Year 2004

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February 2004

Cliff Beaty, Tampa, Fla., passed away December 28, 2003 at his residence. He had 32 years of service with the U. S. Government in Panama through the U.S. Army and as a Dipper Dredge Captain with the Panama Canal.

Edward Clifton Brown Sr., 87, passed away at his home in Midlothian, Va., on September 17, 2003, after a long illness. He went to the Canal Zone at age 8 and graduated from Cristobal High School. After college, he returned to the Canal Zone where he worked for 21 years for the Panama Railroad before returning to the states in 1951.

William F. Brown, 87, of St. Petersburg, Fla. died January 1, 2004 at Bayfront Medical Center under hospice care. He was a geodesist cartographer for IADS Defense Mapping Agency for 25 years in the Canal Zone.

Harry F. Butz of Springdale, Ark., passed away in early January 2004. He was Superintendent of the Mt. Hope Water Treatment Plant and the Marine Chemist for the Atlantic side.

John C. “Jack” Clay, 85, of Lancaster, Calif., passed away November 19, 2003. He was a member of the Panama Canal Society.

Captain Robert L. Currie, 77, of Dothan, Ala., died November 23, 2003, following a brief illness. He retired as Port Captain on the Atlantic side after 20 years of service in the Panama Canal Zone.

Janice Dryja of Los Banos, Calif., passed away November 24, 2003, after a long illness. She was married to Walter Dryja who died in 1999. She and Walter lived in the Canal Zone for 30 years until 1973. Her last position was with the Inter-American Geodetic Survey.

Norman A. Dugas, 80, of Spring Hill, Fla., died January 8, 2004 at Hernando-Pasco Hospital in Brooksville. He was born in Ancon, Canal Zone, graduated from Balboa High School in 1941, and moved to Baltimore, Md., in 1950 after marrying a Gorgas Hospital nurse, Doris K. Gleim.

Elizabeth “Betty” Bovay Elliott passed away October 8, 2003 in Richmond, Va. She was born in the Canal Zone.

Ruby Elizabeth Ford, 92, passed away on January 15, 2004, at Taylor Manor in Versailles, Ky. She went to Panama in March 1960 and was employed as an RN at Gorgas Hopsital. She retired in 1974 and relocated to St. Petersburg, Fla.

Frederick (Fritz) Frey of Tucson, Ariz., passed away December 14, 2003. He graduated from Balboa High School in 1942 and served as a U.S. naval officer during the Korean Conflict.

Basil Harrington (BHS’51) passed away on September 30, 2002, from a hernia complication. No other information is available.

Theodore C. Henter, 93, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died December 29, 2003. He worked as an engineer for the U. S. Government for 42 years in his native Panama Canal Zone.

Daniel J. “Danny” Lanoale, 85, of Clearwater, Fla., died January 21, 2004 in a car crash on Gandy Boulevard in St. Petersburg. He came to Florida in 1977 from the Panama Canal Zone where he retired as a supervisor of the security guard forces for the Panama Canal Company after 33 years of service. He was president of the Canal Employees Labor Union and was a member of the Elks Lodge.

Edward J. “Ed” Lewarne, 67, of Seminole, Fla., died January 1, 2004 at Cypress Palms, Largo. He came to Seminole in 1969 from the Panama Canal Zone.

Roger D. Michel, 83, passed away on November 20, 2003, in Spring Hill, Fla. He went to the Canal Zone in 1950 and worked there for 30 years as an educator and school principal. He retired in 1980.

Edward T. Mulroy, 77, died January 15, 2004 at his residence in Ocala, Fla. He worked for the Panama Canal Company from 1959-1977, retiring as Chief of Operations (Dredging Division).

John Fulton Paterson II, 58, died September 5, 2003 at Hernando-Pasco Hospice in New Port Richey. He was born in Ancon, Canal Zone and graduated from Balboa High School in 1963.

Catherine Pearson, 97, of Newark, Del., passed away on December 21, 2003. She went to Panama in 1913 and resided in Pedro Miguel until 1922, and was a descendant of a Roosevelt Medal Holder.

Ernest W. “Bud” Pierce, the Golden Parrot went to sleep on February 4, 2004 during a triple bypass operation from a heart attack caused by a blood clot. He was a graduate of the class of 1943 of Balboa High School and the editor of The Golden Parrot for many years. He lived in Dayton, Ohio, with his wife Barbara.

Kathaleen (Tess) Priest passed away on January 6, 2003 of acute pulmonary distress. She spent many years working in the Comptroller’s Office in the Administration Building in Balboa Heights and prior to that with the Navy Department. She was the widow of Clarence Priest, a Canal Zone policeman who retired in 1965.

