By Guy Kovner

John Roberts was the kindest and gentlest soul many of us knew and loved. He died the morning of May 7 at the Santa Rosa care facility he had been obliged to live in with Annie, his wife, and Gus the cat.

John was a father and a carpenter, a pool shark, a whitewater rafter and Russian River kayaker. On any rafting trip with kids, John befriended and spent time with them, while the rest of us boatmen went about the chores of setting up a camp.

John was loved by all who knew him. We now count ourselves among the lucky ones who embraced him.

He lived with other families around the dome they built on steep, remote land in West County. The men were principals in an entity they called Ho Hum Con Co, a name that belied their commitment to their craft. They did a lot of work for a Dry Creek Valley vineyard and winery that rose to considerable prestige west of Healdsburg with Warm Springs Dam at the head of the valley.

The dome weathered wind, rain, heat and cold, and was a gathering place for its residents and their community of friends. Warmed by a wood stove fire, it was never known as anything but the dome.

John was also part of Nonesuch Whitewater, a river-running spinoff from an established West County private school. It ran what commercial boating companies called a pirate operation, because it took people down rivers at much lower cost, introducing them to realms they had never known, including three rivers flowing west out of the High Sierra — the American, Stanislaus and Tuolumne — a trio of escalating intensity, thrill and reward — and jovial John was a big part of it all.

Sadly, dementia threw a cloud over John, and cancer added to his woes as he moved into the care facility, first sharing an apartment with Annie and finally into a locked memory care unit where residents will not amble off by themselves.

We all miss you terribly, John.

Celebration of Love to honor Annie and John. Saturday, Oct 17, 12 pm to 4 pm, at the Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. Bring an appetizer and/or beverage to enjoy with others. If so, please bring an item for an altar. For more information, please call Jan at 7078884971 or Lynne at 707 823-6603.

By Lynne Koplof

From ‘an off the grid’ geodesic dome built by friends and family without electricity or telephone, Annie not only raised her 3 remarkable children but created a haven for dozens of others. Her home was always open. She could most often be found in her kitchen creating exquisite and comforting meals for all who showed up, delighting everyone from culinary elitists to fussy 7 year olds.

A gifted artist, best known for ceramics, she created a bit of magic with everything she touched. She could turn an empty sardine can into an altar, a gourd into a gnome house, scraps of material into couture hats, and old plastic bags into chicken sculptures. Her hand built hobby horses have likely let many a kid pretend they were riding far and wide. While never a commercial artist, her works raised 10s of thousands of dollars for local charities.

Annie taught ceramics at Nonesuch School for 23 years, but she was so much more than a teacher. She was an alchemist who created a welcoming, enchanting environment filled with wild and imaginative projects, unbound creativity, wondrous stories, uproarious laughter and invaluable life skills; such as how to park your father’s car after you borrowed it without permission and brought it home dented.

Annie was one of the warmest, friendliest, funniest people on the planet. If one were to mention all the babies she helped deliver, the weddings she decorated, the food she took to people in need, the organizations she volunteered with, the torn clothes she mended and the people who she made feel happy and loved, it would fill a whole newspaper, front to back, and take too long for anyone to read, so I will leave it at this. Rather than an obituary, this is a letter of love for the person who gave so much to so many.

Her marriage to the kind and gentle John Roberts was forged with great love, genuine friendship and commitment to community. Together they created, instigated and shared so many good times with all.

She is survived by her three children, Jan Stickney, Jeannie Terhune, and Rafter Roberts, and her two grandchildren, Jesenia Garcia, and Rulian Roberts

Annie’s smile and her infectious cackling laugh will never be far away. Her last words were, “Remember, we had more fun than anyone.”

Celebration of Love to honor Annie and John. Saturday, Oct 17, 12 pm to 4 pm, at the Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. Bring an appetizer and/or beverage to enjoy with others. If so, please bring an item for an altar. For more information, please call Jan at 7078884971 or Lynne at 707 823-6603.

By Cristie Wold, Leslie Witt, edited by Roberta Alleman

Walking into Paula Kursh’s home in Sebastopol was like being invited into a kind of living biography — and being given permission to wander through her life, her mind, her sense of humor. A well-loved, eclectic record collection lined the walls. Cheeky altars to the Madonna and Child teased you into her more surreal domestic assemblages. There were tributes to the 1960s, to the natural world, to her father and her brother, to every place and person she’d ever loved — all of it layered together in her observant, witty way.

Paula was quirky and phenomenally creative — a substantial artist working across collage, sculpture, assemblage, fiber arts, and clothing design, a true mixed-media savant who followed her own instincts long before that kind of work had a name. She was a delightful storyteller, and a writer of memoir and short stories as well. Over the years she showed her art and sculpture pieces at the Sebastopol Art Center and other local venues, building a body of work that was unmistakably hers. Her creative reach extended into music, too: she spent years working for CBS Records in New York and was there at Woodstock, part of her generation’s reshaping our culture from the inside. She continued to be a music lover for the rest of her life.

Paula was born in New York and grew up in Nyack on the Hudson, in a home where art, design, and music were simply the air she breathed: her father, Maurice Kursh, was a well-known artist and graphic designer, and an amateur musician, and her mother, Irene Oakley Kursh, was a master seamstress and interior designer, who had been a Radio City Rockette in its early heyday. The family moved to the Bay Area, California, in the mid-1950s, and Paula graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1954. She spent a year at San Jose State, but New York pulled her back east, where she studied for two years at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Her years on the East Coast read like a life built entirely on her own terms: she worked at the ad agency Kenyon & Eckhardt in New York, then at CBS Records, then at Church & Main Advertising in Keene, New Hampshire. Ever the free-thinking entrepreneur, Paula opened her own antique shop on Third Street in Manhattan, memorably named “Turkey Dinner $1.00”.

In 1970, Paula traveled to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, to visit her father and stepmother, Charlotte Olmsted Kursh, and over the decades that followed, she built a life of her own there. She learned to speak some Spanish, hosted friends visiting from home, made many new ones, and became a genuine part of the local art community.

Paula’s move to Sebastopol in the early 1980s brought a grounded life she loved: her garden — she was a Master Gardener, her home and art studio, and, most of all, the deep friendships she found at the Sebastopol Art Center and the Sebastopol Senior Center, bonds she treasured for the rest of her life.

Paula was always eager to reciprocate the love and support of her many friends and loving family. She is survived by her nephew Stephen G. Kursh (Lysbeth Ackerman Kursh) and grand-nephew Gerrit Kursh, as well as many cousins and stepsiblings. In addition to her mother, father, and stepmother, Paula was preceded in death by her brother Stephen and beloved nephew Ryan Kursh.

Patricia Ann (Badger) Davis, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and lifelong resident of Sonoma County, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026, in Santa Rosa, California, at the remarkable age of 100.

Born on July 28, 1926, to Alice J. and Miles E. Badger, Pat grew up in Santa Rosa’s Rincon Valley, where her family’s roots r…

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Robert “Bob” Joseph Murnane, 85, of Sebastopol, passed away peacefully with close family in attendance on August 6th, 2026.

Bob was born in 1941 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to parents Margaret Ruth Murnane & Eugene Robert Murnane. He was the eldest of four siblings.

When Bob was 2 years old, his family moved to California, to the San Francisco Bay Area. They moved around some and settled in Marin County, where Bob attended Saint Anselm’s School. At the age of 13, he went to boarding school at the Catholic seminary in Mountain View. He continued on in the seminary studying towards the priesthood through college. At some point during a family vacation in Lake Tahoe, Bob fell in love with Pamela Ongaro, the love of his life. They married in 1966, and they almost celebrated their 60th anniversary.

After the birth of their son Bobby and daughter Pammy, Bob earned his Master’s degree at the University of Chicago, then returned to California and worked as a social worker at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and at Kaiser Santa Rosa, for about 40 years combined.

Bob is survived by his wife Pamela, his children Bobby (and wife Suzan) and Pammy (and husband Charles), his grandchildren Forest, Hunter and Laurel, his sister Mary and sister-in-law Sandy, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers Patrick and Timothy.

Bob was kind to everyone he met and touched many lives with his thoughtful, caring manner—in his career, his family, and through his friendships, both new and lifelong. He had a large extended family and stayed in contact with many relatives in California and in Minnesota. He valued his lifelong friends and family above all else.

Bob loved travel, museums, music, nature, birdwatching, poetry and reading. He and his family enjoyed many summer vacations camping and hiking in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. For his 80th birthday, he hiked to the top of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. Bob enjoyed learning new things, from home improvement projects to experimenting with recipes after a favorite restaurant meal. He was an avid reader and always kept current on the news. Throughout his adult life, he was active and engaged in the community. After retirement, Bob and Pam volunteered at the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, promoting wildlife conservation and the love of nature in local schoolchildren.

Bob will be deeply missed by many. His Celebration of Life will be at 1 pm on Sunday, September 20, at the “Saturday Afternoon Club,” 430 10th St., Santa Rosa. All are welcome.

Richard was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1943. His mother, Agatina Caltabiano, and father, Paul Emanuel Caruso, had immigrated from Sicily, Italy, and fell in love at a masquerade ball in New York. At age eight, he moved across the country to live with his sister Gloria in Beverly Hills, California, where he discovered a love for tennis and beautiful women at the Beverly Hills Tennis Club.

