April 10, 2003
Thomas James Rucklos
The memorial service for Thomas James Rucklos will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Medford. The Rev. William H. Lehmann III will officiate.
Mr. Rucklos, 49, of Medford, died Monday (April 7, 2003) at Rogue Valley Medical Center.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Liver Foundation, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 603, New York, N.Y. 10038.
He was born Nov. 7, 1953, in San Marino, Calif., to Gordon H. and Olga (Hopfer) Rucklos. He attended San Marino High School, Pasadena Community College and Lumbleau Real Estate School in California. On April 9, 1988, in Malibu, Calif., he married Cynthia Gibson, who survives.
They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1989 from Malibu, Calif.
Mr. Rucklos was the president of Professional Image Publishing, established in the Rogue Valley in 1990, and was publisher of move2oregon.com magazine and Web site, Homes & Land of Southern Oregon and Real Estate Direct.
An entrepreneur, Mr. Rucklos pioneered Oregon real estate listings on the Internet with the Web site move2oregon.com, which he operated until his death. His wife will continue the business.
He was a member of the Medford/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce. He was an affiliate member of the Rogue Valley Board of Realtors, and a member of President Bush’s Republican Committee-Small Business Affairs.
Mr. Rucklos was an artist, musician, photographer, gardener and chef. He enjoyed spending time with his family.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include a daughter, Mercedes "Dece" Rucklos, Medford; and a sister, Mary Rucklos Hampton, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Arrangements: Conger-Morris Funeral Directors, Medford.
Wilbur William Chandler
The graveside service for Wilbur William Chandler will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Siskiyou Memorial Park, Medford.
Mr. Chandler, 89, of Medford, died Tuesday (April 8, 2003) at Rogue Valley Medical Center.
He was born Feb. 25, 1914, in Burlington, Colo. On Dec. 2, 1939, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, he married Lucille E. Altman, who survives. They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1955 from Sandpoint, Idaho.
Mr. Chandler was an electrician at Timber Products.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Mr. Chandler enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping and going to the coast.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include a son, Donald W., Shady Cove; a daughter, Karen Sue Chandler, Medford; two sisters, Lucille Gott, Oroville, Calif., and Betty Urell, Madras; a brother, Gene Chandler, Puyallup, Wash.; two grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He was
preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.
Arrangements: Perl Funeral Home, Medford.
Ferol W. Trimble
The graveside service for Ferol W. Trimble will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Memory Gardens Memorial Park in Medford.
Mrs. Trimble, 93, of Talent, died Wednesday (April 9, 2003) at Linda Vista Care Center in Ashland.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 380 S.E. Spokane St., Suite 110, Portland, OR 97202.
She was born Ferol Fitzsimmons on Aug. 22, 1909, in Warren, Ark. On July 14, 1927, in Warren, Ark., she married Johnnie Green Trimble, who died in 1980.
Mrs. Trimble worked in a sawmill in Burney, Calif., during World War II. She moved to the Rogue Valley in 1945 from Burney. She worked in the roses and packing department at Harry and David for several years.
She enjoyed reading, animals and gardening.
Survivors include two sons, Robert H., Medford, and John C., Bonita, Calif.; a daughter, Ethel Weinecke, Medford; 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Pearl Griffith and Evelyn Sierra; and one great-
grandchild.
Arrangements: Memory Gardens Mortuary, Medford.
Emery Earl Jackson
The graveside service for Emery Earl Jackson will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Phoenix Cemetery. Pastor Patricia Vanderpol of the First Presbyterian Church in Phoenix will officiate.
Mr. Jackson, 89, of Phoenix, died Tuesday (April 8, 2003) at Hearthstone in Medford.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 121 W. Second St., Phoenix, OR 97535.
He was born Oct. 19, 1913, in Lancaster County, Mo., to Charles and Rosta Jackson. On Dec. 24, 1937, he married Evelyn Jones, who survives. They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1964 from Compton, Calif.
Mr. Jackson worked as a warehouseman and a water serviceman for the city of Compton, Calif.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Phoenix.
Mr. Jackson enjoyed woodworking and fishing.
He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Jackson, Phoenix. He was preceded in death by four sisters and a brother.
Arrangements: Rogue Valley Funeral Alternatives and Crematory.
Bruce A. Babcock
The memorial service for Bruce A. Babcock will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bethany Presbyterian Church. Pastor Steve Parker and Mr. Babcock’s nephew, Pastor Gary Heltsley, will officiate.
Mr. Babcock, 73, of Grants Pass, died Sunday (April 6, 2003) at Rogue Valley Medical Center.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Lung Association, c/o Lundberg’s L.B. Hall Funeral Home, 141 N.W. C St., Grants Pass, OR 97526.
