Long time St. Andrew’s member Kenneth MacKinnon has passed away following a valiant two-year battle with cancer. One of the few true Scots in the Society, Kenneth was a long-time business owner and resident of the Isle of Skye.
There will not be a traditional public memorial service but rather a celebration of Kenneth’s life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Sallie requests that you please consider a donation to St. Andrews Society Los Angeles, an organization Kenneth supported to maintain ties to his beloved Scotland and the Scottish community in Los Angeles. The stated corporate purpose of the Society is educational and charitable. Your donation is tax-deductible, and a receipt shall be issued by the Treasurer for tax reporting purposes. Your donations and gifts enable the Society to continue its charitable contributions to a wide range of organizations. They also allow the Society to continue its program of Grants to individuals and organizations including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
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June L. Clarke, 92 passed away February 12th after a brief illness. Born in Stockton, she was a third generation Californian and a longtime Brentwood resident. June was a graduate of UCLA and a member of Tri Delta sorority. A true blue Bruin she attended football games as a season ticket holder for over 70 years. An avid traveler, June was always up for a new adventure. She also enjoyed golf, reading, crossword puzzles and her daily trips to Starbucks. A friend to all generations, she relished her role as wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Survivors include her daughter, Meredith Greg), grandson Matt (Steph) and great grandson Spencer. A private memorial will be held to celebrate her life. Donations in her memory can be made to The St. Andrews Society of Los Angeles, The Wooden Athletic Fund or The Wounded Warrior Project.
John Harry Ernster, 90, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died Thursday, Dec. 15, after a long and vigorous life. He was born September 26, 1921, Chicago, Illinois, to Harry Albert and Eleanor Moody Ernster. John graduated in 1946 from the Univ. of Ill., Champagne-Urbana, with a degree in dairy technology. He was married in June, 1946, to first wife Joan Van Antwerp (d. Apr., 1969), and married second wife Joan Kelm in Nov., 1969. John was a WWII Naval aviator from 1941-1945. He moved his family to Palos Verdes in 1963, and resided there for the duration of his life. Over the course of his life-long career in the food industry, John obtained several patents for innovation in food products and processes. He was admired by all for his intelligence and candidness. John was a true Renaissance man: artist, craftsman, inventor, entrepreneur, and an inspiration to all. He was predeceased by son Michael, survived by wife Joan, sons John and Peter (Cheryl), daughter Paige Deary (Malcolm), daughter-in-law Lori, 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity Care Hospice, UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center or your favorite charity.
H. Phillip Veatch Dexheimer, BSC, CLU, FSA (Scot) Financial and Insurance Services Executive died on November 7, 2011. He was 86 years old. Born on September 16, 1925 to world famous portrait photographer, Henry Phillip Dexheimer, and Helene Frances Veach.
Dexheimer was a leader in the Finance and Insurance Services Industry, with a career spanning over 40 years. He received many prestigious awards including The Travelers Agent of the Year and The Travelers Order of the Tower.
Dexheimer was a Business and Communication graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received an Inter-Fraternity Gold Scholarship Key. He was one of only 37 men among 85,000 members to be inducted into The National Fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau Chapter, Hall of Fame. He was a decorated WWII veteran, having served in General Douglas Mac Arthur’s Headquarters in WWII, stationed in Manila, Philippine Islands. He was a very active historian and art collector.
Dexheimer was an active 32 Degree Mason in both the Scottish and York Rites, and a Shriner in Los Angeles.
During his many activities with the Scots both in America and Scotland he received a number of unique and outstanding honors, including the Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA-Scot).
Dexheimer leaves his widow Maria da Graca Fernandes Dexheimer, son James Phillip Dexheimer, Esquire, daughter Jana Helen Dexheimer, grandson, Sean John Phillip Dexheimer and grand daughter Sarah Jeanne Dexheimer. Plus a host of relatives and friends who loved Dexy very much!
A memorial service will be held on Monday, November 21st, at 11:00AM at the Brentwood Presbyterian Church, located at 12000 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, California. A special charitable fund has been established for the Shriner’s Crippled Children Hospitals. Contributions may be made to the H. Phillip Dexheimer Memorial Fund at http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
Florence Anna Forschner Weir was a cherished wife and mother. In an era when few women went to college, Florence chose to study Chemistry at Elmira College, and was student body president. After graduation, she married Alexander Weir Jr, in Grace Cathedral in New York City on December 28, 1946.
She is survived by her husband Alexander Weir Jr, three children and 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild.She will be loved, remembered, and missed dearly.
The family wishes in lieu of flowers that contributions be made to the St. Andrew’s Society of Los Angeles.
Robert Keith Grant was born on March 10, 1952. Beloved son of Barbara Grant, nephew of Jack Bissinger, passed away peacefully in Los Angeles on September 11, 2011, surrounded by his family and close friends. Keith was born in San Francisco and spent most of his life in Los Angeles, graduating from UCLA.
A life member of the Saint Andrew’s Society of Los Angeles his infectious laugh and sunny personality will be missed by all of us.
Benjamin T. Sharp, born in Richmond, Virginia, on October 21st 1927, peacefully passed away at home on Friday, February 1st, 2013. He was a loving husband, father, and family man. Benjamin, descendant of a long line of Virginians, received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He was a member of many scholastic and professional organizations including Phi Lambda Ypsilon, Tau Beta Pi, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and Senior Honorary Member of SAMPE. After having served in the Navy as a Second Lieutenant and Assistant Supervisor of Ship Building for the 13th Naval District in Seattle, Washington, he continued his employment at DuPont De Nemours where he worked for forty-two years and was honored with the Marketing Director’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Textile Fibers.
Ben Sharp, as many knew him, married Jane Shriver Sharp in 1953. With her, he actively participated in many social and historical organizations. They loved dancing with their dance group, Grandes Compañeros. They were members of the Scottish St. Andrews Society of Los Angeles and joined in many of the Society’s activities. Ben’s love for history, historic preservation, and genealogy inspired his membership in the Virginia Historical Society. Among his Palos Verdes activities, he particularly enjoyed participating in the Breakfast Club. He was a much loved and appreciated member of St. Francis Episcopal Church, where he served on the vestry, and was church treasurer for ten years. During his tenure as treasurer, he established an endowment fund for St. Francis that continues to provide for the church today.
Ben leaves behind a wonderful legacy for his community and family. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Jane; three daughters, Jane, Anne, and Julia; and three grandsons, Cesare and Ben Francorsi, and Samuel Hersey. We will be celebrating his life at a memorial service to be held on Saturday, February 16th, at 11:00 a.m., in St. Francis Episcopal Church, in Palos Verdes Estates. A reception will be held in the parish hall after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity or to the St. Francis Endowment fund.
Jim Anderson was a past president of the Society, 1988–1989.
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