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Evelyn Yvonne Smith-Rogers, age 79, passed away July 10, 2016 in Fountain Hills, Arizona.

Graveside services will be held Thursday, July 14, 2016 at the City of Mesa Cemetery, 1212 N. Center Street, Mesa, Arizona. Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, 480-696-6883.

JoAnn Sue Fletcher (nee Troxel) born June 17, 1933 in Phoenix, AZ to Orville Troxel and Eva (nee Ross) died July 8, 2016 in Phoenix.

During her lifetime, JoAnn worked as a seamstress. She is survived by her son, Christopher, and her daughter, Carrie. Services will be private.

Arrangements under the direction of Bunker’s Garden Chapel.

Dr. J. Howard Downs, 88, of Kings Ranch, AZ, passed on July 8, 2016.

Born in Allegan, MI, the son of an FBI “Untouchable”, he was a Marine and an Army Veteran of WWII. Howard earned BS, MA and DDS degrees. He had careers in law enforcement, teaching, and dentistry among many others. For decades, he combined his passion for travel and philanthropy by traveling to developing countries and providing free dentistry. As a Freemason he was a member of Apache Lodge 69 and the El Zaribah Shrine. His zeal for perfection made him an exceptional dentist. He retired from his East Valley practice in 1999. Howard was an avid pilot and his love of flying is shared by his sons and a grandson. His adoration for his devoted bride of almost 60 years never faltered.

He is survived by his wife Daphene, their 5 children, Joseph, Dana, Darcy, Dan, and Reed, and 3 wonderful grandchildren. Services will be held on July 23, at 10:00am  at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2520 E Old West Hwy, Apache Junction, AZ. Howard will be deeply missed. Please share in the celebration of his life.

In lieu of flowers please consider a charitable donation to the Shiner’s Children’s Hospitals.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel.

Sharon VeAnn Bunch, age 65, passed away July 8, 2016 in Mesa, Arizona.

Funeral services will be Thursday, July 14, 2016 at 10:30 AM, preceded by a visitation at 9:30 AM, at Bunker’s Garden Chapel, 33 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, Arizona. Interment will be at the City of Mesa Cemetery.

Ethel ‘Sammee’ Appel died of Alzheimer’s Disease and pneumonia, surrounded by family in Mesa, Arizona.

She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 69 years, Norman, formerly of Del Mar, California, sister, Lenice Schneider of Pacifica, California, sister-in-law Sylvia Appel of Santa Rosa, California, daughters Lori Diquattro of Mesa, Arizona, Adriane Appel of Danville, California and son Jeffrey Appel of Poway, California, grandsons Wes, Ryan and Jeremy Diquattro and Michael Appel and nine great-grandchildren.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Ethel contributed to the WWII effort developing top-secret aerial photography. After meeting and marrying Norman Appel, the couple moved to Concord and Walnut Creek where they raised their family.

Ethel enjoyed the theatrical arts, singing and acting in productions with the Lafayette Dramateurs and Temple Beth Isaiah in Lafayette, California. Ethel was active in school PTA’s supporting her children’s education. While managing family rental properties, Ethel discovered her business abilities and enjoyed a successful, life-long career in the real estate industry. In the late sixties, after becoming a California real estate broker, Sammee partnered with another broker to open Aquarius Realty, one of the first female owned and operated real estate companies in Contra Costa County.

In retirement, Sammee pursued her love of writing, winning first and second place in the non-fiction categories with the San Diego Writer’s Guild. She also wrote over 350 pages comprising her life history and genealogy.

Funeral services will be held Monday, July 18, 2016 at 11:00 AM at Hills of Eternity Memorial Park, 1301 El Camino Real, Colma, California. There will be an open casket viewing in the chapel at 10:45 AM. Please be in the chapel at 10:30 AM to participate. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Alzheimer’s research.

There will be a luncheon at 12:30 PM, immediately following the funeral service, at Chevy’s, 141 Hickey Blvd, S. San Francisco, CA 94080. Phone: 650-755-1617

Funeral arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, Mesa, Arizona.

Esther Mildred Saltzman, 89, passed away July 2, 2016.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 10 AM, preceded by a visitation at 9 AM, at Bunker’s Garden Chapel, 33 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, Arizona. Interment will be at the City of Mesa Cemetery.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel.

Joyce Burt Moore, 88, passed away peacefully Wed., June 29, 2016 in Mesa, AZ. She was born to Wildon H. & Gwendolyn Barton Burt in SLC, UT in 1928. She led a happy, active life filled with family, friends, & faith. Joyce was a talented musician & a guest accordion performer at the Phoenix Symphony’s 50^th Anniversary; a gifted athlete who nearly scored a perfect game of bowling–minus 1 pin, and taught most of her grandchildren to swim. She loved to crochet, creating 100’s of gifts for family & the needy. In 1946, she married her high school sweetheart, Edward Douglas Moore, with whom she recently celebrated their 70^th anniversary. He called her his “perfect Air Force wife,” moving every 3 years during the 27 years they spent in the Air Force.  Joyce dearly loved her family, consisting of 4 children: Steven Moore (Linda), Linda Westbrook (Brent), Nancy Ashcroft (Alan), Janet Clark (Brad) — all of Mesa AZ;  14 grandchildren: Sara Thweatt (Ed), Julie Ann Rodriguez, Dan Daniels (April), Eric Daniels (Jenn), Scott Daniels, Becky Shipley (Brandon), Jesse Ashcroft (Mikel) Alisa Chaffee (Bobby), Kevin Ashcroft, Paul Clark (Fawn), Greg Clark (Nicole), Jeffrey, Michael, & Shalia Clark; her step-grandchildren: Bryan Ashcroft (Shawntel), Donovan Ashcroft (Jackie), Sunny Lewis, Sabrina Ball (Randy), & Damien Westbrook (Traci);  17 great-grand children: Ethan, Andrew, Tyler, & Katelyn Daniels, Tiffany, Blake, Dylan, & Brianna Shipley; Weston, Karen, Nikki, “Hailey Joyce”, & Dylan Clark; Jeffrey, Brianna, Skylar, & “Riley Joyce” Clark; & her step great-grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Brianna, & Brooklyn Ashcroft, Eligh & Reese Ashcroft, Amanda Stolpe, Kylie, Ivy, & Mailey Ball, Anglica & Eli Westbrook, and a step 2^nd Great-Grandchild: Brille Ball. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, her sister LaWana Margetts, her brother Milo Burt, his wife & son, Rita, & Thomas Burt; a grandson Jeffrey Clark; a son-in law, Alan Ashcroft; and a daughter-in-law, Linda Grove Moore. Visitation is Fri., July 8th, 6-8 pm at Bunker’s University Chapel 3529 E. University Dr., Mesa AZ 85213. Funeral Services are Sat, July 9th at 11 am at the LDS Church at 7145 E. Monterey Ave, Mesa AZ 85209.

Olene Katherine Tanner, 91, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away June 28, 2016 in Mesa, Arizona.

There are no services planned at this time. Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel.

Betty Lou O’Keefe, 84, passed away June 26, 2016 in Mesa, Arizona. She was born March 15, 1932 in Logan, West Virginia.

Betty is survived by her daughter Donna Kielland, her son-in-law Jorgen Kielland, and her son Stephen Roger Burgess Sr. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Steve Martin, Jennifer Martin, Stephen Burgess Jr., Thresa Burgess, and four great-grandchildren: Dillon Dorsey, Finn E. Martin-Faeroy, Olivia Burgess, Stephen Burgess III.

Betty was loved by all she met and she will be remembered for her greeting, “Praise the Lord,” by everyone she knew!

A private interment will be held at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona.

Rhoda Rose Allison-Lewis went to her Heavenly Home on Saturday, June 25, 2016. The daughter of James T. Allison and Jennie Whitman Allison, Rhoda was born in Stotonic, Arizona.

She is preceded in death by her husband Tilman M. Lewis, her oldest daughter, Harriett Rascon, and only son, Sgt. Kevin T. Lewis. Rhoda leaves behind her daughters, Tonita A. Lamb and Rebecca A. Lewis, as well as 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She is the last of 14 children also leaving behind many relations.

A proud member of the Gila River Indian Community, she served two terms as a Council Member and will lie in state at the Governance Center in Sacaton, Arizona on Friday, July 1, 2016 from 3-5 pm followed by wake services at the District 4 Service Center from 6-10 pm. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at the Santan Baptist Church beginning at 7 am. Rhoda will be dearly missed and loved for generations.