He was born June 8, 1929, in Canton, Ohio, to Lawrence "Bab" and Olive Babcock. He spent his early years in Alliance, Ohio, where he graduated from Alliance High School. He married Jean Graham. They later divorced.
Mr. Babcock began a career in banking and moved his family to California in 1962. He worked for Security Pacific National Bank, where he met Barbara McDonald. They were married on Feb. 14, 1971, in Las Vegas. He later worked for State Mutual Savings and Loan. He was the V.P.
Manager at Union Bank when he retired in 1991.
In California, he was a member of the Rotary Club, the Conches Club of San Pedro Hospital Foundation and the United States Golf Association. He was active in the Chamber of Commerce, YMCA and Meals on Wheels. He and his wife moved to Grants Pass in 1993.
In Grants Pass, Mr. Babcock was a member and deacon of Bethany Presbyterian Church, where he participated in church functions including the Mariners, the Bethany Helpers, the May Breakfast, and ushering and counting collection money. He and his wife enjoyed traveling and were
members of the Bethany Church Holy Rovers and the Good Sams Club.
He enjoyed reading, golfing, bowling and fishing.
Survivors, in addition to his wife of 32 years, include two daughters, Linda MacAfee, Sandpoint, Idaho, and Debbie Barnes, Minden, Nev.; a stepdaughter, Valarie Ducher, Huntington Beach, Calif.; a stepson, William McDonald, Grants Pass; his mother, Olive Babcock, Grants Pass; and six
grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Jeffrey Scott.
Arrangements: Lundberg’s L.B. Hall Funeral Home, Grants Pass.
Bernerd Lee Beck Sr.
The memorial service for Bernerd Lee Beck Sr. will be at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Eagle Point. His ashes will be placed on his mother’s grave in Cave Junction at a later date.
Mr. Beck, 64, of Eagle Point, died March 29, 2003, in an automobile accident at the intersection of Highway 140 and Kershaw Road.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Make A Wish Foundation, 5139 S.W. West Gate Drive, Suite 222, Portland OR 97221, www.orwish.org or at any US Bank in Oregon.
He was born Feb. 10, 1939, in Corvallis, to Theodore and Clara Bell Beck. He attended public schools in Corvallis and vocational training as a millwright/welder. On May 5, 1957, in Reno, Nev., he married Donna Porter. He moved to the Rogue Valley from Cave Junction in 1965, and lived
in Eagle Point until his death.
Mr. Beck worked at Medford Molding and Delah Timber (Medco) in White City until 1986. He was self-employed in construction as Agate Earth Movers from 1986 until his retirement in 1996.
He was a member of the National Rifle Association.
Mr. Beck enjoyed restoring and rebuilding old cars and trucks, gardening and farming, hunting and fishing and camping.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include four sons, Bernerd Lee Jr., and Daniel T., both White City, Alan K., Central Point, and Nathan D., Eagle Point; and 14 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a grandchild, Travis Aarron Beck; five brothers, Carl, Herb, Lloyd, Lewis and Harold;
and five sisters, Dora, Deloris, Beatrice, Leona and Theoda.
Arrangements: Perl Funeral Home, Medford.
W. Brooks Griffith
The memorial service for W. Brooks Griffith, M.D., will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the family home, 3156 Rogue River Highway, Gold Hill.
Dr. Griffith, 73, of Gold Hill, died Sunday (April 6, 2003) at his home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Jackson County Chapter, 31 W. Sixth St., Medford, OR 97504.
He was born July 21, 1929, in Portland. He graduated from Reed College in 1953 and from the University of Oregon Medical School (now Oregon Health and Science University) in 1957. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, a doctorate in medicine and a master of science degree in
pharmacology. He completed his internship in Texas and his residency in San Francisco.
From 1961 to 1965, Dr. Griffith served in the military as chief of neuropsychiatry services at the U.S. Army hospital in Munich, Germany. From 1965 to 1974, he had a private psychiatry practice in Fullerton, Calif., and was a clinical instructor at Orange County Medical Center and the
University of California School of Medicine at Irvine. From 1967 to 1969, he was also the medical director/chief of staff at Brea Neuropsychiatry Hospital.
In 1974, Dr. Griffith moved to Hawaii, where he worked for the State of Hawaii Mental Health Division on Kauai and Hawaii islands. On Dec. 9, 1978, in Keauhou-Kona, Hawaii, he married Kathleen Jump, who survives. He had a private psychiatry practice from 1985 until his retirement in
1993, when he moved to Gold Hill.
He enjoyed working on his computer, watching sporting events and golfing. In Hawaii, he enjoyed sailing.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include two daughters, Linda Weaver, Placerville, Calif., and Terece Wisniewski, Corona, Calif.; three sons, Steven, Ontario, Calif., Monty, Statesville, N.C., and David, Fullerton, Calif.; a brother, David L., Eugene; and five grandchildren.
