May 2004

Helen “Aneta” (Albin) Bates, 99, of Natick, Mass. passed away January 11, 2004. She was a graduate of the Balboa High School class of 1922 in the Canal Zone.

Dennis W. “Denny” Beall, 67, of Cape Coral, Fla., died January 25, 2004. Denny worked as a photogrametric cartographer for the Inter American Geodetic Survey. He left the Canal Zone in 1970.

Melida Castillo Beebe, 89, of Kerrville, Texas died March 23, 2004. She moved to Kerrville from Coco Solo, Canal Zone in 1973.

Alvis Bryan Carr, Jr., “Al”, 72, of Palm Harbor, Fla., died April 13, 2004. He worked as an assistant health care director in the Panama Canal Zone.

Thelma F. Fussell, 80, died April 5, 2004 in Lake Worth, Fla. She was born in the Republic of Panama and moved to Florida in 1976.

Jimmie R. Johnson, 61, of Meridian, Miss., died January 7, 2004. He retired from the U.S. Army in the Special Forces. He was stationed in the Canal Zone at Fort Gulick from 1970-75 and 1979-81.

John J. Kolenda, 90, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died April 10, 2004. He was a retired central office repairman for the Panama Canal Company with 25 years of service.

Thelma “Teddy” Parker, 81, of Odessa, Fla., passed away November 9, 2003. Teddy went to the Canal Zone in 1966 and left in 1979. She was the widow of Capt. Bobby S. Parker.

H. Robert “Bob” Pogue, 96, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died April 8, 2004. He was a former welder who worked during World War II in the Panama Canal Zone.

Olga Marie Reyes (Lagassie), 56, of Bakersfield, Calif., passed away on March 8, 2004. She was born in the Canal Zone, grew up in Curundu Heights and graduated from Balboa High School in 1966. After graduation, Olga moved to California where she met and married her husband in 1969.

Mary Scigliane, 83, passed away on April 4, 2004 in Stone Mountain, Ga. She moved to the Canal Zone in April 1945 to join her husband Lou. She was employed as manager of the U.S. Federal Credit Union, Albrook AFB until 1976.

Marie Lee Theriault, 75, widow of Capt. Willard Theriault, died November 19, 2003. She lived in Gatun from 1976 to 1981. She was active in the VFW Women’s Auxiliary where she ran the bingo games.

Virginia (Eberenz) Williams, 93, of The Woodlands, Texas passed away on February 13, 2004. She was born in Ancon and later moved to Cristobal where she completed her schooling. She married Frank Williams and lived in Margarita until 1957.

Nellie Virginia Wood, 85, of Seminole, Fla. died April 21, 2004. Born in Ancon, Panama, she retired as a chief clerk in the Commandant’s office for the Navy in 1969. After her retirement, she served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Panama Canal Society in 1971.

Andrew M. Wright, Jr., 69, of Orlando, Fla. died on April 24, 2004. He was a retired Canal Zone Police Lieutenant. He served as a Training Sergeant and was Range Master of the Canal Zone Police Pistol Range.