Eileen K. Brown, Martha Crockett, Whipple Manning, Margaret Ann Sellers, Vera Zinaja

Eileen K. Brown

Eileen K. Brown, a Glendale resident of more than 70 years, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 3 at age 92.

She was the first director of volunteers and public relations at Glendale Memorial Hospital, serving from 1956 through 1963. She was also the administrator of Casa Verdugo Convalescent Hospital in Glendale from 1963 through 1970. For several years she served as an executive with the American Nursing Home Association and American College of Nursing Home Administrators in Washington D.C.

Upon her return to Glendale, she became the administrator of Queen of Angels Clinic. Upon her retirement in 1987, she received commendation from the city of Los Angeles “in recognition of your outstanding contributions and in appreciation for your own special spirit which has touched so many lives at Queen of Angels Clinic.”

She was an honorary life member of the Guild of Memorial Hospital, past president of the Echo Park Community Coordinating Council, former director of Verdugo Hills Visiting Nurse Association and was always active in community affairs.

Mrs. Brown was born to Alfred W. and Rachael Douglas Kermode in Cortez, Colo. on Sept. 22, 1917. She moved to California with her parents in 1920 and had been a resident of Glendale since 1937.

Her husband, Glenn R. Brown, passed away in December 1959. She is survived by sons Douglas C. (Lauretta) Brown of Aliso Viejo and Gregory C. (Joyce) Brown of La Cañada Flintridge and grandchildren Austin, Melanie and Caroline Brown. She also leaves her sister Leota K. Schmidt of Glendale.

Martha Crockett

Martha Amy Crockett, formerly of La Cañada, died peacefully on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, at the Pasadena Highlands at the age of 91. She had been in failing health.

In 1950, Martha and Harold Crockett, who passed June 10, 2007, built a home on Indianola Way, La Cañada. There they raised their three children: Dr. Carolyn Crockett, a primate research scientist with the University of Washington; Dr. Donald Crockett, a contemporary music composer and professor and chair of the Composition Department at the University of Southern California, and the father of one daughter; and Sally Meacham, a talented mosaic artist, and mother of three sons and two daughters. Martha and Harold moved to the Pasadena Highlands in 2006.

In 1917, Martha was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and at age 4 accompanied her parents George and Sarah Langstaff in a Ford touring car over the Rockies to Alhambra.

Martha began playing the piano at age 5, received a bachelor’s degree in music education from UCLA in 1940, and was music supervisor for 13 Santa Ana schools until 1943.

She married Harold Crockett in 1942 and became a mother, homemaker, and part-time pianist. Martha worked as a pianist at Pasadena’s Mayfield Junior School from 1977 to 1996, retiring at age 78. Over the years, Martha accompanied numerous musicals and the La Cañada Madrigal Singers.

In addition to music, Martha enjoyed skiing and hiking at Mammoth Lakes, traveling with Harold, and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The Crocketts were active in Kiwanis and the La Cañada Presbyterian Church and its Refugee Resettlement Committee, helping resettle Dutch-Indonesian and Vietnamese immigrants.

Martha joins Harold at Forest Lawn, Glendale, where she was buried on Nov. 12 in a private family service. Donations in Martha’s name can be made to children’s aid organizations.

Whipple H. Manning

Former La Cañadan Whipple (Whip) Hall Manning, 73, died unexpectedly in his sleep at his home in the Tucson Foothills in Arizona on Nov. 4, 2009.

Born in Oakland to John and Anne Manning, he graduated from The Orme School in Mayer, Arizona. He attended Stanford University and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1961, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

He met his wife, Jacqueline Long, in San Francisco where they were married in 1963. They resided in La Cañada Flintridge for 30 years before moving to Tucson in 1999.

Whip was a wonderful and loving father to his two children, Dr. Thomas Crellin Manning of Boise, Idaho and Elizabeth Anne Manning of Anchorage, Alaska.