Richard went on to become a psychologist with his own private practice, and spent many happy years in Sebastopol, California.

He loved to dance (aka boogie), listen to and play music, play tennis, appreciate art, meditate, and ultimately connect with people wherever he went — whether dancing at the farmer’s market or striking up a conversation in the grocery store line. Women always put a pep in his step, and he especially loved telling the story of his first girlfriend being on the cover of a magazine or dancing in a movie with Elvis Presley.

He is survived by his four daughters: Selene, Maren, Justine, and Whitney; his eight grandchildren, Noel, Aaron, Brown, Wolf, Zane, Beck, Emilio, and Siena; his sister Connie Caruso Hutchinson; and his niece Bianca Hutchinson. We will always remember his dancing, his playful and competitive spirit, and the good vibes he shared with the world.

Richard Heinberg, world-renowned author and educator, musician, artist, and husband to Janet, passed away on July 19, 2026, at the age of 75, from pancreatic cancer. He was the award-winning author of 14 books and known the world over as an expert on sustainability issues. A former professor at New College in Santa Rosa, Richard served as Senior Fellow for the international think-tank Post Carbon Institute for nearly 20 years.

Richard was born October 21, 1950, and grew up in Saint Joseph, Missouri. From an early age, Richard was drawn to music, community, and the fate of the natural world. In his early 20s, he played electric guitar and violin in rock bands, and formed the Society of Integrated Living (SOIL) while living in Toronto, Canada. He first became a scholar, writer, and speaker as part of an international spiritual community, through which he met his wife Janet Barocco. In 1992, a short newspaper article on the depletion of oil sent Richard on a path of exploration and communication about the energy and sustainability crisis, a journey that led him to start his own monthly newsletter, The Museletter, which he published for 400 consecutive months.

This journey eventually led Richard to co-develop and teach the pioneering BA program at New College on Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Community. He authored a dozen books, delivered hundreds of talks around the world, including at the European Parliament, penned thousands of articles, including in places like The Wall Street Journal and Post Carbon Institute’s website resilience.org, and was featured in magazines, television, and film. Richard’s first book on the energy crisis, The Party’s Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies, was lent by former President Bill Clinton to the New Yorker writer David Remnick, “full of underlinings and what looked like the most serious undergraduate’s markings, with lots of exclamation points.” Millions of people around the world have read or viewed Richard’s books, essays, or videos.

Richard was also an accomplished musician, playing violin locally in Santa Rosa in string quartets and occasionally with the Sonoma County Philharmonic. Nerve damage in his fingertips forced him to end a 60-year career as a violinist, but Richard quickly pivoted five years ago to learn piano through intense study and daily practice of ragtime, early Jazz, blues, and stride piano. Richard’s passion for music was eclectic, ranging from classical music to the Grateful Dead to early New Orleans Jazz. He and his wife Janet made an annual pilgrimage to his beloved second city, New Orleans, for the French Quarter Music Fest.

A true polymath constantly engaged in learning and new horizons, Richard had a remarkable way of distilling extremely challenging and complex topics down to their essence. He was adored by those lucky enough to work with or meet him, and known for his quick wit, humility, gentleness, and cheerful truthtelling about the human predicament.

A Celebration of Life is being planned for early October. To share your memories or appreciation of Richard, and to get updated information about memorial plans, please visit https://lnk.to/remember-Richard. To honor his memory, please consider donating to Post Carbon Institute or an environmental nonprofit of your choice.

Local writer Sara Peyton spoke with the voice of her adopted Northern California as well as to the joys and challenges of her generation. A gifted journalist and essayist whose work appeared throughout Sonoma County media, she was a vibrant member of the North Bay literary community, a book reviewer and spirited conversationalist who could strum the ukulele, paint watercolors, write poetry, and (taking after her late husband) pinpoint birds and native flowers.

Peyton, 74, died after a long illness, June 7, at the Occidental family home she and her husband, journalist George Snyder, bought 43 years ago. It was the same home where they raised their two sons, who were at her side as she passed.

Sara moved to San Francisco in the late 1970s and met her future husband, George Snyder, while working as an editorial assistant at the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. In the early 1980s, they moved first to Camp Meeker and later to Occidental, where they both became intertwined with the local community. George went on to be a veteran writer for the Chronicle–he retired as one of their longest-serving writers, revered for his coverage of environmental issues in Northern California. He died in 2013.

Although she spent more than four decades in Sonoma County, Peyton was born and raised in Redding, Connecticut, and attended college at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She never lost her fondness for the New England atmosphere of lobsters and clams and fall colors, and returned frequently to visit the many relatives left there.

