Obituaries
Philip L Bianco, retired transportation engineer
Note: The following obituary appeared on legacy.com.
Philip L. Bianco (Phil) died in Elk Grove on Jan. 30. He was 88.
Phil was born in Pennsylvania on March 6, 1936, the only child of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Capriotti) Bianco. Phil graduated from Lehigh University in 1958 with a degree in civil engineering.
Shortly thereafter, Phil began his long, distinguished career with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), starting as a junior civil engineer and retiring as a supervising transportation engineer. Phil was proud of his many years in public service.
Among those left to mourn Phil's passing are his loving, supportive cousins and extended family who held a private service at East Lawn Elk Grove Memorial Park. May God rest his soul.
Eugene Quan, retired civil engineer
Note: The following obituary appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle
Retired civil engineer Eugene Quan died April 13 in San Francisco at age 93.
A beloved husband, father and proud member of San Francisco's Chinatown community, Eugene passed away peacefully, surrounded by family.
Born in Chinatown, Eugene was the eldest of seven children. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Eugene served during the Korean War and met his wife, Jean, while stationed in England. They married in 1954 and raised five sons in San Francisco and Castro Valley.
Eugene worked 35 years at Caltrans, rising to civil engineer, and served as a board member of the Lung Kong Tin Yee Association.
Known for his quiet strength, dry wit, and tireless work ethic, he loved ballroom dancing, the Raiders, Warriors and bitter melon soup. He is survived by wife Jean, sons Steven, Alan, Michael, Jeffrey, and Darryl, and extended family who will forever honor his legacy.
Cynthia Ann Walker, retired Caltrans worker
Note: The following obituary appeared on the Smith Funeral Home (Davis) website.
Cynthia Ann Walker passed away at home on April 12 while being cared for by her husband, John Russell Batchelder, and her son, Garrison Alton Batchelder. She was 66.
Cindy was diagnosed with borderline ovarian cancer in March 2005 and bravely fought ovarian cancer until her passing. Throughout her numerous surgeries and throughout her numerous rounds of chemotherapy treatments, Cindy remained strong and positive and never complained about being in pain or experiencing discomfort.
Cindy was born on June 25, 1958, in Aurora, Illinois, to Warren Kenneth Walker and Alice Amelia Speck. Cindy moved with her parents and with her brothers David and Kevin and with her sister Diane to Burlingame in 1961, so that her father could continue his career at Furnas Electric. Cindy often spoke fondly of growing up across from Roosevelt School on Vancouver Avenue in Burlingame in the 1960s and 1970s.
Cindy considered herself a “Bay Area Girl” and enjoyed all that living in the San Francisco Bay Area could offer. She continued her life in the Bay Area at San Mateo Junior College and also at UC Berkeley, where she developed a strong interest in both textile conservation and in chemistry.
After graduating from UC Berkeley in 1982, Cindy started graduate school at UC Davis in textile science under the tutelage of Dr. Howard Needles. Dr. Needles and his family soon “adopted” Cindy and she became a regular guest at their annual Thanksgiving celebrations for the next 15 years. After completing her M.S. degree at UC Davis, Cindy started a Ph.D. program in Environmental Chemistry at UC Davis.
Cindy met her future husband, John Russell Batchelder, in early 1985 while John was also a graduate student who was working on his MBA in real estate and finance. Cindy and John were married in December 1985, while they were both still in graduate school. Cindy and John welcomed their son Garrison into this world on May 24, 1989, exactly five days after Cindy submitted her dissertation to her graduate adviser.
Cindy remained at home with Garrison for four years, before starting to work for the California Department of Food and Agriculture as a methods validation research chemist. While working as a research chemist, Cindy also became very interested in the newly emerging Internet technology and learned how to program web pages using HTML. After a couple of years working as a research chemist, Cindy decided to transition to developing computer applications for Internet and Intranet networks at the California Department of Transportation. Cindy continued working at Caltrans until her retirement in 2018.
Throughout her adult life, Cindy was a passionate textile artist and studio artist. She took numerous studio art classes at UC Berkeley, while also taking a full regimen of chemistry classes. Cindy took time off from her studies at UC Berkeley to work at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco as a textile conservationist. One of her more proud accomplishments in textile arts was winning a national sock knitting competition in Knitting Magazine in the mid 1980s.
She is pre-deceased by her brother, David Lee Walker, her sister Diane Lynn Walker, her mother Alice Amelia Speck, and her father, Warren Kenneth Walker. She is survived by her husband, John Russell Batchelder, her son, Garrison Alton Batchelder, her grandson, Liam Alton Batchelder, her brother and his wife, Kevin James Walker and Mary Ann Walker (née Toschi), several nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
Marlene Wilkins, Planning and Modal Program Management staffer
Note: The following email was sent to Caltrans colleagues on May 14 by Diane Falls, chief of the Training & Employee Development Branch of the Planning & Modal Program Management Division.
It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of our dear colleague, Marlene Wilkins. Marlene was a valued member of our team in Planning and Modal Program Management, known for her dedication, professionalism and kindness.
Marlene began her state career with The Big Fresno Fair in the late 1990s as an accounting technician. After two years at the Fair, she promoted over to District 6 Caltrans/Fresno in the personnel services office.
Marlene transferred to Headquarters-Personnel in 2003 where she worked in Personnel for a few years. Her next promotion was to AGPA in Local Assistance. She was currently working in PM2, Training and Employee Development (T.E.D. team) Branch, until her untimely passing. Marlene was looking forward to retiring July 1.
Marlene loved to cook and bake and enjoyed sharing her goodies with coworkers. She had a smile for all who met her and if you knew her personally, you understood her wicked sense of humor.
Marlene is survived by her only child, Zachary, and her older sister Linda.
Ray J. Zelinski, retired bridge engineer
Note: The following obituary appeared in The Sacramento Bee.
Retired bridge engineer Ray J. Zelinski died Apri118 in Carmichael. He was 85.
Born on Jan. 2, 1940, in Menasha, Wisconsin, Ray graduated from St. Mary's High School, Benedictine University and Marquette University with a degree in civil engineering.
He made California his home in 1962 and dedicated 40 years to the California Department of Transportation's Bridge Department, where he played a leading role in earthquake retrofit efforts. His expertise is reflected in bridges throughout California and beyond.
Ray embraced life fully, enjoying hiking, golfing, square dancing, playing bridge, barbecuing, fishing in Alaska, and cheering on the A's. He was devoted to service, volunteering with Loaves and Fishes, St. John's Church, and Tahoe Rim Trail, among other organizations. Ray was known for his generosity, wisdom, friendship and humor to all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Carol, and his children Beth, Mike and Kathy (Rich) Murray, along with his grandchildren, Dylan and Jei Murray. Ray's presence will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him.
Ray Zelinski lived a life that was both full and meaningful, characterized by a love for his family, a passion for his work, and a service to others.