Sarah Kathryn Whalen, 90, of Mesa, Arizona; passed away on June 26, 2016.  She was born in Birdsbro, Pennsylvania on January 6, 1926 to Helen and James Myers.  Private services to be held.

Patrick (Pat) Pomeroy of Mesa passed away on 6/27/16 at the age of 84.  He was born March 17, 1932 to Frank K. and Eunice (Shurtliff) Pomeroy. He was a member of one of Mesa’s pioneer families, a great grandson of Francis Martin Pomeroy, one of the founders of Mesa in 1878.  He is survived by his wife Anne (Hawkes) and his children, Pamela Iorg (Lee), Kimball (Gina), Scott (Lori), Julie Woods (Larry), and Wayne (Becky).  He was preceded in death by his wife Nancy (Osterloh).  Pat is also survived by 22 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, his brother Wayne and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Pat was very active as a student at Mesa High School.  During his senior year, he served as student body president, participated in football and basketball and was named as the valedictorian of his graduating class.  In basketball, he played on the Jackrabbit 1950 state championship team and he was honored as a guard on the all-tournament first team.  Upon graduation from high school he was selected by the Elks Lodge as the Arizona State winner of the “Most Valuable Student” scholarship award, and he received third place honors in the national contest.

Most of his life was spent in the field of education as a teacher, administrator, and consultant.  He was an assistant superintendent for the Mesa Public Schools from 1972-88.  Pat was an adjunct professor for NAU and the University of Phoenix.  He also served as a trainer for Venture for Excellence, Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1988-89 he was the founding director of the Arizona Academy for School Personnel Administrators.  In 1967 Pat was one of fourteen freeholders who wrote the Mesa City Charter.  He also served on the City Council from 1998-2002, and various boards and committees to include terms as President of the Mesa Rotary Club and the Mesa YMCA Board.  Pat spent four years on active duty in the US Air Force and nineteen years in the Air Force Reserves and Arizona Air National Guard as a navigator and he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel.  His family and community were extremely important to him as he sought ways to serve them both.  He watched the City of Mesa grow from a town of about 5000 to its current population of over 400,000.  He also served in various church positions that included Bishop and temple worker.  He and Nancy served a mission to the Salt Lake Temple Square Visitor’s Center.

Pat loved his heritage.  He co-chaired a committee in 1988 to raise funds to place a monument to Mesa’s founding pioneers in Pioneer Park.  In 2012 he headed a family fund-raising project to erect a new headstone for his great-grandfather’s grave to identify him as a “Founder”.

Services will be held Saturday, July 2^nd at 10:00 at Greenfield Park Ward, 1249 S. 48^th St., Mesa.  A viewing will take place at 9:00 am prior to the service.   A viewing at Bunker’s Garden Chapel at 33 N. Centennial Way will also take place on Friday July 1^st from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Shannon Taylor Hall was born on December 14th 1985 and passed away on Friday, June 17th 2016. She was a loving mother to her son Tyler and the daughter of Gordon and Stacy Hall.  She leaves behind her siblings: Mario, Alicia, Ashley, Benton, and Allie.  She is proceeded in death by her siblings, Audrey and Adam.  She will be dearly missed by all.

Richard Donald Johnson, 41, passed away unexpectedly from health complications June 18, 2016 in Queen Creek, Arizona.  He was born in Logan, Utah on September 8, 1974.  He attended schools in Logan, Utah and Vienna, Virginia and graduated from James Madison High School in 1993.  He was an Eagle Scout and was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served an honorable mission in the Hungary Budapest Mission.  He loved serving people through the callings he held.  He truly displayed Christ-like attributes.

He attended Utah State University and graduated in May 2000 with a degree in accounting and a minor in finance.  He met his eternal companion Jennifer Farnsworth at Utah State where they became True Aggies.  They were married August 12, 1998 in the Logan, Utah Temple.

Rich loved music and played the trombone and guitar.  He was a member of the James Madison High School Symphonic and Marching Bands and continued at Utah State University in their Symphonic, Marching and Pep Bands.  He was a die-hard Denver Broncos fan.  He worked at Avnet for 15 years, first in accounting and recently as a senior financial analyst.

