North America’s Hall of Fame. Upon Phil’s passing, Cook wrote a beautiful tribute from which this excerpt is taken: “Phil for two decades was the heart and soul of the largest-circulation motorcycle magazine the world has ever known; was essential to the success of Ducati in North America, and world-wide; wrote about the internal combustion universe more perceptively, and more elegantly, than anyone ever has, before or since; mentored more than his share of hard-handed youngsters looking for stability, guidance and fast motorcycles; and through it all remained a man of dignity, humor, generosity, taste, judgment, gentleness and grace. . . .” Phil leaves behind his wife and life partner of 35 years, Allyn Fleming; sister Susanne and her husband, Jim Paul; nephews Tim Paul (Melissa), Jon Paul (Roberta), and Ryan Chiment; niece Hannah Fleming; and Andrew Murphy and family. Phil will be deeply missed by all those friends and family who love him so much, including the many people he generously mentored, the extended Schilling/Leonhardt family, the entire Fleming/Toney clan, and beloved dog Buddy. Deep and profound thanks go to Phil’s four devoted caregivers, who brought love, dignity, joy, and peace to his final months and days, and to Serenity House and Santa Barbara Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, particularly Janet Murphy for her skilled and compassionate care. Donations to honor Phil may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research: http://www2.michaeljfox.org/goto/ philschilling