In Passing – August 2026

Jan Bobbett

Jan Bobbett, wife, mother, and friend, departed this earth peacefully at her home in Sun Lakes, Ariz., surrounded by family and friends on June 29, 2026.

Jan is survived by her wife and long-time partner of 26 years, Kris Eikelberger, her son Philip Housel (wife Cynthia) of San Francisco, brother Ronnie Bobbett, a granddaughter, great–grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and many friends who will deeply miss her kind and generous spirit.

She was born in Medford, Ore., to Lorraine and James Bobbett. She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Rick Housel; and brothers, Gary and Jimmy Bobbett.

Jan moved to Tempe, Ariz., to attend ASU for her Master’s degree in English. She then completed her PhD at ASU in 1984. Her career was an adventure, using her teaching skills at ASU, Central Arizona College, various public schools, and corporations.

She accomplished a lot during her lifetime and was generous with her time. After moving to Sun Lakes, Jan became very involved in the community, volunteering her time and talent to many local organizations. She was particularly proud of serving as Board Member and Program Chair of New Adventures in Learning for more than 10 years. Jan helped to move this Sun Lakes lifelong learning program to its next level of operation while bringing a wide range of interesting classes to adults throughout the Southeast Valley.

Jan also was a longtime, dedicated member of the Sun Lakes Democratic Club, serving as Precinct Committee Person (PC) for Cottonwood Country Club and on the Board of the Club as well. She also volunteered at Sun Lakes Country Club Library, had been a longtime member of AAUW (American Association of University Women), and had enjoyed participating in Sun Lakes’ Golden Goalies, a group that focused on weight loss and maintenance.

When not volunteering, Jan loved to travel with her wife, Kris. They also would spend hours sitting together enjoying life and the beauty of the area from their deck of one of the first homes built in Sun Lakes or taking daily excursions with their much-loved dog, Zoe.

No service is planned but memorial donations may be made to Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, matthewscrossing.org, or sent to Matthews’s Crossing Food Bank, 1368 N Arizona Ave, Unit 112, Chandler, AZ 85225.

Meredith Elaine (Burton) Rich

Meredith Elaine (Burton) Rich was born March 30, 1931, and passed away June 10, 2026, at the age of 95.

At 6 months old, Meredith was adopted by Dallas and Lena Burton. They were loving parents and Meredith always appreciated that they had adopted her. Both preceded her in death.

Meredith graduated from Bethany Public High School in Bethany, Mo., in 1949. She went to Central Methodist College in Fayette, Mo., (later renamed Central Methodist University) where she took clerical courses. She worked as a secretary part time and full time through the years.

In college she was a member of Pi Kappa Theta Sorority, a majorette with the college marching band, and was voted May Queen her sophomore year.

She met her husband, James E. Rich in college, and they were married in 1952. They had two children, Cindy and Jimmy.

In 1993, she had successful breast cancer surgery. She retired in 2000 and enjoyed her retirement ever since. She loved to spend time with her family and to take day trips with her friends. Meredith enjoyed every minute with her children, granddaughter, and granddogs for cookouts, just being together, and special celebrations.

Meredith was secretary of her Condo Association Board in Ohio for several years and volunteered her services in other capacities. She was an active member of the Sun Lakes Women’s Association.

In July 2016, she transferred her church membership to the Sun Lakes United Methodist Church where she enjoyed the Sunday services and making new friends.

She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Rich Stalter, son-in-law Rod Stalter of Sun Lakes, Ariz., granddaughter Nicole DeAndero Durr, her husband Drew of Westerville, Ohio; son, James B. Rich and daughter-in-law Teresa Okada of West Jordan, Utah.

A memorial service was held July 15 at the Sun Lakes United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Sun Lakes Women’s Association.

Robert D. (Bob) Buser

Robert D. (Bob) Buser passed away peacefully in his home in Sun Lakes, Ariz., on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

He slipped away quietly and is now at peace with his Heavenly Father. His beloved wife and son were at his side.

