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Rich Simpson. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — A memorial service for longtime Kelseyville resident John Richard “Rich” Simpson will be held on Friday, Aug. 20.

The service will begin at 11 a.m. at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, located at Third and Church streets.

Simpson, a Kelseyville resident for over 40 years and loving partner to Oleta Simpson for 67 years, died Sept. 27, 2020.

Rich made the most of his time in life and was loved dearly by his friends and family.

Read his full obituary here.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611.
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Jake Rose. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — On Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, Charles “Jake” Rose, loving husband, father of three, grandfather of four and great-grandfather of three, passed away peacefully at his home in Lakeport.

Jake was born in 1943 at Mangum, Oklahoma, to Emmit and Evelyn Rose, the youngest of seven children.

He married Martha Terry in 1961. They were happily married just shy of 60 years at his passing.

He enlisted in the Army National Guard after they were married and worked at his father's plumbing business.

In 1965 Jake moved his family to Clearlake Oaks, California, and began working as a plumber for A.C. Ward and Vic Lamperti. He joined the Operating Engineers Local No. 3 in 1967. He truly loved his job as a heavy equipment operator, working all over Lake County, traveling to jobs in various areas of California and occasionally different states.

After retiring in 1989 he took up wood working as a hobby and built treasured pieces of furniture for his family. Jake was an excellent welder as well, a skill he picked up working in a welding shop when he was 15 years old.

Jake was a quiet, unassuming, peaceful, kind, detail-oriented and disciplined man who was the rock that his family could always count on. He will be forever missed!

He is survived by his wife, Martha Rose; children, Peggy (Craig) Butcher, Charles Junior and Cynthia Carr; grandchildren, Bryce (Kristin) Butcher, Taylor Rose, Briana (Jason) Edwards and Katelyn Bean; and great-grandchildren, Jayden and Layton Butcher and Aubree Edwards.

Services will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport. Visitation will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 17, from 3 to 6 p.m. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. with interment to follow at Hartley Cemetery.

Donations can be made in Jake’s memory to the Lakeport Fire Department.

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

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SANTA ROSA, Calif. — A celebration of life for Larry Camotta will be held on Saturday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m.

It will take place in the Cultural Hall of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, 1725 Peterson Lane, Santa Rosa.

A mask is requested inside the building. Seating will be socially distanced.

Camotta died in his Santa Rosa home on March 27, 2020, at age 83.

He and his wife, Frieda, were Lake County residents for many years before moving to Sonoma County.

Read his obituary here.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Frieda at 707-293-9872 or Jerry at 707-483-7363.
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Jarth Oates. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Jarth Oates was born in McCloud, California, the son of Dorothy Ludwig Oates and Jack Phillip Oates, on Dec. 8, 1932, and passed from this life on Aug. 9, 2021.

Jarth attended a one-room schoolhouse near Calistoga called Tarwater School and later graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 1950.

He Joined the National Guard at 17 with some of his buddies, and served six years in reserve duty.

Jarth married young to Marilyn McHale and they had a family of three sons, of which Jarth was very proud. They lived in Santa Rosa where he worked for Bank of America.

He became an apprentice floorcovering installer, eventually moving to Marin County in search of a greater income for his family. He worked hard, often on the weekends, and became an expert in his field.

He took up bowling for relaxation and loved it. He joined the Native Sons of the Golden West in Fairfax where they resided at the time.

Life changed, and Jarth was single for a couple of years and raised his boys on his own in the family home.

He met and married Patricia Ratto (Patty) and they combined families to have six children and purchased a brand-new home in Sleepy Hollow.

The next 10 years were challenging; Jarth served as president of the Native Sons, and was invited to join the Elks Club in San Rafael and obtained his contractors license and went into business as Oates Floorcovering.

Jarth was 50 when most of the children were grown, he was able to retire from floorcovering and receive his union pension.

He decided to change his life and get away from the traffic in Marin; in 1983 the Oateses moved to their lakefront house in Lakeport, which Jarth remodeled room by room. After living there 18 years and being flooded four times, they moved to higher ground and closer to town.

Jarth sold manufactured homes locally for many years, then in 1987, Jarth and Patty bought Lake County Cleaners. For 19 years, their business was known for good customer service and very good work.

