obituaries
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Kenneth A. Hendrickson 01/03/21 – 06/14/15
Kenneth A. Hendrickson went to be with the Lord, June 14, 2015. He was born on January 3, 1921, in Bolivar, Missouri , to Mr. and Mrs. Wren P. Hendrickson, the youngest of seven children. Kenneth’s parents moved their family to Santa Barbara when he was seven, where he lived the remainder of his life. Kenneth was an employee of Southern Counties Gas Company, now Sempre Energy, for thirty-five years. Kenneth was very community-minded. He was elected to the Isla Vista Sanitary District, now Goleta West Sanitary District. He was elected for forty-five years as a representative of the District. Kenneth married Marceline Day on February 4, 1950, and they had five children, Kenneth W. Hendrickson, Karen Thomsen, Kathy Eyman, David Hendrickson, and Paul Hendrickson. They also have six grandchildren, Sarah James, Robbie Eyman, Lisa Thomsen, Stephen Thomsen, Matthew Eyman, and Miranda Hendrickson, and two great grandchildren: Benjamin Thomsen, and Joella Eyman, and another great-grandchild that will be born November 2015. He is also survived by his two nieces, Jill McMillan and Shirley Ludwig; one nephew, Gordon Hendrickson; and numerous great nieces and nephews. Kenneth was a member of the “Greatest Generation,” serving three years in the upper Assam River Valley, India, during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps. A memorial mass will be held Saturday, June 27, 2015, at Saint Anthony’s Chapel, Garden Street Academy, 2300 Garden Street, Santa Barbara at 10am.
Lawrence Fredrick Scalise 4/23/33 – 06/12/15
dent of the state of Iowa, Larry and his wife, Molly, moved to Santa Barbara, California, in 2000. He graduated from the University of Iowa Law School, receiving his L.L.B degree in 1958. The world would never be the same. A fixture in the Iowa legal system for decades, Larry’s career as an attorney extended to all corners of the state and eventually the nation. His most prominent role was as Attorney General of Iowa from 1965-1967. One of the most important pieces of work during this time was to schedule Auto Safety Hearings as part of the National Highway Safety Act. This eventually led to the implementation of seat belts in every car. Since the 1960s, Larry had been in private practice, becoming one of the state’s most prominent attorneys. In 1995, Larry left Des Moines and accepted an assignment with the Federal Government becoming Deputy Independent Counsel in the matter of Henry Cisneros, the then-U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. He also served as a court-appointed mediator for the Superior Court of Santa Barbara, having become a certified mediator by the American Academy of ADR Attorneys in 2004. Larry’s most impressive attribute was the way in which he influenced people’s lives for the better in the courtroom, at a party, and at home. His life was all about family, friends, and colleagues. He was a great adviser and mentor. His ability to make anyone he met feel like family was a true gift. His warmth and hospitality will long be remembered. His love of cooking, food, and wine were epic. There was always a place at his table for everyone. In addition to his busy life practicing law, Larry was a devoted husband, brother, uncle, cousin, father, and grandfather. More than anything, family was most important. Larry is survived by his wife, Molly, (Murphy) Scalise, seven children and 15 grandchildren. Special thanks to Dr. Jeffrey Kupperman, Dr. Alan Rosenblum, Dr. Jeffrey Sager, and all of the nurses involved in Larry’s care these last three months, as well as the staff at Cottage Hospital South 5, MICU, Rehabilitation Hospital and Alto Lucero Transitional Care. A celebration of Larry’s life will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 1300 East Valley Road, Montecito, CA on Thursday, June 18th, at 11 am.
Richard Walton White 11/11/48 – 05/28/15
Lawrence Fredrick Scalise, surrounded by his loving family, peacefully passed away on June 12, 2015, at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. He will be truly missed by all. Larry was born to Mary and Albert Scalise on April 25, 1933 ,in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the younger brother of Teresa (Scalise) Lemus. A lifelong resi16
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Richard Walton White was born on Armistice Day 1948 to Walton Alexander and Joan Audrey (Grover) White in Santa Barbara, California. He passed away suddenly on May 28, 2015, at his home in New Cuyama doing what he loved: working at his computer researching Mayan culture, history and lore. He is survived by his wife, Karen Hilts; daughter, Erika; son-in-law Scott and grandson Brett Peveto of Orange, Texas; step-daughter Jessy Adamson; and brother Charles White and family. He will always be remembered for having a generous nature, being a stickler for detail, swapping puns, and being anxious to try out different ideas in Agronomy and Soils Science.
JUNE 18, 2015
independent.com
Dr. Robert E. Steele 10/26/47 – 04/27/15
Bob Steele was exceptional. Born in Berkeley, California, to Margaret and Elbert Steele, he lost his father to cancer when he was just ten years old. Rock solid, Peg raised Bob, younger sister Barbara and little brother Jeff with just the right mix of freedom and iron. Bob was an engineer from the start, with an inquisitive mind and natural curiosity. He loved to know how things worked, taking them apart and putting them back together. He rewired their house at the age of 15 and rebuilt the engine of Peg’s car while in high school, and there’s something about making cherry brandy and the preacher, but that’s a story for another day. Bob earned his BS in physics/ math from Sonoma State University, and his MS and Ph.D. in physics from UCSB. His professional career spanned nearly 40 years. He worked for LASP in Colorado on NASA-funded projects, at General Research in Santa Barbara on projects ranging from robotic wafer handling systems to linear accelerator controls, and he subsequently consulted for various semiconductor processing equipment and telecommunications companies, where he developed a passion for motion-control technology. It was during this time that he designed and produced the motion control board that would become the foundation for Motion Engineering, Inc., a company he founded in 1987. Bob served as Chief Technical Officer at MEI (now part of Kollmorgen) from its inception until his death. A stellar engineer and problemsolver with infectious energy, he purchased a pair of retired auto assembly robots (on eBay of course) and transformed his garage into a “robotics theater.” He programmed them to dance in sync to Creedence’s “Suzie Q”, adorned with Santa hats or baseball caps and shades, and he loved to show their snazzy moves to students, friends and colleagues. Bob had a way of getting under your skin, and his friends were life long. He had a tremendous sense of humor, was generous, witty and always saw the very best in everyone. He had a special, almost electrical charge about him, a brilliant mind and a kind of endearing social awkwardness. He had a booming voice, ate too fast and had a way of always working his napkin into shreds. He was constantly losing his wallet, phone or passport. He loved Creedence Clearwater and Jimmy Buffett and red Toyota trucks. He was a do-it-yourselfer with a minor in plumbing, and he always had a project brewing. A hike with Bob was a botany lesson. He would spew the genus and species names of all the plants you passed and if by chance he came across one he didn’t know, he would simply make it up, with
a grin and a chuckle to let you know you’d been had. He loved his old hiking boots and trod the trails of the Grand Canyon and “Shit-For-Brains Canyon” in the Mojave, and oh how he loved the desert. Several times a year he and buddies Lyman and PJ would pack up that red Toyota with rockets, spud guns, quadricopter, telescope and toolboxes and hit the road. Steak, baked potatoes and artichokes, astronomy lessons with a laser pointer to the stars, sitting in the camp chairs at dusk being “masters of all we survey,” and life was good. Bob loved three women in his life and married two of them, first Kelly Steele (Sheridan) and then Nancy Haydt, and he kept them close throughout his life. Jennifer Lundmark became his third and final love, and with Jen came the horses. Bob, ever the trooper, overcame his fears, donned a cowboy hat and boots and on his trusty palomino steed, Monte, became an endurance rider, even earning the title of “Endurance Rider of the Year.” He had no children of his own, but was Uncle Bob to Anna and Jessica Grubaugh, Adam Steele, Jennifer Haydt and the Packard girls, and great uncle to Ella and Jack Reid. When cancer struck two years ago, Bob battled it with courage and conviction, and never lost hope for a cure. He fought hard and endured so much throughout those two years, but when asked by a friend at Thanksgiving a year ago what he would want to do if he knew his life was coming to an end, Bob thought for a while and said simply,“I wouldn’t change a thing.” Fortunate to call him brother, fortunate to call him friend. A LIVE EACH DAY memorial celebration for Bob will be held on Saturday, June 20th, at Kollmorgen, 33 S. La Patera Lane, in Santa Barbara. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Direct Relief International or Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, and Bob’s kitties, Emma and Loki, are awaiting adoption at ASAP.
Albert Medwid M.D. 10/08/24 – 5/22/15
Dr. Albert Medwid passed away peacefully at Cottage Hospital on May 22, 2015, from complications following a stroke. He was born to John and Katherine Medwid on October 8, 1924, in Pittsburgh, PA, where he attended South Side High School, and graduated as valedictorian of his senior class. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh Medical School he started his surgical training with two years at Northwestern University’s Wesley Memorial Hospital in Chicago, followed by a 4-year residency in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
It was on a TWA flight out of Chicago that he met a flight attendant, Donna Plummer, who would become his wife of 60 years. Al will be remembered for his unfailing devotion to his patients and love for his family and friends, as well as his enthusiasm for the game of squash, his kind and cheerful nature and his great appreciation for the privilege of living in the beautiful city of Santa Barbara. After 40 years of practicing surgery, he began a new career as a businessman after designing and patenting medical devices to be used in surgery. After persuading his son, Bob, to join him, the business expanded and the products are now sold to surgeons worldwide. Al’s family remembers his unfailing ability to answer middle-of-the-night phone calls on the first ring and to perform surgery at all hours without complaint. He often spoke of his admiration for the great courage displayed by patients facing major surgeries. His patients were his first priority, but dinner with his family was a priority also, and he preferred to return to the hospital later in the evening than to miss the family dinner. To his children he modeled excellence in all aspects of his life, both personal and professional, and to his grandchildren he was a loving Papa. In later years, he often encountered former patients who thanked him for having added years to their lives, and occasionally displayed their scars to remind him. He was predeceased by his parents and four siblings, Dr. Michael Medwid, Natalie Medwid, Magdalene Campbell and Amelia Bracken. He leaves behind his devoted wife, Donna, and loving children, Bob, Jill and Lisa, son-in-law Glen Lewis and his four adored grandchildren, Laura and Daniel Lewis, Marina and Madison Medwid, as well as many nieces and nephews. Donations in his memory may be made to El Montecito Presbyterian Church or the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission. Services will be held Saturday June 27, 2015, at the El Montecito Presbyterian Church, 1455 East Valley Road, Santa Barbara at 2pm with a reception to follow.
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