Mimi Birnel
It is with sincere sorrow that we announce the passing of Mimi Birnel on May 15. She was a woman of great intelligence, wit, and creativity.
Mimi was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.; the middle child with both an older and younger brother.
In her late teens and early twenties, she toured as a professional dancer in and around New York City. She decided to retire from dancing to become a mom. Once her two daughters were in school, Mimi began her teaching career in the English and Drama departments.
Eventually, Mimi moved her family to Berkeley, Calif. She continued teaching in Oakland, but also took on the role of producer and theatre/dance critic for KABL radio in San Francisco. She loved being in the theatrical inner circle and remained friendly with some of the celebrities she interviewed. She also became a docent for the Oakland Museum, which required her to complete a 13-month course studying art history and modern art.
Mimi met Bruce while teaching together in the sixties in Brooklyn. They dated for a while before going their separate ways, but remained friends and stayed in contact with each other. In January 2000, they were married, and in June of that year moved to Goodyear, Ariz. Although retired, Mimi renewed her teaching career and also worked as a supervisor in the Maricopa School District. In addition, she was thrilled to be responsible for starting the Drama Department at Estrella Mountain Community College.
During her 21 years in PebbleCreek, Mimi participated in many clubs and activities. Among her favorites were the art club and the book club. She and Bruce took advantage of and enjoyed Phoenix nightlife, going to the ballet, symphony, and the theatre regularly. Mimi cultivated many friendships along the way and touched so many lives. She had some of the best stories! We will all miss her deeply.
Mimi is survived by her husband, Bruce, her daughter Eileen, and her grandson, Lonnie. She was predeceased by her daughter, Adrienne.
Memorial donations may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or Ballet Arizona.
Maxine Dutch
In April 2021, our friend of many years, Maxine Dutch, passed away in St. Charles, Mo.
Maxine flew 38 years as a flight attendant for United Airlines and was able to see much of our world. She felt it was a privilege to fly members of our Armed Forces in and out of Vietnam during the war. After retiring, she and her beloved Jim were able to continue to travel, mostly in the states. Jim and Maxine moved to PebbleCreek in 1995, where they made many good friends, especially in her Friday night group and playing mahjongg. She belonged to The Church at Litchfield Park and gave to their benefits in several ways. Her many family members were always foremost in her memories.
Services were held in Missouri for her family. Her old neighbors, Terry and Juli Thornton, live not far from St. Charles in Troy, Mo., so Terry was able to attend the service for her there.
Maxine’s life was celebrated in Ceremony in Litchfield Park, where her ashes were placed in the columbarium beside her husband Jim.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.
Neill Martin
Jan. 12, 1931-June 5, 2021
With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Neill Martin in Phoenix, Ariz., on June 5, 2021, at the age of 90. He will always be loved and remembered in the hearts of his loving wife, Gretchen, sons Chris (Michelle) and Greg (Alexis), daughter Michelle (John), and his four grandchildren, Tiffany, Nicholas, Benjamin, and Alexandra.
Neill was born in San Francisco in 1931 and spent his youth in southern California in Laguna Beach. While growing up, he spent countless hours diving, fishing, and boating in the ocean and had a great love of sports, which he continued throughout his life. Neill graduated from Chaffey High School in Ontario, Calif. in 1948 and attended Chaffey Junior College from 1949 to 1950. In 1951, he moved to Venice Beach, Calif. and attended UCLA where he was a walk-on with the UCLA basketball team, under legendary coach John Wooden, who was an early mentor to him.
In 1952, Neill was drafted by the U.S. Armed Forces to fight in the Korean War. He is proud of his service and was a true patriot throughout his life. After his tour of duty, he resumed his college studies at UCLA before transferring to University of California at Riverside (UCR). In 1957, he graduated with a geology degree from UCR and then commenced working for American Cement Company. While working at American Cement, Neill also obtained his Master’s degree in Geophysics from UCR.
