07-12-02obituaries

William "Bill" Conley, 74, of Ojai, died Friday, July 5, 2002 at his home after a lengthy illness. He was born Oct. 30, 1927 in Kaymore, W.Va., and lived in Ojai for the last 24 years. He was a 35-year Ventura County resident.
Mr. Conley was an auto mechanic in the family-owned Oxnard business, Conley & Sons Automotive. He was a retired Air Force master sargeant, having served in Korea and Vietnam.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Susan Conley, of Ojai; sons and daughters-in-law Stephen and Rene Conley, and David and Susan Conley, all of Oxnard; daughters and sons-in-law Lisa and Alberto Luna and Sarah and Jim Davis, all of Ojai, and Patricia and Julian Jakes of England; 18 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his grandson, David Utter.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, July 11, at 1 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai, with Brother Otis Fox officiating. Interment will follow at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura.
Memorial contributions may be made to a homeless shelter.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.

Peter John Bowman

Peter John Bowman, 62, of Ojai, died Saturday, July 6, 2002 from complications of a heart attack on the Fourth of July. He was born Jan. 9, 1940 in Mangatapu, New Zealand, and made Ventura County his home after sailing to Ventura in 1982.
His interests included the ocean, nature, stone carving and people.
He is survived by his son, David Hardley of New Zealand; son and daughter-in-law Kent and Trish Hardley of Ventura; and four grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, July 13, at 4 p.m. at 31 Peking St., Ventura. Aloha shirts are welcome.
Memorial donations may be made to the Prostate Cancer Research Institute, Attention: Memorials, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 885, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura.

Edith 'Edie' Thacher Dane

Edith "Edie" Thacher Dane, 89, died Sunday, June 23, 2002 at the home of her daughter in San Jose, Calif. She was born May 4, 1913 in Ojai on the campus of The Thacher Preparatory Boys School, where her father, William Larned Thacher, was associate head master and her uncle, Sherman Day Thacher, was head master.
She attended Vassar College in New York, and married and settled in Sierra Madre, Calif., where her mother, Hilda Blumer Thacher, was born. Her maturnal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John George Blumer, were of the original group of residents of Sierra Madre when they arrived in 1886.
Mrs. Dane lived in Sierra Madre for more than 60 years and was an active and dedicated volunteer in her community throughout her adult life. She received numerous honors and awards for her service in the areas of early childhood developpment, the "War on Poverty," and a variety of human rights and social justice initiatives. She was active in the Democratic Party and, in her later years, was active in efforts to preserve the hillside of her hometown. As a social activist, she was committed to the health and well-being of all members of society and to her local communities of Sierra Madre, and surrounding Pasadena-area cities.
She is survived by her children, Bill Dane of Albany, Calif., Frank Dane of Forestville, Calif., and Nancy Dane Peña of San Jose, Calif.; daughters-in-law Nancy Dulberg Dane and Diana Dane; seven grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and several cousins and in-laws.
Memorial services will be held Aug. 16, 2002 in Sierra Madre.
Arrangements are under the direction of San Jose Funeral Services, 1275 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, CA 95125.