Frederick O. Roasch, 72, of Warren, Mo., passed away December 3, 2003 in Sedalia, Mo. In 1966 he and his wife Barbara moved to the Canal Zone. He worked for the Panama Railroad and then went to the electrical division of the Panama Canal Company until 1976.

James A. Slover, 72, of Fort Myers, formerly of Seminole, died January 8, 2004. He was an army intelligence officer and served in Korea, Vietnam, Panama and Germany, retiring in 1985.

Peggy Smith-Dubble, 82, Inverness, Fla., died January 16, 2004, at Citrus Memorial Hospital. She was born in Chiriqui, Panama and raised in the Canal Zone and graduated from Cristobal High School. She was married to F. Harvey Smith for 48 years before his death in 1989. They had moved to Inverness in 1970 from Margarita.

Louise Scott Sowa, a long-time member of the Panama Canal Society of So. California, passed away at home on October 10, 2003. She moved to the Canal Zone in 1931 and attended Cristobal High School. She later moved to the Pacific side in 1942 where she worked for the Army Corps of Engineers at Corozal until 1954.

Louis J. Tanassy, 81, died January 2, 2004 in Fresno, Calif. From 1960 until his retirement in 1973 he was the Chief of Specifications and Estimates Division, Panama Canal Company in the Canal Zone. He was a member of the Elks Lodge as well as several local golf clubs.

Gerald Bart (Jerry) Williams died peacefully in his sleep on January 30, 2004 at Hope Hospice House in Fort Myers, Fla. from complications of melanoma cancer. He served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps for two years in the Panama Canal Zone. He later obtained a position with the Panama Canal Company and worked there until his retirement in 1983 with the title of Supervisory System Accountant.

March 2004

Patricia Barriteau of Lake City, Fla., passed away on January 17, 2004 under the care of Hospice. She and her husband John Paul Barriteau, Sr. (Frenchy) and family lived in the Canal Zone for about 20 years.

Grace Dorothy Carey, 90, of Clearwater, died February 14, 2004 at Morton Plant Rehabilitation Center. She was born in the Panama Canal Zone and was a homemaker.

Mrs. Anna Marie Dolan, 77, of Austin, Texas died January 25, 2004 at “The Christopher House” in Austin. She was born in Colon, Rep. of Panama and was married to the late Joseph F. Dolan, former Chief of U.S. Customs, Panama Canal Zone.

Estelle M. Dough of Sarasota, Fla. passed away February 12, 2004 in Sarasota Memorial Hospital. She and her late husband Glenn C. Dough and their daughters moved to Cristobal in 1939. They moved to Sarasota in 1969 when Mr. Dough retired from the Industrial Division.

Mary Elizabeth Gilbert, 64, of Virginia Beach, Va., died February 29, 2004 in a local hospital. Mrs. Gilbert resided in the Panama Canal Zone from 1965 until 1984 and was married to William Joseph Gilbert.

Mrs. Virginia “Pat” Ryan Hunter, 83, a resident of Dothan, Ala., died February 5, 2004 following an extended illness. She was born and raised in the Panama Canal Zone and retired after 25 years with the U.S. Army Engineers at Ft. Clayton and 5 years at the Army R.O.T.C. at Ft. Riley, Kan. as a stenographer.

Franklin Mattes Orr (known to his friends as Matt), 83, passed away February 5, 2004. He was born in the Canal Zone and went to Canal Zone Junior College then to the University of Texas as a Chemical Engineer. He worked all his life for Exxon, retired to Colorado, and settled in Cupertino, Calif.

Leigh Cassius (Cash) Paulson, 85, died on February 6, 2004 at his home in Tallahassee. He moved to the Panama Canal Zone in 1949, where he worked and had a successful career with Commissary Operations. He retired as the Manager of the District Warehouse in 1978 after 30 years of service.

Helen M. Thomas, 93, passed away in her sleep at home on January 17, 2003 after a bout of Alzheimer’s for ten years. Her husband Capt. Benjamin L. Thomas passed away in July 1975.

Marion C. Thompson, 92, died August 4, 2003, at Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee, Fla. She entered the Canal Zone School system in October 1917, and graduated from Cristobal High School in 1930, worked for the Grace Line until she became a mother. She lived in Gatun, Cristobal, Margarita, and Balboa from 1950 until 1966.

Paul Vidal, 85, passed away in San Antonio, Texas on November 29, 2003. He was recruited in 1942 to Panama where he worked at the Panama Air Depot (PAD) in Albrook AFB. He and his family relocated to San Antonio in the fall of 1946.