They were very active in local groups and activities. Jarth served as president of the Chamber of Commerce twice, president for Early Lake Lions and had fun with the Resort and Restaurant Owners Association.

He was a charter member of the Elks 2704 in Lakeport and enjoyed his participation in Lakeport Rotary. He loved cars, and was on the roster of the No Name Car Club, owned several hot rods, and received numerous trophies and awards for them. He was a fan of local car racing and worked on some of the cars for Stokes Racing.

Jarth was a Realtor with Country Air Properties in his last working years.

He came from humble beginnings and was gratified and proud of his accomplishments in life. He loved all of his family dearly.

Jarth leaves his wife of 49 years, Patty; sons, Norman and Rodney; daughter, Angela Ratto; sister, Beverlee Bennett; half siblings, Jack, Jeff, Frances and Chris Oates; grandsons, Brendon
Egan, Mark and Parker Coggins; granddaughter, Christine Aikin; great-grandchildren; nieces; and a nephew.

He is predeceased by Mark Oates, and Joey and Larry Ratto.

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

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

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Kathleen Harness marched in the 2008 Clearlake Independence Day parade in an entirely homemade Statue of Liberty costume. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Kathleen Anne Harness of Witter Springs passed away Aug. 2, 2021, in Santa Rosa, California as a consequence of Alzheimer's disease.   

She and her twin brother Jim were born Aug. 26, 1950, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to LeRoy Russell Erickson and Agnes Mary Farley.   

In 1952 she moved with her family to the Farley family ranch near Tomales in western Marin County. 

She was a third generation graduate of Tomales High School, attended Santa Rosa Junior College, then transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where she met her future husband Steve Harness while living at Stebbins Hall, a house in the Berkeley Students Cooperative. 

She and Steve were married on Sept. 8, 1973, in Berkeley. 

Kathleen worked for the Veterans Administration in Oakland and in Martinez. She finished her AA degree at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.   

The couple moved to Upper Lake in 1978 when Steve was employed as a teacher at Upper Lake High School.

Kathleen worked as a medical transcriber for Dr. Duane Bradley until the birth of their daughter Erin in 1982.   

When Erin and son Kevin were attending Upper Lake Elementary School, Kathleen became a volunteer aide, and was later hired as the English Language Learner aide at the school, serving there until 2010.   

During this time she completed her BA degree in communications at Sonoma State University in 2000.

Kathy was an attender of the Lake County Friends Worship Group and a member of the Lake County Democratic Club and Sweet Adelines. She was a talented cartoonist and used this skill extensively in teaching her students to learn English.   

Kathy had a firm faith in the goodness of God. She played the piano well, loved to sing and could still hum the tunes of hymns long after she lost the ability to speak the words.   

Kathy was interested in politics and applied her quirky sense of humor, when she marched in the 2008 Clearlake Independence Day parade in an entirely homemade Statue of Liberty costume.

Kathleen is survived by her husband, Steve Harness of Witter Springs; her brothers, Lee (Janeann) Erickson of Valley Ford, James (Lynn) Erickson of Burney and Daniel (Fran) Erickson of Tomales; sister, Carol (Craig) Maxey of Parker, Colorado; daughter, Erin of Santa Rosa; and    son, Kevin of Mountain View.   

Kathleen's remains have been donated to the University of California, San Francisco, Medical School for research and education. No formal memorial services have been planned.
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Gene Paleno in 1976. Courtesy photo.

Gene Paleno grew up in the 1930s on his family's farm near Detroit, Michigan. As a boy, he learned to drive an old Model T Ford, hauling hay and feeding the cows at dawn.

Gene was the eldest of six children born to Eugene and Alice Paleno, with a work ethic that was incumbent upon his role as the eldest boy.

After high school he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and as a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve until 1966.

Gene taught school after graduating from Michigan State University in 1946.

Gene Paleno in Paris, France, in 1958, participating in a marketing demonstration that had him wearing a helium balloon to simulate walking on the moon. Courtesy photo.

In the early 1950s during the aerospace industry boom, the entire Paleno Family (parents, sisters, brothers, spouses and children) packed up and moved to California. Gene was employed by Douglas Aircraft Corp. as a commercial artist.

