obituaries

Betty A. FitzGerald

Dec. 25, 1921 – July 1, 2010

Betty A. FitzGerald was the second daughter born to Robert J. and Bess FitzGerald in Bradley, Ill. on Dec. 25, 1921. The family resided in Chicago, Ill. until 1935 when they moved to Danville, Ill. where Mr. FitzGerald was manager of the State Employment Office for more than 40 years.  All three girls graduated from Danville High School. Betty then attended Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College for two years, but left to marry during World War II. After the war, Betty worked at Thompson Lumber Company in Champaign, Ill. while her husband attended law school.

In 1954, after her divorce, Betty moved to Los Angeles where she worked in administrative, personnel and management positions for over 32 years. During that time, she was active in the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s organization, attaining presidency of the Wilshire Club and the Los Angeles Sunset District.  Also during this time she graduated from Immaculate Heart College with a bachelor of arts degree.

In 1978, she married Fred H. Squires, the love of her life and who wished for her to retain her maiden name. With this marriage, she gained four step-children and three grandchildren who brought much joy to her. Fred and Betty moved to La Crescenta in 1980 where they became active in the community. They were among the founders of the Crescenta Valley Town Council. After the death of her husband in 1990, Betty became an active volunteer at the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce, volunteered as secretary to the Crescenta Valley Town Council, taught ESL as a volunteer at Glendale Community College, worked as a part-time office assistant in the law office of R. Rosser Cole in Glendale, volunteered at the VNA-Hospice in Glendale and at Verdugo Hills Hospital. She was a board member of the Glendale Community Concerts. Betty was preceded in death by her two sisters and three step-children.
Betty is survived by her step-son Fred Squires; daughter-in-law Hilkka Squires Nash of West Lafayette, Ind. as well as five grandchildren, one great grandchild, seven nieces and nephews, 14 great nieces and nephews as well as two great great nephews. Her beloved cousins, Sandy and Peter Doumani of Los Angeles and Jay and Kenny Houck, also survive her.

Joanne C. Heidelman

Beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Joanne Heidelman went home to be with her Lord on Sunday evening, July 11. After a brave fight against a formidable illness, Joanne passed peacefully at her home in Oxnard with her loving family at her bedside.

A long-time resident of La Crescenta, Joanne was married to her husband of
more than 50 years, Eugene Heidelman. After raising their five children, Mark,
Gina, Matthew, Jeanette and Donna, the
active empty nesters moved from the
Crescenta Valley to the Channel Islands area in 1995.

Born Joanne Catherine Sarno in Springfield, Mass., the longtime California resident was an avid collector of antiques, seashells and hugs from her nine adoring grandchildren. The family is thankful that Joanne lived long enough to welcome her first great grandchild into the world just days before her passing. And yes, she got her heart’s last desire – a beautiful great granddaughter.

In addition to the above-mentioned nine grandchildren and one great grandchild, Joanne is survived by her husband Eugene; son Mark Heidelman of Hesperia; daughter and son-in-law Gina and Tom Martin of La Crescenta; daughter and son-in-law Jeanette and Michael Day of Thousand Oaks; and daughter Donna Bishop of Boise, Idaho.

A vigil will be held at the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home at 757 East Main St. in Ventura on Sunday, July 18 from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. A 10 a.m. mass for Joanne will be said on Monday, July19 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 3175 Telegraph Road in Ventura. Burial will follow at 2:30 p.m. at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills.

Edith D’Agostino Skeehan

Edith D. Skeehan, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away on Sunday evening, July 11. A resident of La Crescenta since 1957, Edith was the second of four daughters of Albert D’Agostino of New York City and Milly Vale from Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. Edith was born in 1920 in New York, though she lived most of her life in Southern California. Edith graduated from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in 1937 and from Immaculate Heart College in 1941. Edith remained an active alumna of both these educational institutions. A retired teacher, Edith taught at St. Bede Catholic Elementary School in La Canada Flintridge for 15 years. She directed theatrical productions for Holy Redeemer Catholic Church’s Milites Christi Teenage Club during the early 1960s. In 2005 Edith received the Benemerenti Papal Award for her exemplary service to the Church, family, and community. She was also involved in the Tuesday Women’s Club at the Verdugo Hills Golf Course.

Married in 1943 for 54 years to her beloved husband, Jack Skeehan, formerly a pilot for the Army Air Force, Edith is survived by her five sons: Ed, John, Chris, Joe, and Bill; four daughters: Pat Berberich, Lynn Santamaria, Milly Ritter, and Mary Anderson; 25 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, and her sisters Rose Polito and Sr. Imelda D’Agostino, CSJ.

Viewing will take place Monday, July 19 at 6:00 p.m. at Holy Redeemer Church in Montrose. The rosary is at 7:00 p.m. The funeral mass will be held at the church on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Edith Skeehan Memorial Fund through The Heart Touch Project at 3400 Airport Ave., Suite 42, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or on line at www.heartouch.org.

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