William G. Wood, 85, of Clarkston, Wash., died February 13, 2004, at Clarkston Care Center. He was born in Ancon, Panama Canal Zone, and graduated from CHS in 1937. He worked as an engineer on the Panama Railroad until he and his wife Jeanne moved to Spokane in 1953.

April 2004

Leo John Cannon, 75, of Gainesville, Fla., died January 6, 2004 at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, after a lengthy illness. In l970, Leo and his family traveled to Panama via the Inter-American Highway where he went to work in the Engineering & Construction Bureau and the Executive Planning Council until 1986.

Lillian Bishop Clarke, 84, died on March 24, 2004 after a short illness at Fairfax Nursing Center, Fairfax, Va. She was Executive Secretary in the office of the Governor of the Canal Zone. 

Geraldine T. (Snodgrass) Clausen, Ph.D., 71, died February 13, 2004 in Columbus, Ohio. Geraldine graduated with the class of 1950 from Balboa High School. She was a member of the Panama Canal Society.

Sarah M. Curles, 92, a retired accounting technician for the U.S. Army died March 7, 2004 in Dunnellon, Fla. She moved to Dunnellon from the Canal Zone in 1970.

William Worth Good, Sr., also known to his close friends as Bill or “El Duende”, 74, passed away on November 20, 2003. He worked for 33 years as an Electronics Technician with the Panama Canal Company until retirement. He and his wife moved to the United States in 1997.

Lorraine M. “L’aine” Little, 49, of St. Petersburg died March 24, 2004 at home under hospice care. She came to the U.S. in 1980 from the Canal Zone. She was a teachers assistant and a member of the Panama Canal Society.

Samuel “Sandy” Matlovsky, 82, died February 17, 2004 of natural causes at his home in Haverhill, Mass. Born in the Canal Zone, he moved to France at 15 as the youngest student accepted by the Paris Conservatory of Music. 

Stephanie Amanda May (Beck), 63, of Evanston, Ill., passed away March 29, 2004 after a long battle with cancer. She graduated from Cristobal High School in 1958. Her father was Paul Beck who served as Principal of Cristobal High School for many years.

Glen C. Oglesby, 74, of St. Petersburg, died March 24, 2004 at St. Petersburg General Hospital. He came from the Panama Canal Zone in 1962. Locally, he was a retired supervisor for the Water Department where he worked for more than 26 years.

Franklin Mattes Orr (known to his friends as Matt), 83, passed away February 5, 2004. He was born in the Canal Zone in 1920 and he went through the school system up to junior college. He then went to the University of Texas and later worked for Exxon until retirement.

Donald “Pos” Clinton Parker, 83, of Inverness, Fla., died March 9, 2004. He was born in Colon, went to school on the Atlantic Side through high school and later attended Canal Zone Junior College. He retired as Chief Foreman of the Marine Bunkering Section at Mount Hope in 1976.

Thelma Torbert Sasso, 88, died on January 5, 2004 in San Antonio, Texas, after an illness of several months. She retired as Secretary to the Chief of the Operations Division in 1977 after more than 36 years of service.

Jeanne Hellums Schuetz, 74, of Horton, Kan., died February 20, 2004. She graduated from Cristobal High School in 1948 and later attended and graduated from the Missouri Methodist Hospital Nurses Training Program.

Georgette Marie Wiberg, 83, of Margate, Fla. died on March 27, 2004. She went to the Canal Zone in 1947 to join her husband Ewald who worked for the Electrical Division. She was active in the Margarita Union Church, Cub Scouts and the Redeemer Lutheran Church after moving to the Pacific side. 

May 2004

Helen “Aneta” (Albin) Bates, 99, of Natick, Mass. passed away January 11, 2004. She was a graduate of the Balboa High School class of 1922 in the Canal Zone.

Dennis W. “Denny” Beall, 67, of Cape Coral, Fla., died January 25, 2004. Denny worked as a photogrametric cartographer for the Inter American Geodetic Survey. He left the Canal Zone in 1970.

Melida Castillo Beebe, 89, of Kerrville, Texas died March 23, 2004. She moved to Kerrville from Coco Solo, Canal Zone in 1973.

Alvis Bryan Carr, Jr., “Al”, 72, of Palm Harbor, Fla., died April 13, 2004. He worked as an assistant health care director in the Panama Canal Zone.

Thelma F. Fussell, 80, died April 5, 2004 in Lake Worth, Fla. She was born in the Republic of Panama and moved to Florida in 1976.

Jimmie R. Johnson, 61, of Meridian, Miss., died January 7, 2004. He retired from the U.S. Army in the Special Forces. He was stationed in the Canal Zone at Fort Gulick from 1970-75 and 1979-81.