He worked in commercial lending in the banking industry in California for 46 years. He will be remembered fondly by friends and family for his kindness, generosity, intelligence and wit. He was an avid University of Arizona Wildcat fan, loved the West and Western art, and enjoyed reading, fishing, bird hunting, listening to music and most of all, being with friends and family. He will be dearly missed.

In addition to his loving wife and two children, he is survived by his favorite daughter-in-law, Julie Ann Manning, favorite son-in-law John Maunsel Pearce and five loving grandchildren: Claire, Owen and Henry Manning and Bennett and Eliot Pearce.

A memorial service was held Nov. 9 in Arizona. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Orme School or the University of Arizona Foundation.

Margaret Ann Sellers

Margaret Ann Sellers, born June 5, 1914, was 95 years young and a resident of San Diego where she passed peacefully on Nov. 3, 2009.

Margaret and Tom, Sr. lived in La Cañada where they built their home in 1950 on Descanso Drive and raised two sons: Tom, Jr. and Richard.

She and Tom helped form the Foothill Juniors Baseball League. They built their retirement home in 1972 in Mission Beach, San Diego.

She is survived by her son Tom Sellers and wife Sherri; her grandson Dustin and his wife Lisa; and great- grandchildren Maxxwell, Paris and Quinn; her deceased son Richard’s wife Patti; her grandson Rich and his wife Paula and great-grandchildren Weston and Kayli; and her grandson Thomas West. She was dearly loved and will be missed by all who knew her.

Her full obituary can be viewed at www.pacificbeachchapel.com.

George B. Wartenberg

June 27, 1922-October 30, 2009

Born in Brooklyn, NY, long-time prior resident of La Canada, George Wartenberg, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Affectionately called “Uncle” George by many, he often greeted folks with “Give me a hug!”

After graduating from Wilson High in Long Beach, California in 1940, he worked at McDonald-Douglas, where he met his future wife of 65 years, Claire E. Whitley. They were married in 1942 and he served in the Army Air Corps until 1944. George entered construction and he and Claire moved to La Canada in 1953 after building a home on Tondolea Lane. As a Superintendant and Project Manager, he built many homes and projects in the area including the YMCA, Descanso Medical Building and the Hertz facility at LAX.

Members of La Canada Presbyterian Church for almost 50 years, he taught Sunday school and served as an Elder. They served as missionaries in Alexandria, Egypt from 1966-67 and 1968-69. George was very involved with the church’s high school ministry and they opened their home to local youth. They were active with Habitat for Humanity for many years.

George loved tennis and coached little league and girls softball. In his last years he loved being a grandpa and caring for the infants in the church nursery. He leaves behind his adult children Sue of Escondido, California, Scott (and wife Tricia) of Salem, Oregon and Dave (and wife Cheryl) of Phoenix, Arizona as well as 5 grandchildren (Amy, Laura, David, Andrew and Timothy).

He was a very special gift to this world and will be greatly missed, but he would want others to know that he is in peace at home with his Lord and Savior. There will be a celebration of his life at the La Canada Presbyterian Church on Friday, November 20th from 7-9pm at Demarest Hall.

Vera Bradley Zinaja

Vera Bradley Ziinaja, born April 24, 1914 in East Liverpool, Ohio, died Nov. 2, 2009 in a Montrose nursing home. She was 95 years old.

She moved to California in 1943 and was a resident of the foothills for 66 years. She worked many years as a waitress, serving many area residents at Perks Chili Palace, Raphaels and Toro de Oro restaurants. In her later years, she assisted her granddaughter, Shelley Wilson, at BS Hair in La Cañada Flintridge.

Vera was married to Milan Zinaja, who preceded her in death, as did her son, Lawrence Zinaja. She is survived by daughters Donna Boebel of La Crescenta and Judy Hinds of Las Vegas; son Milan Zinaja of La Crescenta, ten grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; and by her 93-year-old sister Doris Fratilla of Bailey, Texas.

Services were held Wednesday at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Lopez Canyon, Sylmar.