Long Beach - Obituaries

Obituaries

Randy Wright Spencer passed away suddenly in the early morning hours of November 19, 2008 at home. Born in Long Beach, CA on July 10, 1948, he spent his very early childhood in North Redondo Beach, then moved to Hermosa Beach and was raised on Myrtle Avenue by his mother, Coralie Ebey and his step-father, Lou Ebey. He attended North Elementary and Pier Avenue Middle School, then graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1966. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base and was then accepted as part of the Combat Air Crew on Reconnaissance Flights during the Vietnam War, flying on a Constellation aircraft stationed in Korat, Thailand. He served there for approximately 13 months and achieved 104 missions. He was then transferred to Vandenberg Air Force base where he completed his duty and received an Honorable Discharge. This past August, he attended an aircrew reunion and special plaque dedication ceremony for the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Ohio. He was able to hook up with two of his best flight buddies from that old era, tour the planes they had flown and he had a wonderful time.

Using his V.A. Benefits, Randy started his college education. He received his A.A. from El Camino College and then transferred to Cal State Dominguez Hills where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, his California State Teaching Credential and finally qualified as Lifetime, focusing on Special Education with students who had learning disabilities and behavior problems, and then earned his Resource Credential. He began his teaching career at Escalon, a private school in Altadena, CA and after a year was contacted by Peggy Tremaine at South High School and was offered a position as a Special Education teacher. He remained there for approximately thirteen years and then was transferred to West High School where he taught until his sudden death.

After decades of teaching he decided to go back to school himself and earned his Masters in Teaching/Education from the University of the Grand Canyon. He achieved this all the while he was working and proudly graduated having sustained a 4.0 grade average. With his thirty years of experience teaching Special Ed, Randy became a mentor and was always available to offer advice to the younger teachers. From time-to-time he was still in touch with his former students who looked up to him and thanked him for helping them get through the difficult years of high school. Randy wanted the best for his students so that they would be prepared to go out into the world and survive. Randy's philosophy was to "lay down the rules" with his new students and as they developed, he would give them some breathing room. It was a very successful strategy as many students returned to thank him for his support and the discipline that helped them grow up to be responsible adults.

As a child he loved the beach and spent his childhood swimming, belly boarding, surfing and helping his family, the Bergstroms, run The Riviera, the old hamburger stand on 22nd Street in Hermosa Beach. He fondly remembered the old time surfers, many of whom became legends. He even ventured to build his own board in his garage and was so proud of his achievement. He was also part of the junior lifeguard program in Hermosa. He enjoyed swimming and water polo in high school and was like a fish in the water. He also liked to build scale-model airplane designs, many of which used to be on display at Paul Freiler's Historical Model Shop in Torrance and were photographed for the covers of Revel model boxes. In time, Randy also took up Radio-control Glider flying and was a member of SULA for many years. He ultimately earned a place on the United States F3B Soaring Team, first as Team Captain in 1991 in the Netherlands and thereafter as a competitor in 1993 in Israel, 1995 in Ro mania and 1997 in Turkey.

Randy took up flying lessons and earned his pilot's license at Torrance Airport under the direction of Mickey, a life-long pilot, instructor and friend. Over the years he was able to advance his flying skills and was "checked out" in a T-6, Cessna, Citabria, Cherokee 6 and ultimately the Stearman Bi-Plane, which he was fortunate enough to become its caregiver while the owner, Fred Brunig, was living in Oregon. Randy made many friends at the Torrance Airport which became his second home. He became part of the brotherhood, always willing to help others. Randy always said that flying was like going to church. It was a very spiritual experience and one that helped sustain him for such a very long time.

Many weekends, you could hear and see him flying over his home and making a big smoke ring in the sky. It was quite a sight. He also participated in the annual Memorial Day fly-by at Green Hills Memorial Park and the Fourth of July Malaga Cove Gathering. His neighborhood would have a traditional Fourth of July Block party and it was always a sure thing that he would do a fly-by right over the middle of the block with smoke streaming in celebration.