Arrangements: Southern Oregon Cremation Services, Inc. Grants Pass.
Connor Paris Sutherland
The memorial service for Connor Paris Sutherland will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Grants Pass Mennonite Brethren Church. The Rev. Lowell Stutzman will officiate.
Connor, 5, of Medford, died Monday (April 7, 2003) in Grants Pass.
He was born June 9, 1997, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and had lived in Medford since he was born.
Conner attended kindergarten at Lone Pine Elementary School in Medford.
He enjoyed watching the planes come and go at the airport, playing at the beach and at his grandmother’s home in Grants Pass, and listening to Scottish bagpipe music.
Survivors include his mother, Laurie Sutherland, Medford; and his grandmother, Virginia Sutherland, Grants Pass.
Arrangements: Lundberg’s L.B. Hall Funeral Home, Grants Pass.
Frances Loleta ‘Lita’ Briery
The memorial service for Frances Loleta "Lita" Briery will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at White City Christian Church. Lyle McGaw will officiate.
Mrs. Briery, 88, of White City, died April 3, 2003, at Rogue Valley Medical Center.
Memorial contributions may be made to the White City Christian Church, 3100 Antelope Road, White City, OR 97503.
She was born Aug. 15, 1914, in Modesto, Calif., to William and Martha (Sumner) Appling. On Oct. 10, 1937, in Riverbank, Calif., she married Lincoln Briery, who survives. They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1977 from Oceano, Calif.
Mrs. Briery was a homemaker most of her life, but had worked as a clerk and mail carrier at the U.S. Post Office in Oceano for many years.
She had been a church organist in Riverbank and Oceano and at the White City Christian Church. She took up the saxophone at age 70, and played the sax in the Upper Rogue Community Band. Additionally, she played a regular guitar left-handed.
Mrs. Briery enjoyed music, traveling and spending time with her family.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, include four sons, Ronald Briery, Eagle Point, Gary Briery, Oakdale, Calif., Virgil "Gig" Briery, Camden, Ark., and Leroy Quigley, Modesto, Calif.; 12 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by five sisters and a
brother.
Arrangements: Rogue Valley Funeral Alternatives and Crematory.
Criss A. Dizick Jr.
The memorial service for Criss A. Dizick Jr. will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Eagle Point National Cemetery.
Mr. Dizick, 68, of Medford, died April 2, 2003, in Medford.
He was born Jan. 18, 1935, in Stella, Wash., to Chris Sr. and Helen (Andrus) Dizick.
Mr. Dizick worked in lumber mills. He lived in the Rogue Valley for 15 years.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1956, and in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1960.
Survivors include two sons, Criss III, Deer Island, and Kelly, Portland; a daughter, Tara Dahl; five brothers, Galen, Medford, Pete, Phoenix, Perry, Grand Ronde, Paul and Pravel; three sisters, Carolyn Charlie, Medford, Patricia Marrington, Brookings. and Bojanna Barker, Sonora, Calif.; and
two grandchildren.
Arrangements: Conger-Morris Funeral Directors, Medford.
Wendell Ray Beaney
Wendell Ray Beaney, 81, of Medford, died Sunday (April 6, 2003) at his home. No service is planned. Inurnment will be in Memory Gardens Memorial Park mausoleum.
He was born July 22, 1921, in Dickinson Center, N.Y. He graduated from the University of Maine, and was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. On Feb. 8, 1977, in Kobe, Japan, he married Hiroko Kaneko, who survives. They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1986 from Japan.
Mr. Beaney served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II.
He was an engineer with Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Co. for more than 30 years, working in Japan and the United States. The Beaneys moved to Medford after he retired from the company.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include a son, David Wendell, Hampden, Maine; a daughter, Cheryl Ann Berube, Bangor, Maine; and two sisters, Clara Beaney, in Canada, and Edith Beaney, in Florida; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Arrangements: Memory Gardens Mortuary, Medford.
Virginia Norcross
Virginia Norcross, 78, of Medford, died Tuesday (April 8, 2003) at Providence Medford Medical Center. Arrangements will be announced by Rogue Valley Funeral Alternatives and Crematory.
Edith F. White
Edith F. White, 84, of White City, died Wednesday (April 9, 2003, at Providence Medford Medical Center. Arrangements will be announced by Abbey Funeral, Medford.
Larry Paul Allen
Larry Paul Allen, 26, of Central Point, died Tuesday (April 8, 2003) in Central Point. Arrangements will be announced by Rogue Valley Funeral Alternatives and Crematory.
Bettie Anita Pitts
Bettie Anita Pitts, 103, of Trail, died Wednesday (April 9, 2003) at a local foster home. Arrangements will be announced by Memory Gardens Mortuary, Medford.
