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Leroy Pruett. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Leroy Pruett was born in French Camp, California, on Oct. 2, 1949, to William and Mildred Pruett.

Leroy passed Feb. 23, 2021.

Leroy is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Judy; sons, Roy and Justin Pruett; and three grandchildren.

Leroy moved with his family to Kelseyville when he was in the second grade and graduated from Kelseyville High School in 1967.

He was inducted into the Marines in 1969. After going through boot camp he received a hardship discharge to come home to support his family as his dad was sick.

The day he got home he met his future wife, Judy, and they were married in 1971. They raised two sons, Roy and Justin, while working side-by-side running “Pruett’s Garden Service'' until 2008.

Leroy was a simple man. He didn’t like being in large crowds or towns. Leroy’s favorite things to do were hunting and fishing with his sons and buddies.

He also loved working in his yard. He would spend half of the day raking, pruning and adding more rocks, shed horns and rusty trinkets in the yard.

Leroy was stuck in the old days and always said, “They don’t make them like they used to.”

He loved family, friends and the outdoors.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.

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Gilbert Navas. Courtesy photo.

Gilbert Navas
March 21, 1942 - Feb. 19, 2021

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Gilbert was the former owner of Express Lube & Oil on North High Street in Lakeport for 19 years.

His regular customers grew to love him and his very charismatic and outgoing personality until his last days.

His family and friends will miss him dearly.

Gilbert is survived by wife, Mary; two sons, Alex (Rachel) and Kevin (Tina); two granddaughters, Kristal (Christian) and Kimberley; two grandsons, Barron and Remington; and two great-grandsons, Avell and Addan.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.
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Patricia Lucas. Courtesy photo.

Patricia Louise Lucas
Born: March 9, 1940
Died: Feb. 5, 2021

Patricia was born the first of eight children to Louis and Catherine Day in Salem, Oregon, on March 9, 1940.

Growing up in Bonney Lake, Washington, she was responsible for helping raise her siblings and household chores, all while achieving straight As in school.

Her desire after graduating fourth-highest from Sumner High School class of 1957 was to become an elementary school teacher.

In 1999, she and her family were beyond proud that she finally graduated from Pacific Union College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood education.

Patricia married Robert Lucas in 1959 and had four wonderful sons. Christopher was born in October 1960 with Brett to follow in January 1962. Patrick came along in March of 1968 and Jonathan in May of 1970.

She was a Cub Scout leader and raced stock cars at Spanaway Speedway in the 70s. She worked as a legal secretary, bookkeeper, business owner and medical transcriptionist.

She was a municipal court judge and city clerk/treasurer for the city of Bonney Lake as well as a member of their planning commission.

She remarried and in 1978 moved to Clearlake, California. She became owner/operator of the Lake Shore Motel, until moving to Brentwood, California, in 2014. She always showed an interest in the community where she lived, both Bonney Lake and Clearlake.

Patricia Lucas. Courtesy photo.

Pat was a lady defined by her faith and determination. She was a member of the Clearlake Church of the Nazarene and Clearlake First Baptist Church. She spearheaded obtaining needed medical supplies to missionaries in Africa. Pat gained much respect as a devoted Sunday school teacher and enjoyed the children she guided.

Without a doubt, Pat was stubborn, strong-willed and opinionated. She loved talking (and arguing) politics. She was a daughter, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

She was proud of her family and was happy for their successes. She rooted her kids on with their activities and praised their accomplishments.

Above all, she was a woman of faith. We know she's now in Heaven with all those she loved, smiling and pain-free.

We'll miss you, Mom. Rest in Peace.

She is predeceased by her father, Louis Day; and brothers, Robert and Bradley Day.

Left to grieve are her mother, Catherine Day of Bonney Lake; sons, Chris (Kathy) Lucas, Brett (Kay) Lucas of Puyallup, Patrick (Marci) Lucas of Tacoma and Jonathan (Sandra) Lucas of Brentwood; brothers, William (Kathy), James, Charles (Donna) and David (Cindy) Day; sister, Carole Mannie; grandson, Ryan (Meagan), Neil (Amanda), Austin and Dylan Lucas; granddaughters, Jasmine and Isabella Lucas; her great-granddaughters, Emelia, Katelynn, Hadley and Ellie Lucas; along with many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Services provided by Hill Funeral Home, Puyallup, Washington. Burial Sumner Cemetery, Sumner, Washington.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Our sweetheart and racing legend, William “Billy D” Deschamps, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.

Billy D was born in Berkeley, California, on Nov. 18, 1938. In 1945, his family moved from Walnut Creek to Lakeport.