Randy was a big man in size and his heart was even bigger. He was so generous with his time and was always willing to help others in any kind of favor and he so enjoyed giving rides to others. He made it such a very special event. The last weekend of his life, he gave a bi-plane ride to a man as a birthday present from his wife.

Randy always believed in doing the right thing, no matter how difficult it might be. There are so many people to thank for their friendships at Torrance Airport, but in particular George Sedillo, Harry Haggard, Dave Nelson, Jean Breedlove, Frank Mauro, Dr. Dick Smith, Buzz, Dr. Tony Giorgio, Uncle Don, Martin and Joan Smith and Dave and Monica Cleveland, Nancy Clinton and Mickey. In addition, a very special thank you to Gordon Matthews, as mentor and father-figure who encouraged Randy to pursue his higher flying skills.

Randy is survived by his loving wife of 31 years, Maxine (Max) Riganti Spencer of Redondo Beach; his loving and loyal dogs, Lucy and Roscoe Brown; his brother, Brant Bergstrom Spencer and sister-in-law, Diane Talley Spencer of Washington; his sister, Amanda Ebey and his sister-in- law, Marsha Lieberman of San Francisco; brother-in-law, Fred Riganti and his wife, June of Torrance; sister-in-law, Julie Riganti Bigelow of Redondo Beach; nieces, Brandi Reeves and Amber Spencer and grand-niece, Averi Reeves and grand-nephew, Aiden Reeves of Washington; his uncle and aunt, Robert and Kathy Bergstrom of Hermosa Beach, and numerous cousins. He is also survived by his godmother, Joan McAllister of New York and her extended family. He is predeceased by his father, Ralph W. Spencer; his mother, Coralie C. Ebey; his step-father, Louis Ebey and his grandmother, Louise Bergstrom.

Donations can be made in Randy's memory to the SPCALA or the Randy Spencer Scholarship Fund at West High, Torrance.

A gathering of family and friends will be held Monday, November 24, from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Rice Mortuary, 5310 Torrance Blvd. in Torrance with Memorial Services beginning at 7:00 PM in the Mortuary Chapel. A reception in Rice's Lighthouse Reception Room will follow.

Please sign the guest book at www.dailybreeze.com/obits.

Please go to the mortuary's website, www.LAfuneral.com to send the family messages, share memories, obtain directions to services and check back to view the online video tribute.

Obituary : Millie McDaniel

In Loving Memory of Millie McDaniel January 3, 1923- September 24, 2008 LONG BEACH- Mildred Jane McDaniel, "Millie" to all who knew and loved her, born January 3, 1923, was one of six girls born to Josephine Kravik Widen and Knut Widen. She lived on a homestead in Mercer, North Dakota before moving to Leeds, North Dakota in 1926 where she lived until 1945. In her senior year of high school, Millie was sent to a sanatorium for tuberculosis where her mother was a patient. She very much wanted to finish high school by correspondence and graduate with her class, but the doctor in charge told her "What's an Education when you have T.B.?" This statement had a profound effect on Mill ie's life and when she returned to school in the fall of 1943, she was committed to completing school and graduated in June of that year. After graduation, she went to work for Montgomery Ward in the office, but at the age of 22, she had the opportunity to transfer to Appleton, Wisconsin and a whole new world opened up to her. Leaving North Dakota behind, Millie got to experience her first ride on a city bus and visited her first "steak house". Having been raised in the Norwegian Lutheran Church, Millie als o learned that there was more than one kind of Lutheran Church and attended the German and finally English Lutheran churches while in Wisconsin. From this she gained a life-long appreciation and acceptance of different ways people express their Lutheran faith. At the urging of a good school friend, Millie moved to Sacramento, California to work first with the telephone company and then as a bookkeeper. There she attended St. John's Lutheran Church where she made many good and lasting friendships with a grou p of young adult "Luther Leaguers". In 1948, Millie moved to Long Beach, California and briefly worked for the Red Cross before working for private industry representing various manufacturers selling to the military. In 1953, she moved to Seattle and then returned to Long Beach in 1955 where she remained until 2005. In 1956, on a blind date arranged on Christmas Eve by her best friend Marj, Millie met the love of her life, a handsome lanky merchant marine named William "Mac" McDaniel, and they were married on March 22, 1958. They settled into life in Long Beach, had two sons, James in 1959 and Thomas in 1964. Mac left the Merchant Marines to work for the Postal Service for 29 years and Millie worked as an auditor for the City of Long Beach until she retired in 1989. In 2005, Millie and Mac moved to a retirement home in Seal Beach, California and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 2008 with a huge celebration attended by lifelong friends and family. Upon her retirement from the City of Long Beac h, Millie remained very active in the women's group at Resurrection Lutheran Church (formerly Trinity Lutheran). Her faith was always a vital aspect of all that she was and she enjoyed friendships with her Pastors and giving back to the community through various volunteer efforts including Meals on Wheels and Lutheran Social Services. As a testament to her love of learning, Millie was an avid reader, book club participant and even after she lost her sight to macular degeneration, she enjoyed books on tape t hrough the Braille Institute. She also enjoyed many hobbies such as oil painting; golf, board games and she loved to travel, especially to see friends and family across the United States and in her father's native Sweden. She also enjoyed sale shopping with her two daughters-in-law and cooking large dinners for family and friends for just about every occasion. Her pride and joy were her grandchildren, as she always had a lap to sit on, made sure each one had a tummy full of homemade treats and dispensed lot s and lots of love. Millie is survived by her husband of 50 years, Mac; her two sons, James and Thomas; her daughters-in-law, Stacy and Anne; and 5 grandchildren, Ryan, Meredith, Zach, Josie and Chance. In her twilight, she wanted all to know that she felt blessed beyond her imagination for the life God had given her and a line from one of her favorite poems expresses it best: "I'm drinking from my saucer, 'cause my cup is overflowed". A Memorial Celebration of Millie's life is scheduled for 11:30am, Satur day, October 4th, at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 1900 E. Carson St., Long Beach. Green Hills Mortuary (310) 831-0311

Obituary : Robert Allison Woodall

Robert Allison Woodall Robert Allison Woodall of Fernley, NV was born October 30, 1952 in Long Beach, CA and passed away September 21, 2008 in Reno, NV. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1971 and served in the US Ar my from 1972 to 1975 as a Military Policeman. After his discharge he went to work for Long Beach City College as Campus Security while attending classes. It was there that he met his future wife Nanette. They were married in July 1978. A week later he started the Long Beach Police Academy and served 25 years, retiring in December of 2003. His biggest regret was retiring. He missed it so much that he thought about returning to the Police Department. In 2004 Robert and his family moved to Fernley, NV. He was a strong man who enjoyed helping others; sitting around was never an option for him. He went to work for the State of Nevada Military Security for a year. Then he went to work for Washoe County Sheriff's as Court House Security for a year. Still wanting to contribute his lifetime experience, he went to work for Lyon County Probation Department before he became ill in July of this year. Robert Woodall was a man of many talents. He fell in love with pastry arts and began to take classes at Truckee Meadows Com munity College in the culinary program. He loved to cook and barbeque. His ribs were the talk of the neighborhood. His sense of humor brought smiles to many people's faces even up until the day he died. He loved to travel and ride his motorcycle. Robert and Nanette were on their 30th Anniversary trip, a cruise to Alaska, when he first became sick and they had to leave the ship. His parents, Robert and Gwendolyn, preceded him in death. Robert is survived by his wife, Nanette of Fernley, NV; his daughters, Al lison (Theodore) Sanders of Long Beach, CA and Ariana Woodall of Fernley, NV; his sons, Michael and Kristopher Woodall of Reno, NV; and grandchildren, Nathan and Kristen Sanders and numerous relatives. The viewing will be held on Friday, September 26, 2008 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Luyben Family Dilday-Mottell Funeral Home, 5161 Arbor Rd, Long Beach. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 11:00 am at Lakewood Village Community Church, 4515 Sunfield, Long Beach. In lieu of fl owers the family requests donations to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association.

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