December 05, 2003

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Publication Date: Friday, December 05, 2003

Obituaries

Former Pleasanton resident Damon Ernest Schorno, 38, died Nov. 27. Born in Norwalk, Calif., on Nov. 29, 1964, he spent his early years in Pleasanton and graduated from Foothill High in 1983. He was a resident of Las Cruces, N.M.

For the last 20 years, he was dedicated to the family business, Quality Transport/Truck Rail Handling. An avid Oakland Raiders fan, he enjoyed other sports as well as playing poker and pool, dirt bike riding, fishing, camping and joking with friends.

He leaves his son, Schane; his fiancˇe, Lucy Maldonado; his mother, Joy Schorno; his father, Albert Schorno; a sister and brother-in-law, Dayna and Duke Fuller; a niece; two grandmothers and a grandfather; and many other family members and friends as well as his fiancˇe's grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5, at Graham-Hitch Mortuary, 4167 First St. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, also at Graham-Hitch, and burial will be at Pleasanton Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Foundation, Always and Forever Memorial and Honor Program, Attention ADA Web, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, Ohio 44720, (800) 342-2383. Helen Loretta O'Brien

Helen Loretta O'Brien, a 30-year Pleasanton resident, died Nov. 14. She was 82.

Born in Oakland on July 30, 1921, she attended Holy Names College and St. Mary's Hospital School of Nursing. She was a registered nurse and served in the U.S. Navy as an ensign at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital.

She was a member of Oakland Institute YL1# and her hobbies included gardening, knitting and crocheting.

Her survivors include a brother, Thomas O'Brien of San Leandro; four sisters, Bernice Gabehart of San Antonio, Texas, Margaret Tavare of Hayward, Jan Kenny of Oakland, and Theresa Vichnair of Pleasanton; and 30 nieces and nephews, and many grandnieces and nephews.

She was buried at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Oakland. Memorial donations may be made to a preferred charity. Grace Hughes-Kazel

Grace Hughes-Kazel, a Sunol resident for 48 years, died Nov. 18 at ValleyCare Medical Center. She was 98.

Born in New York on Oct. 27, 1905, she worked as a salesperson in newsstand sales at Travers Newsroom for 25 years. She was also a Valley Memorial Hospital pink lady for 20 years. She enjoyed visiting people and gardening.

She is survived by a son, Althen Lashway of Ukiah, Calif.; one grandchild and two great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on St. Augustine Catholic Church and burial was held at St. Augustine's Cemetery. JoAnn Fossum

Village High School teacher JoAnn Fossum, 56, died Nov. 7 at her home.

The Lafayette resident taught at Dublin High from 1971-80, at Foothill High from 1980-99 and at Village High from September-December 2001. During her long teaching career, she taught home economics, English and horticulture.

A member of the Amador Valley Quilters of Pleasanton, she was an avid quilter and many of her quilts were distributed worldwide through the Lutheran World Relief program. She was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lafayette.

She leaves her husband, Bob; two sons, Justin and John; her mother, Betty Burkhart Miller; a brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Cindy Miller, and a brother- and sister-in-law John and Janet Fossum; three nephews and a niece.

Memorial services were held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the UC San Francisco Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St., Fourth floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 (checks may be made payable to UC Regents).

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