Obits
Diane Mary McMenomy (Locaria)
August 24, 1934 to August 24, 2015
NICE, Calif. – Diane McMenomy died peacefully of natural causes on Monday, Aug. 24, 2015, at her home in Nice. She left this world on her 81st birthday.
Born with an innate artistic talent, Diane could see beauty in everything. She looked at the world and the people in it in terms of potential, how everything could be shaped and molded into something outstanding. She could transform even the most ordinary of objects into elegance and grandeur.
She lived her life in search of the next great project, the next great second hand store “goodies” to find and display. From artwork to her beloved toys and most of all dolls, she surrounded herself with beauty.
She carried that beauty with her in her journey from the San Francisco Bay Area where she was born and where she raised her children to her retirement on the shores of Clear Lake.
She loved her rose garden and planting and nurturing new life. She brought wild strawberries from the first home she owned with her husband, Bill, in Daly City, to her home in San Bruno, and then to Upper Lake and Nice. These were planted alongside the rose bushes she could start from a simple cutting and grow into beautiful, thriving plants.
Above all, Diane loved life. She loved her family, both those born to her and those chosen as family. She was able to extend her love to any who asked, and perhaps more importantly, those who could not ask but needed it most of all. It is in this way she will be most sorely missed.
Diane was the oldest child of Sepreiono and Evelyn Falke Locaria. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Harold McMenomy, and her younger brother, Gary Joseph Locaria.
She is survived by her four children, William Jr., Michael, Kenneth and Elizabeth Regina. Her legacy lives on in her four grandchildren: Michelle Hernandez, Michael McMenomy Jr., Steven Mario McMenomy, and especially, Iris Evelyn Mathewson.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, at her home in Nice. Please contact her daughter, Regina, for details at
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lighthouse Family Retreat ( https://lighthousefamilyretreat.org/donate/ ) or the Botanical Society of America ( http://botany.org/ ).
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- Written by: Editor
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Vicente Alvarez Sr., 87, passed away on Monday, Aug. 31, 2015.
He leaves his wife of 35 years, Teresa, and their four children, Vicente Jr., Susana, Mari and Jesus.
He was a Kelseyville resident for 40 years and known for his assistance to anyone who needed a job, place to stay, money or settling into this great country, thus earning him the nickname Don Vicente.
Visitation will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary on Friday, Sept. 4, from 9 a.m. to noon., with funeral services to follow at noon.
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- Written by: Editor
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Roland Kent Smith died instantly from injuries sustained in a vehicular collision on Aug. 6, 2015, in Middletown. He was 54.
He is survived by his parents; siblings; his three children, Nathaniel, Caleb and Hannah from Placer County; and his many dear friends in Lake County.
Roland was appreciative of the wonderful opportunities life had offered him. The son of a well-known missionary family gave him the opportunity not only to travel worldwide, but he also learned the joy of serving humanity. At heart, he was much more the giver than the taker.
He was a man of diverse talents, although to have initially met him, it is not likely that would be divulged. He was sensitive and modest, however, when it came to getting things done, he showed leadership and was self-motivated.
Roland made and kept friends easily and it's remarkable how many friends he made in his brief time with us. His talents and love are a great loss to this community.
Roland earned a Bachelor of Science in communications with honors from Trinity College (Sacramento); photography and media (Sierra College, Rocklin, Calif.); and psychology at Nazarene College (Colorado Springs). He attended Munich American International School (West Germany) and the Mexican American International School in Mexico City and spoke fluent Spanish and German.
He was the Renaissance-type man who was competent in many areas – from construction, mechanics, and so forth. But his outstanding work in society was in the area of broadcast TV, film and multimedia. He created specialized TV and multimedia products for organizations such as NASA, the International Space Station and the Department of Defense, and held top secret classified security clearances for counter-intelligence.
In the 1980s and 1990s he produced TV shows and documentaries both nationally and internationally, including Hollywood Then and Now and the Hollywood Classics Network. A specialist in Avid post-production systems, he designed and developed post facilities for the NFL, NBA and MLB, including upgrading several TV stations and studios to state-of-the-art HD digital video systems.
Roland received two consecutive Presidential Awards for his work at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., with the Detachment 9 Launch Programs, and the 21st Annual TELLY Award for the California Space Technology Association’s promotional campaign, among many other awards.
A resident of Lake County for only three years, Roland still had his extensive collection of video production equipment and was just preparing to reestablish his career by writing several short movie scripts with several residents of Lake County. At the time of his passing, Roland was about to embark as a project and video director, taking on considerable responsibilities to help develop a new resort for Lake County.
Finally, Roland eagerly offered his talents as a cast member of the Lake County Theatre Group for the musical production of Monty Python's “Spamalot” in 2014. Then, in 2015 he entered the Mr. Lake County Pageant just a two weeks before his tragic death where people rolled in the aisles at his entertaining performance. Record-Bee covered Roland’s last public appearance with his friends at the historic Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport, resulting in coverage on both the front cover and back page. What a way to end a charmed life – like a champagne glass overflowing!
A tribute party for our dear friend will be this Sunday, Aug. 30, in Kelseyville with silent auction to benefit his childrens’ trust; a unique video tribute, Roland’s favorite foods; dancing and music with David Neft.
RSVP to Jann Kitselman,
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- Written by: Editor
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