Obituaries

LOU ANN PILKINGTON April 2, 1924 – Aug. 31, 2014

Dr. Lou Ann Pilkington, 90, of New York City and lately of Los Alamos, NM, passed away on Sunday, August 31, 2014.

She was born April 2, 1924 in Wichita, Kansas, the second daughter of Le Roy Ruben Pilkington and Gertrude Fern Hunt Pilkington. She was an excellent swimmer and excelled in table tennis.

The family later moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma where she graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1942. Lou Ann attended Okmulgee Junior College and worked as a sports reporter on The Okmulgee Daily Times, the first daily in Oklahoma’s history to entrust its Read More

MICHELE “MICKI” LEGER June 27, 1942 – Sept. 6, 2014

Michele “Micki” Leger, 72, a longtime resident of Sapello, NM, passed away on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at Christus St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe, NM.

She was born in Albuquerque, NM in June 27, 1942 to Arthur Naylon Morgan, Jr. and Dorothy Jamison. She first lived in Santa Fe then eventually moved up the “Hill” to Los Alamos, NM. She and her siblings grew up with the many canyons of Los Alamos as their backyard and playground. She graduated from Los Alamos High as a Hilltopper in 1960. She then went on to Mercy School of Nursing in Davenport, Read More

FRED ROACH Oct. 5, 1946 – Sept. 2, 2014

Fred Roach, age 67, completed his final journey among us on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 in Los Alamos. Fred accepted the challenges caused by Glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer with grace and courage.

Fred was born to James Maurice Roach and Mary Glendon King Roach on October 5, 1946 in Chillicothe, Missouri. He was officially named James Fredric Roach, but was always called Fred. Fred was big brother to Steve, Cydne, David and Jacque. His family moved often during his youth, but the time he spent in Bloomington, Minnesota during junior high school and high Read More

SALLY A. MILLIGAN Oct. 16, 1939 – Aug. 29, 2014

On August 29, 2014 Sally E. Milligan, 74, of Los Alamos, N.M., was called home to be with the Lord. 

Sally died peacefully at home surrounded by her family. She was born on October 16, 1939 in Long Beach, Calif., to Victor P. Waters and Ethel V. Waters. Sally married Donald F. Milligan on November 25, 1959 in San Diego, Calif., She studied at UNM-LA and enjoyed working for Los Alamos Schools.

Sally was a compassionate woman who believed in taking care of people and especially enjoyed all of the children she had in her life. Whether it was as a Cub Scout Read More

TORIN DEAN MCWHORTER Aug. 25, 2014 – Aug. 25, 2014

Torin Dean McWhorter passed away Monday Aug. 25, 2014.

Torin is survived by his parents Shawn McWhorter and Carrie Mann-Adair, five sisters, Jessie, Cora, Leah, Ana and Teagan, Uncle Kevin Mann, grandparents Lewis McWhorter, David and Antoinette Mann, Tom and Sue Garcia, and Connie Middleton.

Services will be 11:30 a.m. Thursday Sept. 4 at The Christian Church, 92 East Road in Los Alamos, N.M.
A private burial will follow shortly after service.

If love is all he ever needed, he would have lived forever. Read More

JOHN WILLIAM STANHOPE Oct. 2, 1919–Aug. 26, 2014

John William Stanhope passed away peacefully on August 26, 2014, after a brief illness, he was 94 year old. He was born in Cedar, Kansas to John and Elise Stanhope, on October 2, 1919.

John met the love of his life, Natalie in 1939 and were married on December 24, 1942. They were married for 70 ½ years until she passed away on July 12, 2012.

John was a Pearl Harbor Survivor during WWII, and was a Chief Machinist Mate on the U.S.S. Tennessee Battleship. He served in the Navy for 6 years and then moved to Ellsworth, Kansas. In 1951, he got a job at Zia Company working Read More

ANTHONY (TONY) PASQUARIELLO Aug. 20, 2014

Anthony (Tony) Pasquariello, 61, of Santa Fe, passed away at home surrounded by family on Aug. 20, 2014 from cancer.

He is survived by his wife Debra, his daughter Nicole, his son Blaise and his sister Roseann.

He worked at Los Alamos Laboratory as a nachinist from 1979 – 2007 and at Yeamans Machine shop until 2013.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for  2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Santa Fe Capital Grill. Read More

JAMES F. TAYLOR Sept. 4, 1934 – Aug. 9, 2014

A graveside funeral service for James Taylor, age 79, of Los Alamos, New Mexico, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014 in the Greenleaf Cemetery.

Mr. Taylor died Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014 in Abilene Regional Medical Center of congestive heart failure.

Heartland Funeral Home of Early is in charge of arrangements.

