F. Antoinette "Toni" (Galpin) Hodenfield July 30, 1938 - December 13, 2023

Our long time member and friend, F. Antoinette "Toni" Hodenfield made her transition December 13,2023. 
 
Some of us knew Toni Hodenfield who was a staff member for 17 (I think) years, first as the bookkeeper (which was pretty much the financial department at the time) and then as manager of Stepping Stones (including several years of it being THE bookstore at Asilomar and the annual convention, and role model for other Centers.) 
 
Toni also became a Licensed Practitioner in 1999. Here at the Center we remember Toni for her generous, wise ways. She shared her love with all of us.
 
Thank you, for being a loving Mom and Grammie, supportive friend, sister (and in-law), aunt and all around good egg. Your creative flair showed up in the adorable hats and sweaters you knit, the amazing cookies you baked, the collage art you created and your classic style. You gave us a love of all the holidays.

Have a baby, Mom would knit a sweater, extra yarn went into making hats to donate. Need a place to land, her home would be open to you. She had many long term friendships, and we are thankful for the love and support her friends gave her and continue to give our family. While her marriage to our Dad ended, it was never considered a failure, they showed us a way you could continue to be a family, even friends, after.

Sixteen years ago, she added Grammie (aka the Graminator) to her many talents. She showed up for Rustin and Cooper, volunteering in their classes, picking them up from school, cheerleading at their sporting events. She loved being their Grammie.

How hard it was to see Alzheimer's take so much. Your smile and sweetness did return at the end. That is what we'll remember, your smile, sweetness and love. We knew we were loved. We knew you would be there until you couldn't. We are so thankful you were our Mom and we are so thankful you are at peace and we miss you and love you always.

If you would like to make a donation in memory of our mom, we would like to recommend Anchor Health Foundation anchorhpc.com/foundation or Ceres Community Project https://ceresproject.org.
 

 

Ronni Berg 1944-2023

Veronica "Ronni" Maria  Berg of Santa Rosa, California made her transition on November 7, 2023.  She was predeceased by her parents Anthony and Maria Berg and is survived by her family members Gerhard and Ursula Schilling,  Daniela and Gerd Schilling, and Carolin Heide of Germany, along with her black Labrador- Maggie.

Ronni had a long and active career as an elementary school teacher; first in the Los Angeles at Wilton Place Elementary school and at later at  Kawana Elementary school in Santa Rosa. She was loved by her students and is remembered fondly by her colleagues, the Parent Teacher Association and the Santa Rosa Teacher's Union. She made friends with everyone  in Southern California, Sonoma County and everywhere she went.

Ronni loved teaching, her students and especially her animals. Through the years she had many black Labs and her beautiful horses-Lydia and Dakota. 

Ronni became a member  of the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa in 1997 when the Center was still located at Luther Burbank. She completed all the classes and participated in the Animal Blessings and  the World Peace meditations. Her Empowerment group met together for 15 years and from that group lifetime friendships were formed. 

She loved our teachings and she loved the Sunday talks. Often, at night she would listen to  the tapes of Dr. Edward and Rev. Joyce Duffala to help her sleep. 

Ronni was an amazing lady. With deep love and affection we remember Ronni for her warm caring ways and beautiful heart. We will miss her.    

 



 

 

Elizabeth Heyneman Simmons 1937-2023

Elizabeth "Liz" Heyneman Simmons, 86, of Santa Rosa, California, died on August 31, 2023, in Belmont, California, in the loving care of her three daughters.

Liz was born as Elizabeth Anne Heyneman in Berkeley, California to Paul and Alice Heyneman on April 12, 1937. She was the fifth of six children in the blended Heyneman household. Tales of her childhood include walking to John Muir Elementary, playing amongst the trees outside her home, causing trouble at the Claremont Hotel, looking up to her older siblings, vacationing at Tahoe Meadows, and hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains. After attending Berkeley High School for two years, Liz ventured on her own by train to Vermont, where she attended The Putney School. There, she participated in farm duties, made art, strengthened her love of music, and found a deep home. She graduated in 1955 equipped for a lifetime of caring, determination, and joy. 

Liz had two goals from an early age: to be a nurse and to be a mother. She attained the first of those goals in 1960 when she graduated with a BS in nursing from Cornell University. Soon after, she moved back to California, and in 1962, while on summer vacation at Tahoe Meadows with her family, she met Bill Simmons. They were married several months later. Liz attained her other goal in 1965 with the birth of her daughter Martha. Liz and Bill had two more daughters, Margaret (Peggy) in 1968 and Elizabeth (Betsy) in 1973. After the family relocated to San Diego, California, Liz worked as a school nurse for nearly 25 years. During that time, in addition to raising children, playing tennis, and choral singing, she became a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (University of California San Diego, 1981) and earned a Masters in Counseling (National University, 1990). Her daughters look back now and wonder how she did it all, especially so well. 

