Class of 1965
If you would like to post an obituary of a San Dieguito alumnus, please let us know.
April 6, 2006
Laura “Ladee” Diehl, 58, peacefully entered eternal life on April 1, 2006, with her family by her side. She was born on August 12, 1947, in La Jolla, a true native Californian, graduating from San Dieguito High School in 1965.
Ladee was vice-president and CFO of Action Promotions, a jewelry/gift business, which she co-owned with her husband, Dennis, for 31 years.
Ladee was a fabulous singer and performed in many places around the world, including on the Queen Mary and also on a Carnival Cruise. Among her many passions was her colossal collection of treasures of new and old, that she procured from her travels around the world.
Ladee was preceded in death by her parents, Lester and Cleo Conrad; and her beloved cats, Monkey, Sadie and Pee Wee. She will be missed by her loving husband, Dennis of 26 years; her stepmother, June Conrad; her aunt Mary; her mother and father-in-law, Joan and Stewart Diehl; her devoted cats, Joey and Daisy; many brothers and sisters-in-law; many nieces and nephews; including her special niece, Stacy; her godchildren, Stephanie and Kris; and dear friend Margaret Long.
Ladee enjoyed having hundreds of friends. She was witty, funny, vibrant and opinionated. Ladee was a kind and generous person. Ladee could find humor in every situation and she could always make everyone laugh. She had a zest for life, worked hard and played hard, and enjoyed her life to the fullest. To say she will be missed is an understatement. Ladee was truly loved by her family and friends and her absence will leave a tremendous gap in their hearts and a void in their lives.
A memorial prayer service will be held at Moonlight Beach on Saturday, April 8, at 3 p.m. All are invited to attend. A celebration of her life will be held following the service.
March 10, 2009
Ruth Ann Ramsey
Juneau Empire
Longtime Juneau resident Ruth Ramsey died Feb. 22, 2009, at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, following a prolonged illness. She was 62.
She was born on Feb. 3, 1947, in Midland, Mich., to Rebecca and Lyle Foster. She attended high school and college in San Diego, Calif., and moved to Juneau in 1978. She met Frank Ramsey when they were classmates in flight school. They were married on June 21, 1980, at the Shrine of St. Therese.
Over the years, Ruth became Frank’s business partner, helping him run Channel Drilling Co. and a mini-storage unit facility. As business manager, she kept the books, set appointments and was the ever-friendly voice at the other end of the phone on which their many customers relied, her family said. Nearly everyone who met her immediately recognized her loving, caring nature and cheerful demeanor, they said. Ruth and Frank volunteered in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program.
She is survived by her husband; many friends in Juneau and throughout Southeast Alaska; and relatives who live out of state.
A celebration of her life is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. March 28 at Smith Hall in Chapel by the Lake. Guests are invited to bring a potluck dish to share.
Gregory Madison “Swifteagle” Howe
The opening ceremonies in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles included marching American Indians. Gregory “Swifteagle” Howe Sr., a member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, was one of them.
From when he was a boy living on the Fort Thompson Indian Reservation in South Dakota to when he was an aspiring actor later in life, the Redlands resident stayed true to where he came from.
“He was very proud of his roots,” said his wife, Debra. “He had a box filled with all kinds of artifacts from when his grandparents and great-grandparents lived on the reservation.”
After a lengthy fight with cancer, Howe died April 24 at his home. He was 61.
Howe was born Feb. 26, 1947, in Milwaukee to Guy and Mildred Howe.
He was born so fast that his father wanted to name him Comes A Flying. But the infant’s mother disagreed, and his name became Swifteagle.
When Howe was young, his father left the family. Howe was raised by his mother in Encinitas, where he spent his childhood surfing and working.
“He had to take on a lot of responsibilities early on, including having a newspaper route,” his wife said.
After graduating from high school in Encinitas, Howe enlisted in the Army and was sent to Vietnam. From 1966 to 1969, Howe served as an airborne ranger.
He lost friends during the war, but did not dwell much on the horrors. Mostly, he was happy to serve his country, his wife said.
The most difficult situation that he dealt with at the time may have been being greeted by war protesters when he got off the plane in the United States after serving in Vietnam.
“He was a fighter through and through, so he was disturbed by that,” his wife said.
After his military service, he worked for a time as a heavy-equipment mechanic for International Harvester. But mostly he held different jobs in the entertainment field.
Howe was a disc jockey for a country music radio station and then a light-rock station in San Diego. He did voiceover work for television game shows and was an extra in the movies.
“Back then there was an issue with the hiring of non-Native Americans in the movies,” his wife said. “So at the time he signed up for the American Indian Registry for the Performing Arts.”
As a young man, he modeled for Stan Davis, an artist who hired aspiring American Indian actors as models.
He met his first wife when they were members of the registry. The marriage did not last.
Howe eventually got into the construction field and worked his way up to superintendent and project manager in La Quinta and neighboring desert cities.
On the building sites, there was nothing Howe could not do, his wife said.
“He loved the field and was very hands on,” she said.
The couple met in 1993 when he was hired at the construction firm where she was working.
“He was tall and strong with Native American features, and I liked him from the start,” she said. “He went on to treat me like a queen, doing everything for me.”
The couple married in 1997 and lived in Grand Terrace before settling in Redlands.
In the early years of their relationship, he had all the energy in the world, she said.
He traveled often to the Colorado River and Wyoming, did remodels for younger family members and liked to help the less fortunate.
He often gave money to the homeless at Christmas.
Even when he fell ill with cancer, he was on the go. He maintained ties with the reservation and spent time with a grandson he adored.
“All through his radiation days, he still ran all over the house with him, even though it would exhaust him,” said his wife. “My grandson called Greg ‘Papa Haans.’ We don’t know why and probably never will, but that was his name for him.”
Howe is also survived by stepdaughters Rachel Hernandez of Crestline and Jyll Barnes of Redlands; his mother, Mildred Howe of San Diego; three brothers, Garth Howe and Dean Howe, both of San Diego, and Guy Howe of Bokeelia, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion, 820 W. State St., Redlands.
From an undated obituary written by Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell, from an unattributed newspaper clipping submitted to Mustang Memories by Mrs. Debra Howe. You may view this clipping here.
(May 20, 1947 — January 9, 2007)
Robert “Bobby” Van Brook, 59, died January 9, 2007, in La Jolla, California.
Sailing the deep blue sea was the passion of Robert “Bobby” William Van Brook.
Born May 20, 1947, in New London, Connecticut, to Irene and Robert Van Brook, they moved to Cardiff when Bobby was four years old. He attended school in Encinitas, becoming an apprentice carpenter upon leaving San Dieguito High School. He went on to a lifelong career in the construction industry. He moved to Orchidland on the big island of Hawaii, where he lived and raised his family for 13 years before returning to Encinitas. An avid sailor, one of his most memorable accomplishments was sailing his boat down the Baja peninsula around Cabo San Lucas and up the Sea of Cortez.
—”Robert ‘Bobby’ Van Brook”, North County Times Obituaries 1/26/2007. You may read the rest of this obituary here.
