Santa Clara Magazine

Robert J. Radford M.S. ’91, 54 of Fremont, formerly of Somis, passed away on August 1, 2012. Survived by his sons, Bryan 23, Nolan 18, and his siblings, Janet and David as well as his double-first cousins, John, Steve, and Bill and his former wife, Debra. Rob graduated from Moorpark College, UC Santa Barbara, and Santa Clara University with degrees in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Finite Element Analysis (FEA). His favorite hobbies were golfing, surfing, soccer, hiking, and brewing his own beer.

Rita Burke Prime M.A. '76, M.A. '91  After a full and complete life, passed away peacefully August 3, 2009. Rita Margaret Mary Burke was born in New York City on 11/21/1915. She lost both her parents early in life, and lived in Connecticut with her step-grandmother, who was the joy of Rita's young life, and who inspired her love of Ireland and all things Irish, who nurtured in her the complete love and support of her family, and the inclusion in this family of all she came in contact with. If you ever met Rita, you knew she was "tough Irish", a coffee "fiend", a "fresh air fanatic", and a lifelong Dodgers fan. You also probably fell in love with her and became her friend forever. Rita met Ellis Roy Prime and they married on September 14, 1942 in New York City. Soon after, Rita and Roy moved to Los Angeles, where they had three children, Robert Bruce, Mary Ann, and Patricia Kathryn. They established a home and a strong base of family and friends, raised their children, and were very active in their Church. Rita always considered Los Angeles her "true home". Rita completed her college degree and began teaching high school in Southern California. Rita and Roy moved to Mountain View, Calif., in July of 1970, and Rita quickly became a teacher at Milpitas High School. She founded and ran their reading program and was the band counselor. During that time she was awarded a master's degree from Santa Clara University in education. While at SCU she joined Pi Lambda Theta sorority, and coordinated and ran a program dispersing information about head injuries, among many other projects. She also opened and ran an educational supply store for several years, all while still teaching. After retiring from Milpitas, she continued in education by consulting for the East Side Union High School district in San Jose. After moving north, Rita and Roy became parishioners at St. Joseph's Church in Mountain View. They became very involved with many aspects of the Church, and Rita was a founding member of the pastoral counseling group there. She returned to Santa Clara University and was awarded a master's degree in pastoral counseling. She continued as a lay minister and pastoral counselor past 2000. She had boundless energy, a smile for everyone, and a truly caring spirit of uncommon joy and generosity. Her greatest pride was her family: Robert Bruce (Donna), Mary Ann, and Patricia Kathryn (Doug McLean); her grandchildren Michael Bruce Prime (Warapha), Dennis Robert Prime (Lisa), William Wiley Bedsworth II (Louise), and Megan Aileen Bedsworth (Kent Bailey), and her great-grandchildren Kaelan, Jesse, Olivia, Gavin, Ellie, Colleen, and Wiley. She was the center of a loving family and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.

Linda Crockett M.A. ’91, 67 years old, lost her life in a tragic automobile accident on July 26. 

Born on July 17, 1945, in Palo Alto, where she grew up, Linda received her B.A. degree from San Jose State University in 1976. She built a successful sales and marketing career in the publishing industry. In 1991, though, she made a major career change after earning her MFT master's from Santa Clara University.

Joel M. Zamora '91 passed away on August 13, 2011.

Robert G. Cregan, S.J. ’91 died January 4, 2009. He was a teacher and faculty chaplain at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx. Fr. Cregan graduated attended Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley. He is survived by his brother, John D. and his wife, Betty, nieces Suzanne Donat and Catherine Beringer and nephew David Cregan and countless students and colleagues from his service at Canisius H.S., Fordham Prep, JSTB, Regis, St. Peter's Prep and Xavier H.S.

Christine I. Perkins '91 died on March 4, 2010.

Andrew John Solomon ’91 passed away quietly on Dec. 5, 2012, following a prolonged battle with brain cancer. Andy was a longtime pillar of the Fresno community having grown up in Fresno where he attended Bullard High School and went on to Santa Clara University, where he was their first baseman all four years. Following college, Andy returned to Fresno to complete a 25 year career in commercial real estate, during which he made innumerable friends, supported community improvements, and was admired and respected by everyone who came in contact with him. Andy, together with his family, fought against his illness for over five years. Andy's incredible strength and will to live resulted in him becoming one of the longest living survivors of full brain radiation treatment. We may all take some solace in the fact that Andy's participation in numerous experimental cancer treatment programs may help to improve the chances for future patients to possibly survive this now incurable disease. During this time he also felt a strong calling to reach out to others in hope of helping them face their own personal challenges. Andy's great love of baseball continued to the very end and was exceeded only by his love for his family and Faith in God. The family would like to thank the staff for the great dedication and care Andy received at both the University of California San Francisco, the Helen Diller Family Cancer Center; and Hinds Hospice. He leaves behind a loving wife Monique; and his two devoted daughters, Meg and Tess. In addition to the young family he leaves behind, there is an extended and devoted family that will continue to morn his loss. He also leaves behind his mother and father, Lew and Linda Solomon, of Fresno; his three siblings, Jeff Solomon '84 and his wife Carolyn of Tualatin, Or., Jim Solomon and his wife Melissa of Fresno, Susie Jones and her husband Tom of Sacramento; and numerous aunts; uncles; cousins; nephews and nieces.