John J. Kolenda, 90, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died April 10, 2004. He was a retired central office repairman for the Panama Canal Company with 25 years of service.

Thelma “Teddy” Parker, 81, of Odessa, Fla., passed away November 9, 2003. Teddy went to the Canal Zone in 1966 and left in 1979. She was the widow of Capt. Bobby S. Parker.

H. Robert “Bob” Pogue, 96, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died April 8, 2004. He was a former welder who worked during World War II in the Panama Canal Zone.

Olga Marie Reyes (Lagassie), 56, of Bakersfield, Calif., passed away on March 8, 2004. She was born in the Canal Zone, grew up in Curundu Heights and graduated from Balboa High School in 1966. After graduation, Olga moved to California where she met and married her husband in 1969.

Mary Scigliane, 83, passed away on April 4, 2004 in Stone Mountain, Ga. She moved to the Canal Zone in April 1945 to join her husband Lou. She was employed as manager of the U.S. Federal Credit Union, Albrook AFB until 1976.

Marie Lee Theriault, 75, widow of Capt. Willard Theriault, died November 19, 2003. She lived in Gatun from 1976 to 1981. She was active in the VFW Women’s Auxiliary where she ran the bingo games.

Virginia (Eberenz) Williams, 93, of The Woodlands, Texas passed away on February 13, 2004. She was born in Ancon and later moved to Cristobal where she completed her schooling. She married Frank Williams and lived in Margarita until 1957.

Nellie Virginia Wood, 85, of Seminole, Fla. died April 21, 2004. Born in Ancon, Panama, she retired as a chief clerk in the Commandant’s office for the Navy in 1969. After her retirement, she served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Panama Canal Society in 1971.

Andrew M. Wright, Jr., 69, of Orlando, Fla. died on April 24, 2004. He was a retired Canal Zone Police Lieutenant. He served as a Training Sergeant and was Range Master of the Canal Zone Police Pistol Range. 

June 2004

John David Anderson, Jr., 66, of St. Petersburg, Fla. died May 1, 2004 at Bay Point Pavilion. He retired from the Army after 22 years of service and was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone.

William Francis Daniels, 83, of Dunnellon, formerly of St. Petersburg, died May 3, 2004 in an Ocala hospital. He owned and managed Daniels Clover Specialty Manufacturing Co. in Gulfport from 1947 to 1982.

Violet Sylvia Deakins, 90, of Titusville, Fla. passed away on May 12, 2004. She moved to the Canal Zone as a teenager and married Roger Deakins and they lived in the Canal Zone until 1966. While living in Panama, she learned to make the “Pollera”, and was able to pass on her expertise in this skill with the many classes she gave.

Anna M. Fellbach, 83, of St. Petersburg, Fla. died April 29, 2004 at Bay Pines VA Medical Center. She was an Army medical technician and served in the Panama Canal Zone.

Edna “Skippy” Hollowell died on March 15, 2004 in Orlando, Fla. at 88. She was born in the Canal Zone and married Bill Hollowell who retired in 1978. Bill was “the Water Commissioner” and she was a substitute teacher. Her husband predeceased her in 1989.

Richard Lee Hunt, P.E., Col.(Ret)., 76, of Oklahoma City died April 23, 2004 after an extended battle with metastatic kidney cancer. He was a career Army officer and his military career culminated with his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Canal Zone and Vice President of the Panama Canal Company from 1974-1978. In 1978, he retired from the Army and relocated to Oklahoma City.

Warren “Zeke” Morse, 83, passed away May 26, 2004 in Sioux Falls, S.D. He and his family moved to the Canal Zone in 1951 and Warren worked for the Panama Canal Company in various capacities. He retired in 1977 as Chief Engineer of Motor Vessels.

William Nordstrom, 57, born in Ancon, Panama Canal Zone, died May 25, 2004. No further information is available.

Frances Patchett O’Sullivan, 87, of Dothan, Ala. died May 19, 2004. She moved to the Canal Zone at an early age and lived there until 1974.

Frances V. Sharp, 84, passed away in Sun City Center, Fla. on April 24, 2004. She went to the Canal Zone when she was two months old, graduated from Balboa High School in 1937, and then went to college. She returned to the Canal Zone where she worked as a secretary in the Schools Division, then the U.S. Embassy in Panama in the Consular Section and the Political Section. In 1972, she and her husband retired to St. Petersburg, Fla. and moved to Sun City Center in 1988.

Helen Elaine Swearingen, 93, passed away April 14, 2004 in Charlotte, N.C. She went to the Canal Zone in 1939 and worked for various agencies for the Panama Canal Company and the U.S. Army. In 1962, she and her husband returned to Florida. After his death, she returned to the Canal Zone in 1965 where she retired from the Supply Division in 1972.

