June 15, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Obituaries

Wayne Lee Briggson, 72, a 47-year resident of Menlo Park, died May 31 in Palo Alto.

A graduate of Washington University in Missouri, he served in the Korean War as a lieutenant in the Navy, after which he moved to California and married Joan Greco. He was a proud employee of Hewlett-Packard for many years as an investor and developer. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and horses.

He is survived by his wife, Joan; daughter, Betsy Briggson; daughter, Katey Briggson; brother, James Briggson; and dear friend, Christa Reinhardt.

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 17, at 2 p.m. at Little House Courtyard, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to the charity of the donor's choice.

Wilbert Neil Cubit

Wilbert Neil Cubit, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, died April 6 in Hollister, Calif., from complications involving diabetes.

He is remembered for his humor, even in the face of his service in the Vietnam War, and his personal struggle with diabetes. He also enriched the lives of friends and family with his 1960s rock band "Cold Blood," whose back-up singers later became the Pointer Sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Alicia; sister, Regena; sister, Lila; brother, Sylvester; brother, Leroy; brother, Stephen; one stepdaughter, one grandchild and the many relatives and friends he made in the 60 years he lived in Palo Alto.

A memorial service was held April 14 at the Veterans Hospital Chapel in Palo Alto. He was buried at San Joaquin Veterans National Cemetery in Gustine, Calif.

Gaye N. Odom

Gaye N. Odom, a resident of Menlo Park, died June 6 due to complications from a stroke.

Her life led her from work at the San Francisco World's Fair to the Navy Purchasing Office and finally into the school system as a teaching assistant. She was well known for her leadership in volunteer organizations even after her retirement from work within the schools.

She is survived by her husband, Ivan of Menlo Park; daughter, Cheryl Thompson; daughter, Laurel Johnston; and three grandchildren.

A memorial service is planned Wednesday, June 22, at 4 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 330 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to Holy Trinity, Pets in Need, Allied Arts Guild, Lucille Packard Children's Hospital or a charity of the donor's choice.

Benjamin David Paul

Benjamin David Paul, 94, a leading Stanford anthropologist, died May 24 in Atlanta from complications following a cerebral hemorrhage.

He worked at Harvard University between the years of 1946 and 1962, before working as a professor of anthropology at Stanford University, where he was made professor emeritus in 1976.

According to Sylvia Yanagisako, professor of cultural and social anthropology, he greatly increased the national stature of Stanford's anthropology department by hiring some of the first tenure-track female faculty members and pioneering the limits of anthropology.

He was exceedingly knowledgeable in the field of Mayan ethnography, where he researched almost every aspect of life -- from bone setting to midwifery. He also worked as a consultant to the Ford Foundation, UNESCO, the U.S. Public Health Service and state health departments. He was a former president of the Society for Medical Anthropology and he was honored with the American Anthropological Association Distinguished Service Award in 1994.

He is survived by his sister, Fannie Zuckerman of Chicago; brother, Elias Paul of Phoenix; son, Robert Paul of Atlanta; daughter, Jancie C. Paul of Ann Arbor; two grandchildren and one daughter-in-law.

A memorial service was held June 13 in the Stanford Faculty Club. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

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