Neill met his future wife Gretchen (a schoolteacher) in Riverside. They married in 1962 and had their first two children, Chris and Michelle, while in Riverside. In 1968, American Cement transferred Neill and the family to Palma de Mallorca in Spain, where they lived for two years. In 1970, Neill began work for a new company in Caracas, Venezuela, where the family lived for three years. In Venezuela, Neill and family were frequently on the ocean, enjoying fishing, diving, and boating. In 1972, the family’s third child (Greg) was born in Caracas.
In 1973, Neill took advantage of a job opportunity in Calgary, Canada. Since then, Neill and Gretchen have resided in Calgary on a full or part-time basis. Neill has worked in several industries in Calgary, including the oil patch, where he was a business consultant and an owner of a reservoir engineering company. He was a trailblazer as the first graduate of the MBA program at the University of Calgary (U of C), and later became an adjunct marketing professor at U of C. As part of his business career, Neill was a director of Antrim Energy and the Canadian Sport Association, where he provided valuable guidance.
In Calgary, Neill continued his love of the outdoors, taking the family on numerous camping, hiking, boating, and fishing trips in Alberta and British Columbia. He also went on annual salmon and halibut fishing trips for 35 years to coastal British Columbia that became hallowed ground for Neill and the numerous people who accompanied him. Neill loved taking the family on trips all over the U.S. and Western Canada, including annual trips to Mexico, which provided the family numerous special memories and invaluable experiences.
In 1999, Neill and Gretchen bought a house in the Goodyear area of Phoenix, Ariz. They continue to have a residence in Goodyear today, splitting time between Calgary and Goodyear as snowbirds. Neill’s love of politics and global affairs made him an intricate part of the PebbleCreek “Great Decisions” group in their Goodyear community.
Led by his innate curiosity, Neill was an avid traveler and explorer, as he and Gretchen travelled all over the globe and enjoyed learning about cultures across every continent and all walks of life. In particular, Neill was an accomplished scuba diver and underwater photographer and did numerous presentations for the Calgary Dive Club. He was a captivating storyteller and an incredibly interesting man.
Neill lived his life for his family. Married for nearly 59 years, Gretchen was the love of his life, best friend, and constant travelling companion. He deeply loved his children and grandchildren and loved attending their sporting events, special activities, and sharing his passions and stories with them. Neill was a mentor to his kids, grandkids, students, and friends and positively impacted the many people he came into contact with. He will never be forgotten and his spirit lives on.
We encourage friends to request an invitation to his memorial site at Neill-Martin.Forevermissed.com and to post tributes and memories.
A celebration of Neill’s life will be held at a later date when we can all gather together safely.
If friends so desire, please inquire at [email protected] for an invitation to Neill’s memorial site on the net, where guests can post tributes and memories.
Richard Wood
Richard Wood passed away, May 16, 2021, at Hospice of the Valley, Surprise, Ariz. Richard was born in Holyoke, Colo. on Jan. 25, 1933, to Verda and Marlin Wood. He graduated from East High in Denver. He served our country in the Naval Reserves, later serving aboard the USS Whiteside and the Hitchiti, in and out of Alaska and Hawaii. After discharge, he returned to Denver, where he was employed by United Airlines from October 1956 to May 1990. Upon retirement, Richard, with wife, Jean, moved to Sun Lakes, Ariz. for several years and later to PebbleCreek, Ariz. to continue his love of golf. He was one of the original 9ers and played with the Bunker Boys at PebbleCreek. His love for golf and the stock market was life at the very best. Richard is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is survived by his wife, Jean, of 67 years; daughter, Vicki, of Evergreen, Colo.; son, Michael, and wife, Jamie, of Waxhaw, N.C.; five grandchildren, Hayley, Morgan, Sidney, Tanner, and Cameron; plus two great grandchildren, Tenley and Declan. Preceding Richard in death were his parents, two siblings, Raymond Eugene and Wayne. Siblings remaining are Shirlee Berwick and Stanley James.