Mamie W. Van Siclen, 91, passed away May 19, 2004 in Tigard, Ore. She was married to the late Andrew L. Van Siclen and they lived in the Canal Zone until 1952 when they returned to the States. 

Emma M. (Peggy) Wertz passed away on October 14, 2003 in Zephyrhills, Fla. She retired in 1971 as a Budget Analyst with the U.S. Army with over 26 years of government service.

James J. Whitsett, 83, died April 16, 2004 in Clearwater, Fla. He was born in Ancon, Canal Zone, grew up in Pedro Miguel and graduated from Balboa High School in 1936 at the age of 16. 

July 2004

Rosemary Kavanaugh Anderson, 86, of Gainesville, Fla., passed away on June 9, 2004 at home with her family at her side. She taught elementary school on both sides of the isthmus for 34 years. She and her husband, Frank A. Anderson, Jr. (deceased) retired to Dothan, Ala. and spent 25 years there before moving to Gainesville.

Retired Lt. Col. Wayne L. Bart, 83, of San Angelo, Texas passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence on November 1, 2000. Lt. Col. (then Major) Bart was assigned to the Panama Canal Zone, where he was professor of military science and tactics for the ROTC units at Cristobal and Balboa. 

I. Robert Berger, MD, died on June 14, 2004 in Bradenton, Fla. at the age of 94. He went to the Panama Canal Zone in 1940 where he served in the Army during WW II. He managed the outpatient clinic at Gorgas Hospital where he enjoyed treating countless patients for over 30 years. After retirement in 1972 he and his wife returned many times to Panama to visit.

Norman B. Davison, 90, of Lehigh Acres, Fla., passed away suddenly in his home on May 23, 2004. He arrived in the Panama Canal Zone in August 1942 where he worked in the Supply Division, initially on the Atlantic side and later as marketing superintendent at Balboa, a position he held for 13 years prior to retiring in 1973 with 31 years service.

Mike Greene passed away in his sleep on June 29, 2004, in Sarasota, Fla. No further information available at this time.

Mary Ethlyn Grimes, 94, passed away May 15, 2004. She moved to the Panama Canal Zone in 1931 to work as a beautician in Panama and then in the Canal Zone. She resided in the Canal Zone for 39 years until retirement in 1970. 

John Wilson Hayden, 88, died May 22, 2004 in Salinas, Kansas. He went to Panama in January 1940 to work as a mechanic in the Motor Transportation Division. He and his family lived in Diablo Heights except for a year in the “flats” in Balboa until May 1950 when he moved to Salinas.

William Gonzales Hill, 89, died on May 16, 2004, in Fort Myers, Fla. after a long period of declining health. He attended school in the Canal Zone and graduated from Cristobal High School in 1936. He worked for United Fruit Company before employment by the Panama Canal Health Department in 1944 and retired in 1976 to Aiken, S.C. and later moved to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. in 2000.

Maycel Jean (Johnson) MacLean, 75, of Wenatchee, Wash. passed away May 8, 2004 at Hospice House in Dade City, Fla. after a year-long battle with cancer. She went to live in the Canal Zone in 1952 for 21 years where she and her husband raised their family until 1973. 

William Ross Newland, 75, of Sun City Hilton Head died June 5, 2004 at his home. He was born in Ancon, Canal Zone and attended Canal Zone schools. He served as an officer in the Army during the Korean War and retired from Amica Mutual Insurance Co. after 25 years of service in Baltimore, Richmond, Va., and Coral Springs, Fla.

Edward Borne Parker, 83, of Slidell, La., a retired employee of the Panama Canal Company, died June 7, 2004 at Slidell Memorial Hospital. No information available as to his employment with the Panama Canal Company.

Dawn Marie Robinson, 35, of Paris, Illinois died June 7, 2004 in Paris Community Hospital. She was born in Cristobal, Panama on February 4, 1969, to Larry Felgenhauer Sr. and Sondra Kay Walters Felgenhauer. 

Luke Price Standefer, 75, passed away quietly on May 25, 2004 in a Houston hospital. He went to Panama in 1941 with his family and resided on Rodman submarine base. He graduated from BHS in 1945 and CZJC in 1946. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea. 

August 2004

Grace Belden, 86, of Tarpon Springs, Fla. passed away at HCR Manor Care, Dunedin, Fla. on July 7, 2004. She was the daughter of Charles and Heliodora Belden, and the sister of Charles E. Belden, Adolph Belden, and Blanche B. Hopkins (all deceased), and sisters Margaret May and Lola Dotson.

