Obituaries
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OBITUARY JOAN ELIZABETH DEL MONTE
Joan Elizabeth Del Monte, age 87, died on January 14, 2021, after a long battle with cancer. A familiar figure rowing the Venice Canals in her skiff she dedicated her life to antiques, writing and cooking. A life-long aficionado of antiques, Mrs. Del Monte partnered a love of history with her passion for writing, publishing a bibliography of antiques, in addition to four mystery novels. A long-time Venice resident, Mrs. Del Monte was the co-founder of the Venice Historical Society and the Friends of Venice Library. The UCLA alumna earned a bachelor’s and a masters. Joan is survived by her son, Andrew, and her grandchildren, Casey, Luke, Gabrielle, and Samantha. Her husband, the sculptor and painter Robert “Bob” Del Monte, and her son, Nicholas, predeceased her. Private funeral services were held on January 26, 2021. Friends wishing to honor Joan may join in a celebration of her life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to St. Jude’s Hospital for Children or to Carmelite Monastery of Cristo Rey, 721 Parker Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118.
O B I T U A R Y DAVID DUDLEY JENNINGS January 15, 1925 – December 26, 2020 David Dudley Jennings was born January 15, 1925 at Manhattan, Kansas, to Harry Clayton Jennings and Leona Moore Jennings. He had two brothers, Gerald and Harry Jr. Their mother died from cancer when David was three years old and his family moved to Venice, California, and then to West Los Angeles when David was of school age. He graduated from University High School. At age 18 he joined the Navy and served as a radioman on the troop transport ship, “U.S.S. Heywood” in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. At the end of the war he returned to the States and earned a bachelors degree at Kansas State University. Upon graduation from college he returned to Los Angeles and joined the family business that was founded by his father, Everest & Jennings, which became the world leader in the design and manufacture of light-weight folding wheelchairs. He served as president of Jennings Plating Company and vice-president of Everest & Jennings International. In the 1960s and 1970s he designed, built, and operated Mystic Cove Marina, one of the first yacht anchorages in Marina del Rey, and also operated a boat storage and boat building yard called “Boulevard of Boats” on Lincoln Boulevard in Venice. He was also an astute real estate investor and developer in West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina del Rey. He met his first wife, Donna Yeager Jennings in Los Angeles. David and Donna made their home in Santa Monica, California. They had eight children: Craig, Gregory, Dennis, Joanne, Dianne, Steven, Karen, and Robert. The Jennings family loved outdoor activities and enjoyed many adventures that included camping, fishing, and travelling. Donna was taken by cancer in 1987. In 1995 David married his second wife, Rosalyn Goldsmith Jennings. Rosalyn preceded David in death in September, 2020. David passed away peacefully in Santa Barbara, California on December 26, 2020. David will always be remembered by his family and friends for his kindness, integrity, generosity, and good humor. He is survived by his eight children, twenty grandchildren, and, so far, eighteen great grandchildren. PAGE 20 THE ARGONAUT FEBRUARY 11, 2021
O B I T U A R Y
Robert Krauch “Bob”,
a 61-year resident of Playa del Rey, died of complications from aspiration pneumonia, non-COVID. He was 92. Krauch, a native-born Californian, was “proud of it” — and that’s what this journalist and feature writer would say to his successive wives and five children as they would traverse trails and snow-filled slopes in hiking boots, reeling in rainbow trout from frigid alpine lakes, and summiting 14,496-ft. Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Diagnosed with dementia in 2017, his wish was to remain in his “pole house” with 57 stairs to the last. With the help of his caregiver of 2 ½ years, Carolina Diaz and, except for his last week at Cedars Sinai, Marina Del Rey, his wish came true. Krauch served twice in the U.S. Marine Corps — first, fresh out of Hamilton High School’s “Victorians” class of ’46; then, after enrolling at Santa Monica City College in fall ‘48, he was editor of the weekly “Corsair.” Soon after he was recalled in the Marines, to edit the Camp Pendleton “Scout” weekly newspaper, during which time, he earned the rank of Sergeant. Majoring in journalism at USC, he graduated in 1954 to start as a cub reporter on the Evening HERALD & Express. In 1956, Krauch was awarded the John Randolph and Dora Haynes scholarship to attend UCLA’s Graduate School of Journalism where he majored in city planning. He returned to the Herald the following year to pursue feature writing assignments. Krauch married Philis “Bunny” Cheely in 1958. They moved from Cheviot Hills to Playa del Rey to raise their four children, Randy, Kathy, Kenny, and Colleen, who all attended Playa del Rey and Westchester public schools. In 1960, before the merger of Hearst’s Herald-Express and the Examiner, Krauch was promoted to the editorial desk and news editing while still writing feature articles. Then, in December 1967, the L.A. Newspaper Guild went on strike and Krauch did too. After four months on the picket line, he was hired to be part of Southern California Edison Company’s Public Information Department, writing feature stories and preparing press kits for a decade of alternate and renewable projects — including those such as Solar One, coal gasification, geothermal, photovoltaic, wind turbine, and pumped storage hydroelectric. Krauch’s wife, Bunny, died in July 1971. He remained a widower for five and a half years before marrying Suzette L. Dewalt, a Los Angeles elementary school teacher. They had one child together, Nicole. In addition to hiking the Sierra and John Muir Trail, Krauch was an active officer and instructor in the Marina Del Rey Fairwind Yacht Club. He served 13 years as cruise chairman, completing 75 cruises. He is member #43 in the All-Eight Channel Island Club, having been to and walked on each island. Until COVID-19 protocol, he would weekly sail with fellow boat members. He was a member of the Westchester Community Planning and Update Committee, 2003 - 2004. He wrote feature stories about the history of Playa del Rey, served as Maintenance Director for the Del Rey Little League, ’70-’72, and served 20 years as Chairman of the Los Angeles 8-Ball Welfare Foundation, a charitable foundation that serves journalists in need and journalism students. Robert was preceded in death by his two-years-older sister, Janice, his father, Herb Krauch, who worked for the Hearst paper from 1912, at age 16, to his retirement as Editor in 1962, and his wife, Suzette. He is survived by his two younger siblings, Karla Jordan, and John Krauch, his five children, Randy, Kathy King, Kenny, Colleen Hansen, Nicole, and (Philip) Stone. Five grandchildren, Tyler Krauch, Ella Hansen, Carter Hansen, Kelty Krauch, and Noah Stone. And, three great-grandsons, Walker, Grayson, and Jaxon Krauch. Our father wished to have no service and for his remains to be scattered in the Sierra.