Bob was born on Dec. 11, 1938, in Bradley, Ill., to Donald Emory and Eola Lane Buser.

He graduated from Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in 1956. In November 1959 he joined the U.S. Navy and served aboard the USS Wisconsin BB64 battleship. He received an honorable discharge in October 1962.

Bob was married July 6, 1985, to Kathleen (Katie) Nalley St. John from Manteno and Bourbonnais, Ill. They retired to Sun Lakes, Ariz., in 2004 upon Bob’s retirement from United Lift Truck – Hyster, where he was in sales.

Bob loved to golf, and he and Katie were avid ballroom dancers. They also enjoyed morning walks and biking in the early and mid years of life in Sun Lakes.

Bob is survived by Katie, his wife who was the love of his life, and he was hers. They celebrated 40 happy years of marriage on July 6, 2025.

Also surviving is his beloved son, Lance (Peggy) Buser; one grandson, AJ (Shelly) Buser; two great-grandsons, Hunter and Trevor Buser; and two step-granddaughters, Pamela Martinez and Christine (Eric) Young, all of Rock Falls, Ill. In addition, he is survived by one brother, Jerry (Terri) Buser of Sun Lakes; two sisters, Mary Buser Gandy of Tallahassee, Fla., and Vicki Meracle of Herrin, Ill.; one niece, Sarah Buser (Lain) Cox; four nephews, Kevin (Christy) Kupferer, Brion (Shandra) Buser, Sean (Karen) Meracle, and Brian Meracle; several great- and great-great nieces and nephews; and many wonderful cousins.

Bob is also survived by his wife Katie’s family, who was very dear to him: Marlene (Joel) Nixon, Lauren (Rob) Ratcliffe, Lee (Danielle) Nixon, Braelee Bentley, and Gabriel Nixon, Bruce St. John, granddaughter Abigail St. John, Barry (Cathy) St. John, granddaughter Caitlin St. John.

Two longtime and very special friends are Dave Denoyer of Keizer, Ore., and Kankakee, Ill., and Patricia (Patty) Lane of Sun Lakes, Ariz., and Kankakee, Ill.

Bob was predeceased in death by his parents; one sister, Pamela Buser; and two brothers-in-law, Teman (Mary) Gandy and David (Vicki) Meracle.

While residing in Kankakee, Ill., Bob was a member of the following: Quadrille Dance Club, Bradley Moose Lodge, 100 Club, and the Transportation Club.

He was a huge fan of the Chicago Bears football team and the Cubs baseball team.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Sun Lakes Community Church on Aug. 15 at 5:30 p.m. RSVP at 480-296-9181 with name and number attending. If desired, donations in Bob’s name may be made to: American Parkinson Disease Association, Arizona Chapter, P.O. Box 40067, Tucson, AZ 85717.

Ronald Dow

Ronald Richard Dow passed away on June 27, 2026. Ron was born on Sunday, Aug. 23, 1942, to parents of Harold and Phyllis Dow in Orange, N.J., then residing in Chatham, N.J.

Ron attended elementary school in Minnesota. He later attended the Governor Dummer Academy in Massachusetts. While in school, Ron was an avid baseball player and was the pitcher for his team.

Ron earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business at Bucknell University located in Lewisburg, Pa. He belonged to the Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity where he was responsible for his fraternity brothers’ meals.

Ron was in the ROTC and later entered the Army as Lieutenant. He met Judith Ackramovicz and they lived as husband and wife in Niagara Falls where their beautiful daughter, Nora, was born.

While in the Army, Ron was stationed in Niagara Falls with Top Secret Clearance. After the Army Ron worked for Unisys and Control Data as a Programmer, Systems Analyst. As a contracted employee he worked for Hertz and also the IRS in Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and Oklahoma.

Later divorced, Ron lived in Oklahoma and then returned to Arizona.

After Ron retired; he worked for Extra Space Storage as Manager in Phoenix, Ariz., and also for ProEm Co., where he did security for the events in Scottsdale and Phoenix. There he met Patricia Mathisen, who later lived as husband and wife in Cave Creek, Ariz., in 2016.

