/Palo Alto

Blyth Gordon Craig
April 3, 1928 – October 31, 2009
Blyth G. Craig passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 31, in Merced. He was 81 years old.
He was a wonderful husband, brother, father and grandfather.
Born to Alexander and Elsie Craig on April 3, 1928, Blyth was raised in San Francisco and Escalon, CA. Following high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving first as a Gunner and later as a Boom Operator. He retired in Merced after 26 years of service. He worked as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service in Palo Alto and Merced for 15 years.
Blyth could fix anything, and loved to putter. He loved his family and his dog Fritz and above all, his three grandchildren.
He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Louise; son, Bob and wife Diane of Merced; brother, Roger Craig and wife Kathleen of Palo Alto; grandchildren, David, Katherine and Andrea Craig, all of Merced.
At his request, there will be no services. Remembrances can be made to the Salvation Army, 1440 West 12th Street Merced, CA 95340.
Arrangements are under the direction of Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home.

Stephen Louis Hmelar, Sr. Aged 79, died of cancer September 27, 2009, at his home in Palo Alto, where he lived for the last 31 years. He was born November 9, 1929, in Cleveland, Ohio, the only son of Stephen J. and Elizabeth Hmelar. In 1952 he graduated from Case Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering. He continued with graduate studies and research at Case Western Reserve, Northeastern University, and University of California, Berkeley, and at the Stanford Engineering Executive Program. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ann Marie (Sheridan) Hmelar, and his seven children and their spouses: Steve Hmelar and Debra Cen, Palo Alto; Frank and Christine Hmelar, Palo Alto; Tim and Monica Hmelar, Palo Alto; Anni Hmelar and Muralidhran Nadarajah, San Carlos, California; Lisa Hmelar, Palo Alto; Michael and Marion Hmelar, Palo Alto; and Susan Hmelar Queisser and Andreas Queisser, Corvallis, Oregon. He is also survived by fourteen grandchildren-Christopher, Justin, Ashley, Amanda, Natalie, Fé, Seattle, Gracia, Marissa, Emma, Thomas, Cody, Isabel, and Olivia. Mr. Hmelar started his career in Cleveland in the 1950s, as an engineer doing research and development on pacemakers and medical communications systems. He later worked in Buffalo, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts, for Sylvania, where he developed defense and communications systems. At Raychem Corporation, in Menlo Park, California, he was a highly skilled manufacturing process engineer who created the Engineering Services group and later designed and built factories around the world. Mr. Hmelar also had served on the Dean's Advisory Council for California State Polytechnic University and was a past chairman of the San Mateo County Private Industry Council. His brilliant mind, gentle good humor, and mighty heart will be sorely missed. Mr. Hmelar's ashes will be scattered in a private ceremony. A public memorial will be held on Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m., at the SDA Church, 786 Channing Street, in Palo Alto. In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests that donations be made to Pathway's Home & Health Hospice and The Parkinson's Institute, both of Sunnyvale, California.