In memoriam: Funeral notices, September 11, 2022

Juanita V. Bernal 96 years old, born February 26, 1926, passed away on September 4, 2022 in her home surrounded by her family. She leaves behind her children Monica Bainum (Lee), Raymond Bernal Jr. (Cherie), Ricardo Bernal, Irma Bernal (David), as well as many grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren. Mother was an extremely strong woman, years ahead of her time and had a very good and long career with Southern Pacific Railroad. Her career began at the early age of 17 when she passed the Telegrapher Operator exam. She retired at 60 years old. On July 18, 1943 mother took the NO. 5 passenger train out of El Paso, TX and was off to Bosque, AZ for her first day as a telegrapher operator. She bounced around for two years until 1945 when she landed her first job in Sentinel, AZ. Many telegraph operators would be quite due to not being able to adjust to all the moving around that required constant packing and unpacking of belongings. She was alone, it was just her and the 3 x 5 metal chest the railroad had given her when she hired on. So she would pack and unpack to go and be where they needed her to be. It was there in Sentinel, AZ that she would meet the Romero family and eventually our father Raymond V. Bernal. They were to be married in July of 1945. At the time he was a foreman for the railroad and they provided them and outfit car. It consisted of one bedroom, a small kitchen with a wood stove for cooking and heating. They would live in the cars from 1945 to 1952. In 1952 they moved to Hyder, AZ for a new job father received along with their first company housing. They lived there until 1957, when they moved to Tucson, AZ, built their first home and raised their family. Visitation will be September 19, 2022 at MARTINEZ FUNERAL CHAPELS (2580 S. 6th Ave Tucson, AZ) from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., followed by a Rosary and Mass at Holy Family Church at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at Holy Hope Cemetery. Celebration of Life to follow all services. Arrangements by Martinez Mortuary.

Hobart (Hobie) Dee Crawford Sr., 93 of Tucson Az. passed away peacefully with his family by his side on August 26, 2022.  Born May 1, 1929 to parents Samuel and Edna Crawford in Pilot Point Tx. He is preceded in death by his sister Pat Hancock of Mexia Tx. He served in the Army as a communications specialist and after attended college and graduated with his degree in Electrical Engineering. He made his career in the field of defense and aerospace electronics and retired from Hughes Aircraft. Beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather and husband Hobie is survived by his devoted wife of 70 years Mildred Lee Crawford. Preceded in death by his oldest son Hobart D. Crawford Jr. (wife Cecilia) of San Diego CA. He is survived by his sons Michael H. Crawford of Tucson and Howard (Red) L. Crawford (wife Teresa) of Tucson. He was blessed with 13 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren who fondly called him Papa. Hobie loved camping, boating and water skiing. He spent many years on the lakes of Arizona and was still popping up on skis at age 60!  He loved fishing and enjoyed several trips to Sitka Alaska to deep sea fish with his sons. Hobie loved travel and RV'ing. He and Millie took many trips across the country in their RV to see friends and family and also joined their grandchildren on camping trips to the White Mountains of Arizona. He was an avid reader and enjoyed a good game of poker. He was a huge U of A Wildcat basketball fan too. He gave of his time and volunteered in leadership roles at Tucson Medical Center, Streams in the Desert Lutheran church and served on the board at his retirement park.  He lived a long and full life and touched the hearts of many. He will be greatly missed! Services 9/15/2022 @ East Lawn Palms Mortuary, viewing @ 12:00pm services 12:30pm.

Chris, age 46, passed away in his Tucson home and was found on June 22, 2022. Chris was born May 14, 1976 in San Diego, CA to Michael and Susan Cummins. After graduating from Salpointe High School in 1994, Chris spent a year in the British Virgin Islands working as a divemaster and then as a certified scuba instructor. Chris went on to earn a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Arizona in 1999. After graduation, he spent 7 years working for Intuit in Tucson and then for Sprint. Chris loved music, scuba diving, dogs and Tai Chi. Chris is predeceased by his mother; and his grandparents Bonnie and Dick Cummins. He is survived by his father; brother Tim (Becca) Cummins; niece, Lydia Cummins; nephew, Ted Cummins; and his dog, Mako. Our family is grateful to know that Chris is finally at peace after suffering tremendously from mental illness. A Celebration of Life will be held at 4 PM on Sunday September 18, 2022 at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon, 6200 N. Club House Lane, Tucson. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to NAMI of Southern Arizona (National Alliance on Mental Illness)  www.namisa.org Arrangements by Angel Valley.   

Joel S. Empie, 87, of Tucson, AZ, passed away peacefully in the early morning of Thursday, September 1, 2022. An Arizona native born in Solomonville, AZ, in 1935, Joel was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 58 years Sandy (Johnson) Empie, four sons, Jeff Corrick of Hutchinson, KS; Don Empie of Phoenix, AZ; Joe Empie of Tucson, AZ; Rob Empie of Houston, TX; six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and his sister Ann Groves of Tubac, AZ. He was preceded in death by his parents Hal and Louise Empie, and his sister Halene Smith.   Joel earned his undergraduate degree at Arizona State University and graduate degree at the University of Kansas, both in Geology. His near 40-year career in the oil and gas industry took him around the world several times. Joel also served honorably in the U.S. Navy. An avid golfer, he spent much of his retirement as a rules official for the Arizona Golf Association. Arrangements by Desert Sunset. 

Robert Joseph Foley, Jr. was born on April 16th, 1950 in Oakland, California to Robert Sr. and Ethel Foley. He was welcomed into the family by his sister, Pat. Bobby grew up in Walnut Creek, California, a wonderful place where he loved to ride his bike through the hills near his home without worry. After graduating from Del Valle High School in 1968, Bob spent the summer traveling throughout Europe. He returned to attend school at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. In 1970 Bob joined the United States Air Force and was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. His time in the military was spent traveling to the different missile silos working as a Missile Electrician Tech. During this time, he met his bride, Linda. After his honorable discharge from the Military, Bob enrolled at the University of Arizona to further his education. This pivoted his career working for the Air Force as a civilian at AMARC, also known as "The Boneyard". While working his way up at AMARC, he was also enjoying his wonderful family life with Linda and their three boys, Bobby, David, and Nick. Bob thoroughly enjoyed his family time while running to 3 different Soccer games with 3 boys all playing at the same time. He was a proud soccer dad and coach which led to his dedicated involvement with the Ft. Lowell Shootout Tournament.   Time flew and Bob retired from AMARC in 2012; however, he did not retire from all the things he loved. Bob continued his dedicated service of over 30 years to Fort Lowell and he continued to make beautiful music with his "brothers from another mother", Johnny and Petey. Bob woke up every morning with a purpose, this was to help everyone and anyone, even cancer would not stop him. He fought hard for all who loved him and won. Bob decided when it was time to leave this world, not cancer!   On August 22nd, 2022, Bob sadly passed away. He is survived by his bride Linda, his 3 sons, Robert III and his wife Juanita, David and his wife Sarah, Nick and his wife Joyce, along with his 6 grandchildren Rob, Robert IV, Alastair, Desi, Alexzander and Jaxson. Additionally, he is survived by his sister Pat, brother and sister-in-law Garry and Rose, his nieces Tami, Vicki, and Bri, his nephew Max and his cousins. Bob was so grateful for the many friends and family who fulfilled his life and his heart.   Come celebrate his life with us at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, located at 300 N. Tanque Verde Loop Rd. Mass will be held at 10:00 am followed by refreshments from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Nancy (Dennes) Lauver Green passed away on August 27, 2022 at her longtime Tucson home.  Nancy was born in Healdsburg, California and was preceded in death by her parents R.R. (Pat) Dennes Sr., Bess Dennes and her brother R.R. Dennes Jr. Nancy's first husband, Jack Lauver, passed away in 1995.  Nancy married Ellery C. Green in 2001, when they were each 75 years young.  Both were members of the Southern Arizona Hiking Club and led many hikes that often ended with an ice cream party at Nancy's cabin in Willow Canyon on Mt. Lemmon.  Nancy and Ellery enjoyed 18 years together until his death in July of 2019.     Nancy graduated from the University of Arizona and retired from the University Science Library.  She is survived by three daughters, Lynn Baumeister (Richard), Lorri Davidson (Dale), and Nancy Siani (Dan), six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Nancy was a talented artist whose eye for color and design was clearly shown in her weavings, home décor and garden design.    Many thanks to Taylor Circle of Friends, especially Jessica.  A family gathering in Nancy's memory is planned. Arrangements by Adair.

Jerry A. Kotulla MD died unexpectedly on March 29, 2022 in Asheville, NC.  He was born in Chicago, IL on January 9, 1949.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Norbert J. Kotulla and Katherine M. Kotulla (Simon) and his brother Michael J. Kotulla (Vietnam).  Jerry is survived by his sister, Wendy M. Kotulla (Lori K. Rieth) and numerous friends and extended family.  Jerry initially earned a degree in electrical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and worked several years in the 1970's at Sargent and Lundy before changing the path of his life.  He graduated from the University of Illinois medical school in 1985.  In 1991 he left Chicago to pursue his Pain Management specialty.  Those studies culminated at University of Arizona in the mid 1990's where he also came to love Tucson and the desert.  His career took him to TX, SC and Johnson City, TN.  He established a private practice there and expanded to Arden, Tryon and Mars Hill, NC.  He retired in March 2021 after more than 30 years as an MD and was looking forward to spending his retirement in Tucson with friends and family.  We know his spirit is here.  A virtual and in person Celebration of Life is planned for October 8, 2022.  Arrangement by Western Carolina Mortuary.

Beverly Joan Liechty (Tipton), 83, of Tucson, AZ, died unexpectedly on July 15, 2022. She was born on March 12, 1939. Beverly graduated from Tucson High in 1957, attended the UofA and was a lifelong Wildcat fan.  She is survived by her four daughters, Kimberly Dangremond (John), Kelly Kennedy (John), Kristen Willbrandt, Kassandra Oberdank, her six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and her sister Dianne Hunsaker. Beverly was happiest when surrounded by her family and friends. A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 17, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at the Liechty residence. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her name to the Pima Animal Care Center, 4000 N Silverbell Rd., Tucson, Arizona, 85745. Arrangements by Hudgel's Swan Funeral Home. 

Joe McDermott, longtime Tucson resident and Arizona Daily Star copy editor who set rigorous standards for that exacting work, died September 2, 2022, at 75. McDermott joined the Star's copy desk in 1977 and retired in 2012. During those years, he worked as a copy-editing supervisor and overall news editor in addition to editing stories. Yet it was his accomplishments as a copy editor that quickly cemented his newsroom reputation for exactitude and creativity. Reporters knew that if Joe was the copy editor assigned to their stories, the resulting work put them firmly on solid ground. He is survived by two sisters, one brother, two sons and a daughter, six grandchildren and 11 nieces and nephews. His wife, Kathy, died in 2017. Plans for a memorial are pending. . . . What do copy editors do, exactly? Oh, they're proofreaders, you say. Well, you're about 10 percent right. There's a lot more to it. In addition to checking for typographical errors, copy editors must read for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. Crucially, they must also read for content, making sure stories are fair, accurate and free of libel. That done, they write the headlines and, if necessary, photo captions. All this is performed on deadline. Francis Joseph McDermott began his career in Pontiac, Mich., just north of Detroit, said his son Michael. In college he worked for the sports information desk, recording scores of local events. When he landed on the Star's copy desk all those decades ago, he immediately raised the bar for all aspects of editing. His ability to recall events of many years past left other editors wondering, "Who is this guy? He must remember his own birth." Thus, he acquired his nickname, Univac. "Joe was nicknamed Univac for a reason," recalled Peter Sibley, an editing supervisor who worked on the desk with McDermott for 30 years. Like those early computers, the flesh-and-blood McDermott "could work fast and accurately as deadlines bore down, and his knowledge of regional arcana was legendary." Jill Jorden Spitz, the Star's editor, agrees: "Joe seemed to know everything about everything, and was our newsroom's go-to guy for practically any question that came up. He knew about it, had seen or experienced it, and usually had a story about it. His co-workers respected him for his immense skill level and adored him for his sense of humor and gigantic heart." Added George Campbell, former copy desk chief: "Joe rejected what he saw as the somewhat uppity title 'journalist' — he preferred 'newspaperman.' And he was one of the best, with a mind that never forgot a fact or the spelling of a name, and a sly sense of humor that rose to the challenge when a headline needed a light touch or a pun." Former copy editor and news editor Bill Betterton noted this recurring theme among those who knew Joe. "It was amazing how much he could recall. ... He was a wonderful person to work with." Former page designer Jeanette Wah-Duffy remembered his friendliness. He loved to just chat about anything and everything, she said. Joe and Kathy had a soft spot for dogs, having fostered dozens over nearly 30 years. "They cared for so many dogs that we joked about McDermotts' Menagerie," related Debbie Kornmiller, a recently retired Star senior editor. A rescue named Jake was with Joe until the end. Said Ron Solomon, who worked side-by-side with McDermott for 35 years: "If there's a newspaper in heaven, The Boss just hired the best copy editor in creation."

Michael Kevin Moore, age 78, of Tucson, Arizona passed away on July 31, 2022. His sons Tim, Chris, and Dennis were nearby at his death. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 56 years, Betsey Sheldon Moore. Mike reunited with his wife on what would have been their 57th wedding anniversary.   Born in Flushing, NY in 1943, he was the son of the late John Martin Moore and Margaret Ann Farrell. He graduated from high school in Newburgh, NY and met Betsey during their Sophomore year. He went on to graduate from Columbia University in 1965 and later earned a Master's Degree from New York University. While at Columbia he joined Beta Theta Pi fraternity where he made many lifelong friends that he kept in touch with until his passing.   Mike was the recipient of the NAVY ROTC scholarship at Columbia that launched his military career and love for aviation. He graduated from Naval Aviation Flight Training in 1966 and flew the P-3C Orion. Mike retired from the Navy Reserve in 1993 as Captain. After active duty, Mike embarked on a career in the business aviation industry where he served in various executive leadership positions. In 2008, while on a bike ride outside of San Francisco, Mike was in an accident that resulted in him living the remaining years of his life as a quadriplegic. During these years Mike displayed perseverance, hope, determination, and toughness. The way Mike lived his life under these difficult circumstances was an inspiration to his family and loved ones.   Mike is preceded in death by his wife Betsey Sheldon Moore. He is survived by his sons Timothy Moore (Kandace Jackson) of Austin, TX, Christopher Moore (Laurie) of Nokomis, FL, Dennis Moore (Mandy) of St. Louis, MO, his six grandchildren Ryleigh, Halle, Brooke, Kelsey, Todd, and Kevin, his brothers Patrick, Terrence, Mark, and Shawn, and sisters Mary and Maggie. Arrangements by Hudgel's.   

Gilda Aguirre Pellon passed into Heaven on August 23, 2022, in Albuquerque New Mexico. She was born January 17, 1927, into a pioneer family from Tucson Arizona. Her roots were in the Old Pueblo where she met her husband and best friend Louis. After graduating from Tucson High, they started their family. She was preceded in death by her daughter Glorianna Hector, and her husband of 64 years, Louis M. Pellon Jr. She leaves behind her son Louis Pellon III, of Albuquerque New Mexico (Matt) and her brother, Gilbert Aguirre, of San Juan Capistrano. She was also blessed with 5 Grandchildren: Andrea, Johnny, Valerie, Danielle, and Erik as well as 13 Great- Grandchildren. Gilda was a career banker in Tucson, working with Tucson's historic institutions such as Valley Bank and Southern Arizona Bank and Trust for 40 years. She was a lifetime member of Unit 7 Auxiliary of the American Legion.  Her passion was in the Legion's Arizona Girls State Program. Gilda will join her late husband Louis in a private service at Holy Hope Cemetery in Tucson. Her family requests, donations in her memory be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Arizona.  

Polly Locascio passed on 8/26/22 she was born near New Orleans to immigrant farmers & merchants who became successful citizens across US. Polly, 1st college educated woman in family, taught at Ursuline helping working women. 1951 Polly married Jack Richards & thrived military life 20+ yrs, raising 4 kids. 1971 Polly moved to Rolling Hills & supported St. Francis' Parish. 1975 they made 2 businesses here w/projects across the Americas. Her co. made the copper entries at St Francis. Polly spent last few yrs at Cascades with a smile. Being a true Southern Belle always dressed colorfully fully made up, Polly loved socializing with friends. She appreciated her caregivers & survived 5 waves of Covid. Preceded in death by husband Jack sister Marie son Mark & granddaughter Erika. Surviving brothers Sal/Carol & Joe/Marion; Children Gail/Clayton Marcia & John/D'vora 9 Grandkids 7 Great-Grands + 2 in oven! Funeral Mass Sept 28 10am St Francis de Sales Church 1375 S Camino Seco Tucson 85710. Burial/Memorial to follow.