Memoriam

DIANA O’HEHIR ’39

Poet, novelist and teacher Diana O’Hehir, an important member of the Bay Area’s literary community, passed away January 19, 2022 at her home in a San Francisco senior residence after a brief illness. She was 98. She taught English and creative writing at Mills College in Oakland for many years and was the author of at least nine collections of poetry and five novels—the first of which, “I Wish This War Were Over,” was a Pulitzer nominee in 1984.

Born Diana Farnham in Virginia in 1922, she came west at age one and spent her formative years in Berkeley. She attended UC Berkeley but did not graduate, leaving to spend several years in Washington, D.C., as a labor organizer and political activist, where she met Mel Fiske, who became her first husband (and, in fact, later her third husband.) After they parted in the early 1950s, she enrolled in graduate school at Johns Hopkins, returning to Berkeley in 1958 after marrying the Irish scholar Brendan O’Hehir.

She joined the faculty at Mills College in 1961 and taught there until 1993, eventually earning a PhD from Johns Hopkins in 1970 (although she never completed an undergraduate degree). She began publishing poetry in journals in the early 1970s and her first of many collections, “Summoned,” won the Nevins Award in 1975. After the end of her second marriage, she met Mel Fiske again in the late ’80s. They reunited and eventually remarried, spending more than 20 years together living in the East Bay, San Francisco and Marin. After his death in 2008, she moved to a San Francisco senior residence, where she continued to write poetry and a personal memoir into the last weeks of her life. She is survived by her sons, Michael Fiske of Vacaville and Andrew O’Hehir of New York City, three grandchildren, a large extended family and innumerable friends, colleagues, readers and former students.

Mona Brett passed away peacefully in Sandy, Oregon on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. She was born in Oakland, California, to parents Frederic F. Janney and Esther Janney (Witter). Growing up in Berkeley, Mona attended Anna Head School and UC Berkeley and then graduated from Scripps College. As a young girl, the family began traveling to Lake Tahoe every summer to camp at Tahoe Meadows, a family tradition that continued for her until just last summer. During her teen years, Four Winds summer camp on Orcas Island in Washington was a very special place for Mona and her younger sister Mary. One of her favorite memories was traveling with a small group of Four Winds girls to Europe in the months while WWII was breaking out.

Before America joined the war, Mona met Willis H. Brett, a naval aviator

In 1969 the family moved to Portland, where Mona became a member of the Colonial Dames, Portland Garden Club, The Town Club and Trinity Cathedral. Additionally, Mona very much enjoyed her partnership in the needlepoint and yarn store, Flying Colours. In May, 2022 Mona’s entire family along with many friends joyously celebrated her 100th birthday with her.

Mona is survived by daughters, Mary Lee (Richard) of New Haven, Connecticut, Susan Herod of Orland, California, son, Bill (Pam) of Sandy, Oregon, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Her husband Willis and sister Mary Janney Huisman preceded her in death. The family would like to thank the caregivers at Avamere Sandy for their compassionate care while she was living there. A memorial celebration will be held at a later date. Donations may be made to the League to Save Lake Tahoe or The Friends of the Columbia Gorge.

DIANNE MCDONNELL ’46

Dianne “Denie” Reinle McDonnell, 94, passed away peacefully at home in Pajaro Dunes on November 7, 2022. Denie was born in Oakland, California on March 13, 1928 to Dr. George G. and Evelyn Kane Reinle, the youngest of two daughters. She attended Our Lady of Lourdes, Anna Heads School for Girls, Piedmont High and Stanford University, graduating from Stanford in 1949, with a BA in Chinese.

While at Stanford she met the love of her life, George P. “Pat” McDonnell in a Chinese language class; Pat because he already spoke the language and would get an “A”, and Denie because she wanted a challenge. They were married on September 6, 1952. Denie and Pat welcomed their first child, Tim in 1953, followed by Mary, Peter and Julie. Denie and Pat built their home in Ladera in 1955, (now part of Portola Valley) where they raised their children until 1982, when they moved full time to their beach house at Pajaro Dunes.

While living in Ladera, Denie was active in her children’s schooling and sports activities and volunteered at Allied Arts in Menlo Park. She joined the working world in the early 70’s, working for Bank of America for 10 years. She was also very active in her parish, Our Lady of the Wayside, teaching catechism and serving as president of the parish council in the late ’70’s. While living in Pajaro, she worked for C&N Tractors for more than eight years, joined PEO, played tennis, did ballet, was part of a Mahjong club, a quilting club, a knitting club, served on the board of the Pajaro Valley Arts Council and for many years was on the Pajaro Dunes Landscape Committee. Denie was a great seamstress, knitter and quilter, creating pieces her family will enjoy and cherish for generations to come.