As a journalist, Sara wrote columns and articles for newspapers such as the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, the Sebastopol Times and News, The Paper and the Bohemian. Her literary pursuits were wide-ranging, including as book reviewer and author profile writer for The Press Democrat. She published pieces in a variety of magazines, including a self-revelatory piece in More Magazine, a national publication targeting women over 40. She also worked in diverse communications roles, writing, editing and social media for companies including Copperfield’s Books, O’Reilly and Associates and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For a time, she also taught creative writing at Sonoma State University. She published short stories in two local collections and was immersed in several writing groups and workshops.

Of her work in local media, her former newspaper editors, John Boland and James Carroll, said: “Sara played an important part in recreating The Paper and later the Sonoma County Independent during some wild times. We are forever grateful for her talents, for her compassion, and for her generous spirit. It was Sara who made possible some of the most lasting contributions of the newspaper, including the focus on the local literary scene. She was a fierce journalist but had a great sense of humor. We will always remember her smile and her laugh brightening the newsroom. We hold her in our hearts with great respect and affection.”

Sara’s writing included intensely personal pieces, among them the story of the son she gave up for adoption when she was just 18 years old, conceived at the legendary Woodstock music festival. Using a pseudonym for the boy she had tracked down when he was nearly 32 years old, Cory, she wrote in More Magazine in 2003: “Watching [Cory] barbecue at his home recently, I had an odd sensation of passing through a time machine—from my current world to one that has always included him. I looked at the back deck, squinted into the fading sunlight and felt the cool evening breeze. As I watched [Cory] interact with his friends and his wife, I knew that his life still is a rich one. I also realized that it would not have been improved in any way if I hadn’t given him up for adoption, and that was both a healing and painful understanding.” They remained in touch, Sara last seeing Cory just a few weeks before she passed.

In another compelling essay focused on the challenges of raising two biracial sons in the aftermath of 911 racial profiling, Sara wrote: “I begged (one) not to travel with his Arab language book, but he just laughed. When I look at my sons, I see my mother’s distinctive high cheekbones, my siblings’ toothy grins, and my husband’s wide shoulders. But I know that strangers (sometimes) see something else. ‘Remember to smile,’ I yelled after them as they walked out the door.’”

Beyond the writing, Sara was distinctly devoted and always inquisitive, as a mother, grandmother, friend and traveler, as passionate about her family on both coasts as she was about dogs, birds and hiking, music and movies, art and the artistry of living life to its fullest. In the last year of her life, she participated mightily in a knitting group that met weekly at her house, still courting new friends. She would turn conversations with family, friends and neighbors outward, delving into the details of a new movie, award shows, a New Yorker article or books by Elizabeth Strout or Ann Patchett. She was a voracious and critical reader of news, proud of participating in many progressive marches and rallies, carrying on the tradition started when she was living in Boston in the early ’70s, then into the turmoil of the 1970s in San Francisco, up to and including the No Kings protests in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. (Her thoughts on the current administration cannot be printed.)

She is survived by her sons Samuel Snyder of San Diego, CA (wife Patrice and their three children, Clark, Eileen and Paul), and Tobias Snyder of Oakland (wife Delthia and their two children, Olympia and Cato); stepchildren Jesse Snyder of Albany, NY and Cree Snyder Schmidt of Beder, Denmark; biological son Cory Ondrejka of Los Gatos, CA; two brothers, James Peyton of Santa Rosa and Craig Peyton of Rhinebeck, NY; three sisters: Martha Peyton Reynolds of Walpole, NH, and Liz Prince of Nyack, NY, and Elizabeth Peyton of New York, NY; her stepmother Liz Peyton of Santa Rosa, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews. Besides her husband George Snyder, she was preceded in death by her parents, her stepfather, sister Susan Prince and brother Aaron Prince.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 20, at the Occidental Center for the Arts at 11 am. The family suggests donations to Dogwood Animal Rescue.

When Susana Crofton left this earth on May 26, so many friends had their hearts broken.

She left her mark on Sonoma County. Her accomplishments in theater and music touched countless lives and brought joy to many audiences over the years.

Born in Cuba on December 22, 1951, Susana was the only child of an Argentine singer and pianist mother and a Jewish American father. During the Cuban Revolution, the family immigrated to New York City in search of a safer future. Sadly, this was also the era of the polio epidemic, and Susana was among those affected. Though she endured years of difficult therapies throughout her adolescence, her strength and determination never left her.

When Susana set her mind to something, she pursued it with a rare and unwavering determination. At the age of 40, she taught herself to play the piano — an achievement that reflected both her discipline and her love of music. With her beautiful voice, sparkling personality, and warm spirit, she quickly gathered many admirers and friends. For several years, she brought comfort and happiness to residents of retirement homes through her performances, sharing not only music but companionship and joy.

Susana was also deeply involved in theater, where her creativity, humor, and vibrant presence made her unforgettable to fellow performers and audiences alike. More than her accomplishments, however, people will remember her resilience, her generosity of spirit, and the light she brought into every room she entered.

She died as she lived — on her own terms. Susana chose to end her life and left her close circle of friends an explanation written with the same honesty and clarity that defined her life: “I hope you will find comfort in knowing I’ve planned my final departure with clarity, peace, and intention.”

She will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever cherished by all who knew her.

There will be a celebration of life for Susana Crofton on June 7, 2026, from 2 pm to 5 pm, at a private home in Sebastopol. Contact gooddays@sonic.net or 707-480-6010 for the address. This event is a potluck, and tableware will be provided. There will be music, of course. Everyone who desires to share about their experiences with Susana will get a chance to do so.

Eleanor (Nell) Kneibler of Sebastopol was born in 1944 in Jacksonville, Florida, and died on May 1, 2026. Her parents were Eleanor and Arthur Kneibler. When she was three, the family moved to Libertyville, Illinois. She was the oldest of eight children and enjoyed a country childhood full of outdoor activities, sports, and being around animals.

As an adult, Nell was adventurous and loved to travel. She and her then-husband, David, moved to California and opened several imported clothing stores as well as a wholesale import business based in the Santa Cruz area. This led to travels to Mexico, Afghanistan, and India.

After Nell and David separated, she decided to buy a ranch in Healdsburg and raise cattle. This was an unusual path for a woman at the time, but she was confident that she could do it. She was used to being around large animals and had seen some of her older relatives prosper in the cattle business. Nell was proud that one of her steers, raised by a 4-H girl, was a grand champion steer at the Sonoma County Fair.

Nell had many other interests. She was a seeker and wanted to learn more about Eastern, Western, and Native American religions. Pursuing this, she leased out her pasture and attended Harvard Divinity School. She did retreats at various spiritual centers in India and the United States and, when in the Southwest for a time, was invited to participate in some Navajo ceremonies. She eventually chose Zen Buddhism as her main spiritual practice and opened up her home to a Zen Buddhist group in Healdsburg. After moving to Sebastopol in 2016, she joined the Occidental Laguna Sangha.

Nell also taught Kripalu Yoga at her home in Healdsburg. As an artistic endeavor, she enjoyed practicing and performing African, Flamenco, and Tibetan Tara dances.

Another of Nell’s passions was learning about nature, plants in particular. She went through the year-long programs at Pepperwood and the Laguna Foundation, as well as becoming a Master Gardener. She generously volunteered her time to these and other nonprofits, such as the Climate Center. Nell loved to create beautiful gardens at her homes, and she helped develop and care for the gardens of St. Stephen’s Church in Sebastopol.

During her last days, Nell told friends that she was so grateful to have been born into this wondrous world. Her many friends will deeply miss her adventurous spirit, wide-ranging curiosity, artistic sensibility, humor, generosity, and concern for humanity and our planet.

Nell is survived by her brothers, Nick and Arthur, and sister Bonnie. She was predeceased by her parents, sisters Marguarita and Margot, and brothers Knute and Jamie.

Richard James “Rico” Felciano, composer, pioneer in electronic music, and Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of California, Berkeley, died peacefully in San Francisco on February 21, 2026, at the age of 95.

Born on December 7, 1930, in Santa Rosa, he grew up in Sebastopol and fell asleep looking out at the stars in the dark Sonoma sky from his…

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Jerry and Nancy had four children, Karla Eastham (Matt), Jay K Samples, Tammi Johnson (Rusty), Paula Dillon, (Adam). They remained married for almost 66 years.

Eight grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and all the other people he took under his wing over the years — if you were fortunate to fall in any of these categories, you were loved and protected for life.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Jim, his son Jay K and his grandson Jay Jr..

Jerry loved telling stories. He was known for his Jerry-isms and his Jerry-rigs. Jerry loved fishing, hunting, traveling, gardening and cooking. He gambled at the slots or on the market. Jerry did it his way to the very end. He will be forever missed.

Join us for storytelling, food and drink Saturday May 23, 2026 at 1pm. Holy Ghost Hall, 7960 Mill Station Road, Sebastopol.

Jerry Keith Samples April 29, 1937 to April 10, 2026

Sebastopol has lost a cherished friend. ChoQosh Monroy passed on August 9, 2025, after a year-long battle with cancer. Known for her compassionate strength, wisdom and vision she was a mentor to many and a friend to all.