While with Douglas, he traveled to a Paris airport hangar to participate in a marketing demonstration. The company had him wearing a helium balloon to simulate walking on the moon. He would recall how the wind almost carried him into the busy landing path at Le Bourget Airport.

Gene raised his own family in Southern California where he began his career in art, then sales and marketing.

Later in life, Paleno fell in love and married a second time to a beautiful Dixieland musician. They established a small farm in Northern California and enjoyed life together for many decades until he became a widow at the age of 84.

Losing his life-partner could have been a showstopper, but Gene went to work reinventing himself. He adopted Cleo the cat to keep him company and plunged forward to pursue his passion for writing science fiction.

Gene Paleno with his beloved friend and muse, Cleo the cat. Courtesy photo.

He would tell you he was a sign maker, an oil painter, a sculptor, mold maker, illustrator, carpenter, mason, inventor, scholar and farmer. He was also a great philosopher which led to a great many conversations regarding life, the universe, and all the questions these inspire.

Gene’s most significant source of pride was that of his loving children, and his many friends and community members in Lake County, California.

Gene Paleno’s accolades include columnist of the Witter Springs Chronicles, author of “Lake County History,” guest of Olga Steele on KPFZ 88.1 “News from the Past” and “Voices of Lake County,” member of the Lake County Historical Society and member the Civil War Round Table at the Blue Wing Hotel. He related to so many in the community, there are most likely some unintended exclusions to this list.

Gene Paleno. Courtesy photo.

Gene became active on the Western Region Town Hall (Municipal Advisory Council) as chair until he retired from community service at the age of 93.

Gene was a founding board member of the Lake County Silver Foundation, where he worked closely with his dear friend Jim Steele. He became very fond of each of the board members and the community in which he served tirelessly.

Be it known that Gene Paleno was motivated to fight for justice, equality, and any struggle to be won that would benefit his community, friends and family. For his contributions, Gene was a recipient of Lake County Outstanding Senior Award in 2018.

Gene embraced every day of his life with optimism and joy. He intentionally strove at uplifting the spirit to all he met. He would greet a stranger with, “Hello Friend.”

Gene Paleno at the 2017 Senior Summer in Lake County, California. Courtesy photo.

Gene wrote stories for more than 30 years and at the age of 87 became a syndicated columnist and publisher. His popularity as a writer grew after the release of “Lake County History: A Mystical Adventure in Time.” A second historical nonfiction novel, “The Porter Conspiracy,” is a compelling saga of the Civil War.

Paleno wrote and worked every day as an independent author and business owner in Lake County, California. Other books include “The Wish Machine” and “The Partner” (science fiction), and of course, “Cleo Chronicles” (now available at the Wasson Memorial Vet Clinic).

Quotes by Gene Paleno include, “I’m two steps ahead of whatever is behind me,” “We will be remembered for what we do after we’ve left this little blue ball of mud,” “Today is the first day of the rest of your life,” “Tell the brain and the body will listen,” “God is the amalgamation of all living beings” and “Our spirits are energy, and energy cannot be destroyed.”

Cleo the cat keeping company with her friend Gene Paleno at the keyboard. Courtesy photo.

Gene is survived by his four children, Gene Paleno III, Dolly P Riley, Christina Paleno Ericksen and Virginia Paleno; beloved grandchildren, Vanessa Ericksen, William Riley and Ellery Clark; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins of the Paleno Family; and Cleo the cat, who will make her home now with friends of Gene.

He is preceded in death by his younger siblings, Janis Colette, Virginia Duprey, Louis Paleno, Tony Paleno and Mary Alanson.

To honor Gene’s memory, donations or contributions can be made to the Lake County Silver Foundation and Hospice Services of Lake County.

Love and gratitude goes out from the Paleno Family to all who were his friends, his support, his colleagues, his readers, his fans, his kind and generous caregivers, and his Lake County newspapers.

The family will share a private memorial when the COVID-19 surge has subsided.

We humbly ask that Gene’s community continue to remember him as in the past several weeks; comfort each other and celebrate his contributions to our lives on this little blue mud ball.

Gene Paleno in his backyard in Upper Lake, California. Courtesy photo.


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