OBITUARIES: ’75 GUYS

Daniel Richards Ashton, 54, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away on February 16, 2011.  Survivors included his wife, Susan Ashton; his sons, Jake Ashton and Zachary Ashton; his brother Larry Ashton (class of ’76); his half brothers Tony Ashton, Lynn Ashton, Mike Rockwell, and Jack Rockwell; and a large and loving extended family.

David Bruce Kalfas, 48, of Buckeye, Ariz., died Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006, at home, following a 2-year battle with brain cancer. He was born in Sycamore, Ill., but attended school in Phoenix, graduating in 1975 from Camelback High School. He married Sheri Shilling in 1990, in Las Vegas. David was a policeman for 20 years with the Phoenix Police Department, spending the first years in undercover work and the last few years within the Phoenix school system; he was loved and admired by many of the students at Maryvale High School. He also worked with underprivileged and handicapped teens. When David wasn't busy being a cop, he was busy rodeoing.  He and Sheri were members of Law Enforcement Rodeo Association, in which he was a roper and Sheri a barrel racer. David loved to race his motorcycle in motocross and desert races. Survivors included his wife, Sheri; his mother, Marilyn (Hill) Kalfas; a sister, Margo Kalfas; and two brothers, Bill Kalfas and Kris Kalfas. He was preceded in death by his father, Clyde Mohney.

Ronald Dean Utke II, 53, of Phoenix, died from cancer in August, 2010.  He was born in Phoenix and graduated from Madison II Elementary and Camelback High School. He went on to ASU, earning a BSBA and MBA, and was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He was a Lean Six Sigma Master Methodology Instructor. His work experience included Honeywell, Honeywell Bull, and Allied Signal, which later merged with Honeywell. He was a supply chain business consultant with Advanced Integrated Technologies Group, working with businesses such as Exxon Mobile, DuPont, and Applied Bio. His work took him to Korea, India, Angola and throughout the US. Survivors included his two sons: Sgt. Michael Utke and Joshua Utke; parents, Ron and Kay Utke; and sisters, Susan Hersker and Nancy Holyoke. The family, along with a host of friends and colleagues, will miss his gentle nature and wild sense of humor. (excerpted/edited from The Arizona Republic, 8/14/2010)

Christopher John Warner, 49, of Scottsdale, passed away on February 16, 2007.  An Arizona native, Chris was born to former State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Carolyn Warner, and retired Phoenix design pioneer Ronald Warner. A graduate of Camelback High School and the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, Chris was married in 2006 to Jo Ann Bunn. Chris had a passion for the environment. Quick to grasp the implications of technology for social good, he founded Earth 911 in 1991, creating what ultimately became a nationwide electronic interface that linked Federal, state and local information resources about recycling and toxic waste disposal. In 1999, Chris used the established network and operating technology of Earth 911 to create Pets 911. Featuring information about lost and found pets, animal adoptions, health care and other pet-friendly resources keyed to a user's Zip code, Pets 911 was used by animal control departments and shelters across the United States. In 2004, Chris expanded upon his pioneering technology to found the Amber Alert Portal in Arizona and seven other states. His contribution reduced the time for issuing a missing child alert from four hours to seven minutes! At the time of his death, Chris was extending his earlier initiatives for insuring the safety of battered women and Alzheimer's patients. An avid golfer and fisherman, he loved hiking, camping, and (amateur) pyrotechnics. Chris loved adventure, and from his earliest days forward, had the broken bones and scars to prove it. Survivors included his wife, Jo Ann; his parents; and his siblings, Cathy, Caron, Steven, Constance, Christi, and Mary. (excerpte/edited from The Arizona Republic, 2/19/2007)

Daniel A. Wood, 53, of Safford, AZ, passed away May 22, 2011. He was born in Phoenix to Daniel Wood and Regina Evans, and graduated from Camelback High School, where he met his wife Loretta. They had three children, then moved to southeastern Arizona in 1980. Daniel worked on his father’s farm in the Elfrida-McNeal area for a few years, then continued his education to become an EMT and firefighter. He worked for the Elfrida Fire Department as the assistant fire chief and then became fire chief.  He moved to Sunsites and continued his education to become a paramedic. He moved his family to Safford in 1994 and worked for Rural Metro Ambulance Company.  Until 2006, Dan and Lori owned and operated Willow Assisted Living facility.  Daniel enjoyed working with people all his life. He worked for Critical Air Medicine when it was based in Safford and Willcox, and was a talented medic and went on to teach paramedicine at Eastern Arizona College. He worked with LifeNet until 2007. He obtained a bachelor's degree in business through the University of Phoenix. Daniel was a phenomenal father, son and husband. He worked as a juvenile probation officer and then DUI officer. Survivors included his wife, Loretta; daughters Angela Wood and Sarah Kouts; father, Daniel Wood, and his wife, Diane; mother, Regina Evans; sisters Dantre Brakeman and Cynthia McDonald; and brothers Michael Dailey and Brian Dailey.