Richard Lawless Sr.

Richard A. Lawless, Sr. A.K.A. known by many as “Rickey” passed away peacefully on Wednesday March 16, 2022 at the age of 75 at Kaiser Hospital in Vallejo, CA at 3:03 p.m. Richard A. Lawless is a San Francisco native who attended Polytechnic High School, a graduate of 1964. He was a very special man and will be missed by many. No one can ever replace the special relationship of a husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle and friend to many he was.

His battle with serious medical issues in recent years showed his courage in facing life challenges with a smile. Despite the pain, Richard came out a hero and stayed strong until the end. Richard was a very strong, dependent, reliable, responsible and determined human being who always kept his word and came through all the time. “His word was his bond.” He became a very successful plumber who mastered his craft and enjoyed his work which spanned for over 50 years.

Richard loved to entertain, tell fascinating stories and always willing to help someone in need. Richard was married to his loving wife Susie Moses-Lawless for 51 years and she was there with him all the way to the end.

Richard is survived by his loving wife Susie MosesLawless, two sons Marcus A. Lawless & Richard A Lawless, Jr., one daughter Tiffany J. Lawless-Elsalaam, 9 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. Three sisters Karen Macedon, Rosalyn Stovall & Jocelyn Moore & host of other relatives & friends. He is preceded in death by his father Edward J. Lawless, Sr., mother Janie Lawless Green, brothers Edward J. Lawless, Jr. & Michael Lawless and son Rodney A. Lawless.

We will always love, miss, appreciate and remember your legacy forever. Please rest in peace.

His service will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at Skylawn Funeral Home in San Mateo, CA at 11:00 a.m.

It is with profound sadness that I announce the death of my dear sister, Marcia Elizabeth Briggs, on March 17, 2022 at the Santa Clara Kaiser Hospital from complications due to lymphoma. On her behalf I wish to acknowledge our appreciation of the care, kindness and attention of her many doctors, nurses and hospital staff during her multiple treatments and hospitalizations.

We were were close in life and death. Our parents, Phyllis Lu (Olson) Briggs and (John) Mark Briggs, predeceased her. Marcia loved being a Valentine baby, born February 14, 1951 in Stockton, CA, where she was delivered by the family doctor from nearby farming town Linden, where our father had his first high school teaching job. Our family moved to San José in 1951, where Mark was hired to teach only art at San José High and then Leland High. Marcia remained in Santa Clara County the rest of her life. She graduated from James Lick High, and attended California State University San José, where she received a BA, MA and MFA.

Marcia ultimately followed in our father’s steps, teaching art for 31 years at DeAnza Community College. Her home studio was filled with lots of folders of clippings for ideas for her classes, which show the imagination she brought into the classroom.

Also throughout her house, there were many, many slips of paper noting ideas, books, people, music that she found interesting as she watched and listened to public media. Marcia was not only interested in many forms of human art, but also social, political and spiritual worlds; the community she shared with her meditation group was especially important to her.

While Marcia had her full share of human foibles, I think of her in happy terms, although I do remember how we tormented our mother when we squabbled over whose turn it was to do the dishes. I especially enjoyed being her studio “lackey”. Marcia said she she ranked right up there with the big art world names in having somebody to do her bidding in the studio. I will never forget how much fun we had producing her cards and photographing her assemblages to make prints.

Above all, Marcia loved her family and her friends. She had several overlapping groups of friends, who will join together with family for a celebration of her life on Sunday May 22. Anyone who wishes to attend, who has not already been contacted to reserve this date, may write to me: alysbriggs@yahoo.com

Alys Briggs

Donald Harold Kahn died peacefully on March 26, 2022. He was the eldest son of Anita and Zel Kahn. Don was a loving and beloved son, husband, brother, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, and friend. He also was a successful businessman, admired and respected by all who knew him. He was generous in every way, deeply philanthropic and he particularly loved Jewish causes. Don grew up in the Sunset District of San Francisco. He went to public school and graduated from Lowell High School where he was a proud all-city guard on the football team. At Lowell, he met his love and best friend, Roz (Schwartz) Kahn. Following Lowell, they both went to UC Berkeley where Don was a proud member of the ZBT fraternity where he made lifelong friends. Don and Roz married in 1954 at the Palace Hotel and he joined his father in the salvage business where they worked together for more than 27 years. He was joined in the business by his brother Scott Kahn and ultimately, to his delight, his son Daniel Kahn.

Don loved spending time at the Concordia Club with a wide circle of friends. He loved San Francisco sports and was a Giants season ticket holder for many years. He loved trips to Kona Village and Silverado with his family. And he loved traveling the world with friends including Morrie and Ellie Green, Howie and Jeanie Cohn, Bobby and Don Kamler, and Irv and Varda Rabin.

Above all else, what Don loved the most was his treasured wife who was the center of his world. He lived to make her happy and supporting her whether it was when she returned to school to earn a master’s degree, when she ran with an Olympic Torch on its way to Los Angeles in 1984, or when she became a lifetime master at bridge. Whatever made her happy, Don was all in.

Nothing made Don prouder than his amazing and loving family who all knew him as Pop. His respected son, Dr. James Kahn (daughter-in-law, Karen); his devoted daughter Robin Mayer (son- in-law, Bob); and his cherished youngest son Daniel Kahn (daughter-in-law, Sheri Lempert). He is a beloved grandfather to Benjamin (Stacy) Mayer, Amy (Tom) Kelly, Danielle (Ben) Cohen, Annie Obermeyer, Sophia and Samuel Klein, and Zoe and Hannah Kahn. And he was an over the moon great-grandfather to Oliver, Asher, Peri, Livana, Nev, Micah and Gavin. And his heart expanded to a wide circle of important nephews and nieces, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

The family would like to thank his incredible care givers, Telesia (Sia) Niu and Longovuka (Vuka) Tau. Their kindness and compassion sustained Don and enabled him to live happily at home.

Don was laid to rest at Hills of Eternity, Colma, CA. Charitable contributions can be made to the Hebrew Free Loan Society.