Gerald Brown, 67, of Von Ormy, Texas, passed away peacefully on July 5, 2004 at the Vitas Hospice Center in San Antonio, Texas following a long battle with cancer. He lived in Panama for 20 years and worked as a police officer for the U.S. government until his retirement in 1982.

Leslie Barbara “Barb” Dwyre, 84, of St. Petersburg died July 20, 2004 at home. She moved here in 1968 from Panama. She married her husband in Hawaii and accompanied and supported him during 34 years with the U.S. Air Force. This included extensive foreign service throughout all of Central and South America and Formosa.

Louis J. Fattorosi, 76, of Lakewood, N.J. died on May 1, 2004 at Ocean Medical Center, Brick, N.J. He taught high school before moving to the Canal Zone in 1952. There he taught at Cristobal High School and Florida State University, Canal Zone branch. He was President of the Teachers Union from 1974 to 1978. He retired from the Canal in 1978 after leading a spirited opposition to the U.S. government turnover of the Canal Zone to Panama.

Mary Alice (Hicks) Kelley, 68, of Houston, Texas passed away on April 1, 2004 from complications of Myesthenia Gravis. She was born in Gorgas Hospital and graduated from Balboa High School in 1953. After college and marriage, she returned to the Canal Zone in 1959 until 1962.

Walter Neil Lenneville, 55, of Dallas, Texas, died suddenly on June 27, 2004 of natural causes. He went to the Canal Zone when he was one year old and was a graduate of Balboa High School and attended Canal Zone College. He worked with the Schools Division and was active in the Little Theater Guild in the Canal Zone until 1983.

Lorraine A. Smith of Pensacola, Fla. passed away July 2, 2004 at her home. Lorraine and her family resided in the Panama Canal Zone where she was employed with the U.S. Army Tropic Test Facility in Coco Solo. In 1979 she and her husband Gerald, a PanCanal pilot, retired to Winchester, Tenn. until 2001.

Myrtle P. Sparks of St. Augustine, Fla. passed away September 11, 2003 in her sleep. Myrtle was born in Osceola Mills, Pa. and she went to Panama in 1942 and lived there until 1972. She worked at the Rainbow Commissary, Administration Building, and finally at the Balboa License Section.

Rita S. (Laurie) Will, 85, of El Cajon, Calif. passed away on May 15, 2004. She went to Panama as an infant and retired after nearly 30 years of service with the Panama Canal Company. Upon retirement she was the assistant manager at the Coco Solo Retail Store.

September 2004

Leslie (Les) G. Bains, 71, of Kerrville, Texas, passed away July 26, 2004 in Clayton, N.M. He was born in the Panama Canal Zone on August 27, 1932. He volunteered for the Marines during the Korean War. In 1967 he married in Pasadena, Texas; moved to Colorado in 1969; then to Kerrville in 1984.

William Robert (Bob) Byrd died in Kerrville, Texas on August 27, 2004. He was born in Colon and graduated from CHS in 1937. He retired from the Panama Canal Company in 1973, where he was general foreman Stevedore.

James E. Dillon, 57, of Quincy, Mass. passed away suddenly at home. He was born in Ancon, Canal Zone and lived in Gamboa until 1961 when his father retired.

Buren Douglas, 91, of St. Petersburg, Fla. died July 29, 2004 at Bayfront Medical Center. She was born in Pine Bluff, Ark. and moved to St. Petersburg in 1972 from Diablo, Canal Zone.

Helen Jane Foster, 62, wife of Elton E. Foster of Diamondhead, Miss. passed away August 3, 2004. Helen was a member of the Panama Canal Society. She and her husband enjoyed their many cruises, seeing the sights together, and meeting new friends.

Michael F. Greene, 95, of Heron House, Sarasota, Fla. died June 30, 2004. He and his wife Marion lived and worked in the Panama Canal Zone for some 25 years before moving to Sarasota in the early 1960s. He enjoyed a brief career in semi-pro baseball in Mobile, Ala. and on the Cristobal and Balboa teams in the Canal Zone. 

John (Jack) Franklin Hern, 93, of Zephyrhills, Fla. passed away on June 30, 2004. He was born in the Panama Canal Zone and was a longtime employee of the Panama Canal Company retiring as a General Foreman, Maintenance Division in 1972 with 44 years of service.

Gordon Frederick Kariger, Sr., 64, passed away March 4, 2004 in Norfolk, Va. Born in Colon, Panama on December 4, 1939, he moved to Norfolk in May 1952. 

Charles Leroy Leeser, Jr., 81, known as Roy to his friends and family, also nicknamed “Bocas”, passed away on August 22, 2004 in Dothan, Ala. He grew up in the Panama Canal Zone and worked for the Corps of Engineers until retiring at the age of 58. 

