Guido S. Piesco

Guido S. Piesco, 76, of Ojai, died Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 at Acacias Care Center in Ojai. He was born June 4, 1926 in Westfield, N.J., to Nicholas and Alma Piesco. He attended schools in New Jersey and joined the U.S. Navy in Sampson, N.Y.
Mr. Piesco taught elementary school in Montclair, N.J. for nine years. He married Mary Jean Ogle in 1950 and came to the Ojai Valley in 1969. He was a teacher in Ojai until 1984.
His interests included nature hikes, cooking and music. He played jazz piano and often entertained at the Sand Dollar Restaurant (now the Golden Moon Chinese Restaurant).
He is survived by sons Ronnie D. Piesco of Santa Monica, Calif., and Barry B. Piesco of Ojai; brothers and sisters-in-law Boris Ubaldo and Ruth Piesco of Brooksville, Fla., and Alfred and Jackie Piesco of Westfield, N.J. ; sister and brother-in-law Olga and Edward Powell of Camarillo; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held today from 2 to 8 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan.16, at Clausen Funeral Home.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.

Edwin P. Scanlan

Edwin P. Scanlan, 80, of Ojai, died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2003, following a stroke. He was born Jan. 14, 1922 in New York City to Stephen and Mary Scanlan.
For more than 25 years, Mr. Scanlan was a member of the Augustinian Religious Community and served in parishes in San Diego, Hollywood, Philadelphia, as well as St. Thomas Aquinas in Ojai. Four of those years, he was an Army chaplain, ministering to troops in Korea.
After leaving the religious community, Mr. Scanlan was a counselor with the Los Angeles Public School District, working in some of the most demanding areas of the city.
Upon retirement, he moved to Ojai, where he was active in a number of religious and community programs, including the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Ojai Valley Library, and local music and dramatic productions. He was instrumental in establishing the homeless shelter and Hope House.
In 2001, Mr. Scanlan received, through the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, papal recognition, the Benemerenti Award, for many years of service to the church and the community.
In his final months, he resided at St. Joseph Health and Retirement Center in Ojai.
He is survived by his nephews, Mark, Kevin and Brian. He was preceded in death by his brother, John Scanlan.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 14 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Ojai. Internment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Arrangements were under the direction of Callanan Mortuary, Los Angeles.

Lawrence "Larry" Sommer

Lawrence "Larry" Sommer, 94, of Ojai, died Sunday, Dec. 22, 2002 at St. Joseph's Health and Retirement Center, following a lengthy illness. He was born in 1909 in Austria.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He worked in forest maintenance with the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s, and was later employed by the John Hancock Insurance Company.
Mr. Sommer and his wife, Lillian, moved to Ojai in 1971, and he was an active member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lillian Sommer, of Ojai; son Lawrence Sommer of Oregon; granddaughter Sylvia Elliott of Canada; great-grandchildren Adam and Ashley; three sisters; and two brothers.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 18, at 3:30 p.m. at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 409 Topa Topa Drive, Ojai, with the Rev. Coryl Lassen officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.

Carl Hatfield Jr.

Carl Hatfield Jr., 68, of Palm Desert, Calif., died Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003. He was born March 10, 1934 in Omaha, Neb., to Carl Hatfield Sr. and Signa Hatfield.
The family moved to Lakewood, Calif., in 1942, and then moved to Anaheim in 1947, where they opened a dry cleaning business, Hatfield Cleaners. Carl and his two brothers, Robert Lee and John Richard, all graduated from Anaheim Union High School, where Carl was named an All-American baseball player. He was one of the first employees when Disneyland opened, and served as a captain for the Jungle Boat Ride.
Mr. Hatfield entered the Marine Corps Reserve in 1958 and was honorably discharged in 1964.
In 1959, he received his bachelor of arts degree in public administration from California State University-Long Beach. This precipitated his long career in city government. In 1960, he married Jeanne Bauman, also a resident of Anaheim.
In 1963, Mr. Hatfield left city government and opened his own public relations firm, which included work on some projects for his brother, Bobby Hatfield, who partners with Bill Medley to form The Righteous Brothers, who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10, 2001 (coincidentally, Carl's birthday).
Mr. Hatfield co-founded, co-published and served as editor of Orange County Magazine from 1965 to 1967.
He moved his family to Sandy, Ore., in 1967 and did public relations work for the Agri-Business Council until Sandy advertised for a city manager. On Jan. 1, 1973, he became Sandy's first city manager. The Hatfield family moved to Oakdale, Calif., on Feb. 16, 1976, where he served as the city administrator.
In March of 1979, the Hatfields moved to Ojai, where Mr. Hatfield served as Ojai's city manager until 1985. His wife, Jeanne, worked at The Oaks at Ojai, and later at The Palms at Palm Springs. He then served as city manager of Rancho Mirage from March of 1985 until October 1990.
Shortly after Mr. Hatfield left Rancho Mirage, he began showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and was diagnosed with the disease in February of 1992.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Jeanne Ann Hatfield, of Palm Desert; son and daughter-in-law Jay Richard and Sheila Hatfield of San Diego; son Clayton Lee Hatfield of Palm Desert; brother Bobby Hatfield of Newport Beach; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his brother, John Richard Hatfield.
Memorial services will be held Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. at Desert Springs Church in Palm Desert. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be sent to the Alzheimer's Association of the Desert, and encourages those interested to participate in the Memory Walk for Alzheimer's on Feb. 8.
Arrangements are under the direction of Palm Springs Mortuary.

Rev. Thomas M. Mahoney

Rev. Thomas Martin Mahoney of the Order of St. Augustine, age 85, of Villanova, Pa., died Sunday, Jan. 5, 2003. He was born Dec. 11, 1917 in Washington, D.C.
After graduating from Villanova College in 1939, he joined the Augustinians at the novitiate in New Hamburg, N.Y., and was ordained in May 1945. He served in various ministries in the Villanova Province, including fulfilling the position of vice president of financial affairs at Villanova University.
Father Mahoney came to Villanova Preparatory School in Ojai, in 1979, where he served for 14 years in various roles, including teacher, director of the ESL Program, and business and plant manager. In his time at Villanova Preparatory, he was known for his dedication to teaching and the students, especially the resident international students. He was the first recipient of the Ernie Wildcat Award, which is awarded by the school annually to someone who has shown outstanding support of student activities and exemplifies the Villanova ideals of love, truth and community.
He is survived by four nieces, Ann Clark, Sue Hawthorne, Jackie Calabrese and Mary Alice Lynch. His brother, Andrew, died on the same day, Jan. 5, 2003.
A funeral liturgy was held Jan. 13 at St. Thomas Church at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pa., in the Augustinian section.
Donations may be made in memory of Father Mahoney to Villanova Preparatory School for the new resident student recreation hall.

Steven Walt Ruffing

Steven Walt Ruffing, 39, of Ojai, died Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 at his residence. He was born June 7, 1963 in Hollywood, Calif., and had been a resident of Ojai for 10 years.
Mr. Ruffing worked in the motion picture industry as a Local 80 grip and an artist. His interests included writing, fishing, motorcycle riding, making furniture and photography.
He is survived by his parents, John and Anne Ruffing of San Clemente; brother Mike Ruffing of Burbank; and sister Christine Ruffing of Sherman Oaks.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura.