|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
There is a chill in the air these past several weeks, beyond the cold weather that seems to have settled into the Bay Area. I’ve found myself surrounded by news of death professionally and personally – just one of those spates this grizzled journalist tries to be prepared for, but never gets used to.
My heart sank when I learned that Danville native Anthony N. Arnerich died unexpectedly Dec. 3 due to a tear in his aorta. He had celebrated his 41st birthday some two weeks earlier.
I’ve known his father Newell Arnerich, the eight-term Danville Town Council member, for more than a decade, but I never had the pleasure of meeting Anthony – who shared a first name with his late grandfather, the former Alameda councilman.
A 2003 graduate of San Ramon Valley High School, Anthony served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq and Kuwait in addition to border missions and humanitarian assignments abroad, according to his obituary. Anthony found a civilian career in information-technology after his military tenure, and was remembered as a devoted son to Newell and Janis, brother to Julia, uncle to Beth and Logan, and friend to many.
“Every day is a day that is important to tell someone you love them and give them a hug like it is the last one,” Newell said at the end of a heartfelt message to the community confirming his son’s death. Anthony sadly entered the hospital mere hours after Newell was sworn in for his eighth turn as mayor of Danville.
“We offer these words in gratitude to everyone who touched his life — those who guided him through school, friendships, community involvement, volunteering, and the everyday responsibilities that shape a life of purpose,” Newell wrote. “It truly takes a community to raise a family, and Danville is a special place that nurtures strong values, compassion, and a deep sense of community spirit.”
The same day I learned of Anthony Arnerich’s passing, The Golden Skate in San Ramon announced the death of longtime manager Manuel Duarte.
Duarte, the face and the heart of The Golden Skate for nearly three decades who featured prominently in our cover story earlier this year on the beloved and bygone roller rink, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in recent weeks and his decline was precipitous.
“Time really is a thief … In the beginning of this painful journey, doctors told the family that Manuel had six months … then it became three months … and then, on Monday, the family was told he may only have two weeks or less,” family friend Carissa Lopez wrote on the GoFundMe page she started to help the family during this time. “None of them were prepared for how quickly these final days would come. There was no real time to process … no space to breathe … it all happened so fast and it feels so deeply unfair.”
Duarte died Dec. 3. He is survived by son Manuel Jr., daughter Mayra and three grandchildren. The Golden Skate has been closed since early November amid Duarte’s illness, and unfortunately it seems the indefinite closure may become permanent.
Sudden deaths are always difficult, but particularly right before or during the holiday season. I just wish anyone experiencing such sorrow has close ones or a community around them to lean on during this unimaginable time.
Livermore Mayor John Marchand offered some kind words during Monday’s City Council meeting to honor the memory of Anna Siig, a co-founder of the Livermore Heritage Guild who passed away on Halloween at 87 after a stroke.
I had the privilege this week to tell the story of Scott Renton, an Amador Valley High alum and aspiring nurse who died in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 580 just west of Pleasanton on Dec. 4. His mom Jamie Renton was gracious enough to give me some time Saturday and share about her son’s life.
Scott Renton, 25, worked as an emergency room tech at Washington Hospital in Fremont – also the employer of Alix Sparks, a 41-year-old nurse from Castro Valley. She was killed in that awful crash on Crow Canyon Road on Nov. 29 that San Ramon police allege was a case of DUI by a driver going over 120 mph at the moment of impact.
Deadly traffic collisions are on my mind, even outside of work. In my hometown of Benicia, there was a fatality on Monday and then another one Tuesday on normally quiet Interstate 780. Jarring to see that in quick succession where I’ve driven without a care most of my life; my thoughts are with those men’s families.
I’ve also been thinking of my dad these days. One of his friends going back to elementary school, Doug Walker, died after a heart attack at home in Vacaville on Nov. 22. He was 60. A husband, father and grandfather, Doug was retired from the garbage company in Vallejo – their family lived across the street from us for a bit when I was a kid before my parents’ divorce.
On my mom’s side, her cousin Stanford Chatfield also died last month from a heart attack, suffered while he was working as a docent on Alcatraz Island.
There is a small Pleasanton Weekly connection with Stanford. Two months before his death, he wrote a guest commentary for CalMatters that ran on our websites. He reflected on his reentry into society after serving 35 years in prison and the positive impact that Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs (CROP) had on his life.
“The program’s real value came from the connections I made, including some formerly incarcerated individuals who had succeeded and some business leaders,” Stanford wrote. “Thanks to CROP and employers willing to see beyond my record, I’m doing meaningful work that values my whole story. That’s what the dignity of work should look like for everyone coming home.”
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