Denie loved to travel with friends and family, enjoying trips to London, Ireland, Palm Desert, the Napa Valley, “The Islands” (Hawaii) and Lake Tahoe, among other destinations. One of the last and most memorable trips with Pat before he died was to China where he was born and raised. She also enjoyed, for many years, monthly luncheons and the annual Christmas party with the “dirty dozen,” her group from Piedmont High. She will be missed by all her friends and family. Denie was predeceased in death by her parents, sister Barbara, husband Pat and daughter Mary. She is survived by her sons Tim (Maggie), Peter (Reneé), daughter Julie (John), eight grandchildren (Kelly, Michael, Erin, Patrick, Shea, Bray, Lauren and Katherine, each of whom will sorely miss Grandma Denie’s waffles), and one great grandchild (Millie). The family wants to thank Denie’s exceptional caregivers, Vera, Maria, Nuria and especially Molly Pesquiera. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Pajaro Valley Arts Council or a charity of your choice.

MYRA MAY MOSSMAN BROCCHINI ’50

Myra May Mossman Brocchini was born July 26, 1932, in Palo Alto, California and died peacefully February 15, 2022, at the age of 89 in Sacramento, California as a result of complications from cancer. She is preceded in death by her parents Ralph Westbrooke Mossman and Kathryn Button Mossman, her sister Deborah Mossman Noble and husband of 65 years Ronald Gene Brocchini. Myra is survived by her son Christopher Ronald Brocchini, daughter-in-law Theresa Lynn Brocchini and grandsons Alexander Santi Brocchini and Samuel Enzo Brocchini.

Myra was a gracious, affable host to all but particularly enjoyed the spirit of young people. Myra cherished her relationships with grandsons Alex and Sam. Myra cared for many years for her husband, Ron who suffered from dementia. She was a tough cookie surviving and recovering from a stroke, broken hip, subdural hematoma, multiple skin graphs and eye surgery. Her love of life, family, friends, clients and anything Cal buoyed her daily. She adored her zebra finches, the neighborhood squirrels and the family rabbit, Morris Gull.

Myra earned a BA in architecture in 1955 and MA in architecture in 1956 from UC Berkeley. At Cal, she was awarded the Gold Medal for Design in 1954 and Chi Alpha Kappa Medal for Design in 1955. Myra became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1997. She received an Alumni Citation and Bear of the Year award from UC Berkeley in the late 1980s. Myra served on the UC Berkeley’s Art Museum Council Executive Board from 1982–1989. She served as a grader and exam author for National Council of Architectural

Registration Boards between 1980–1991 and the California State Board of Architectural Examiners between 1980–1992. Myra was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Head-Royce School from 1981–1990. She received the Distinguished Alumna medal from the Head-Royce School in 1983.

Myra designed over 100 residences in the Bay Area; she received the Architectural Record Award of Excellence for the Provost Residence at UC Santa Cruz and other awards from the AIA, “Sunset Magazine, House Beautiful, House and Garden, Architecture + Urbanism, Home for Leisure Living, and House and Home”. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Keep Tahoe Blue in memory of Myra.

HARRIET

WHITMAN LEE ’50

Harriet Whitman

Lee, an attorney for over 50 years, mediator, facilitator, educator and trainer, passed away peacefully at home, July 26, 2022. She was born Harriet Lee Whitman on July 20, 1932 in HannibalMissouri to Gertrude B. and Frederic B. Whitman, and had an older brother, Russell A. Whitman, who died in 2016. Harriet’s father worked for the railroad, and the family moved several times before settling in Oakland, California where Harriet attended Anna Head School, graduating in the class of 1950. She then studied at Middlebury, Vermont, followed by UC Berkeley where she got her undergraduate degree and Boalt Hall where she got her Juris Doctorate. She was admitted to the bar in 1957. Her early law work included the McCutchen firm and Continuing Education of the Bar. She married Edward C. Thayer in 1956 and they had two daughters, Lisa B. Thayer and Nina B. Thayer.

In 1971, her “year of no fun,” Harriet’s father had a stroke and was paralyzed from the waist down, the family home burned and her marriage ended in divorce. A more positive development was the beginning of her directing attorney position at Consumers’ Group Legal Services, a member-owned non-profit which offered pre-paid legal services through the Co-op to help those with less income afford legal advice and representation.

While her own divorce was amicable, she recognized that divorcing couples often have emotional as well as legal issues to work through and thus started Family Law Counseling Services in 1979 to bridge that gap. She also became involved in community mediation, working on multi-issue, multi-party disputes. She was a founder, member and served on the board of the organization now known as ADRNC, Alternative Dispute Resolution of Northern California, and was on the task force to create—and served as a volunteer and trainer for—the non-profit now known as SEEDS. ADRNC created an award in her name, the Harriet Whitman Lee award, and also honored her with the President’s Award. She served as a team trainer for conflict resolution workshops for the employees of city of Berkeley, city of Berkeley Police Review Commission, Berkeley Recreation and Parks Department and Vista College, among others. She also served on law school faculties and taught mediation, negotiations and related courses in several Bay Area law schools as well as at the community college level.

When her daughter Lisa was killed in 2008 by a stray bullet in a street shooting, Harriet shifted her focus to restorative justice, volunteering with Insight Prison Project and the Victim Offender Education Group, Next Step, going into San Quentin to work with the men in blue on accountability. She conducted a correspondence and met with her daughter’s killer.

Harriet maintained an optimistic outlook on life and had a great sense of humor. She was an avid theater-goer and an enthusiastic fan of daughter Nina’s whaleboat rowing team. She loved water and animals and a good time, and was highly creative in several areas. She played guitar, was a member of a folk song group and made it a point to learn songs in different languages. She put together collages, made paper bead necklaces, added colorful patches to her clothes and created her own Christmas cards and wrapping paper. She also wrote poems and would often compose verses for people’s birthdays or other special occasions. A friend and mentor to many people, Harriet was a model for feeling and expressing gratitude, and always tried to love and be loved and encourage others to do the same. She will be missed. She is survived by her daughter Nina B. Thayer.

NAOMI ARLEENE RUMIANO SEEGER ’50

Born on October 16, 1931, to John and Rose Rumiano, Naomi and her younger sister Ruth grew up in a small northern California town where her father worked with his brothers in the family’s dairy and cheese business. Gatherings of family, friends and food were the themes of early life.

Naomi’s high school years were spent as a boarder at the Anna Head School for Girls. She remained friends with many of her classmates and recently shared a memorable and delightful weekend with them celebrating their 65th reunion. She went on to attend Katherine Gibbs College in Boston, Massachusetts. While living in Boston she met her first husband, Fred Boyce, with whom she had a daughter. When her marriage ended in divorce she returned to California and began her career at Stanford University in the Graduate School of Education, where she remained until her retirement. An administrator in the program, her students credit her with being the heart of their experience there—she remained lifelong friends with many of them. After her retirement she volunteered at her local library.

Naomi met the love of her life, Charles L. Seeger III, when he moved downstairs from her and she reveled in the expansion of her family to include his three sons, two daughters, five grandchildren, three sisters, three brothers, nieces, nephews and all the rest of his large family. She was later delighted to welcome nine great-grandchildren. Her family and friends were the focus of her life. She was a skilled and engaging writer, enthusiastic traveler, avid reader, marvelous cook and best party thrower.

She never showed up empty handed, and her holiday cookie plates were legendary. For as long as she was able, she sent a card for every birthday and anniversary to everyone in the large extended family she created all through her life. She loved to plan fabulous trips and excursions to share with those she loved. She made ordinary days into celebrations, and celebrations into extraordinary events. We will be forever inspired by Naomi’s joyful approach to life, her devotion to her family and friends and the buoyant sense of humor with which she approached her ever increasing array of medical challenges later in life.

She was preceded in death by her mother Rose, father John, sister Ruth Rumiano and husband Charles. She is survived by her daughters, sons, their families and a grateful clan of extended family. We know she stayed as long as she could. A celebration of her life will be held in the spring of 2023.

Naomi Arleene Seeger, after a long and passionate journey of a life, and having proudly achieved her goal of reaching her 90th birthday the previous fall, passed away peacefully at home on June 20, 2022.

PATRICIA JOANNE SHEAFF GIMBER ’71

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Patricia JoAnne Sheaff Gimber. Patti was born on April 21, 1953, in Oakland, California and died at the age of 69 on October 11, 2022, in Roseville, California.

Patti was a Rainbow Girl, a ballet dancer who could choreograph her own solos, a graduate of Head-Royce School (class of ’71), a member of San

Diego State University’s Madrigals from 1971-72, and a member of the Oakland Symphony Chorus from 1973-74. She completed an AA degree in Music from the College of Alameda in ’74.

Patti began a lifelong adventure with D. Gregory Gimber III on October 21, 1978. She was a loving mother, who had the toughest job of homemaker to a house full of boys. Our home was always full of music that she would either sing, play for us on the piano or crank up full blast on her stereo. Patti was widowed on December 8, 2011, but always kept her wedding ring on. She was a devoted daughter, sister, friend, aunt, wife, mother and grandmother.

Patti passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones after complications from myotonic muscular dystrophy. She is survived by her two sons, Christopher (Jennifer) and Matthew Gimber; grandchildren, Zachary and Connor Gimber; sister Mary (John) Accacian, and brothers Bill (Linda) Sheaff and Brian (Cynthia) Sheaff. The funeral will be a private ceremony with only close friends and family members present. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in her name to: Head-Royce School or to any charity of your choice.