Ron is survived by his wife, Patricia Mathisen; daughter Nora (her husband, Steve), two grandchildren, Tessa and Ryan; along with blended family, Brian, Lori, and two grandchildren, Makayla and Madison. Also surviving are Ron’s sisters Barbara and Marilyn. Ron is predeceased by his sister Carolyn.

Funeral services were held July 22 at St. Stevens Catholic Church in Sun Lakes.

John (“Jack”) Louis Laak

John (“Jack”) Louis Laak passed away peacefully on June 10 in Sun Lakes, Ariz., at the age of 91. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Patricia (“Pat”) Laak; sons Michael (Linda) Laak, Steven (Valerie) Laak, Daniel (Kim) Laak, and Robert (Linda) Laak; grandchildren Emily (Kendall) Grady, Katherine Laak, Tyler Laak, Justin Laak, Amy (Warren) Ginsberg, and Allison (Alex) Pavone; five great grandchildren; sisters June Gasper and Shirley Green; and many nephews and nieces. He is preceded in death by his parents William and Veronica Laak, brothers William Laak and Thomas Laak, and a sister JoAnn Engstrom. Jack was born on Sept. 2, 1934, and grew up in Winona, Minn., where he married his high school sweetheart. In retirement they began living part of the year in Sun Lakes, Ariz., until moving there permanently in 2019.

Jack began his printing career at Technigraph before moving to St. Mary’s Press in 1968. He retired from there after 28 years as Plant Manager. In retirement he ran his own bindery business for many years. Jack was a devoted family man, hard worker, skilled woodworker, and accomplished inventor. He created an automated page collator used in binding books at St. Mary’s Press, reducing production time and costs.

Jack was very proud of his volunteer activities for the Winona community. He was a past member of the Kiwanis Sunrisers and served on the board of directors for Winona ORC. At WORC he developed a machine to secure pins to the back of buttons providing employment to people with disabilities. He gave generously of his time and talents to family, friends, and those in need.

Jack loved to play golf with his friends in Winona and Arizona, fishing in the Minnesota north woods, building things in his wood shop, and having a cold beer. He also enjoyed the many years he was on bowling teams and helping out at Westgate Bowl.

Jack was loved by all whose lives he touched and will be greatly missed. He was a man of faith in God and lifelong member of St. Mary’s Parish in Winona. A Catholic Mass of Christian burial for Jack will be held at a future time. He will be interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Winona. Memorials in memory of Jack may be directed to the Christian Brothers of the Midwest at 7650 S. County Line Road, Burr Ridge, IL 60527 or at www.cbmidwest.org/giving.

Eleanor C. Lariviere

Eleanor Claire Lariviere, age 86, died in Sun Lakes, Ariz., on June 29, 2026. She was born in Manchester, N.H., the daughter of Timothy and Yvonne (Nolette) Cronin.

She was educated in Manchester, N.H., and graduated from St. Joseph High School. She trained in the Notre Dame Hospital Nursing School and she went on to receive a B.S. in Nursing at St. Anselm College in 1962. She was an instructor in hospital nursing programs in Hanover, N.H., and Rochester, N.Y.

She was married for 64 years to Gene Lariviere, whom she had met when they were in the same first grade class. She was a great help to him during the years of his medical practice.

She was noted for her joy of life and her sense of humor, which made her many friends over the years. She was an accomplished seamstress, knitter, weaver, and quilter and leaves behind many treasured heirlooms for her family. She was also an excellent cook.

She was very active in exploring the genealogy of both sides of her family and that of her husband’s family, which enriched the family’s knowledge of their French-Canadian and Irish ancestors back to the 1600s.

She first came to Sun Lakes, Ariz., as a snowbird in 2008 and became a fulltime resident in 2020. She was active in New Adventures in Learning and the Sun Lakes French Conversation Group.