Maxine M. Logan, 80, of Titusville, Fla. passed away August 26, 2004. She moved to Titusville in 1978 from the Panama Canal Zone where she was head of the National Red Cross in the Canal Zone.

A. Leonor Lombana, a resident of Orange Park, Fla. passed away on July 14, 2004. Along with her husband and family she came to the U.S. from the Panama Canal Zone in 1960. 

Geraldine Bryant Olliver, 77, of Fuquay-Varina, N.C. died August 13, 2004. She graduated from the College of the Ozarks in 1965 with a Bachelor’s Degree and from Oklahoma Central State University magna cum laude in 1968 with a Master’s Degree in Language Arts. She was a teacher at the Panama Canal Zone College.

Herbert K. Peterson (Pete), 94, of Springfield, Va. passed away on July 23, 2004. He was born in Cristobal, Canal Zone and grew up on the Atlantic side and attended the Canal Zone Apprentice School. He worked for the Industrial Division for 37 years retiring as Production Superintendent in 1965.

Edna “Rusty” (Russell) Richter, 75, of Lafayette, Ga. died May 24, 2004. No further information available.

Betty Jean Ross (formerly of Balboa, Canal Zone) died on March 23, 2004 in Austin, Texas. She fought a courageous battle with rheumatoid arthritis for over 20 years.

Margaret Ryter Saarinen, 70, passed away on December 4, 2003. She was born in Ancon, Canal Zone, raised in Pedro Miguel and graduated from BHS in 1951. She worked at Quarry Heights with USSOUTHCOM until 1981 when she transferred to Ft. Jackson, S.C. and retired in 1994.

Myrtle P. Sparks of St. Augustine, Fla. died September 11, 2003. She went to Panama in 1942 and stayed until her retirement from the Balboa License Section in 1972.


Vera P. Stewart, 87, of Bradenton, Fla. died July 25, 2004, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She moved to Bradenton in 1966 from the Panama Canal Zone. She was an office manager and personal secretary for the Commanding General of the Caribbean forces.

Dorothy A. (Metzger) Stumvoll passed away on March 2, 2004. She was born in Gorgas Hospital, Ancon, Canal Zone and was a lifetime resident of Panama. She retired with 37 years of government service with the U.S. Army Caribbean Command.

Richard Ward Tatelman, 68, a 41-year resident of San Diego passed away in Paris, France on July 15, 2004. He was born in Colon Hospital, and graduated from CHS in 1953. After sailing in the Merchant Marine and serving in the U.S. Navy, he enjoyed a 30-year career with Pacific Southwest Airlines and USAirways.

George K. (Dick) Wanke, 77, passed away on August 18, 2004. He was born in Panama City and grew up in Pedro Miguel. He graduated from Balboa High School in 1945 and he and his family moved to California in 1951.

October 2004

Joseph T. Grills, Jr. of Poway, Calif. passed away on September 16, 2004. He joined the Canal Zone Police in 1959. In 1972 he transferred to the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (now DEA) until his retirement in 1983.

Christian J. Gundersen, 83, of Tampa, Fla. died September 15, 2004 at his residence. He was a master mariner and worked for 23 years as a Panama Canal pilot.

Emily Johnson Price, 88, died August 28, 2004, in David, Panama. She was married to James L. Price (Jungle Jim) who owned a travel business in Panama. She retired from the Panama Canal Library, ending 25 years of service as Director of Libraries and Curator of the Library Museum.

Lt. Col. Vernon Leo Schafer (USA Ret), 95, died September 28, 2004 in San Diego, Calif. He was assigned to the Panama Canal Zone as head of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service from 1959-1962. While there, he married Catherine “Catsy” Taylor on Dec. 3, 1962 and stayed until the riots in Panama in 1964.

Hazel Howe Sigvartsen, 85, of Dunedin, died October 4, 2004 at home under the care of Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. She was an Army Nurse Corps veteran of WW II, serving as a lieutenant in the Panama Canal Zone.

Dorothy “Dottie” Yocum, 88, passed away October 7, 2004 at The Vineyard Inn, Seminole, Fla. She was Chaplain of the Panama Canal Society of Florida for 24 years. Dottie went to Panama in 1943 with her husband Ernie (deceased). She worked at Albrook Air Force base until 1948 when they returned to the U.S. In 1963 she and her husband returned to the Atlantic Side of the Isthmus where Dottie worked at Coco Solo Hospital until she retired in 1976.

November 2004

William V. Butler, 94, of Clearwater, Fla. died October 16, 2004 at Sylvan Health Center, Clearwater, He retired to Florida in 1976 from the Panama Canal Zone where he was a canal ship operator.

