Miranda Zeqiri passed away on May 29, 2016.

Miranda Zeqiri was a resident of Kosovo at the time of her passing.

Miranda received her doctorate from UC Berkeley and taught university courses in modern China and Japan.

She was married to Constance.

A Memorial Service will be held June 5 2016 at 4:00 p.m. at WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME WESTAREA 823 NW 143rd Street.

Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro parani I
Tatha sharirani vihaya jirnani anyani samayati navani dehi II

The light of our life has been extinguished .....Your sad and sudden demise in New Jersey, USA on 7th March, 2016 on the auspicious day of Shivaratri, has created a void in “Basantodaya” family -- leaving all of us shocked, stunned and thrust into an ocean of grief. A noble soul, you combined a dynamic and charismatic personality with a loving and caring nature, exemplary patriotism, disciplined lifestyle and righteousness. Your devotion to your parents and siblings was non pareil. It is a little known fact that you passed up a prestigious offer to pursue higher studies in Civil Engineering in Purdue University, USA so that you could be closer to home - such was your devotion.... You were an inspiring leader and a brilliant engineer with a vision characterized by a can-do spirit, fearlessness and excellence in the field of Construction and Civil Engineering. You were instrumental in the implementation of a number of multi-million dollar construction projects for the Governments of India, Kuwait and Qatar. A prolific columnist and keen political observer and commentator, you were admired for your frank and objective perspective. You had very little tolerance for injustice and would take up cudgels on behalf of the underdog. Generosity and selflessness was your second nature. You deeply cared for education and assisted the under-privileged by providing them with financial and educational support. On the playful side , it was hard to match your card playing skills - you were so brilliant and astute in Bridge and 29. You had a rare and unique quality of being able to carry an engaging conversation and relate to people of all ages and all backgrounds. A wonderful son, brother, husband, father, uncle, grandfather and just a great human being , we shall forever cherish the principles and ideals you stood for and will always remember and love you forever.

Lovingly, Bidyut (Wife), Anushila and Shalini (Daughters)

Shelah was born in Borger Texas to Shelah Arvel and Frances Vandergriff. She is survived by her husband Larry to whom she was married for 48 years, her Son Sean and His wife Bernadette Daughter Shannon and her Husband Chad, four precious grandchildren Scott, Courtney, Bryan Amy, her Sister and Best Friend Dorsey and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers.

After their time in the Navy, She and Larry settled down to raise their family in San Angelo, TX. After 30 years and at the end of her career at the San Angelo Standard Times Business Office, they took off on their "Great Adventure". For the next dozen years they were full time RV'ers working and living all over America from the East Coast to the West, finally settling down for retirement. Fernley Nevada has been their home for the last 3 years.

The last several years, she has been dedicated to serving the many charitable endeavors of the Loyal Order of Moose. At the time of her death she was serving as the Senior Regent of the Fernley Nevada chapter of The Women of the Moose.

Shelah's message from heaven

I'm not gone...
I'm simply enjoying the next stage of my Journey;
So be happy for me and trust that
We shall meet again...

Elizabeth was born in Perth, Australia on 21 June 1948, joining her older brothers Neal and Bryan. Her parents, Betty and Wally completed the family with the birth of Lynette 4 years later. Elizabeth spent her childhood years in the country towns of York and Mount Barker, Western Australia. The family returned to Perth in 1961 where her mother had to learn how to cook without using a wood-fired stove and oven.

Liz had a wonderful easy-going and bright nature with a bit of spice and grit thrown in the mix. Anyone who ever played tennis against her would attest that she ran down every ball and often figured out an angle or slice to return the favor. She wasn't always the hardest hitter but she was often the most determined and wiliest player on the court, and used these skills to great effect over the years. Her Scrabble playing exhibited the same fighting style, and more than a few of us have lost more than a few (all, most?) games to her! These characteristics were not just sporting, but were core to her persona.

When family or friends needed advice or free therapy, Elizabeth was always a willing listener, often with practical and sage thoughts to offer. She had her own charming way of instantly making people feel comfortable and safe sharing whatever was on their mind. Her intuition usually enabled her to offer insightful ideas and suggestions for helping others manage through difficult situations. She used this wonderful skill throughout her own life and it served her and her family well throughout her life.

Elizabeth was educated at Presbyterian Ladies College in Perth where she excelled in several sports and her school work. She elected to pursue dental nursing and was soon employed in Albany and Perth.

At the time, the Australian government encouraged young Aussies to explore the world and provided discounted round-trip tickets. She left with friends and spent a year working in London and exploring Europe, at one point traveling in a Volkswagen bus and eating rice made over a campfire. As the time to return approached she and her friend Jenny took jobs to be au peres for families near New York City and extended their trip.

As the year in New York was nearing completion she traveled to San Francisco where she met Tom Purcell. 9 months later they married and Elizabeth became the loving mother of Rebecca, 6 and young Tom, 2.

After three years in Sacramento for Tom’s medical residency, he convinced her to move to Minneapolis, which for her might as well have been the North Pole! Soon after making new roots in Minneapolis, she gave birth to her son Brett.

In Minneapolis, Liz was a fiercely competitive and accomplished tennis player and was active in many tennis programs and made many wonderful friends through her sport. She was also heavily involved in the Women's Resource Center.

