Archived Obituaries

Rosary and Mass: Monday, April 1, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. at St. Benedict Church. Full obit and condolences: www.blackcoopersander.com

Howard P. Renshaw, Sr., 90, went home to be with the Lord and with his son, William Gilbert, who preceded him in death in 1977. Howard is survived by his wife Elma of 67 years. He is also survived by his son, Howard P. Renshaw, Jr., daughters-in-law, Sharon Renshaw and Lee McQuillen, husband Harry; grandchildren Howard P. Renshaw III, Kathryn, and Jeffrey (Brit) and 2 great-grandsons Cooper and Riley.

Philip R. Coates, 86, died October 24, 2007 after a short illness at the Veteran's Hospital in Palo Alto. He was raised in Morgan Hill and graduated from Live Oak High School in 1939. He later joined the Army as a paratrooper, was injured, then captured as a POW. When he returned to Morgan Hill, he worked for the Leonard Coates Nursery and later the Morgan Hill Unified School District as a gardener. Upon retirement he moved to Aromas, CA.

Rosary and Service 1/9/09 @ 12:00 P.M. @ Whitehurst Funeral Chapel, Los Banos.

Christine Carole O'Keeffe, age 55, passed away peacefully at her home in San Jose, CA after a long battle with bone marrow cancer. Chrissy faced her illness with strength and joy, based in her faith in the Lord. She looked forward to meeting with Him, and being reunited with parents, family, and friends who had gone before her. She will be missed by many who were touched by her continued optimism and sense of humor.

After a brief illness, Toshiko Ueki passed away peacefully on May 9, 2012, in Gilroy at the age of 97. Her husband of 52 years, Morito Ueki, preceded her.

Larry Contreras, 58, passed away peacefully on Aug. 16th in Hollister after a brief illness. Larry was a devoted husband to Eva, his wife and partner of 30 years, and a caring dad to John Duran. Larry is also missed by his dog Deebs and his cat Jimmy. He was a employee of IBM for 27 years at the time of his passing. Larry and his wife Eva bought their dream home in Hollister in 1999 and Larry loved his new community. As a talented artist, he painted many beautiful images of his new community, including the Mission San Juan Bautista. Larry joined the San Benito County Art League, and served as their treasurer during his tenure. A faithful San Francisco Forty Niners fan, Larry loved to watch the games on TV. He was also an avid reader and was reading the latest Harry Potter book at his passing. He was a passionate and opinionated man and had strong feelings about the direction that the leadership of our country was taking. Larry was opposed to the war in Iraq. Larry is survived by his twin sister Jeanne and her husband Mark Juarez, niece and nephew; Julie and Mark Jr., brother Ron, and father Charles. Larry is also loved by his extended family, Jose and Juanita Guevara, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, his brother-in-laws; Louie, Alfonso and Jorge, his sister-in-laws; Juana and Erika, his nephews and nieces; Poncho, Adam, Alejandra, Veronica, Tristan, Nathaniel, and Dominique. (nephew Louie Jr. predeceased him).

Eric Patterson, age 64 passed away peacefully surrounded by his children on April 27, 2012. Eric was born in Santa Ana and was raised in Solvang.

Memorial services are planned for Virginia Goldsmith on Sunday, June 26, 2011, at 2:30 P.M. at the First Presbyterian Church, 2066 San Benito St., Hollister