Deaths Deaths (October 20, 2004)

Roger Ahlenius

Roger Ahlenius, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, died Sept. 26. He was an avid golfer, a clever inventor and a skilled craftsman. He was passionate about protecting the environment, supporting politicians with similar interests and will be best remembered for establishing the Santa Margarita Island in Santa Venetia (Marin County) as open space. A member of Menlo-Atherton High School's first graduating class (1952), he celebrated on campus with many of his classmates at their 50-year reunion just two years ago. His grandfather, who made skis annually during his early years in Minnesota, encouraged his enthusiasm for skiing. He worked on the Ski Patrol during the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley. Later he sailed to Hawaii with two friends in a trimaran. He is survived by his wife and partner of 43 years, Daphne Ahlenius; his son, Dr. William Ahlenius, and daughter-in-law, Susan Pagani, of San Antonio, Texas; his daughter, Anna, and son-in-law, Land, of San Rafael; his sisters, Marlyn Johnson of Menlo Park and Julie Lancelle of Pacifica, and their families; and one grandson. A service celebrating his life has been held. Opal Cook

Opal Fern Cook, 89, a longtime resident Palo Alto, died Oct. 12. Born Aug. 17, 1915, she spent her early years in Nebraska, coming to San Francisco in 1933. She married in 1937 and started a family, eventually settling in Palo Alto in 1960. She was employed at Stanford Electronics Laboratories for many years prior to going with the founders of ArgoSystems as their first secretary. There she remained as a security secretary until retirement. She was a charter member and volunteer at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. She enjoyed her family, flowers and her garden, baking and entertaining, her friends and travel. She is survived by her daughters, Jacqueline Geist of Palo Alto, Dorothy Barnhart of Stockton and Patricia Santos of Stockton; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, 770 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304; or the Ronald McDonald House, 520 Sand Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 944304. Sue Harwell

Sue Harwell, 86, a resident of Palo Alto, died Oct. 8 after a battle with Parkinson's disease and cancer. Born and raised near Jonesboro, Ark., she, along with her husband, Jerry, and their two children, moved to Palo Alto in the mid 1950s. She worked for Varian Associates until her retirement in the early 1980s. She was actively involved in the Palo Alto First Christian Church, where she had been a member since moving to Palo Alto. She was also a longtime member of the Palo Alto Chapter of the Eastern Star. Both she and her husband enjoyed local theater and were staunch supporters of the Palo Alto Children's Theater, where her grandsons were involved for many years. She is survived by her son, Gary Harwell, and his wife, Judy, of Merlin, Ore.; her daughter, Janis Chavez, and her husband, Lee, of Gilroy; her four grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Donations in her memory may be made to the Palo Alto First Christian Church; the American Cancer Society; the National Parkinson Foundation; or the Palo Alto Children's Theater. Elizabeth Hedegaard

Elizabeth Hedegaard, 102, a resident of Palo Alto, died Sept. 26 at Palo Alto Commons. Born in Gadsen, Ala., she was one of four brothers and three sisters. She grew up in Mt. Vernon, Ill. At age 23, she married Bill Hedegaard, a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, who had emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. They moved to Chicago in 1925, where they had their only child, Elizabeth, in November 1927. She and her husband moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1928, where they lived until the late 1930s. During World War II, she attended courses at the University of Minnesota. There, she encountered the famous actor, Clarke Gable, who, dazzled by her beauty, exclaimed: "You ought to be in the movies." In 1945, she attended the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco. At the event, an aide to President Harry Truman volunteered to serve as her personal escort while a San Francisco journalist speculated in print about the "gorgeous mystery woman" at the conference. In the late 1940s, she and her husband settled in Palo Alto, where they resided until her husband's passing in 1971. Soon thereafter she moved to San Francisco for many years before returning to Palo Alto. In the late 1980s she moved to Palo Alto Commons, an assisted-living facility. There she met her second husband, retired professor Troy McCraw. While clearly devoted to his new wife, Mr. McCraw tragically passed away shortly after the wedding. She was known as "Honey" to those who loved her and will be remembered by family and friends as a woman of elegance, beauty, with a generous spirit who always had a kind smile and a positive outlook. She is survived by a sister, Lorraine Bland; a daughter, Elizabeth Freemuth Lindelof; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Jeffrey Lewis

Jeffrey Robert Lewis, 54, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, Atherton and Redwood City, died Sept. 13 after a four-month battle with cancer (Lymphoma). He was born Feb. 28, 1950, in Seattle, Wash. He was the son of Dr. Robert D. Lewis and Margaret A. Lewis, both deceased. He attended local schools and participated in cross-country, soccer, and track-and-field at Menlo-Atherton High School. He graduated in 1968. While growing up, he attended the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church along with his immediate family. He enjoyed visiting with friends and participating in a weekly Bible study. He is survived by his two brothers, James C. Lewis of Redwood City and David R. Lewis of Elk Grove, Calif.; his sister, Margie A. Vargas of San Jose; his sister-in-law, Belva C. Lewis; his brother-in-law, Michael V. Vargas; a nephew and four nieces. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society; or St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room, 3500 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

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