She had a deep connection with the Earth and all of its peoples. She was a fearless leader and Chumash Indian Elder. Witty and creative, she loved to prepare wonderful meals for family and friends. As she would say, “Cooking with Color.”

Above all, ChoQosh was filled with love and pride for her children, her grandchildren, and their many accomplishments in life. As one of her granddaughters wrote, “We find joy in knowing she is unburdened and can soar in the love, light, and magic her soul is made of.”

Soar high and free, ChoQosh!

Born in 1952 to parents Rosalind (Cohen) and Saul Becker, Charles Becker grew up in Millbrae, where he and his family were members of Peninsula Temple Beth El Congregation. He spent many summers as a camper and later as a CIT/Counselor at Camp Swig in Saratoga. He attended Capuchino High School in San Bruno, where he excelled in mathematics and wrestling and discovered his passion for the arts.

After high school, he enrolled at San Jose State University and also began studying oil painting under the Italian master painter, Roberto Lupetti, who had helped restore the Sistine Chapel. Becker’s passion for art led him to a fulfilling career as a master painter and teacher of still life painting, portraits and figures, in styles ranging from classical and magic realism to surrealism.

In 1986, Becker’s art was featured on the cover of Southwest Art Magazine, which catapulted his career and led to him being discovered by galleries, collectors and museums alike. His work was featured in many other magazines over the decades, and he became an internationally acclaimed artist featured in dozens of exhibitions across the United States and in several countries, including Japan, France and Hong Kong. His paintings are held in private, corporate and major international collections in more than 50 countries and on permanent display at the SpritMuseum in Stockholm, Sweden.

In the early ’90s, Becker was selected as the Absolut Vodka artist to represent California, and one of the paintings Absolut commissioned was displayed in a full-page ad in USA Today and Time Magazine. He was selected as an Absolut Artist of the 1990s, following Andy Warhol who was named the Artist of the 1980s.

Becker’s work was sold at the Weinstein Gallery in San Francisco along with works of other world-class artists such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

“Charles Becker’s paintings were not objects to be observed but presences to be encountered, works that drew you into relationship each time you passed them,” said gallery owner Rowland Weinstein. “Charles was also an extraordinary human being—uniquely talented, yet equally kind, humble and caring, a rare soul I was grateful to know and to call my friend.”

As incredible an artist as Charles was, his ability to connect with people was also profound and impactful. “He was the most loving, giving and kind man, who touched many hearts with his radiant soul and emotional intelligence, all wrapped up in a killer sense of humor,” said his daughter, Jessyca Becker Hoagland. “Our dad had an incredible ability to make people feel seen and he gave the best bear hugs. The world is surely colder without his warm, brilliant and beautiful presence,” she said.

Daughter Yvonne Cobert, also an educator, described his teaching style. “He used his charismatic personality to connect with students while sharing his techniques, expertise and wisdom,” she said.

Along with time spent creating beauty in his studio, teaching and connecting with his family, Charles loved playing guitar and engaging in meaningful and deep conversations. He also enjoyed gardening, being in nature and going to the movies.

Becker met his partner, Amanda Roze, through mutual friends on Facebook. “I felt sparks from Charles’s profile picture and reached out,” Roze said. They met for coffee on an unseasonably warm and sunny January morning in 2023 “and fell in love instantly.”

Their first date lasted eight hours. “We were the perfect match in every way,” Roze said. “It was as if we had known each other in a former life and just recognized each other then. We vowed to find each other sooner in any next life. The relationship was joyful and easy, and it always felt brand new.”

Charles is survived by his loving partner Amanda Roze, his daughters Cecilia Becker, Rachael Becker, Jessyca (Dennis) Becker Hoagland and Yvonne (Jerome) Cobert; his grandchildren Levi, Max, Layton, Madeline and Baron; his sisters Joanie (Jim) Schwartz and Sheri (Bill) Galvin; numerous nieces and nephews, and his beloved students and dear friends. He is preceded in death by his mother, brothers Ken and Michael Becker, daughter Jacqueline, and family dog Shalom.

“We know they greeted him with Big Becker Hugs,” his daughters Rachael and Cecilia Becker said.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Feb. 14, at noon, at Harmony Elementary School, 1935 Bohemian Highway, Occidental. Please bring a dish to share if able.

Barry was born in Milford, Massachusetts, in 1941. He grew up in Hopedale, Massachusetts, graduated from Hopedale High School in 1959, and went on to earn a degree from the Massachusetts College of Optometry in 1964. In 1969, Barry moved to Sebastopol with his then-wife, Geraldine, taking over an optometry practice from a retiring local doctor. He made Sebastopol home for his growing family, building over 50 years and creating a legacy of community service, dedication to his patients, and devotion to his children.