In 1946, Billy’s father Marion opened Deschamps Automotive and shortly after, owned the Richfield Station, across the street from the Deschamps Oldsmobile/GMC Dealership on Main St.

Billy D graduated from Clear Lake Union High School in 1956. After graduating, he enlisted in the Army Reserve, training at Fort Ord.

In July of 1957, while operating the family business with his dad Marion and brother-in-law Gene Lovi, Billy married Sharon Clifford. Their first child, Barbi, was born in 1961, and in 1964, the same year he became the proud owner of Deschamps Automotive, their son, Michael, was born.

In 1956, the racing bug bit Billy in a big way, with a memorable race in the Jalopy class. In his very first race, Billy, eventually known as the “Flying Frenchman,” finished in grand fashion, with his car upside down on the dirt track.

Eventually, Billy moved into a Super Modified. As one of the founding fathers of the Northern California Racing Association, Billy was instrumental in leading the drive to have both the Lakeport and nearby Ukiah tracks paved.

Always a Northern California favorite and trendsetter, Billy D was the first racer to don a fire suit at his beloved Lakeport Speedway. The suit came in handy on numerous occasions, including a memorable fiery crash with a fellow competitor that made local sports headlines with an infamous picture showing Billy D sitting in his car totally engulfed in flames. Suddenly, every other driver couldn’t suit up fast enough!

In 1972, Billy D dominated with an amazing 13 straight main event wins and a major regional championship, The International Driver's Challenge. That race included tracks in Washington, Oregon and Canada and featured an incredible 9 races in 13 days.

He competed at more than 55 tracks during his super modified career. After his successes, he moved to a sprint car, driving No. 44 and eventually becoming a car owner.

On March 10, 1979, Billy married Gaye Sabini in Lake Tahoe and gained another daughter, Sonia. They continued to reside in Lakeport, racing throughout California and the West Coast until 1999.

After finally hanging up his fire suit, Billy served on the NCRA Board of Directors for 13 years, including a four-year term as president.

Billy was proudly inducted into several racing halls of fame: the Northern California Racing Association, Calistoga Speedway, West Capital Raceway Alumni Association and Northern California Auto Racing Alumni.

Billy leaves behind Gaye, the love of his life and wife of 41 years; daughters, Barbi Jolliffe and Sonia Zieske (Marc); honorary daughter, Evie (Ed Pepper); daughter-in-law, Christi Boucher; son-in-law, David Jolliffe; grandchildren, Nicole Zabel (Jeremy), Clinton, Chelsea Lizarraga (Albert), Carson, Morgan, Katelyn, Blake, Shaylyn, Richard and Zoey; great-grandchildren, Madison, Jackson, Hayden and newly born Kyson Michael, Naomi and Anthony; nieces, Deena (Wes) Brenton, Margo Vertrees (Jeff) and Renee Teverbaugh (Bruce); great-nephews, Dylan and John, and great-niece, Brooke; and many more family members, great friends and a big racing community.

Billy is predeceased by his son, Michael; sister, Diane Y. Lovi and her husband, Gene Lovi; and parents, Marion and Irene Deschamps.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established at Umpqua Bank. You can make checks payable to the Bill Deschamps Memorial Fund or mail to P.O. Box 1405, Lakeport, CA 95453, or via PayPal and Venmo search “BillyDMemorialFund."




Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.
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Gladys Crowson Crabb. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Gladys Crowson Crabb, age 98, of Lakeport, died peacefully on Jan. 29, 2021.

Gladys was born on July 27, 1922, in Lexington, Virginia, to Benjamin Franklin Crowson and Gladys Crowson. Her father was an English professor at Virginia Military Institute, and early on instilled in her a love of the English language and the importance of correct grammar.

About age 6, she moved to Charlotte Hall, Maryland, when her father became headmaster of the boys school there. She spent idyllic days playing in the country, running through the mess hall at noontime to chat with the cadets, and sneaking her beloved dogs into her bedroom at their home when her mother wasn’t looking.

She graduated early from high school, at age 16. She attended the University of Western Maryland (later known as McDaniel College) in Westminster, Maryland and after graduation in 1942, that fall, began her first teaching job.

At the end of the second school year, she met a handsome Navy pilot. Six weeks later, she married Robert Talmage Crabb Jr. of Americus, Georgia. They were married in Americus at Calvary Episcopal Church on July 16, 1944.

After the war and his retirement from the Navy, they returned to Americus to live where they raised a son and a daughter. For many years both were active parishioners in the same church in which they were married.

For 50 years, Gladys called Americus home, and did much to advance education in the community. As a devoted member of Calvary Episcopal Church, in her younger years, she loved singing in the choir. On Christmas Eve, she could be counted on to sing “O Holy Night.”