James Franklin Taylor was born Sept. 4, 1934 in Brownwood, Texas to Frank and Lois Koger Taylor. James graduated from Brownwood High School in 1952 and attended Texas Tech University and Dallas College of Southern Methodist University. Read More

EDRA L. CHILDERS Jan. 10, 1924 – Aug. 8, 2014

A funeral service will be held for Edra L. Childers, 90, of Roswell at 11:15 a.m., Wednesday, August 13, 2014 in the Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, NM. He passed away on Friday, August 8, 2014.

Edra was born January 10, 1924 to A.N. Childers and Ruby B. McNeil in Rencona, NM. He was a very kindhearted and giving person, retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1982 and moved to Roswell.

He is survived by a brother, Johnny Childers, a sister, Bonnie French and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Childers; his parents Read More

EDITH SHEARER POTTER OCT. 27, 1920 – Aug. 3, 2014

Edith Potter passed away on August 3rd, 2014 in Santa Fe, NM after a brief illness. She had been a sixty-seven year resident of Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Edith was born October 27, 1920. Although raised on a farm near Goobertown, Arkansas, she followed a family tradition of education, teaching schoolchildren of all ages and coaching girl’s basketball until she volunteered to serve in the Dept. of the Navy in Washington, DC during WWII.

Edith had her eye on her future husband, Donald Potter when they sang in the choir of the Paragould, Arkansas Read More

WALTON P. ELLIS July 30, 2014

Walton P. Ellis, PhD, 82, a resident of Los Alamos, passed away on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 after a courageous fight with Leukemia. He was preceded in death by his wife, Martha Lou (Grove) Ellis; parents, Dan and Alpha Ellis; brothers, Joe and Oris Ellis and nephew, Jim Ellis.

Walt graduated with a Bachelors in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1953. He was awarded his PhD in Chemistry by the University of Chicago in 1957. He and Martha Lou married on November 4, 1956 and moved to Los Alamos in July of 1957 to start their lives together. Walt was a research Read More

KRYSTAL RAE FINNEY VERNON May 20, 1982 – July 21, 2014

Krystal Rae Finney (Kryssie Vernon) of Los Alamos (formerly of Roswell, NM) passed away in her sleep July 21, 2014.

Born May 20, 1982 in Lawton, Okla., she is survived by her husband Mark Vernon; her mother and father, Leandra and Herb Finney; brother, Andrew Finney; sister, Adair Buck; niece Ashlee Marie Buck, brother in-law Roger Buck; grandparents, Clif and Billie Mann; aunt and uncle, Gae and Sonny Mann, and niece Sunny Leanne Mann; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Joyce and Carl Vernon, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bill and Tracey Read More

WILLIAM FRANK HICKS Oct. 11, 1925 – July 16, 2014

William Frank Hicks, 88, died Wednesday July 16, 2014 at his Montrose, Colo., home.  Bill was born Oct. 11, 1925 in Hollis, Okla., to Homer and Lottie Hicks. 

In 1943 Bill enlisted in the Air Force and served in the European Theater during WWII. In 1949 he married his wife Mickie and moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico where he made careers as a firefighter and a laboratory technician. Bill was a Past Master of the Los Alamos Masonic Lodge. 

Bill is survived by his wife Mickie, daughter Deb (Steve) Vining, son Les (Charlotte) Hicks, four grand Read More

EMILY MARES-LANG July 21, 2014

My beloved Wife, Emily Mares-Lang, 73, a native of Taos, NM, went to be with the Lord on July 21, 2014.

She died at St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico of a head trauma after a reckless driver hit her while she was walking.

Emily grew up on La Loma in Taos surrounded by her three sisters, Mom and Dad and neighbors who were all called Tio and Tia. As a young woman Emily was a talented seamstress who taught herself ine tecnniques of making her own cloths.

Family and friends knew her as a person who was totally generous, kind, thoughtful, and charitable. She cherished her Read More

MAX BRINKMAN (aka Maxene Beckman) Dec. 20, 1925 – June 30, 2014

Max Brinkman of Eagle, Idaho passed away peacefully on Monday, June 30, 2014 at the age of 88. She was born in San Diego, Calif., Dec. 20, 1925.

She was a longtime resident of Los Alamos and worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for more than 20 years.

Max was an avid tennis player. Once during a tennis match, Max fell and hurt her wrist but didn’t stop playing until she had won the match. Later she discovered she’d broken her wrist. She also loved to ski and taught her two granddaughters ages 2 and 4 to ski.

Max is survived by her three children, Read More

SIMON A. BERGAUER Feb. 20, 1917–July 20, 2014

Simon “Sy” A. Bergauer entered into his well deserved rest on July 20, 2014 at the age of 97.

Sy was born February 20, 1917 to Simon and Katherine Bergauer in St. Louis, Mo. Growing up he enjoyed baseball, fishing and just being outdoors with his brother, sister and friends. 