In 2002, she retired to Santa Rosa, California, where she spent the next 20 years enjoying life with family, friends, and a wide range of activities. Her sister Nancy lived nearby, and they spent wonderful years visiting, playing tennis, and playing recorders. She sang in madrigal groups, took classes at Sonoma State, and volunteered in many capacities, including performing hearing tests on school children, ushering at the local performing arts center, and acting as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in the foster system. She built a rich network of friends through those activities, her membership in the Center for Spiritual Living, a group that met to analyze their dreams together, a swimming class, and more. 

When her grandchildren were born, she traveled down to the Bay Area to care for and visit them, often weekly. Family and children were always her priority, with grandchildren and many nieces and nephews bringing her great joy.

Liz also traveled extensively with friends, family, and singing groups. Highlights included Greece, the Galapagos with daughter Betsy, France to celebrate daughter Peggy's marriage, London, Bhutan and India, many trips to San Diego to visit old friends, taking her granddaughter to sing in a national choral festival in Arizona, and visiting brothers and their families in Montana, Nashville, New York, and Maryland. A highlight of her last years was her 80th birthday at her brother Steve's home in Maryland, where family came from near and far to celebrate.

 Liz could talk easily to anyone, held no subject as taboo, and became a trusted confidant for many. She was known for and will be remembered for her love for life, generosity, good humor, smile, laugh, love of music and singing, occasional yodel, and capacity for love.

In the last few years of her life, Liz developed vascular dementia, which along with the pandemic, affected her ability to connect with her cherished family and friends. In 2022, she moved to assisted living in the Bay Area, where she could more easily receive medical care and get ongoing love and attention from her daughters.

 Liz is survived by her daughters, Martha Simmons of Belmont, California, Peggy Simmons of San Leandro, California, and Betsy Simmons Hannibal of Towson, Maryland; sons-in-law Leo Butler and Matt Hannibal; grandchildren, Clara Butler, Andrea Butler, Maddy Hannibal, Zeke Hannibal, and Wyatt Hannibal; brother Stephen Heyneman of Cambridge, Maryland; ex-husband Bill Simmons; and many nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and -nephews, whom she loved dearly. 

Liz was predeceased by her parents, Paul Heyneman and Alice Heyneman; brothers Alan Heyneman, Don Heyneman, and Jack Heyneman; sister Nancy Friedlander; and beloved sister-in-law Martha Heyneman. 

Liz became a member at the Center in 2002. We remember her for her bright, vivacious spirit, her love of our teachings and what delight she took in singing and enjoying music.  All of us who knew her remember her with love.

 A celebration of life will be held on March 16, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa, California. 

To RSVP for the celebration or to leave remembrances, please visit Liz’s online memorial site at: https://bit.ly/lizsimmons

In lieu of gifts or flowers, please consider a donation in Liz's name to one of these organizations:

The Sierra Club Foundation

CASA of Sonoma County

Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa

ATD Fourth World 

 

 


 

2023 Remembrance Service Tonight!


Dear Community,

We come together once again to honor the memory of our dearly departed in our annual Remembrance Service. This heartfelt event is a time for us to gather, reflect, and pay tribute to the loved ones who have left our world but remain in our hearts forever.

**Date:** Wednesday, November 1, 2023

**Time:** 7:00 PM

**Location:** Sanctuary, hosted by Rev. Siota Belle and members of our Grief and Loss Support Ministry

At this special gathering, you are encouraged to bring with you flowers, photographs, or other cherished mementos that hold a special place in your heart. These tokens serve as a beautiful way to share the memories of those who have touched our lives.

As we come together to remember, we find solace in each other's company and the support of our community. The service will be a time of reflection, remembrance, and healing.

Additionally, we invite you to explore our Center's Remembrance Pages, available at [https://communityremembrancepages.blogspot.com/](https://communityremembrancepages.blogspot.com/), where you can continue to cherish the memories of your loved ones and find comfort in the stories shared by others.

Let us unite in the spirit of love and remembrance as we gather tonight. Together, we can find strength and solace in the memories that bind us as a community.

We look forward to sharing this meaningful evening with you.