Always the teacher, and demonstrating her value that everyone deserved an education, as a member of the Junior Welfare League, as it was called in its earliest years, she organized and taught developmentally disabled children out of the Central Baptist Church. Her helper was her preschool-age daughter who would play with them. Those children remained part of the Crabb family for years and at Christmas, she and her family would visit them with Christmas presents.

In 1958, she got the call to return to the high school classroom halfway through the year. With mixed emotion, she accepted, but it didn’t take long for her to fall in love with being back in the public school classroom and for her students to fall in love with her even though her toughness was well-known.

There she remained for 27 years, teaching seniors about English literature, research papers and how to appreciate Shakespeare. Some of her most important lessons included the disrespect of smacking chewing gum in her classroom and the dishonor of plagiarism.

She enjoyed many accomplishments during her years of service, including six times being named Star Teacher at Americus High School by Star students.

During the turbulent years of the desegregation environment in the initial integration of the public schools, she became a bulwark of strength and calm for many students.

Perhaps she would say that her biggest accomplishment would be challenging students to believe not just in themselves but in their best selves, the one that she could sometimes see before they could.

Also during her teaching years, and saying that she preferred to be the student not the teacher, she earned an M.Ed. in English from Georgia Southwestern College on June 7, 1974. She found time for helping produce many years of The Rotary Jamboree, and for many years enjoyed their couples Friday night bridge club, of which she was often the high scorer.

Following the death of her son in 2011, Gladys moved to Lakeport, California, to be with her daughter. She made her home with her. Attending Mass made a deep impression on her already devout faith, and she became a member of the Roman Catholic faith.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father, brother, loving husband and beloved son.

She is survived by her daughter, Dr. Katherine Andre; and grandchildren, Dr. Thomas Andre, Mrs. Sarah Summers, Mr. Brent Crabb and Mr. Rob Crabb IV (Debbie); four great-grandchildren; numerous nephews; and a niece.

At her request, she is being buried with her husband at Andersonville National Veterans Cemetery. Services will be not scheduled at this time, due to the pandemic.

Please pay your respects individually by visiting the cemetery at Andersonville or, in her memory, read Shakespeare or a Psalm.

If you want to make a donation in her name, please donate your time or money to your favorite canine organization or animal shelter, or to The GSW Foundation “Crabb Scholarship,” created by Americus friends, at P.O. Box 926, Americus, GA 31709, to be given annually to a student from Americus-Sumter High.

And now, with apologies to W.S., “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet princess, good night: and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.
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William H. Partin. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – William (Bill) H. Partin, age 79, passed away peacefully in his sleep, on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, at his home in Fort Bragg, California.

He was born May 30, 1941, in San Francisco, to Willie Haskell and Mary Evelyn (Vanderford) Partin.

He was raised in Clearlake and graduated from Lower Lake High School, class of 1959, where he played sports and football for Coach Delgado.

He married his first wife Judy Akridge-Bond in 1960. They were married for seven years and had a son together. He worked many years as a grocer, starting at Economy Food Mart in Clearlake Highlands, then moving on to Safeway as part of the Retail Clerks Union.

In 1969 he married his second wife Mary Langlais–Munion and raised her three sons as his own. He was their soccer coach, mentor and their dad.

He was instrumental in forming the Santa Rosa Soccer League. He coached basketball, baseball and soccer.

He and Mary were married for 13 years.

On Nov 20, 1976, he found sobriety, which he retained for 44 years. He was a mentor in A.A. and helped many people throughout his life.

In 1981 he and Brenda June Thornton welcomed their daughter Crystal Partin-Reyes. He took on the responsibility of raising her by himself.

Bill worked many years doing underground tunnel construction in San Francisco and other various locations.

At age 50 he went back to school and graduated from Heald College in Santa Rosa, earning a degree in accounting. Raising his daughter while working full-time and going to school, he came to be a superhero in her eyes. He will be deeply missed.

Bill truly loved his five kids, his dogs and his grandchildren. He spent most of his time with the A.A. fellowship, reading from the Big Book and sponsoring many people along the way.

He moved from Petaluma to Lake County in 2005 and lived there for the later part of his years. He spent the last year of his life with his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren in Fort Bragg.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Wilma Belle Partin-Hegwood.

He is survived by his sister, Jo Ann Larson, and brother-in-law Arnold of Ukiah; his daughter, Crystal Reyes and son-in-law Zeke of Fort Bragg; his son, Bill Partin Bond of Clearlake; his three sons, Don, David and Dwayne Shaffer of Santa Rosa; two grandsons; a granddaughter; and many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held for family only. A future date for a memorial will be determined as COVID-19 allows.

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