Deaths

Ruth K. Franklin

Ruth K. Franklin, the curator of the arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas for the Cantor Museum, died Dec. 18 of complications from acute bacterial pneumonia. She was 64.

Franklin brought "an incredible amount of enthusiasm and commitment to the AOA arts, as well as to learning about the people of those cultures who made the art," said director Thomas Seligman.

Franklin and her husband, Stanford law professor Marc Franklin, donated art from their collection to the center as well as to the De Young Museum in San Francisco.

She began volunteering at the Stanford Museum of Art (now called the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts) 12 years ago.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1935, she graduated magna cum laude from Radcliffe College in 1956 and earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1958.

She worked as an editorial assistant at The New Republic and as an assistant to the dean of Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism before moving to the Bay Area in 1962 when her husband began teaching at Stanford Law School.

Between 1962 and 1966, she worked with Carl Spaeth, former dean of hte Law School, on the university's Committee on International Studies. Between 1976 and 1985, Franklin held various editorial positions for Mother Jones, Inquiry and San Francisco magazines. From 1994 until her death, she served as consulting editor of The World of Tribal Arts magazine. She has also edited several books on African art.

Her most recent responsibility at the Cantor Center was as the host and curator of "Hair in African Art and Culture."

She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Marc Franklin; son Jonathan Franklin of Seattle, Wash.; and daughter Alison Franklin of Cambridge, Mass.; sister Diana Korzenik of Newton Highlands, Mass.; and two grandchildren.

A celebration of her life is scheduled for Monday Feb. 12 at the Cantor Arts Center. There will be no funeral, in accordance with her wishes. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the attention of Thomas Seligman at the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford, 94305-5060. Checks should be made out to Stanford University.

Ellen Faith Kindschi

Ellen Faith Kindschi, a Palo Alto resident, died Dec. 22.

Born in 1912, she lived in Madison, Wis. and the Wisconsin Dells for many years. She graduated from business school but spent her adult life as a homemaker and mother. She was also a member of the Eastern Star.

She and her family returned to the Wisconsin Dells each summer for many years to run the family-owned motel, The Wee House.

She is survived by her son Peter Kindschi of Palo Alto. Services have been held.

The Rev. John Wesley Rice, Jr.

The Rev. John Wesley Rice, Jr., 77, a resident of Palo Alto and father of newly named National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, died Dec. 24 of heart failure. He was 77.

Rice was born in Baton Rouge, La. and was a devoted minister, teacher, coach, mentor and friend to many in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Denver, Colo.; and Palo Alto. He helped found the Center for a New Generation in East Palo Alto, an after-school academic enrichemnt program fodusin gon math, science, language arts and computer literacy. HE also had strong connections to the Ravenswood schools, where his second wife Clara Bailey Rice is a principal.

He married his first wife, Angelena Ray, in 1954, and the couple had one daughter.

He is survived by his daughter Condoleezza Rice; stepson Gregory Stuart Bailey; and sister Theresa Rice Love.

Services have been held. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Center for a New Generation, P.O. Box 1029, Menlo Park, 94026.

Leola Richards

Leola Richards, a native Palo Altan and second generation Californian,, died Dec. 3 of respiratory illness and renal failure. She was 93.

Born in 1907 in Palo Alto, her father ran the Fuller and Co. grocery store on University Avenue, one of the first in the area.

She graduated from Palo Alto HIgh School and began her college career at UC Berkeley, where she joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She also attended San Jose State University and Stanford.

She married Robert LeGrande Richards in the Stanford Chapel on Sept. 11, 1932. He died in 1985.

She was a homemaker and, since 1933, enjoyed being active in the Allied Arts Guild. She was instrumental in starting the tea group and serving as hostess for the luncheons and teas. She was also a member of the Palo Alto Garden Club and enjoyed working with the gardeners, landscapers and volunteers creating beautiful displays at the Community Center or at local home gardens, for the annual garden shows.

During World War II, she worked in the cannery at night to help with the war effort and had a Victory Garden in the lot next door to their house. She and her husband attended St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, where they both sang in the choir and she was active in the Women's Circle group.

Later in life, she became a real estate agent for Besore Realty in Menlo Park. She was a member of the Palo Alto Historical Society, Stanford Alumnae, the University Club and several symphony groups.

She loved both motor and cruise traveling. The family spent most yearly vacations at Brookdale in the redwoods, and Pinecrest in the Sierra. She enjoyed art and painted oriental watercolors herself. She loved architecture, nature and was intrigued by scientific discoveries. She enjoyed playing bridge and was an avid sports enthusiast.

She and her husband moved to Portola Valley and several years after he died, she moved to the Peninsula Regent in San Mateo.

She is survived by two daughters, Nancy Lee Magill of Independence, Ore., and Anne Madora Magee of Tucson, Ariz.; sister Ruth Brown Mitchell of Palo Alto; and five grandchildren. Services have been held. Memorial contributions may be made to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, St. Mark's Episcopal Church or the San Mateo Dialysis Center (for patient benefit fund), 2000 El Camino Real, San Mateo, 94403.

Inge-Lise Parker

Inge-Lise Parker, a longtime resident of Atherton and Menlo Park, died Nov. 19. She was 54.

Born Inge-Lise Wulff Nielsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, she was educated in Denmark, Belgium and France and later Stanford University. She spoke seven languages: Danish, French, English, Spanish, German, Swedish and Norwegian. She taught French in Denmark from 1966 to 1971. She attended the English Convent, a 400-year-old French-speaking school in Bruge, Belgium and then earned her university degree in French from the Hellerup Seminarian in Copenhagen. She earned her master's degree in French from the University of Copenhagen and received additional training at the Alliance Francaise in Paris and later at Stanford.

She married Everett Humphreys Parker, Jr. (Ted) in Denmark in 1971 and moved to California.

She was a founding member of the National Charity League, Stanford Hills Chapter, where she served on the first board of directors, as their first treasurer and as membership drive chairman. She served in the board and as president of "I CARE," auxiliary to the Northern California Society for the Prevention of Blindness. She spent eight years on the Community Committee for International Students at Stanford. In 1974, she joined the Junior League of Palo Alto/Midpeninsula and was active on numerous committees over the years. She served on the league's board of directors, on its executive commitee as corresponding secretary, and as editor of the Piper. Using her knowldge of graphics, art and printing, she later founded Inge-Lise Parker Designs, creating personalized Christmas cards, invitations, catalogues and stationery. She also taught calligraphy in the Menlo Park Lyceum Program.

She is survived by her husband Ted Parker of Menlo Park; daughter Nina Parker of Menlo Park; son Christian Parker of Menlo Park; mother Aase Nielsen and brother Jorgen Nielsen of Denmark. Private memorial services have been held. Donations in her memory may be made to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation Inc., 366 N. Broadway, Suite PH-W-2, Jericho, N.Y. 11753.

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