She is survived by her husband Gene Lariviere of Sun Lakes, Ariz., her daughter Katherine LaRiviere (Jon Alterman) of Bethesda, Md., and sons Martin Lariviere (Monica Russel y Rodriguez) of Wilmette, Ill., and Thomas Lariviere of Chicago, Ill. Her grandchildren Sam, Bella, and Jed Alterman and Marisol and Mateo Lariviere have fond memories of their “Mémère”.

Carolyn Lefebvre

Beloved wife, mother, sister, and grandmother, Carolyn (St. Denis) Lefebvre passed away peacefully on May 12, 2026, at 94 years old. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones, including her husband of 76 years, John Lefebvre. Carolyn was a devoted mother to her four beautiful and successful children, John Jr., Susanne, Alan, and Lori. She worked hard to provide them with a life of worldly adventure and unique opportunities.

Born on Dec. 16, 1931, in Plattsburg, N.Y., Carolyn was the first of three children to Howard Napoleon and Irma (Roth) Saint Denis. She graduated as salutatorian from Tupper Lake High School, where she met her husband, John. She then went on an ambitious journey to earn her nursing degree, where she progressed into a compassionate pioneer of her field, as surgical nurse supervisor.

The high school sweethearts ventured to Colorado to raise their children and watch their family grow and flourish, John and Carolyn later moved to Chandler, Ariz., to retire at the age of 55. They enjoyed their astonishing home on a lake with desert sunsets that Carolyn looked forward to seeing every evening.

Carolyn was a passionate reader. She expressed herself through the art of stained glass and knitting. She spent time traveling the world, indulging in exquisite wine and fine dining. She loved flowers, especially roses and lilies. She navigated through life wearing many hats and with that, her wealth of knowledge was endless.

Carolyn is survived by her husband, four children, nine grandchildren, twelve great–grandchildren, sister, and brother.

Virginia Lyons

On May 8, 2026, my wife and friend, Gina, of 60 years, succumbed to stage 4 lung cancer. It tore my heart apart. It hurts like nothing ever should. I will never be over it.—Ted Lyons

Gina Lyons was born Virginia Ruth Mooney into a military family in Springfield, Mass., in 1945. Her parents were Col. Charles Mooney and Lucile Mooney. Gina and her husband Ted met at the University of Idaho in 1963 and married in 1965. They finished college in 1967 and then Ted entered the military (USMC) under the National Draft.

They went on to finish the Naval Aviation school in Pensacola, Fla., in Dec 1968, which started an unexpected and a wonderful journey in the Marine Corps.

Gina and Ted moved numerous times during their military career stationed in North Carolina, Florida, California, Okinawa, and Hawaii. They retired from military service in 1991 after 24 years of service, and then moved to Tacoma, Wash., where Gina spent the next 15 years as a Realtor and Ted worked as a manager at Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) until 2007. Although they both loved the Northwest, they finally retired and moved to Sun Lakes, Ariz., in 2007, due to their desire to be close to friends and good weather.

Gina embraced a life of sacrifice, resilience, and service to her family and country as a military wife. Through countless moves and deployments, she often found herself raising children and caring for her family on her own while her husband fulfilled his duties overseas. No matter where life took her, she turned every house into a loving home. She was the glue that held everyone together—the steady presence, a listening ear, the comforting embrace, the source of wisdom and strength during life’s challenges. She touched countless lives with her kindness. Her legacy is one of love, sacrifice, perseverance, and family. The values she instilled and the love she shared will continue to live on through her children, grandchildren, and all who were blessed to know her.

Gina passed away quietly at our home with all her family present. She is survived by two beautiful children, Trevor (now 57) and Kari (now 56). Gina was a resident here in Sun Lakes located on Crystal Dr. She loved Arizona and always called Sun Lakes “her staycation.”

I was such a lucky person to have met her that day at the University of Idaho, and friends and family will dearly miss her.

Constance (Connie) Marie Mickelson

Connie Mickelson, age 51, passed away peacefully on May 17, 2026, following a brief illness.