The family spent most of their summers enjoying Bayfield and Lake Superior. Later they would build a boat in Bayfield and purchase a home just outside of the town. She and Tom spent a decade of winters on the boat exploring and enjoying the Bahamas, Mexico, Belize and US rivers and intracoastal areas - frequently with family and various friends.

Around Bayfield, Liz enjoyed volunteering at Encore to raise money for senior care and she was active in teaching tennis to local children and securing USTA funds to refresh tennis courts in Washburn. She enjoyed creating and tending to her free-form garden and supporting local organic farmers.

Liz was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011 and lived long and well enough to enjoy getting to know her two grandchildren, Dante and Logan, both now 6. Despite a grim prognosis and countless treatments, she always strived to live on her own terms and to not be defined by the disease that took her. Her last days were spent watching the ebb and flow of the ice on Lake Superior, which one night near the end treated her to what she described as "the sound of 1000 champagne glasses celebrating" as a winter storm broke the ice into a sea of tiny tinkling shards of ice. She died peacefully and painlessly while sleeping a few days later. We shared all the emails, cards and calls with her and she wanted to make sure that everyone knew their efforts were really appreciated and that each brought a smile to her face.

She will be missed by many, and by her husband Tom, children Brett, Tom and Rebecca, her 100-year-old mother Betty, siblings Lynette, Bryan and Neal and her 2 grandchildren.

Liz requested that any gifts or funds go towards The Clearity Foundation, which is dedicated to improving treatment options for ovarian cancer patients:

https://www.clearityfoundation.org/support/donate/

If you feel so inclined, we'd love to hear about great times you shared with Liz, funny stories, what made her special to you, or anything else you would like to share.

Much love from the extended Purcell family.

Martin Joseph Fox Obituary

Castaic, California - Mr. Martin Joseph Fox, 73, joined our Heavenly Father, Sunday evening February 8th 2016 at his quiet home in Castaic, California surrounded and comforted by his loving children and grandchildren, after a decade long struggle with cancer.
He leaves behind his two daughters Rhonda(Williams) Fox and her husband Robert, daughter Rebecca Fox, with her companion Drew and son Benjamin Fox and his wife Silvana, his seven precious grandchildren; Jessica Williams, Jeremy Williams, Derek Fox, Christopher Fister, Victoria Roacha, Aiden Fox, Madison Fox; and many, many, lifelong and close friends.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California on July 17, 1943, the son of Martin Joseph Fox Sr. and his wife Francis Eva (Wood) Fox as well as brother to Colleen Cantwell.
Martin was a gifted athlete and very physically fit, early in his life before he joined the Catholic seminary, he played baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was offered a professional contract, but declined the offer to fulfill his calling with the Catholic Church.
In his early years, Martin was dedicated to the Claretian Junior Seminary, In Dominguez Hills, California where he studied the Catholic religion faithfully with discipline and great respect. Martin later moved on to receive his Master’s degree in Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures from UCLA, subsequently, he was then presented with the Certificate of Achievement Summa Cum Laude for Outstanding Performance in all courses offered in both Classical Languages from California State University Northridge.
Martin began his teaching career at the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks California, there he would dedicate his precise knowledge of the classics to the fine students for more than a decade. After retiring from teaching at The Buckley School he went on to continue teaching while receiving chemotherapy treatments to teach at the Monticello Preparatory School in Valencia, California, where he just could not contain the irresistible desire and urge to share his love for Greek and Roman languages as well as history with the fine students in his own community.
Martin Fox, had an extremely strong passion for all the Classics, as he also had a deep love for teaching. Mr. Fox truly gave himself willingly and with the utmost generosity to benefit his Family and fellow man, he truly lived the way he preached and that was to help people while you are here in this life, this was his profound belief, to do good for people, he was a man that had it right, I will carry his words through the rest of my life, and could only hope to be as great as he.
Martin Fox had a cremation and a private Ceremony to have his ashes scattered in the desert with his beloved "pickles" his shih Tzu companion, whom he loved dearly, may they run together in the desert wind

McCauley, Alexandria (Mangan) was taken fom us unexpectedly on March 14th, 2016. She was preceeded in death by her grandparents, David, Camille, and Francis. Alexandria is survived by her husband Jake, daughters Madison and Jordann, parents Dennis and Julie, grandmother Dorothy, her four siblings Dawn, Mary, Don, Brian, and her 9 nieces and nephews. She was a devoted wife, loving mother, caring sister, and beautiful daughter, who will be missed by many. Alexandria (Alex) you will be missed and never forgotten.

Alexandria always believed her heaven would look like Ireland, we know she is running through the green fields of heaven.

Until we meet again, we love you!


In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Christopher King Williams, 54yrs old of Chicago, IL was called home to be with Our Father, whom art thou in Heaven, on March 10, 2016. Christopher was born on the Westside of Chicago, IL on August 14, 1961 to Flora M. Lewiel and Ernest Williams. He attended Bass Grammar School and Crane High School.

During Christopher's youth and early adulthood, he was known as one of the most handsome gentlemen by a vast majority of young women, a prankster, full of laughter, fan of the martial arts and a no limits man on the dance floor. Life began to show it's power early on, by inflicting Christopher with mental illness. Christopher was strong and fought back, yet cancer set in and over ruled his will of bravery. Our Lord, now has Christopher and he has found pure peace of body, mind and soul in heaven. He was proceeded in death by his grandparents Walter B.