Beau Lee Glover passed on peacefully on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 after a valiant three-year battle against cancer. He resided in Sonoma. Beau was born on Feb. 14, 1957 to Donald Paul and Virginia Louise Glover in Memphis, Tenn., where he grew up. He moved to Nashville in 1977, where he became a successful barber to country stars and Nashville elite. In 1997 Beau moved to Hollywood, where he became a paralegal and investigative journalist. His studies took him to Sonoma, where he attended Napa Valley College. For achieving a 4.0 G.P.A., he received a scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley for investigative journalism, three months before he passed away. Beau worked for the Sonoma Valley Sun newspaper where he applied his writing skills covering meetings of city council, the school board and local activities. Beau attended the First Baptist Church of Sonoma. As a beloved brother in Christ he played the piano and inspired many with his hymns. He is survived by his father, Donald Paul and brother, Ray Glover of Memphis and his beloved dog, Ursaline, of Three Rivers, Calif.
Memorial services were held on Sunday, Dec. 14. Remembrances in Beau’s name may be made to the Monte Melkonian Fund, Inc., P.O. Box 291411, Los Angeles, CA, 90027.
John Diani passed away at home in Sonoma at the age of 87 on Dec. 5, 2008. He was born April 4, 1921 in Bristol, Conn. At the age of 6, the family moved to San Francisco where he became a proud graduate of St. Ignatius High School. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the military police in Africa, Italy, and later as a member of the 10th Mountain Division in Italy and Germany. John was awarded the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit by General Mark Clark.
In 1945 John and his wife, Evelyn, came to Sonoma as newlyweds. John leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Evelyn, and his children: Elaine Diani Kolko of San Mateo, Laura O’Dell of Windsor and James Diani of Los Altos.
In John’s later years he became an accomplished pilot with flights to Connecticut and Alaska. He belonged to the Corinthian Yacht Club and competed in the Bird Boat Series, winning many races.
Private services were held at Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park. Remembrances may be made to St. Francis Educational Memorial Fund, 342 W. Napa St., Sonoma, CA 95476. Arrangements under the direction of Duggan’s Mission Chapel.
Willis Gene Wade, longtime Sonoma resident and well known plumber, died peacefully at home on Nov. 3 after a persistent 13-month battle with advanced lung cancer. With him on that day was his wife Rachel, daughter Kim Main, brother-in-law Simon Elman and longtime family friend Juliette Gilman. He was 62.
Gene’s illness had forced him into early retirement from “Gene’s Plumbing,” the profession he loved and the people he loved to serve over the past 22 years. Before starting his own business in 1996, Gene had worked for Modern Plumbing of Sonoma for about 10 years, and was a member of the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union of San Francisco Local 38. Rachel, his wife of 33 years, who scheduled his busy 8-10 hour days, said, “He must have been in 80 percent of the homes and businesses in town.” He often sat down with his clients-turned-friends for coffee and conversation after completing his projects. Gene was a good, honest, hard-working man and loving husband and father who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life.
Gene was the youngest of five children from a very poor family, raised near Atlanta in a small wooden house with no indoor plumbing. After his mother died of cancer when Gene was 16, he and his brother James lived alone for another year until he finished high school. After graduation in 1964 he joined the Navy, was based in San Diego and Long Beach on the USS Talladega as a diesel mechanic and served two tours in Vietnam. During the next three years he sailed on that troop transport and supply ship making runs to the highly active Danang, Qui Nhon and Chu Lai areas.
Rachel believes this humble and harsh background gave Gene a grateful heart for every positive thing in his life. He respected the rights of all other human beings as well as animals. He especially enjoyed long walks on Lovall Valley Road with his English springer spaniel, Sprocket.
Recently Gene allowed himself to fulfill a longtime dream of owning and driving a classic street rod, his 1938 turquoise Chevy, which led to regular shared get-togethers with his car-buff friends around town.
Motivated by the need to help others after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Gene and Rachel joined the Disaster Action Team (DAT) of Sonoma County’s American Red Cross, aiding his community when home fires struck locally. After passing their ham radio tests, the Wades became members of the Valley of the Moon ARC (Amateur Radio Club) to expand their ability to assist others during emergencies.
In addition to leaving his wife, daughter, brother-in-law and brother James, who now resides in Palmdale, Calif., Gene is survived by his oldest brother, J.W. Wade of Georgia and his beloved aunt Geneva Alvaranaz of Salem, Ore. He was preceded in death by his father Bill Wade, his mother Mary Francis Wade, sisters Monteen and Willie Mae of Georgia, and more recently, his in-laws Saul and Irene Elman, who lived out their advanced years on the Wade property from 1992 to 2004.
The family will hold a private memorial ceremony. Any remembrances in Gene’s name would be greatly appreciated by Hospice of the Bay, 190 W. Napa St., Sonoma 95476, American Red Cross, 5297 Aero Dr., Santa Rosa 95403, or Humane Society of Sonoma County, P.O. Box 1296, Santa Rosa 95402.
