Deaths Deaths (September 07, 2005)

Robert Brown

Robert V. "Bob" Brown, 79, a leader in the incorporation of Portola Valley in 1964 and a council member for 16 years, died Aug. 26.

He grew up in Palo Alto as the oldest of four brothers. After attending Palo Alto schools, he spent two years in the Navy and studied radar at MIT. Later he majored in electrical engineering at Stanford and received an MBA in 1950.

While at Stanford, he also met Pat Hegg. They were married in 1952. For many years, he ran the construction company started by his father in 1932. Vance M. Brown and Sons has built many schools, sports facilities and other buildings on the Peninsula. His son Loren is the third generation to run the company, now called Vance M. Brown Inc.

He wanted to preserve the open space and especially the trails that threatened Portola Valley from the development that was spreading into the hills. He -- and many others -- testified at county hearings, passed petitions, rang doorbells.

When 73 percent of Portola Valley voters approved incorporation on June 24, 1964, he took his seat on the first Town Council. He stayed for the next 18 years, except for two years off between 1970 and 1972. He was mayor three times.

On the council, he was a volunteer's volunteer, with little tolerance for red tape and bureaucracy. He was in charge of the public works department, and did most of its work. As chief budget hawk, he pinched pennies to keep tax rates down and save taxpayers money.

When he stepped down from the council in 1982, Portola Valley gave him a full-blown roast. A chorus sang "Bad, Bad Robert Brown, Meanest Man in the Whole Damn Town."

During this period, the Browns also raised four children. He retired from his business in 1972 to give more time to Portola Valley. He was also active in the Palo Alto Rotary Club, and helped raise funds for a permanent home for the Peninsula Conservation Center, now Acterra.

He is survived by four brothers, Allan Brown of Portola Valley, Lawrence Brown of Moraga, John Brown of Oroville, and Donald Brown of Corte Madera; four children, Kristin Brown of San Diego, Loren Brown of Palo Alto, Susan Brown of Potsdam, Germany, and Brian Brown of Portola Valley; and five grandchildren.

No services are planned. The family suggests donations to the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) or an organization that supports the environment.

Juanita M. Johns

Juanita M. Johns, 79, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, died Aug. 29 at her home and surrounded by her family.

She was born Jan. 9, 1926, in Cooper, Texas. She moved to Hanford, Calif., in 1944, where she met and married Robert Johns. They moved to Palo Alto in 1955.

She was a medical assistant for 27 years before she retired to pursue her favorite pastimes of golf, travel, hobbies and spending time with family and friends. She loved to cross-stitch, needlepoint, sew and quilt. She displayed many of her items at the San Mateo County Fair and judged at several 4-H Fashion Reviews.

She was an active member of Our Lady of the Rosary Church and the Young Ladies Institute (YLI). She belonged to several bridge groups, the Red Hat Society and the Palo Alto Women's Golf Club, where she served as captain in 2002.

Her husband of 55 years, Robert, preceded her in death in 2003. She is survived by her daughter, Pat Johns of Hollister; son, Tim Johns, daughter-in-law, Marilyn; two grandchildren, seven siblings and many nieces and nephews.

It was her wish that no formal services be held, however, a Memorial Mass will be said in her memory on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 3323 Cowper St., Palo Alto. She will be laid to rest with her husband Sept. 9 at the San Joaquin National Cemetery in Gustine, Calif.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 1710 Webster St., Oakland, CA 94612; or Pathways Hospice Foundation, 585 N. Mary Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94085-2905.

John C. Lovas

John C. Lovas, 65, a resident of Palo Alto, died June 21 of an embolism.

He was well known for his 40-year teaching career at Foothill and DeAnza colleges, where he taught writing, poetry, children's literature and linguistics. He was passionate about his work, once writing an article for a professional journal titled, "I Cannot Imagine Having a Better Job" and meaning it. His love of English extended to his position as chair of the Language Arts Department, which he served on four times during his tenure, and his position as chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication for the National Council of Teachers of English for 2002.

He was a strong supporter of the two-year college system, and co-wrote the book, "Leadership in Governance" with Thomas Fryer, Jr., which focused on the decision-making process used in governing community colleges. The Two Year College English Association of the NCTE gave him the Nell Ann Pickett Award for Outstanding Service to Two-Year Colleges in 2004.

He authored a textbook for writing titled "Experiences" published in 1996, based on his own experiences in teaching writing classes for the previous 30 years. He frequently wrote columns about education for the Palo Alto Weekly, and he created a blog, "A Writing Teachers Blog" (http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/jocalo/) where he explored writing through personal observation and everyday events.

His near-daily blog entries were commented on by faculty and students alike. His final entry was May 31, 2005, where he announced his retirement from the college as a result of complications from choroidal melanoma. His love of writing and technology was acknowledged by his family and friends, who created a "Festschrift" -- a volume of essays as a tribute for him -- which is posted online (http://faculty.deanza.edu/johnlovasfestschrift/) through the DeAnza Web site.

He was raised as the oldest of seven children by Ann and Fred Lovas in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from St. Edward High School and John Carroll University as an ROTC student. Following two years stationed with the army in Germany, he obtained a master's degree in English from the University of Utah. In March of 1965 he met his wife, Brenda (McIntyre) Lovas, under a life-size portrait of Brigham Young at a political meeting for a local chapter of democrats in the Cleveland City Council Chamber.

Within the year they were married and living in Mountain View, where he began teaching at Foothill College. Two years later they moved to Palo Alto.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ann and Fred Lovas, and his son, Gregory. He is survived by his wife, Brenda Lovas; his sons, Timothy and Desmond Lovas; his brothers, Francis, Michael and Kevin Lovas; and his sisters, Jacqueline Danielson, Mary Bird and Elizabeth Krumhans.

A requiem mass was held in June at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Palo Alto. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Mitsuru Shijo

Mitsuru Shijo, a resident of Palo Alto, died Aug. 19 at his home after a long illness. He was 89 years old. Shijo was born in Walnut Grove in 1916.

Shijo was an avid gardener, who pursued it for a living. He also tended to his own garden in Palo Alto. Shijo was a World War II internee.

Shijo is survived by three children and five grandchildren. He was a loving father to his sons Wayn and Kenny Shijo; his wife Dale Shijo; and daughter Linda and her husband Craig Tsukamoto.

Robert Willard Smith

Robert Willard Smith, 88, a former employee of the Stanford Research Institute, died Aug. 18.

He worked for the Stanford Research Institute from 1949 to 1980 as European Director. He worked in Switzerland, where he was instrumental in the founding of the American International School of Zurich. He received his bachelor's degree from U.C. Berkeley and his MBA from Stanford in 1941.

He enjoyed traveling to new places and working with different cultures. When not working, he relaxed with his family at their cabin in West Point, Calif.

He is survived by his son, Creighton, and daughter-in-law, Lynn, of Bakersfield; son, Kirk, and daughter-in-law, Yvonne, of Folsom, Calif.; stepson, Robert Agramonte, and stepdaughter-in-law, Jessica, of Half Moon Bay, Calif.; stepdaughter, Sue Rynerson, and stepson-in-law, Robert of San Diego, Calif.; stepdaughter, Joan Domiter, of San Diego, Calif.; and 12 grandchildren.

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