In Memoriam
In Memory of our classmates who are no longer with us...
Class of 1967
Harry Bradley*Bruce Carpenter*John Drinkward
Stephanie Ferguson*Dave Guerrero* Joel Komjathy
Chris Linden*Diane Malloy*Linda Schankman
Bob Tillmanns,*Annette Whisenhunt*Marcia Weitzberg
Class of 1968
Kathy Skirvin Bassler*Gloria Rice Bender * Ernie Bode*Bruce Cherry
Ken Clark*Paula Combs*Diane Dauria
Beth Hirst Eddington*Ken Genser*Dr. Ron Gordon
Roger Griffith*Ken Halpern*Don Magruder
Dan Meehan*Elaine Messenger*Teresa Ramsey
John Riley*Nancy Siegel*Leslie Simon
Mark Spivak*Clark Ullery*Barbara Wall,
Sheri Walters*Tim Wilson*William Wilson
Ken Genser died in January 2010. Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Pam O'Connor issued the following statement:
“It is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our Mayor Ken Genser, an indefatigable champion for quality of life in Santa Monica. Ken distinguished himself with a fierce intellect, passion for progressive social policy and compassion for people. He served the Santa Monica community throughout his lifetime and will be greatly missed.”
Genser was a fourth-generation Santa Monica resident who first became active in politics when the federal Housing and Urban Development Department unveiled plans to alter the historic Sea Castle residence on the Santa Monica shore, where Genser lived at the time. From there, he helped found the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, becoming active in housing issues.
By the mid-1980s, he was a member of the city Planning Commission and became a director of the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp. His opposition to large-scale plans for commercial development in the city propelled him into his first City Council race in 1988. Fellow council members elected him to serve as mayor three times.
Submitted by Andrea (Berman) Radis July 15, 2013
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Joel G. Komjathy
Class of 1967
Passed away
12/7/07
He is survived by two daughters Jessica and Jennifer, and his wife Bonnie.
Thank you.
Elizabeth J. Komjathy Lund
class of 1968
(his sister)
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Diane Dauria-Smith
10/20/50-12/25/2012
Early on this past Christmas morning 2012, Diane Dauria-Smith passed peacefully away.. Diane was such a special person to those that knew and loved her. Always smiling, even in the hardest of times. Those of you from the Class of 68 , may recall that day in April 1966, when Diane was riding on the back of a motorcycle and was gravely injured. At just 15 1/2 years old, her life changed forever. She fought the biggest battle . fighting for her life and she won...She recovered from most of her injuries and was given a "second chance at life". She was blessed with a beautiful daughter Whitney, and her grandson, Mason. She was a wonderful "little" sister to her siblings, Doreen, Doran and Denise and a loving Aunt to numerous nieces and nephews. Though her life was sometimes very trying, she always had the attitude that "life was good". She overcame so much and never gave up. She found great happiness in life. She treasured the friendships she maintained with some of her IHS classmates for over 50 years. She had a happy life and was such a inspiration to so many.
She is deeply missed but never far from our hearts.
Submitted by Denise Dauria Woolsey April 14, 2013
Ron Gordon 1950-2006
Judy Gordon says her husband Ron, DDS '76, died before he could complete his mission in dentistry.
That's what inspired her to name UCSF as the beneficiary of the IRA she inherited from him. Her gift will establish an endowed scholarship fund in the School of Dentistry. "By enabling other people to practice dentistry, I hope that they will carry out some of the things Ron didn't get to do, and to continue the things that he did," she says.
He practiced in Palo Alto for 30 years, served as president of the Mid-Peninsula Dental Society, and volunteered for dental peer review – a conflict resolution system between dentists and their patients. But perhaps Ron's greatest impact was on his own patients.
An avid bicyclist, skier and windsurfer, Ron was known for living life to its fullest. When he died in a cycling accident in June 2006, approximately 40 people, mostly patients, posted fond memories of him on the website Palo Alto Online. One longtime patient wrote, "His gentle touch and obvious skill made difficult dental work a snap. His humor and warmth were unfailing."
"He was an excellent dentist," Judy reflects. "He was always trying to do what was best for his patients, versus what was profitable. He didn't sell dentistry. He would discount his fees for those who couldn't afford the dental work they needed – from our babysitter, to a friend of a patient, to the mechanic at the local body shop. He did as much as he could afford to do, and he wanted to do more."
