Robert Santos

1934 - 2020

Robert Santos, known to friends as “Bob,” a pediatric dentist who kept generations of patients and parents calm over four decades in the San Francisco Bay area, died Saturday, June 20, from cancer.

The cherished son of Kathleen Galletta Santos and Marius Santos, Bob was born and raised in Richmond, CA. Upon graduating from Richmond High School, where he served as Student Body President, he was one of three students nationwide to receive the George F. Baker Scholar Award in 1952, which covered the full cost of his education at Stanford University. Despite being drafted by the New York Yankees, he chose a college education, completing his pre-med requirements within three years before attending UCSF Dental School. He served as President of Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternity. Upon graduation from UCSF, Bob was drafted into the US Army. He and his wife, Mary Lou (née Fredericks) whom he had married in 1957, and their baby daughter, Lori, decamped to Fort Bliss, TX., where Bob trained in Oral Surgery at Beaumont Army Hospital. Daughter Lisa was born during their stay in El Paso.

After completing his military duty, Bob and Mary Lou moved back to the Bay Area. Their son, Paul, joined the family soon thereafter. Bob returned to UCSF where he undertook a preceptorship in Pediatric Dentistry. The head of the department, Bernard(Barney) Dietz asked Bob to join him in his practice which was located in Richmond, CA! They later moved the practice to Pinole with a tight-knit cadre of employees. During this time, Bob served as an expert witness for the State of California on the use of anesthesia in children, and was appointed to the Dental Board of Examiners by thenGovernor Ronald Reagan. He joined Richmond Rotary where he served as President during his tenure. Bob was predeceased by his wife, Mary Lou in 1994. In 1995, he married Julia Teskey, and together they moved from the Bay Area to Sonoma County, via Bodega Bay, Sebastopol, Healdsburg and Santa Rosa, while sampling the many fine restaurants and great wines.

In Sonoma County he became involved in the Osher Lifelong Learning (OLLI) program at Sonoma State University (SSU) in 2001, first as a student and then as a part of the Curriculum Committee and Advisory Board. He was the recipient of the prestigious Ed Stolman Award in 2012 for his contributions to SSU OLLI. It was in that same year that he was recognized by the Healdsburg City Council and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors for bringing Sonoma State’s Lifelong Learning program to Healdsburg.

When SSU withdrew its OLLI program from Healdsburg, Bob worked with Healdsburg AAUW to create The Forum, which provides life-long learning classes at the Raven Theater. The monies earned by Forum provide scholarships and STEM programs to local students.

Professor Christopher O’Sullivan said “It’s not an exaggeration to say the entire Lifelong Learning program in northern Sonoma County would not have happened without him,”.

Dr. Santos is survived by his loving wife, Julia, his children Lori Santos (Craig Schwed)of Bethesda, Maryland, Lisa Santos of San Francisco, and Paul Santos of Bentonville, Arkansas, and grandchildren Melanie, Leslie and Alison Schwed, with whom he shared his love of food and travel.

Throughout his life, he loved baseball, especially the SF Giants, and the camaraderie of his many friends. He enjoyed the game of golf and entertaining friends at the Wild Oak Saddle Club. He was a successful early recipient of the innovative TAVR heart procedure at St. Joseph’s Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. His family wishes to thank his Doctors, Patrick Coleman, Ian Anderson, Cindy Scharfen, and Guy Delorefice for their kind and expert care, as well as Memorial Hospice and the Stanford Medical Team consisting of Drs. Brendan Visser, Atman Desai and Scott Soltys. Donations in his memory would be welcome to the Redwood Empire Food Bank, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Foundation or to a charity of your choice.

No formal services are planned at this time. LAFFERTY and SMITH COLONIAL CHAPEL, Santa Rosa

Age 93, Berne Adair Schepman of Cupertino, CA died on July 1, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Grace, to whom he was married for 68 years, sister Lois Prothe (Milford), son Stephen Schepman (Tracey), daughter Carolyn Spitz (Stephen), son-inlaw David Thorsell, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Carolina, sister Alice Lowe, daughter Ruth Thorsell, and granddaughter Tiffany Thorsell Abner.

Berne was born on a farm near Lorraine, Kansas on December 23, 1926. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter Lutheran Church in nearby Holyrood, Kansas which his family attended faithfully. At the encouragement of his former high school teacher, at age 15, Berne enrolled in North Park College in Chicago, IL. At age 17 he joined the U.S. Navy. After completing his training in engineering, he installed radar on submarines stationed in U.S. ports.

After service Berne returned to North Park College for one year before entering Northwestern University in Evanston,

IL, from which he graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering in 1950. He joined Esso Standard Oil in Elizabeth, New Jersey. At St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Elizabeth he met and married Grace Koepchen. In 1953 Berne joined Eimco Corporation at a division based in Chicago, and further transferred to