Tze Leung Lai (June 28, 1945–May 21, 2023), professor of statistics at Columbia University and Ray Lyman Wilbur Professor at Stanford University, passed away peacefully in his sleep on 21 May 2023. Lai lived a remarkable life, investing in his academic career, his students, and his family; he was proud of his accomplishments in each of those areas. Growing up in postwar Hong Kong, Lai lear...

Jacob Rodgers Pierce, age 40, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, May 19, 2023. Jacob was born on March 1, 1983 in Redwood City to Carolyn and Steve Pierce. He was raised in Palo Alto alongside his three brothers: Nate, Zane, and Ezra. A remarkably bright and creative person, Jacob was homeschooled until the age of 14 after which he attended the King’s Academy in Sunnyvale for high school. ...

Joan Hancock passed away peacefully at home in Palo Alto, on Mother’s Day, May 14, 2023. The oldest child of Margaret (Meg) and Roger Egeberg, she and her three siblings were raised in Cleveland, OH and Los Angeles. After graduating from U.C. Berkeley in 1953, she lived in Grand Mere, Quebec before settling back into the San Francisco Bay Area where she taught Elementary School in Daly City an...

Marylyn Morrell, a dedicated advocate for women's empowerment, a beloved wife and mother, loyal friend, and a lifelong learner, passed away on May 25, 2023, at the age of 90. She spent her final months surrounded by her children and grandchildren and, as was her wish, in her beloved home. Born on November 22, 1932, in La Grange, Illinois to Mabel and Ralph Eck. Marylyn displayed a thirst for k...

Longtime Palo Alto resident Theodore Clarence Carlstrom passed away in the early hours of Friday, May 12 after a sudden and short illness. Throughout his hospitalization, Ted was surrounded by his immediate family who recall his extraordinary devotion to them, as well as a life marked by intellectual curiosity, an ongoing love of history, extensive volunteering, and a deep appreciation of the natu...

ROBERT CAMPBELL MCGIBBEN, JR 1937-2023 Bob was a 3rd generation San Franciscan, born at Children’s Hospital on February 28,1937. His youth was spent in Menlo Park under the loving eye of his grandfather, who instilled in Bob a sense of confidence, a zest for life and a quick wit. In the mid-fifties Bob was drafted into the army. While stationed in Georgia, Bob had the enviable oppor...

Elizabeth Jeanne Doyle ("Betsy" to her friends and family) died with family at her bedside on May 6, 2023, from complications of a December 2020 stroke. She was 98. Betsy was born in Salt Lake City on October 17, 1924, to parents Lyle Maxon Barker, a mining engineer from Iowa, and Isabel O'Neill, who started out teaching grade school in a one-room schoolhouse in Wisconsin. Betsy's family moved...

Theresa "Terri" Lavelle, age 75, lost her battle with brain cancer on May 3rd, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. Born on July 22nd, 1947, in Boyne City, Michigan, Terri was the daughter of Beulah Mae Long and John Hejhal. She spent her childhood at the family farm and around Boyne City, East Jordan, and the Lake Charlevoix area. Terri graduated from Boyne City High School in 1964. After high sch...

After a battle with cancer, Mike Smith passed away at home early on May 1, 2023. He was an influential figure in American education and social policy for over six decades. He was a mentor, teacher, leader, and friend in every sense of the word as he moved back and forth between roles in government, Academia, and philanthropy. His leadership style was deeply personal as well as informal, believ...

Kathy Trabue Weiss, age 64, of Kapaau, Hawaii, passed away unexpectedly on April 29, 2023. Kathy was born on April 9, 1959, in Dublin, Ohio. Her parents, Jerry and Beverly Trabue, welcomed Kathy as their first daughter and Teri as their second. The Trabue family made many happy memories at their vacation home in Big Pine Key, Florida, where Jerry taught them to swim, fish, and care for nature. ...

Ze’ev Wurman, a software engineer and influential participant in educational content standards debates, died on Saturday, April 29, 2023, from complications of lymphoma. He was 73. Ze’ev (Polish name Wlodzimierz) was born in 1950 in Warsaw, Poland. His father, Leon Wurman (born in 1911 in Kurów), had been a house painter before World War II and then a self-taught engineer. His mother, Iren...

Dorothea passed away on April 25, 2023, after a short illness. Born in 1933 in Boston, Massachusetts, Dorothea and her mom, Dorothy, moved to the home of her Grandparents after the passing of her father when she was three. Her grandparents treated her like she was their own child. She grew up in a house filled with loving aunts and uncles and is fondly remembered by her cousins as “Bunny”...

JoAnn Lois Schmidt passed away April 21, 2023 in Palo Alto, California surrounded by her loving family and compassionate caregivers. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 8, 1938 of Agnes and Lester Staab, JoAnn graduated from Lawrence University, BA (French & Education, magnum cum laude) in 1960. She met her husband, Karl Schmidt, while at Lawrence. In June, 2022 they celebrated 66 years of lo...

Robert Reynolds Wood. 1926-2023 Robert Wood passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on April 21, 2023. Robert Reynolds Wood (Bob) was a remarkable man who touched many with his kindness, generosity, and grace. He was intelligent, caring, optimistic, and always excited for new experiences. Bob was born on December 6, 1926 in Portland, Oregon. Robert Wood Sr. was a the...

Anastasia passed away peacefully in her home in Woodside, CA very early on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023. She was born in Long Beach, CA on May 16, 1943 to Theodora Andersen, and Charles Anderson. She graduated from Burlingame High School, and worked at the Burlingame Wells Fargo; where she met her beloved husband Harvey Rutenberg. They married on October 3, 1971, and raised their two daughters toge...