Connie was born Oct. 31, 1974, in Kosata, Minn., and grew up in Faribault, Minn. She moved to Arizona to be closer to her husband’s family, after he passed away. She eventually found her “Paradise” in Sun Lakes, where she enjoyed making lasting memories and building cherished friendships.

Connie grew up with a strong spirit and resilience that would guide her throughout her life. She will be remembered for her kindness, warm sense of humor, and unwavering devotion to her family and friends.

Connie was exceptionally gifted when it came to mechanical tasks and repairs. She seemed to know how to operate just about every machine and tool she encountered. This knowledge was a valuable asset throughout her career. Some of her work experience was for GT Advanced Technology in Mesa, Swanson Tools USA, Sears, and Cirrus Design Corporation. Her positions ranged from Fab production, service technician, and composite repairs, along with working with the engineers and many other tasks.

Connie enjoyed traveling, camping with her sister-in-law, Darla and her loving companion, “Casey Cat.” She loved playing board games, etching on glass, crafts, and exploring thrift stores in search of hidden treasures and bargains. Connie loved to see the USA, and she loved to drive anywhere and everywhere with the windows down and the radio up! Her trip to Costa Rica with the Mickelsons was a very special time for her. She would often reminisce about all the fun they had.

Connie possessed an exceptional ability to train pets with patience and skill. She loved caring for and walking the neighborhood pets, and they loved her.

Preceding Connie in death is her father, Donald Soukup and her late husband Brian Mickelson, her sister-in-law, Joy Mickelson and nephew Adam Jay, and her brother-in-law, Jeff Johnson.

She is survived by her loving and devoted fiance, Chad Clark and his family, her brother Joe (Tammy) Soukup and his family of Faribault, Minn., and several aunts, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Connie is also survived by beloved “Casey Cat.” He was her service pet and went everywhere with her.

Connie’s mother-in-law Lois Mickelson, brother-in-law Terry Mickelson, and sisters-in–law Connie (Jeff) Jay and Darla Johnson always had a special place in Connie’s heart.

Connie’s absence leaves a space that cannot be filled, but her love continues on in all the lives that she touched.

A Celebration of Life is being planned for a later date. Connie’s family invites all who knew her to honor her memory by extending kindness to others, just as she did every day of her life.

Carol Pontek

Carol Joan Pontek, 75, of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, and most recently, Delaware, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at her home surrounded by her family.

She was born on Feb. 9, 1951, in Philadelphia, Pa., and was raised in Drexel Hill. She was the daughter of the late Jamison and Mildred O’Brien. Preceded in death by her siblings: James, William, Robert, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Theresa.

While attending Prendergast High School in Upper Darby, Pa., Carol volunteered as a candy striper at Tri-County Hospital in Springfield, Pa., where she eventually became the Director of Personnel. She married her second husband, Duane Pontek, in August of 1984. Carol and Duane enjoyed cruises and extensive travelling. They lived in Germany for some time, as well. They remained married until Duane’s passing in 2022.

Carol had a love of dancing, arts and crafts, and water aerobics. Carol enjoyed socializing and playing Canasta, Euchre, Mah-jongg, board games, and golf. She was a member of the Red Hat Society Group, Sun Lakes Lady Niners, and the Ocotillo Women’s League. In 2005, she was the President of the Oakwood Lady Niners Association.

Carol is survived by her brother, Eugene O’Brien (wife Marion), sisters and brothers-in-law, 12 nieces and nephews and their children. She is also survived by her daughter, Carolyn (husband William), her son Stephen (wife Sara), stepson Jim, and stepdaughter Juli (husband Steven). Carol was the grandmother to Kohlton, Lukas, Erica, Matolyn, Jayson, and Cathryn.

Prior to being laid to rest in Arizona with her late husband, Duane, a Celebration of Life was held on June 27 at Seaford Wesleyan Church in Seaford, Del.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Carol to Seaford Wesleyan Church, 26630 Sussex Highway, Seaford, DE 19973.

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