Sy was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Edward Bergauer, a sister, Emma Bergauer, a nephew in law, Rod Slocum, a grandchild Rodney Bergauer and a grandnephew, Ricky Wells.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Olive Mae Bergauer, son Timothy and wife Rhea, grand-son Read More

GILDA MARGARET KAVE May 28, 1946 – July 14, 2014

Gilda Kave of Los Alamos, passed away on Monday, July 14, 2014 at the age of 68.. She was born in Paterson, N.J. May 28, 1946,  She was a longtime resident of Allentown/Bethlehem Pa. and moved to Los Alamos in 1979. She was a nurse at Los Alamos Medical Center for more than 20 years and most recently was a nurse at Aspen Ridge. 

She was preceded in death by her mother, Regina Verzino (Noti) and her father, William John Verzino. She is survived by her four children, Jill Mayo, Gina Smith, Anthony Kave and Dominic Kave; her brother, William Verzino Read More

ARTHUR SUMNER NICHOLS April 14, 2014

Arthur Sumner Nichols Jr., 85, died April 14, 2014 of natural causes following a long illness.

Art, a longtime resident of Los Alamos was preceded in death by his wife of over 60 years, Mary and his sister Patricia Nagel. He is survived by his children: Mary K. Nolte; Arthur S. Nichols; Patricia Ricci; Joe Nichols; and Jane Nichols. Grandchildren: Meaghan Nolte, Alexandra Nichols, Spencer Nichols, Kirk Rohrig, David Ricci, Sarah Nichols and Matthew Nichols and his sister Claire Howard of Mashpee, Mass.

Art was a teacher at Los Alamos High School in the 1950’s Read More

DAVID W. STEINHAUS July 29, 1919 – July 9, 2014

David W. Steinhaus, 94, a resident of Albuquerque, passed away peacefully on July 9, 2014. David was born in Neillsville, Wis., July 29, 1919.

His service in the army began in 1945. David’s military decorations included a Good Conduct Medal, American Theater Ribbon, Army Commendation Ribbon, and World War II Victory Ribbon. He was married to his loving wife, Jean, on January 1, 1949, in Hancock, Md. David earned a PhD in Physics at Johns Hopkins University in 1952.

Dave’s career included working at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a Read More

MELANIE FRETWELL June 25, 2014

Melanie Fretwell, 71 of Holmes Beach, Fla., passed away on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 from cancer.

She was born in West Germany and was the only member of her family to emigrate to the United States. While living in Manhattan Beach, Calif., she met James H. “Stretch” Fretwell. After she moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico and married Stretch, they raised two sons Bruce and Kirk (now 45 and 44 years old, respectively).

An energetic and social person, Melanie found a great challange in starting a travel agency in Los Alamos. Thanks to her vision, Pajarito Travel Read More

WENDELL GOFFE ARMOUR April 22, 1922  – June 26, 2014

Wendell Goffe Armour, a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army who served in World War II and the Korean War, died June 26, 2014 in Los Alamos, N.M. He was 92.

Armour died of old age, family members say. He was born April 22, 1922 in Paris. After his parents divorced, Armour moved to the United States and was raised by relatives of his American father. He attended South Hills High School in Pittsburgh, lettering in track. 

After graduating, Armour entered the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving in the South Pacific and Hawaii during World War II.

He Read More

JOHN R. DUMMER Oct. 30, 1959 – June 21, 2014

John R. Dummer made the longest day of the year his last day, but he was all about living life with gusto. Making people laugh was a gift and his passion.

John loved Los Alamos and was happy in the mountains and his small town. He embraced adventures and each was enjoyed with the enthusiasm of a little boy … rappelling off Peggy Sue Bridge, rafting rivers, motorcycling with friends, scary acrobatic skiing, taking pictures of flowers, and coaching the infamous Dummer Racing shovel racers.

He shared and recognized everyone on facebook, sent wonderful Read More

ROBERT D. KROHN Dec. 26 1919 – May 16, 2014

Robert Krohn of Los Lunas and Los Alamos passed away in May at the age of 94. Bob was born on December 26, 1919 in Milwaukee, Wis., to Hugh and Pauline Krohn. He attended the University of Wisconsin for both undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics.

Bob was offered a job at Los Alamos in 1943 to work on the Manhattan Project. He married Barbara Ann Rockwell, his college sweetheart, in 1943. He was one of the few scientists to witness the testing of the atomic bomb at Trinity Site on July 16, 1945. A decade later, Bob was the Task Commander for the explosion of Read More

BECKIE (BRADFORD) DIVEN Jan. 6, 1918 – June 17, 2014

Beckie (Bradford) Diven was born in Globe, Arizona, in 1918 and died in Albuquerque, New Mexico June 17, 2014. She was raised in Pasadena, California, and worked her way through college as a camp counselor in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and loved the outdoor life. 

