HAGSA News
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Current and Recent HAGSA News
Walter Gunnarsen
June 2, 2010—Longtime HAGSA member,
Walter Gunnarsen, died on Thursday, May 27, at the age of 88.
Walter is survived by his wife, Betty, and their three adult children, Laurens, Nels, and Anna Marie. There are no grandchildren.
I first met Walter and Betty at the initial 2001 Darwin Day planning meeting (hosted, with a full meal, by Anna Andrews). They and we (Elaine and I) quickly developed a warm friendship that has continued undiminished.
Walter combined a sometimes curmudgeonly demeanor with warmth, affection, and humor. Elaine and I will miss him, as no doubt will many others.
Below is the notice submitted to the Sacramento Bee, for publication on June 2, by Laurens Gunnarsen, followed by some additional comments by Nels Gunnarsen.
—Bill Potts, President, HAGSA
Sacramento
Bee Notice
(placed by Laurens Gunnarsen)
J. Walter Gunnarsen, Ed.D.
1922–2010
Our beloved husband and father passed away on May 27th from natural causes at age 88, after a brief final illness. Born in Mount Vernon, Washington, he grew up in the Pacific Northwest and earned Bachelor's degrees from Walla Walla College and the University of Washington, and later a Doctorate in Education from the University of the Pacific. A Sacramento County resident for 45 years, he worked in education and in business. Survived by his wife of 65 years, Betty Margo, and children Nels, Laurens, and Anna Marie. Always a caring, loving, gentle man and a nurturing, supportive parent, we will all miss him more than we can ever say.
Comments by Nels Gunnarsen
On a more personal note, I would add that while our Dad was never very successful in business, and endured many professional setbacks and disappointments, he was a great father. My life-long love of flying comes from him. When we were just kids, he would frequently take us to the local airport on weekends, just to watch the planes land and take off. He had a little bit of the Viking explorer in him; over the years he must have toured just about every back road and by-way in Northern California, either by car or preferably by motorcycle. He was never a bully, or demanding as a father; he always approved of us and encouraged us all, and delighted in our accomplishments. When I, as a typical disorganized teenager, got behind on my college applications, he very gently helped me to pull them all together and get them mailed off just before the deadline. I vividly remember driving down to the central post office in Sacramento with him, late in the evening, to make sure they were postmarked before midnight!
Dad was a child of the Great Depression, and his early life and many of his most vivid memories were much shaped by hard times and limited choices. He never knew his own father, who died when our Dad was only three years old. Had his circumstances, and the advice and counsel he received, been just a little bit different, he might well have pursued an early enthusiasm for the study of law. I firmly believe that, by the strength of his intellect and his temperament, he would have been well suited to a successful career in the legal profession, quite possibly as a judge or a law school professor.
I’m sure my brother and sister could add many of their own anecdotes. We take comfort in reflecting that we have all been truly blessed to have him actively involved in our lives for so long. We are thankful that he died quite peacefully, from gradual respiratory and cardiac failure. We were present at his bedside when he passed.
Phil Kearney
March 1, 2010 (appeared in March issue of the
HAGSA Bulletin, posted here on June 17,
2010)—Longtime HAGSA member and former HAGSA Board member Phil Kearney died
of complications of pneumonia on February 14 at the age of 89. His younger
son, Stephen, died six days earlier (February 8), of unstated cause, at the
age of 56.
Phil had COPD and freely admitted to many years of smoking. Although he needed a constant supply of oxygen, until late 2008 he managed to occasionally attend the Tuesday morning “Ted’s Web” discussions in the UUSS Library.
Phil was a prolific letter writer, both to the Sacramento Bee and to other newspapers. His reputation at the Bee was such that Associate Editor Foon Rhee was moved to write an obituary—”Longtime dissident is remembered for his letters”—in the February 21 issue. This was the first news any of us saw of Phil’s death.
The death notice appeared a few days later. It announced the following:
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at 11:30 am, at Saint Mary's Cemetery chapel, 2615 21st Street, Sacramento.
That’s consistent with a message Phil sent me in October 2008, with the subject, “My religious history.” In it, he announced, “I’m sending a first installment of my religious history.” His opening statement to me was “Thanks again for printing my doctrinal letter and explaining my unsecular religiosity.” I think he meant that for someone else. He continued with a narrative, revealing that, although he had many disagreements with the Catholic Church, his ties to it were still strong. He ended his message with “This document will be continued on another file which I will call ‘POTTS108’. Some day soon I hope!”
He never did send me the second installment.
Until about a year ago, Phil and I would occasionally spend time talking on the phone. He would also get me to review some of his letters before sending them to the Bee, or elsewhere, including the Catholic Herald.
Phil was a kind, gentle, and caring man. I’ll miss him. I’ve no doubt that others who knew him will miss him too.
—Bill Potts, President, HAGSA
HAGSA News Archive
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