Albert “Al” B. Collins died on August 29, 2003 in Fort Valley, Ga. after a short illness. He went to the Canal Zone at the age of 12 and graduated from Cristobal High School. He worked on the Atlantic side with the Commissary Division and later with the Motor Transportation Division until his retirement in 1973.

James E. Dillon, 57, of Quincy, Mass. passed away suddenly at home on August 12, 2004. He was born in Ancon, Canal Zone. He moved to South Weymouth, Mass. in 1961 when his father retired and left the Canal Zone.

George Arthur Gerchow M. (Millán), 67, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on October 9, 2004 in Panama. He was born in Bocas del Toro and was a graduate of Cristobal High School. He worked as a police officer in the Coordination and Liaison Office and the Housing Office as a housing inspector. He retired in 1998 with 35 years of service.

Capt. Billy G. Gewin, 76, died on September 8, 2004 in Houston, Texas where he was receiving treatment for leukemia. He was hired by the Panama Canal Company in 1965 where he was employed as a ship pilot and port captian until his retirement in 1990.

Irene Wright Hollowell, 100-1/2 years old, of Houston, Texas passed away October 23, 2004. She was married to Lee Wright (deceased) and they lived in Balboa from the 1930s to the 1970s. She worked as a secretary for the Administration Department.

Richard Harold McConaughey, 86, of Ocala, Fla. died September 5, 2004 at his home. Dick was born in Ancon Hospital and spent 57 years living and working in the Canal Zone. He first worked for the Mechanical Division and then spent most of his career with the Locks Division until he re-tired in 1974.

Preston E. Minton, 91, died October 3, 2004 in Panama. He retired from the U.S. Navy where he worked at Fort Amador as well as the Panama Canal Department of Motor Transportation. He arrived in the Canal Zone in the 1940s and was one of the founding members and a predominant member of the Diablo Camera Club until his retirement to Coronado.

Roy R. Shuey Sr., 80, died at home in Orange Springs, Fla. on August 20, 2004. He was born at home in Balboa and graduated from Balboa High School in 1942. He served an apprenticeship with the Army and built airfields in the Canal Zone during WWII. He transferred to the Panama Canal Company where he spent the rest of his career in Gamboa at the Aids to Navigation Division. The last two years of his career he taught shop at the Canal Zone Penitentiary until 1974.

Charles D. “Bill” Tillman, 87, of Hendersonville, N.C. died October 23, 2004 following a period of declining health. He lived and worked in general construction in the Canal Zone for 32 years. He was a general contractor in metal fabrication for Bildon Corporation.

Virginia Sydney (Clement) Townsend, 94, passed away July 31, 2004 in Ocala, Fla. She was born in Ancon, grew up in Las Cascadas and East Balboa, and graduated from Balboa High School in 1927. After graduating from college she returned to the Canal Zone and married Wesley (Red) Townsend in 1938. She taught kindergarten and first grade at Balboa Elementary School until her retirement in 1971.

December 2004

Barbara Ann (LeBrun) Chadwick, 75, of Las Vegas, Nev. passed away October 28, 2004. Barbara was born in Gorgas Hospital and graduated from BHS in 1947.

Joseph Connor, 75, Redington Shores, Fla. died on November 5, 2004. His journalism career took him to the Panama Canal Zone as press officer for three years.

Dora Hardy passed away February 27, 2004 in Placitas, N.M. She was a teacher and taught special education in the Canal Zone until retiring in 1977.

Mildred V. “Sunshine” Harris, 81, passed away September 1, 2004 in Leesville, La. She lived in the Canal Zone with her late husband Johnny Harris for over 20 years.

Lowell R. Jones, BHS’52, passed away October 12, 2004. He was the son of Past President Russell M. Jones and Mae M. Jones.

Yvette Latoree-Kindig, BHS’74, passed away in the fall of 2004 after a lengthy illness. She was able to attend her 30th high school reunion in July in Orlando, Fla.

Ida S. Lovelady passed away October 27, 2004 in Arizona. No further information available.

Helen Michaelsen McGurn, 84, of Belleair Bluffs, Fla. died October 26, 2004. She was born in the Canal Zone and came to Florida in the late 1950s.

Capt. Lloyd B. Van Kirk, 85, of Vista, Calif. passed away November 4, 2004. He was an employee of the Panama Canal Company Navigation Division Balboa until his retirement in 1977.

Maxine Elizabeth Luther Wrenn passed away November 15, 2004 in Tyler, Texas. She was the manager of the Canal Zone Credit Union in Margarita until 1976.