After graduation, she worked at Caltech. While there, she helped develop a quartz fiber system for oxygen meters used in submarines. In 1943 she was asked to go to Berkeley and then to Los Alamos to help develop a quartz micro fiber balance for measuring plutonium. She fell in love Read More

DONALD ROSE April 6, 2014

Donald Rose, a longtime resident of Los Alamos, passed away on April 6, 2014, at the age of 91.

He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Elizabeth Rose. He is survived by his sister-in-law Rose McIlveen, his nephew Eric Woertz, his nieces Vicki Sue Fulkerson and Georgann Brooks and his grand-niece Elle Woertz Posten.

Don earned his Master’s degree in physical chemistry from Northwestern University and a doctorate in physical chemistry from Indiana University.

He spent two years as a supervisor of the chemistry laboratory at John’s Hopkins Read More

VICKI JO BIGGS June 11, 2014

Vicki Jo Biggs, 63, a resident of Los Alamos, passed away of natural causes Wednesday, June 11, 2014. She was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and May Belle Harman. 

Vicki was a resident of Los Alamos for 26 years. She was a dedicated special education teacher for 32 years and was a member of the White Rock United Methodist Church, where she played in the English Hand Bell Choir and was a member of the Church quilting group. 

Vicki also was a member of the Chapter AK, PEO Sisterhood. She enjoyed hiking, boating and she traveled extensively with her husband Read More

JOE ASA MARINER Sept. 3, 1923 – June 10, 2014

Joe Asa Mariner, 90, – soldier, scientist, musician, husband, and father – died peacefully at his home in Los Alamos, N.M., June 10, 2014, surrounded by family.

Mariner, who had lived in Los Alamos for 57 years, was born Sept. 3, 1923, in Jacksboro, Tenn., the son of George Washington Mariner and Nora Katherine Queener Mariner. He graduated from Jacksboro High School as valedictorian  in 1941.

He was in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946, during World War II, serving  in New Guinea and the Philippines. He spent more than 30 months in the South Pacific, Read More

DOROTHY K. HULL Jan. 1, 1922–June 2, 2014

Dorothy K. Hull, known by family and friends as Dot, passed away on June 2. Born on January 1, 1922, in Roanoke, Va., she was 92. 

Dot married Robert E. Hull on March 17, 1944 and settled in Ft. Thomas, Ky.  They raised three children there in the greater Cincinnati area. Dorothy was a fun-loving, outgoing, person with a great sense of humor.  She managed their fairly modest income wisely.  As a result of growing up during the depression, she knew how to stretch a dollar, but we never wanted for anything (besides a pony). 

She enjoyed Read More

THOMAS INTRATOR Feb. 5, 1952–June 3, 2014

Thomas Intrator of Los Alamos died at home on June 3, 2014. He will be sorely missed as a wonderful friend, mentor, father and husband.

He was born on February 5, 1952 in New York City to Joan and Charles Intrator. Thomas moved to Los Alamos with his family in 1999 to begin plasma physics research in P-24 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Previously he had been at the Nuclear Engineering research faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Tom’s lifelong guiding principle was to make the earth a better place than he found it. Survivors include his Read More

DONNA HILL Jan. 6, 1931 – May 31, 2014

Donna Hill died peacefully on May 31st, 2014 after many years of illness. Donna Marie Lord was born to J. Donald and Agnes Lord on January 6, 1931 in Ellsworth, Maine. She attended the University of Maine and what is now Husson College where she obtained an RN degree. Donna served at Eastern Maine General Hospital as Head Nurse on the surgical ward.

She married her husband, George Hill, in 1952 and supported him for his last two years in college. They lived in St. Albans, West Virginia for eight years and then moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1962.

Donna loved flowers Read More

DENNIS L. SCHOLFIELD July 15, 1941 – May 19, 2014

Dennis L. Schofield, 72, former Los Alamos resident and graduate of Los Alamos High School class of ’59, recently passed away at his home in Colorado. 

A memorial service for Dennis will be held at Overlook Park in White Rock at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7 followed by a reception at the home of Doug and Phyllis Pippin, 76 Hacienda Dr. in White Rock. Read More

NORA SODERBRG Jan. 29, 1918 – May 28, 2014

Eleanora Soderberg of Los Alamos died Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at the Sombrillo Nursing Facility.

She was born Jan. 29, 1918 in Ferry Hill, Sunderland, England. During World War II she was a staff sergeant in the British Army. While on leave in London, she met and later married Harold Soderberg.

In 1946, she emigrated to Brooklyn, N.Y. to be with her husband. They moved to northern New Jersey and lived there untill 1976. When Harold took an early retirement in 1976, they moved to Los Alamos.

Survivors include her daughter Marian Kirchner and grandson Geoffrey Read More