He touched the lives of everyone he met with his contagious smile.  He was an incredibly kind, tender, generous man who genuinely cared about people and was happy in life.  His wife and three girls were the light of his life and he loved them deeply.  He is survived by his wife Jennifer, his girls, Abigail (15), Paige (12), and Maren (10); his parents Don and Ellen Johnson of North Ogden, Utah, and Sheryl and Jerry Spriet of Smithfield, Utah; siblings Jennifer Perales (Fred), Stephanie Garaycochea (Damien), Lynn Stratton, Jesse Johnson, Todd Spriet (Nicole), Jennifer Dalton, Travis Spriet, and Eric Spriet; his in-laws, Scott and Leita Farnsworth, and all his wife’s family.  He was preceded in death by his brother David Pierson, grandparents Richard and Evalyn Yeates, Harold and Lola Johnson, Julius and Margaret Spriet, and Norman and Evelyn Moore. Funeral services are Saturday, June 25, 2016, at 11 AM, preceded by a visitation from 9 to 10:45 AM at the Queen Creek West Stake Center, 19730 East Ocotillo Road, Queen Creek.  Interment will be in the San Tan Memorial Gardens at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek.

Harriet Gloria Scanlon, age 66, passed away on June 11, 2016 in Gilbert, Arizona.

Harriet Gloria was born to Albert and Rachel Abramowitz on Saturday May 27 1950 at Union Hospital in Brooklyn NY. Harriet was so ready for the world that she arrived three months early! Harriet graduated Canarsie High Class of 1968 with honors.

Harriet had two beautiful girls whom she cherished. At the age of 21 Harriet had her first daughter, Shera, who was born January 26 1972, and at the age of 25 Harriet gave birth to her “BABY” as Sharon was born July 8 1975. In late 1982 Harriet met the love of her life Danny J Scanlon JR. On May 26, 1983 Harriet and Danny married, they moved their family to Arizona March 17 1985. Out of this union Harriet was bestowed two more beloved children, Dorothy Scanlon and Danny Scanlon III. “Little Dan” blessed us with his wonderful wife Michiko in 1985.Harriet and Danny were blessed when they became Grandparents for the first and second time with their Grandchildren Jimmy Scanlon on April 21, 1986 and Jennifer Scanlon on November 23, 1987.  Harriet was blessed with Stacey Alison on September 7, 1989 and blessed again with her name sake Stephen Harrison on September 15, 1990. The blessings continued when Shambree Cecilia-Renee on October 29, 1991 and blessed with Kaylee Faith on October 11, 1994.

Harriet always loved God in everything she did. She was very proud of her Jewish heritage and played the role of the Jewish Mother quite well.

Harriet had the biggest heart she would give you the shirt of her back, the last meal in her refrigerator or the last dollar in her wallet.  Harriet had a way about her where you felt like you were the most important person in the world every time you were around her. One of Harriet’s passions were animals, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rats, etc., she ALWAYS had a spot of them in her home. Harriet loved all music and baseball.

Harriet was the best Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Cousin and FRIEND to those that came into her path. Harriet has left quite a legacy to all of those she has left behind. Her family now has a new angel to watch over them, until we meet again.

Graveside services were held Thursday, June 23, 2016 at 10:00 AM, at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, Arizona.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel.

Our patriarch Vernon passed away on Saturday morning, surrounded by his family who deeply loved him.

Vern will be remembered as the king of steady, patience and perseverance. As love stories go, this is a pretty great one. With his wife of just nearly 66 years, Vern and Helen were a romance of real “Notebook” fame. Their journey together started in the hills of Tennessee from where Vern enlisted in the Navy. He just didn’t feel cut out for farming. After 3 years of mostly floating out at sea, Vern transferred to the Air Force where he went on to complete a 20-year career. Vern followed that with another successful career with ASU.

Vernon was an accomplished plumber, golfer (9 holes-in-one), husband, father and friend. He modeled integrity in everything he did. Those who knew him could always count on that. Vernon and Helen have nearly outlived most of their friends and family, but their way of living will always be passed on to those they affected.

Vernon is survived by his wife, Helen, son Mark, daughter Pam and sisters Alene and Betty, as well as 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Vern and Helen also survived the passing of their son Mike at 6 years old.

A military graveside service will be held at the City of Mesa Cemetery on Thursday, June 23, 2016 at 10 AM. Vernon’s desires were for any money spent on flowers to be donated to your favorite charity. Vernon gave a lot to others in many ways; his wishes would be for you to carry that on.

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel.