Napa Valley Register from Napa, California • C4

C4 Sunday, January 31, 2021 Napa Valley RegisteR 1 Obituary policy Deadline Submit by 10 a.m. for next-day publication consider- ation. Friday at 10 a.m. is deadline for Saturday, Sunday and Monday obituaries. Prices The pricing for Obituaries has changed.

Please call 707-256-2200 for more information. To submit Option 1: Email prepared obituary to Include contact name, phone number and email address. Option 2: Complete form at Proofs Once submission is received and processed, a text and price proof will be sent to the contact person listed in the submission. Payment all obituaries must be pre-paid. Our office will contact you to make arrangements.

Obituaries will not run, even if submitted by deadline, if payment has not been made. More information Further information regarding napa Valley Publishing obituaries is available from local funeral homes or by contacting the Classified department at (707) 226-3719 or OBITUARIES OBITUARIES Neil Francis Murphy Neil Francis Murphy, age 90 and a devout Roman Catholic, was welcomed into the loving embrace of the Lord on January 16, 2021 in Napa, California, his home for 76 years. Neil was born on June 7, 1930 in San Francisco to George Francis Murphy and Ruth Mary (Heisler) Murphy. His father was the manager of The Owl Drug Company in San Fran- cisco and his mother was a housewife. Sadly due to his ill health, Neil spent most of his elementary school years at St.

Military Academy in Belmont and St. Boarding School in Berkeley. As an only child living away from home, Neil developed a sense of independence and per- sonal discipline that shaped much of his career and life. His mother passed away from diabetes when he was only 14 years old. In 1944, father George decided to sell his in- terest in Alameda Drug Company to partner William Heisler brother) and move with Neil to the Murphy family ranch in Yountville.

This property had been purchased by grandparents Daniel Francis Murphy and Ellen Murphy in 1906. The property featured prune orchards, chickens and a hilly parcel for grazing cattle. Neil would often proudly recall the cattle he personally raised and his ability, even as a young teenager, to get top dollar when it came time to sell them. In 1948 Neil graduated from Napa High School and in 1949 he enrolled at UC Davis. In 1951 he was awarded an AA degree in Agricultural Science.

During this time he spent two summers working a sales route at Lake Tahoe for Golden State Dairy and even at 19 he was their best salesman! After leaving Davis however, he decided to enlist in the United States Air Force. It was during this time that Neil met Helen Elaine Grimes who was the love of his life. Helen and Neil were married on Sep- tember 30, 1951 at Hamilton Field Air Force Base here in California. Neil was proud of his military service and spent four years with stateside assignments at Fort Col- lins CO, Point Arena CA, Montgomery AL, and Everett WA. He was honorably discharged in 1955.

Back in Napa, Neil decided to embark on a career in construction and used the GI Bill to pursue stud- ies part time at Napa Community College while also working as an apprentice carpenter. Within two years he was a journeyman carpenter. In 1957 using money from his Air Force discharge he purchased a lot in Alta Heights and began construction on his own home which he completed in 1958. Shortly thereafter he was made foreman and then superintendent for Belner Builders in Santa Rosa. In order to be able to create an indepen- dent construction business to better support his family, Neil took the contractors exam in January of 1962 and in April of that year established Redwood Homes with offices in Napa and Sonoma.

He and partner Harold Don Richards each had several crews of union carpenters building custom homes and commercial structures in Napa, Sonoma and Solano Counties with occasional building sites as far away as the Mendocino Coast. Red- wood Homes had a reputation far and wide for well- built, attractive and affordable homes that still grace the wine country today. Neil and Don closed their con- struction business in 1980 but continued to manage the commercial properties they had developed during their years as general contractors. Don, his business partner and the brother he never had, preceded him in death in April 2020. During these years Neil and Helen created a loving home that was the center of neighborhood activities and often a refuge for friends and families in distress.

They welcomed all with a warm and generous spirit! There was never a shortage of food, fun or a full bar if you visited! Neil had a life-long love for dogs, playing cards (poker and pinochle, in particular), and politics. He considered himself a proud and loved teasing anyone whose views and positions were on the other side of the political spectrum. Dad was also proud of his Irish heritage. In later years, Neil and Helen pursued a passion for travel that had begun with trips to Hawaii and a 25th wedding anniversary trip to Europe. In later years, however, it was road trips to Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and Oregon they pursued, and Neil would often proclaim his fondness for driv- ing through the high desert! In California they enjoyed visiting the Sierra Foothills and, over time, managed to visit each of Missions and countless his- torical museums! Neil was predeceased by his wife, Helen, in March 2015.