Dr. Barry Lutz was a cornerstone of the Sebastopol community. You could often find him zipping down Gravenstein Highway in one of his Mustang convertibles or Mini Cooper, top down, as he headed to a tennis game or a Kiwanis Club meeting. His conversations were always marked with laughter—his smile and trademark belly laughs were some of his most defining characteristics. He loved his career as an optometrist, engaging with Sebastopol residents, learning about their lives and hobbies, and helping to correct their vision with stylish glasses or the newest contact lenses. Through his longtime service with the Kiwanis Club, he founded Sebastopol’s July 3rd Fireworks Show. His vision was to provide locals with their own celebration—complete with music, food, and community spirit—and scheduled on a day that wouldn’t conflict with Santa Rosa’s Fourth of July fireworks display.

Barry embraced life with passion, living a life defined by his dedication to an active lifestyle. He played tennis daily—during lunch hours in Sebastopol or weekends in Guerneville, with beers and stories with friends afterward. An avid cyclist, he treasured riding through the landscapes of Healdsburg and Sebastopol and throughout the US and Europe later in life. Equally cherished were weekly winter weekends skiing with his children in North Lake Tahoe. He often skied through whiteout conditions, first and last on the mountain, with his children in tow. When they complained about the cold, he would laugh and quip, “You gotta be tough!”

His love for music shone through daily piano playing. His children were accustomed to waking up and falling asleep to the sound of him playing the piano, his most treasured musical instrument.

Though Barry had many hobbies and civic engagements, his greatest joy and pride came from spending time with his children. He treasured every moment with his four daughters and “1” son. A man of unwavering optimism, Barry encouraged his children to smile every day, reminding them “the sun will always come up tomorrow. “Here we are,” he would say during family gatherings—embodying his gratitude for present moments together.

One of his favorite songs was “What a Wonderful World,” a song that celebrates the beauty and goodness of the world, finding joy in everyday things like a beautiful day and the laughter of children. It’s a message of hope and appreciation for life, especially during times of difficulty. This song perfectly embodies his extraordinary optimism, loving nature, and enduring humanity.

Barry is survived by his five children, Allyson, Jennie, Brian, Amy, and Sarah-Kate; seven grandchildren, Kyle, Katy, Aiden, Wellesley, Violet, Logan and Perry; and brothers Donald and Bruce Lutz.

The memorial service will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025, at 11am, at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Sebastopol, California. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Folk Farm Music School to honor Barry’s love of music and his dedication to the local Sebastopol community.

Nancy Tello was born in Arvada, Colorado, in 1940. Her birth mother was Shoshone of the Wind River Reservation, and her father was a German American. When she was almost 3 years old, she was put up for adoption and raised in Wyoming by her adoptive parents. She was placed in a boarding school by her adoptive parents when she was 15, and ended up in the …

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Linda Kelley, a registered nurse for almost 50 years, former Sebastopol mayor, city council member and planning commissioner, and long-time activist and advocate, passed peacefully in her sleep on March 11.

Linda grew up in a religious family that was dedicated to service to others, which she transformed into a lifetime of public service. She started her…

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Tommy died on Thursday, February 27, 2025 after a long illness. Tommy was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 28, 1941. He moved with his family to Fontana, California, when he was 10 years old. He attended Fontana High School then Chaffey Junior College before entering the Air Force. He then attended San Jose State while starting his job at Hewlett Packard in Palo Alto, California. He married the love of his life in 1968. They moved to Sebastopol, California in 1973 where they lived together for 52 years. He worked for Hewlett Packard for over 40 years. He was a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was always ready with a joke, loved to travel and loved anything Disney.

Tommy is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jeanne. He is survived by his wife Cheryl Rose Mautner and his three children: Victoria Zemrak, Jennifer Rasore (James), Daniel Mautner (Kimberley), 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. He also is survived by his brother Captain (USN - Retired) Donald Mautner (Carolyn), as well as many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of his life will be held on April 26, 2025 at 1pm at Holy Ghost Hall, 7960 Mill Station Road, Sebastopol, California, 95472

Richard Pullman Bull died October 9, 2024, at his daughter’s home in Burlingame, CA. He was 82 years old. Richard is survived by his daughters, Laura, Elizabeth, and Jessica, and their families, and his nieces, Robyn and Sandy and their families. He was predeceased by his wife and best friend, Barbara Alice Bull, and his sister, Suzanne.

