Obituary: Chuck Bennett was a Force for 'Getting it Done'

A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. April 14 at the Presbyterian Church of Novato.

(Editor's note: The day after Chuck Bennett died, several civic leaders shared their thoughts about his passing with Novato Patch. The following is a family-approved obituary). Charles (Chuck) W. Bennett passed away on Monday March 19, from complications with cancer. The son of Charles and Anne Bennett, Chuck was born on July 12, 1942 in Holyoke, Mass. Chuck’s early years were spent at Hamilton Air Force Base, where his father was Provost Marshall. He was in the second graduating class of Novato High and attended the University of San Francisco before beginning his career in escrow and title insurance. After a 45-plus year career in the industry, including time as CEO of California Land Title of Marin, Chuck retired in 2007. Chuck was …

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San Rafael Community Leader Steve Patterson Dies at 64

The Gerstle Park resident and co-founder of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, on Monday.

Warren Hellman, Billionaire Bluegrass Aficionado, Dies at 77

Investment banker created the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco and played in a group called the Wronglers.

Op-Ed: Park/Rec Commission Approves Pro Baseball Despite Flimsy Plan

Steve Patterson, chair of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods, outlines the concerns with the plan for pro baseball at Albert Park.

Professional baseball is being proposed by a group called Centerfield Partners for San Rafael.  Their goal would be to bring the equivalent of Double-A Ball to San Rafael beginning in May 2012 for 45 games at the Albert Park baseball stadium that boarders Anderson Drive, near B Street.  Centerfield Partners would like to expand seating from 800 seats to 1,500 seats as well as make other stadium improvements.  They insist that there would be many family friendly game promotions and the games would be places where moms and dads could bring their children for affordable entertainment.  They are still quite a number of issues that need to be addressed and worked out.  They include: Other than some PowerPoint slides, not even a site map has …

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Family and Friends Remember 'Whirlwind' Teacher

Family and friend reflect on Debra Schmitt's impact on their lives.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ross, for Terra Linda High School teacher Debra Schmitt, 53, whose body was found Jan. 30, on the banks of a creek behind her Ross home. Ms. Schmitt disappeared January 19, after leaving a goodbye message on her classroom board and school keys behind. Results of a toxicology report are pending. As an educator Ms. Schmitt stood out from the crowd, teaching classes in exciting ways. “She absolutely refused to allow her lessons to be boring,” recalled Steven Shapiro, a friend and colleague at Stuyvesant High School in New York, where she taught English before moving to Marin County. When presenting “The Scarlet Letter,” Ms. Schmitt dressed as …

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Last Days of Renaissance Faire Co-Creator Were Filled With 'Huzzahs!'

Ron Patterson's death on Jan. 15 in Sausalito was quite a sendoff for the man who led the faire in Novato for more than 30 years.

Ron Patterson, co-creator of the beloved Renaissance Faire, died Jan. 15 at age 80. The faire ran for 30 years at Black Point in Novato and later across town at  Stafford Lake County Park before ending its local run in 2005. Patterson's wake began before his death and turned into an elaborate celebration of his work.  -- “It’s quieter than it was,” Ron Patterson’s dear friend Christa Kaufmann, warned me as we stood in the garage entranceway of the six-level show-house up the hill from Sausalito’s Horizon Restaurant. Ron died on Jan. 15, 2011. The week leading up to his death was celebrated in a way befitting the inventor of the the Renaissance Pleasure Faire and Dickens Christmas Fair. His sons, Kevin and Brian Patterson, had taken the …

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Beverage Industry Exec and Civic Leader Dies at 84

Charles I Daniels Jr. died at home Tuesday, December 28, after a long illness.

Longtime San Rafael resident Charles I. Daniels Jr., a beverage-industry executive and civic leader, died at home Tuesday, December 28, after a long illness. He was 84. Mr. Daniels served as president and CEO of House of Daniels Inc., a Marin-based sales and marketing firm launched by his father in 1933. Over time the company divided its operations among Golden Gate Distributing Co., Golden Gate Liquors, and Redwood Vintners, handling beer, spirits and wine respectively. Mr. Daniels sold his last interest in the business in 2005, turning its warehouse and office in Black Point in Novato into Heirloom Storage, a boat and RV self-storage facility. “He loved his work, and he loved the wine business,” said his son Chal Daniels. Added another …

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