Linda Sue (Figlen) Scheiblich 1949-2023

Linda Scheiblich, a loving wife, stepmother, sister, grandma, aunt, teacher, and caring friend to so many, passed away peacefully at her longtime home in Sonoma on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

Her husband Patrick was at her side, as was her kind caregiver, Sera.

Linda was born in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from Mumford High in Detroit in 1966, then went on to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI, and earned her B.A. in Philosophy. Linda then enrolled in graduate school at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. It was there she was awarded, Cum Laude, her Masters of Social Work degree.

After practicing Social Work in Michigan for a while she drove to California, settling in Santa Rosa. Lane Ranch in West Sonoma County was a work stop for her. Linda left the Social Work field and took a job at Jeremiah's Restaurant. While waitressing there, she made some of her best "long-time-to-this-day" friends. 

On a casual lunch date in Sonoma, mutual friends introduced Linda to her future husband, Patrick, on an early summer afternoon at Marioni's Restaurant. As Linda & Patrick fell in love, Linda also fell in love with Patrick's son Tad. Linda & Patrick were married on December 27, 1982. They moved into their longtime home the next summer where she played an important role in raising Tad.

Linda waitressed at Marioni's Restaurant for approximately 10 years, making many friends and firmly establishing herself in the Sonoma community, and hosted some amazing parties!

In 1992 Linda helped open and operate "Uncle Patty's Bar and Grill" in downtown Boyes Hot Springs. Over the next 10 years, she did some epic entertaining.

After they sold the restaurant in 2002, Linda decided a change was in order. She has always loved children, so she went back to school and got her Early Childhood Education Certificate. With that in hand she went on to teach at Old Adobe School on W. Spain in Sonoma for 10 plus years, until her retirement in 2015.

"Teacher Linda" just loved her young students, and worked tirelessly to provide them with joyful instruction, engaging projects, originals songs and poems and stories to help them remember their lessons. And of course they each got their "yearbook" at the end of each school year. Linda loved her dear friends, family, and life here in Sonoma!

Throughout the last 40-plus years of work, marriage, and family life, Linda was happily involved with the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa. For decades she served there as a Licensed Prayer Practitioner, teacher, Youth Church Volunteer, and member of her loving spiritual community. She was honored to be recognized as "Practitioner Emeritus" by the Centers for Spiritual Living in 2014.
 

Linda was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Anita and Martin Figlen, her brother, Robert, and her father and mother-in-law, Ted and Cedora Scheiblich.

Linda is survived by: Her husband of 40 plus years Patrick Scheiblich, her sister Karyn Figlen Schorr, her niece Lexi Schorr, her son Tad and his wife Sarah and our grandchildren Eddie and Adelyn Scheiblich, her cousins Laurie and Dr Jerry Rosenthal, and cousin Richard Shcolnek, her "may-as-well-be sister" Jenny Golaub, and of course all her in-laws, sister Melania, brothers Jon, Marc, and the numerous nieces and nephews she doted on in the Scheiblich, Mahoney, and Dailey families!

Linda's family wishes to thank Hired Hands Inc. Homecare, By the Bay Health Hospice Care, The Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa, Laura (we couldn't have done it without you), and the many, many, dear friends who have all helped with loving kindness and support.

Linda became a member of CSLSR in 1990. She was a wonderful teacher, mentor and Practitioner for our Center family. Her loving heart, generous nature and deep appreciation for our Center, our music and friends here, brought tremendous joy to all of us. 

In lieu of flowers perhaps consider a donation to By the Bay Health Hospice Care, the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa, or the Alzheimer's Association.

A memorial service will be held on Thurs, August 17, 2023, at 11 a.m., at Duggan's Mission Chapel, 525 W. Napa St., Sonoma. A Celebration of Life will follow the service at The Swiss Hotel.

Wyvonne Mitchell Colombo

Wyvonne Mitchell Colombo, 61, moved on to the next adventure peacefully on October 6, 2022.

Wyvonne grew up in the Rincon Valley district of Santa Rosa where her family lived in the same home on Grove Ave for most of her youth. She attended Sequoia Elementary, Rincon Valley Jr High and Montgomery High School. She graduated from Montgomery as part of the class of 1979.

Ever an outdoor enthusiast, Wyvonne always relished going camping in the family motorhome. Bodega Bay and Bucks Lake were family favorites, where she could explore the great outdoors, hike and go fishing. As an adult, Wyvonne became scuba certified and dove with her husband David.

Being gifted with a beautiful voice, Wyvonne loved to participate in school musicals and would continue this interest throughout her life. Wyvonne eventually sang with the One Heart Choir with the Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa as a Soprano and Alto.

She had an insatiable curiosity and zest for all life. Animals were always around growing up i.e dogs and birds (cockatiels). This continued into adulthood with her flock of chickens, and her pack of poodles. Her love of science began at an early age when she needed to understand how things worked, which in turn led her to her determination to be a doctor or surgeon one day. As life and its curveballs would have it, she married her first husband, Larry, shortly after high school, and her career was put on hold for a bit as she moved to Montana. She would eventually go on to be a registered dental hygienist after returning to California and graduating from Diablo Valley College in 1994 with her AA. Later in life she went on to complete her Bachelor's degree at Sonoma State University in 2012.

Wyvonne became a mother at the age of 27 to Lauren, and eventually bonus mom to Jennifer, Christina, and Brandon after marrying her beloved husband, David. She was an amazing Aunt to her nieces and nephews, and a loving grandmother to her grandchildren. Always full of life and spirit, she went on many adventures around the world with her family and friends. 


Her life celebration will be held on July 8, 2023. Please contact Lauren for more information via email: indesign804@gmail.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

 

Ruth Alice Richards Kane Donleavy 1925-2022

Ruth Alice Richards Kane Donleavy died peacefully in Seattle at the Norse Home, where she had lived since 2019.

 Ruth was born in Fresno, California, and grew up in the Danish community of Bakersfield. In 1944 she married Charles E. Kane (19232008), then a cadet and pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces. 

The couple had three children: John (1945, d. 1974), Michael (now Bhikshu Dharmamitra, 1948), and Alexis (1953). Charles eventually rose to the level of major.

 After Ruth and Charles separated and divorced, Ruth supported and raised their children on her own. She won a full undergraduate scholarship to Pacific Lutheran University, earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington, and went on to head the department of social work at Western State Hospital (Lakewood), where she also served as the first supervisor for the hospital’s AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers.

 Later on, Ruth headed the department of counseling and treatment at the Child Study and
Treatment Center (Lakewood), where she met her second husband, Colonel Dale Hoagland
(now deceased), who was director of the center’s operations. She then worked for several
years in the Washington State Department of Social and Human Services (Olympia) before
retiring to become a therapist in private practice.

 In her eighties, Ruth lived for a few years in New Mexico (Truth or Consequences and Santa
Fe), where she met and married Garland Donleavy, with whom she moved to Sebastopol
and Santa Rosa, California. Ruth described Garland as her “prince of a man,” but he died just
seven years after they were married.

 After Garland died, friends in Santa Rosa introduced Ruth to Richard Anstruther, who
became her companion and soul mate for the last years of her life. In Santa Rosa, Ruth was
an active member of the Center for Spiritual Living, studied to be a Practitioner, and
attended Women’s Spirit conferences and writing workshops in the Mendocino Redwoods.
She also became an important participant and mentor in her friend Tess Lorraine’s
seminars in creative aging and dying.

 An avid gardener, chef, and dinner party hostess, Ruth was also a dedicated supporter of
others, young and old, whenever they were in need. As a writer and poet, she found artful language to depict the world around her and the worlds inside her. Perhaps Ruth’s most fitting epitaph is her own description of a friend who seemed always and everywhere at home: “She’s like a river, and the bed widens as she goes.”

Ruth is survived by her son, Bhikshu Dharmamitra (Seattle), and her daughter, Alexis Romana Kane (Seattle); her grandchildren, John Christopher Kane (Hobart, Tasmania), Carrie Kane Powell (Smyrna, Georgia), Miles C. Kane and Katy Spaulding (Portland, Oregon), and Adam Gabriel Kane (Seattle); her great-grandchildren, Melissa Kane (Hiram, Georgia) and John Kane (Bogotá, Columbia); and her great-great-grandchildren, Donovan Kane (Hiram), Elijah and Cameron Kane (Bogotá). 

Ruth’s other beloveds include Sharon Bybee Kane (Marietta, Georgia); her close friends Effie Ehrhart (Santa Rosa), Tess Lorraine (now in Boulder, Colorado), Richard Anstruther (Bellingham, Washington), Pamm Hanson(Seattle), and X. P. Callahan (Las Cruces, New Mexico); and fellow writers, poets, and Center for Spiritual Living friends Janet Tobin, Julia Vose McClung, Robin Zolotoff, and Denise Miney (all in Santa Rosa). Her loving and distinguished canine companions over the years were Skoshi, Oliver, Lincoln, and Dorje.