Richard was born in Oxnard, CA, on October 28, 1941, to Richard Edwin Bull and Maxine Louise Adams. His parents settled in San Bernadino, CA, where his father was an accountant, and his mother was a homemaker. His childhood years exploring the hills and arroyos of Southern California and hearing stories of the Golden West planted his lifelong love of California history and the natural world.

In high school, Richard played baseball and tennis and was president of the debate team. He attended UC Santa Barbara, where he joined the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and lived near the beach. After graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, he served as sailing crew on the Te Vega, a two-masted schooner carrying a Stanford University marine research team in the Gulf of California. He fell in love with physical labor and working outdoors.

In 1964 Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army, graduated from Officer’s Candidacy School and served as a Second Lieutenant. He met Barbara while on leave, and they began writing letters. After he left the Army, Richard bought a VW van and convinced Barbara to move to Venice Beach with him. Richard started doing construction and learning on the job while Barbara finished graduate school.

Richard and Barbara moved to San Francisco and decided to marry when marriage made it easier to become foster parents. They moved north to Sonoma County and then to Sebastopol, spending several years taking care of foster children before having their three daughters.

In Sebastopol, Richard built a career in construction and was actively involved in community life. He volunteered as a gardener for Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, helped run La Clinica, a Spanish-language medical clinic, and tutored in Sebastopol schools. He was an active member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and sang in the choir for many years. He led canoe trips down the Russian River, went on mission trips, coached his daughters’ softball teams, and won the Sebastopol Christmas decorating contest the only year it happened.

Richard was a great friend and father. He was fun and quirky and full of life. He was humble and helpful. He told the best and worst jokes. He collected books, stamps, maps, and camels. He loved gardening, reading, sports, Westerns, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A memorial service will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Sebastopol, on November 23, 2024, at 11 am, with a reception to follow.

Any donations may be given to the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Rector’s Discretionary Fund.

Robert Grant Hauge, a loving husband, son, brother, uncle and friend, died peacefully at home in Sebastopol on May 25, 2024, at the age of 76, having bravely battled pancreatic cancer for 16 months.

Bob was born in Redwood City, CA, on Nov. 6, 1947, raised in Marin County by his parents, Virginia Grant and Robert J Hauge, and after his father’s death, his stepfather, Everett Murphy. From them, he learned the value of family, community and hard work. 

Bob graduated from San Rafael High School in 1965. From there he attended College of Marin, received his BS degree from UC Davis and graduated from UCSF’s Physical Therapy program in 1986. 

Longtime residents will remember the legendary West of the Laguna that Bob opened in 1974. Along with pizza and beer, Bob introduced live music, comedy and poetry, providing the community a musical and social center. The Laguna gave first-time entertainers the opportunity to perform in an intimate venue and also hosted major acts like Kate Wolf and Nina Gerber, Dan Hicks, Robin Williamson and Dana Carvey.

Bob began a long career as a physical therapist, well-versed in many disciplines. He focused on neurotype treatment and taught both therapists and interns. He worked at a variety of locations in Santa Rosa, including North Coast Rehab and Memorial Hospital. He was highly respected by both fellow therapists and patients.

From an early age, Bob had a passion for being in nature. He became an avid outdoorsman and was happiest when he was camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, skiing, bodysurfing or snorkeling. He spent many summers with dear friends hiking and fly fishing in the Sierra. Winters took him downhill and cross-country skiing from Lake Tahoe to his favorite, the Alta Peruvian in Utah. He found a community of skiers through the Santa Rosa Ski Club and for years served on their board, helping to plan trips nationally and abroad. With them, he skied the Dolomites in Italy.

Bob traveled to England, Scotland, Italy, Mexico and Hawaii. In Norway, he investigated his heritage. Most importantly, Bob shared his adventures with his wife of 48 years, Patty Wilkinson. Facing deep snow, trekking across frozen rivers, fording rushing streams was all part of the grand adventure for Bob.

Bob was predeceased by his father, Robert J. Hauge; mother, Virginia Murphy; stepfather, Everett Murphy and brother, Steven.  Bob is survived by his loving wife, Patty Wilkinson. His extended family includes his brothers-in-law Howard (Pam Hanson) Wilkinson, John (Betsy) Wilkinson, Jerry (Sandra) Kehoe and sister-in-law, Liane Venzke; nieces Jessica (Shane McCorkle) Kehoe, Emily, Caroline and Rebecca Wilkinson; nephews Jared and Brendan Kehoe; and grand nieces Reese and Maggie McCorkle, along with many dear friends.

We will remember his kind heart, warm eyes and welcoming smile, compassion for others, and playful, easygoing nature. He will be greatly missed by all.

A Celebration of Life will be held in his honor Sunday, Nov 3, 2024, at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center on Morris Street from 1 to 4 pm.