Deaths Deaths (March 09, 2005)

Elizabeth Campbell

Elizabeth "Sue" Campbell, 91, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, died Jan. 30 in Los Altos after a short illness.

She was born in Palo Alto in 1913. After graduating from Palo Alto High School and San Jose State University, she worked at Stanford in a number of positions, eventually becoming the secretary of the Graduate School of Business.

While working at the Business School, she met her husband, Donald A. Campbell, who went on to be the controller for Lane Publishing Co., known for producing Sunset magazine and books. Their Palo Alto home was featured a number of times in the magazine.

She worked as a volunteer in a number of organizations including the Stanford Hospital Center Auxiliary, on whose board she served. An avid cook, she was also known as a gardener, growing bonsai from seeds and harvesting vegetables from a home garden for more than 50 years. Late in life, she pursued philanthropy, focusing on higher education, libraries and conservation.

She is survived by her son, Bruce Campbell of Palo Alto. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

Betty Anne Lohman

Betty Anne Lohman, 83, a resident of Menlo Park, died Feb. 23 at her home.

She was born Jan. 28, 1922, in Zion, Ill., to John Brown and Margarette McHallum, who provided her with the Scottish heritage that made her proud. After spending her childhood in Long Beach, Calif., she graduated from Stanford School of Nursing and treasured her brief career in San Francisco before marrying John Holt Lohman.

She and John lived on a 60-acre ranch in Los Altos Hills that later became the site for Foothill College. Of their many outstanding accomplishments together, the couple was most proud of their development of Carmel Valley Golf and Country Club and Quail Lodge.

Her life was filled with her many philanthropic endeavors for which she was a cheerful ambassador. These include the Peninsula Volunteers, the Meditation Garden at El Camino Hospital, the John Holt Lohman Music Building at Menlo College and the Lohman Theatre soon to be built at Foothill College on the site of their original home.

She relished the experience of countless cultural and social events including the Celebrity Forum Series through Foothill and DeAnza Colleges and organized theatre tours to London and New York.

She leaves behind a lifelong legacy of a caring family and dear friends who will remember her love of life, generous heart and infectious enthusiasm.

She is survived by her daughters, Jeannette Lawrence and Meg Young; and three grandsons. She was preceded in death by her husband, John, and her son, Holt.

A memorial service was held at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lohman Theatre Building Fund through Foothill College, the El Camino Hospital Foundation or the Pathways Hospice Foundation.

Jeanne Low

Jeanne Sulloway Low, 88, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, died Feb. 16.

She was born Feb. 1, 1917, in Boston, Mass., and grew up in Franklin, N.H. She was educated at Miss Hall's School in Boston and Miss Child's School of Art in Florence, Italy.

She worked for the Red Cross as a program director for wounded soldiers in North Africa and Naples, Italy, during WWII, and met Preston Low, an army officer from Portland, Ore. They wed in Florence, Italy, and returned to the United States. In the '50s, they moved into a home commissioned by them in the Los Altos Hills.

She started a nursery school in Los Altos, and in the '60s was president of the Foothill International League, helping foreign students. It was at this time that she began to focus on crafts such as stitchery, textiles and basketry.

A member of the Bay Area Arts and Crafts Guild and the Stitchery Guild, she participated in many local fairs such as Jubilation at Stanford. She also operated a Christmas craft fair in a railroad car by the tracks of the defunct railway line in Los Altos.

A promoter of young artists, she was the driving force behind the creation of the California Crafts Museum, and oversaw the first exhibition installed in autumn of 1980.

She and Preston Low divorced in 1985 and she moved to Palo Alto.

She continued to lead the museum in a series of exhibitions at PACC (now the Palo Alto Art Center) for the next two years. The museum then moved to San Francisco and fused with the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Fort Mason, where she continued to guide its daily staffing.

She was also a collector of fiber art and a committed supporter of craft artists.

In addition to her commitment to art, she led an active life as a member of many animal rights groups, the Palo Alto Women's Golf Club and various hiking groups. She volunteered for the American Heart Association and was an avid gardener.

She is survived by three sons, John Low and David Low of Palo Alto, and Richard Low of Mountain View.

Hilmer J. Nelson

Hilmer J. Nelson, 87, a Palo Alto native, died Feb. 18.

Until very recently, he lived his entire life in Palo Alto, attending Mayfield Elementary School and graduating from Palo Alto High School in 1937. He retired from the City of Palo Alto after 40 years of service and also served as a volunteer firefighter for Palo Alto during World War II.

A lover of horses, he will be remembered as a steady, hard-working man who loved and provided for his family.

He is survived by his daughters, Margaret Mary Fuller of Palo Alto and Ann Cominos of Milpitas; stepson, Al (Tony) Lawrence of Los Altos; sister, Goldie Nelson of Los Altos; six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Services have been held. Memorial donations may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society and/or the Alzheimer's Foundation.

Patricia R. Stebbins

Patricia R. Stebbins, 101, a 51-year resident of Palo Alto, died March 2 of heart failure.

Born in Detroit, Mich., she attended high school in New Jersey.

She was an active member of several community organizations such as The Garden Club of Palo Alto, Daughters of the American Colonists, First Families of Virginia, The Hugenot Society and The Mayflower Society. She is perhaps most well known for her design and production of "Braille Flags for the Blind" through The Daughters of the American Revolution. They are small, textured American Flags that allowed blind individuals to experience the flag.

Her greatest interest lay in family genealogy. She published The Rules and Exceptions, a family history tracing back 15 generations and following 93 branches.

She is survived by her son, Lt. Col. Albert K. Stebbins III of Tega Cay, S.C.; sister, Mary R. Coale of Lakeway, Texas; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Patricia S. Walker, and her son, Lt. Col. Arthur R. Stebbins, Jr. A memorial service will be held Thursday, March 10, at 2 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 600 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto.

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