He is survived by son Timothy Francis Murphy (Griselda Cruz Murphy), son Michael Francis Murphy, and daughter Colleen Mary Scholl (Frank Scholl). Neil is also survived by grandchildren Joshua, Elijah, Gabriel, Gianna and Rowen. The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Dr Rony Kako MD, physi- cian of many years, as well as the medical staff at Nursing Home for their outstanding care during the final months of his life. Due to Covid-19 the funeral mass and burial service are private. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory may be made to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.

Memories and notes of sym- pathy may be shared at claffeyandrota.com. Maureen Elizabeth Boyd Maureen passed from this world onto the next on Dec. 26, 2020. She was com- forted and surrounded by her loving family friends at her home during her final days. Maureen was born to Eu- gene Carrol Aber and Eliz- abeth (Atkinson) Aber on April 06, 1945 in Newark, New Jersey.

Maureen left NJ and migrated to Pasadena, Calif. in 1968 and eventu- ally settled in Napa by 1971. Maureen had many inter- ests, hobbies, jobs, and passions during her 75 years. She loved T.M., study of the Cosmos, the Dalai Lama, writing Haiku, Rosen classes, Hatha yoga, Yoga Nidra, Reiki and walking, especially with Eileen, Margit, Steven and Indy. Her various interests included photography, house boating vacations with family to Shasta Lake, Carmel Cottage visits, being near the ocean and many camping adventures to Kings Canyon, Yel- lowstone, Rocky Point Reyes and the Olympic peninsula over several decades.

She loved to bake, cook and experiment with ideas. Maureen received her M. A. in counseling in 1986 from Sonoma State and had certifications as L.P.C.C. and N.C.C.

Over the decades, she had served in many capacities in Behavioral Health (counselor, case man- ager, therapist) in Napa and Solano Counties with older adults, transitional aged youth, families and the adult mental health populations. Maureen was awarded the Solano County Employee of the Year award in 1999. Her wit, wisdom, energy, feistiness, warmth, compassion and advocacy were always present and an opinion on any topic quick to come forth. She had a passion and love for life and a whimsical nature. Maureen loved to dance shake her booty.

She loved her music of the 50s-60s-70s, particularly, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Eagles, among many others. She supported and advo- cated for the disadvantaged, plus many and animal rescue efforts, the environment, politics and hu- man rights for all. Maureen is pre-deceased by her mother, father and brother, Eugene Cortland Aber and her beloved friend Margit. She is survived by her husband Steven M. (Boyd), her daughter Poppy and son-in-law Mike (Liv- ingston), and her wonderful grandchildren Henry and Elizabeth Livingston and Echo (Smith).

mother Fawn (Shrader) and Uncle Zach (Shrader); neph- ews Travis, Kyle and Tyler Aber, nieces Cheryl (Feyder), Krista Erica (Hercek). Maureen leaves many cousins and extended family friends with loving, happy mem- ories and an appreciation for the wonder of life and all things. Her sense and presence of being in the world will be missed tremendously and the passion for those she loved is deeply felt. Purpose of our Lives is to be Dalai Lama. Because of Covid-19 no public ser- vice will be held until a future date.

Donations in memory can be made to any environmental or nature loving effort or Collabria Hos- pice. Susan Byers Plant Susan Plant was born in Boston, MA on July 1, 1924, the daughter of Dr. Ran- dolph K. and Margaret P. Byers.

She lived in Milton, MA, attended Milton Acad- emy and was a 1942 grad- uate of the Putney School in Putney, VT. Sue was fortunate enough to spend most summers at one of her two houses in Little Compton, RI, and After high school, a short stint at secretarial school led to a war job at the MIT Radiation Lab making movies of prototype Radar Sets. When WWII ended, Sue started working at Hospital, Bos- ton, doing EEGs. In 1948, she and a friend drove to Sun Valley, ID where they skied for a month. Sue then stayed on for another month skiing and waitress- ing.

From there she went to Colorado, skiing at Aspen, and then on to a family cattle ranch in Wyoming. Sue left Wyoming by train to see friends in San Francisco. As she crossed the Sierra and entered the Central Valley, green and in blossom, she realized she had found her home. Shortly thereafter, she was offered a job doing EEGs at UCSF and moved permanently to San Francisco in 1948. Sue met her husband, Graeme Plant through mutual friends.

They were married in March, 1952 at a wedding that was described as the highlight of the Boston so- cial scene. Through a chance meeting with Dr. Dwight Murry of Napa, CA, Graeme got a job with the Basalt Rock Company in Napa and they moved there in Sep- tember of that year. When Kaiser Steel bought the Steel Products Division of Basalt, Graeme became a Kaiser employee. Sue and Graeme joined the Napa Valley Country Club soon after settling in Napa, where they made many friends and enjoyed playing golf and pleasant evenings at the pool.

Sue won the Club Championship in the early 1960s. They joined Silverado CC in 1966 where Sue was cap- tain of the Golf Association in 1968 and 1991. She also enjoyed being Team Play Captain for many years winning the Club Championship in 1976, 1978, and 1983. Among other highlights were her 5 holes in one, 4 at Silverado and one at a course in Oregon. Sue and Graeme were members of St.

Epis- copal Church, Napa, from the early 1950s until her passing. Sue was introduced to Community Projects by Mrs. Dwight Murray Sr. in 1952 and was an active member until 1958. She did volunteer work for the Cancer Soci- ety and the tutoring program through the Library.

She was active in the Vichy School Club from 1959-1969 and was President in 1966. In 1969 the Queen of the Valley Hospital bought an EEG machine. Sue was hired as the technician and worked there on a part time basis for 20 years. Sue loved to do yard work and was well known for her tomatoes. She was a Giants fan from the moment they moved to San Francisco.

2010, 2012, and 2014 were pos- sibly the best years of her life. (Giants fans will under- stand.) She and Graeme had two sons, Malcolm (Ann) and Graeme III (Debra) a daughter, Sandford, and four grandchildren, Hayden, Elliot, Meredith, and Riley. She was predeceased by her husband, Graeme, her parents, and her sister, Franny Hatch. She is survived by her chil- dren and grandchildren as well as her brother, Randolph Byers of Little Compton, RI, and her sister, Margaret Wood of Cambridge, MA. The family would like to thank all three of the Gor- dillos, Carmen, Rosa I.

and Rosa M. for the remarkably warm and helpful care they provided in later years, enabling her to spend them at home, which was her fervent hope. In addition, Hospice, specifically Maryrose Shammas, was very helpful in the final days. Due to COVID protocols, there will be a small family gathering with a formal ceremony at some point in the future. In lieu of flowers, gifts to the Queen of the Valley Hospital, Napa, or St.

Episcopal Church would be appreciated. PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON Sophie, the Grammy-nominated Scot- tish disc jockey, producer and recording artist who had worked with the likes of Madonna and Charli XCX, has died following an accident in the Greek cap- ital of Athens. She was 34. In a statement, U.K. la- bel Transgressive said the musician, whose full name was Sophie Xeon, died in the early hours of Saturday morning.

our beautiful Sophie passed away this morning after a terrible ac- the statement said. to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and A police spokesperson in Athens confirmed that So- phie slipped and fell from the balcony of an apart- ment where she was stay- ing and no foul play was suspected in her death. The person spoke to The Asso- ciated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still ongo- ing. Sophie, who was born in Glasgow, began releasing music in 2013. She first used her own image and vocals for the October 2017 single Okay To The record- ing paved the way for So- debut album, of Every Released in June 2018, it received a Grammy nomi- nation for best tronic album.

Tributes have poured in from across the LGBT community. Sophie was transgender and widely considered one of the most pioneering artists in the music industry. French writer Christine and the Queens described Sophie as a producer, a vi- sionary, a who rebelled against nar- row, normative society by being an absolute triumph, both as an artist and as a She added: need to honor and respect her memory and legacy. Cher- ish the Discussing gender iden- tity in a 2018 interview with Paper magazine, Sophie said, is taking control to bring your body more in line with your soul and spirit so the two fighting against each other and struggling to this Earth, that you can get closer to how you feel your true essence is without the societal pressures of having to ful- fill certain traditional roles based on she said. Sophie, Grammy-nominated Scottish musician, dies at age 34.