Obituaries
James Francis Ahern, Caltrans attorney
James "Jim" Francis Ahern died at the age of 69 on July 20 in Auburn. Ahern was born in New York City on July 23, 1948, to Patrick Bernard and Grace Mary (Delaney) Ahern.
Ahern lived and worked most of his life in Los Angeles County. He attended California State University, Long Beach, and later – while working full-time – received a Juris Doctorate degree from Western State University. Following his education, Ahern practiced law as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice, an attorney for the Department of Transportation, and in private practice as a civil litigator.
Ahern volunteered his time and expertise to support high school students in mock trials, history days and academic decathlons in various northern and southern California school districts. A remarkable historian with an enduring thirst for knowledge, Ahern was also a big fan of the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Kings. Ahern's quick wit and smiling eyes will be missed.
He is survived by his wife and friend, Clare; sister, Kathleen Seward (Ken); and lifelong best friend Patrick Diehl. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution in Ahern's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Frank Carr Sr., retired maintenance equipment operator
Frank Carr Sr.
Frank Myrlin Carr Sr. was born to Roy and Marguerite Carr on Dec. 26, 1931, and died in his sleep on Sept. 1, 2018.
If you were his friends from school, you knew him as Myrlin. If you were an Air Force buddy or co-worker, you knew him as Frank. He was a good friend and stayed in contact with many throughout his life.
Born and raised in Bishop, he earned his Bishop Union High School diploma in 1951 before joining the Air Force. After his stint in the military, he returned to Bishop to settle down.
In his younger days, he sometimes worked three jobs just to take care of his growing family. Caltrans was among those jobs. Before becoming the Caltrans Shop 9 Transport Driver, Carr was a Maintenance Equipment Operator. He retired from Caltrans in the early 1990s after 38 years of service.
He loved Bishop football, his classic car and his grandkids. He taught the importance of family and instilled in his children and grandchildren a strong work ethic. He was richly blessed with the love of those who knew him.
He leaves behind his wife, Mary Jane (Lutzow), of 66 years. He is also survived by his children Frank Jr (Micky), Annetta (Jack), Robert (Kristin) and David (Refugio), his 11 grandchildren: Carr’s Matthew, Aaron, Seth, Whitney, Garrett, Shannon, Raymond and Ryan; Morley’s Kevin, Jamie and Daniel. He is also survived by 24 great grandchildren, brother-in-law Warren Lutzow (Lori), and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Phyllis Fechner.
William D. Casdorph, highway maintenance leadworker
William D. Casdorph
District 11 Caltrans Highway Maintenance Leadworker William Dwayne Casdorph died on Sept. 19, after falling along State Route 163 in San Diego. He was born Feb. 7, 1961.
The Chula Vista resident worked for the Department for more than 19 years and is survived by his wife, Maria, and three daughters, Priscilla, Wendy, and Ana.
Casdorph was a family man. When he was driving a big rig truck across the country, he made sure to try his best to be home to his family for birthdays and holidays. Working to be a provider was very important, but his family always came first.
He was also a man of honor and of his word. If he said he was going to do something, he would do it. He was never afraid to speak his mind and get down to business, but he also knew how to have some serious fun.
Casdorph will be missed by all who knew and loved him. The California Transportation Foundation set up a memorial fund through www.transportationfoundation.org/donate to aid his family through this difficult time.
Hamid Sadat-Moussavi, senior transportation engineer
Hamid Sadat-Moussavi
Long-time Caltrans employee Hamid Sadat-Moussavi died on June 4, after a long and brave battle with cancer. He was born in Tehran, Iran. He lost his father at a very young age. His mother raised him and his brothers all by herself. The boys finished high school and Sadat-Moussavi’s mother made arrangement for him to continue his education in America.
Sadat-Moussavi came to America and lived in Long Beach and Berkeley before finally settling down in Sacramento. He attended Cosumnes River College from 1974 to 1976. He then transferred to California State University, Sacramento, where he completed his undergraduate studies and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
Sadat-Moussavi joined the Caltrans team in November 1982 as a Junior Civil Engineer. He started working in District 7 and in 1986 he moved to Sacramento. After he obtained his license as a Professional Engineer, he moved up the ladder and in 2000 was promoted to Senior Transportation Engineer.
He was a hardworking man, a dedicated father and a good friend to many. He touched several lives at Caltrans and in the community. He tried to maintain a healthy balance between his personal and professional life. He was well liked at work and he religiously went to the gym every day. He was an avid soccer fan, player and a coach. He also had a real estate license.
Vincent Michael Moreno, maintenance area superintendent
Vincent Michael Moreno
Vincent Michael Moreno was born on May 11, 1961, and died Aug. 8.
His children and wife, Martha Cecilia Moreno, are sincerely grateful for all who played a role in making Caltrans Maintenance Area Superintendent/District 7 Vandalism Coordinator Vincent Michael Moreno’s days brighter.
Vincent was a valued member of Caltrans since 1980 and was involved with many projects. His family is thankful for coworkers’ generosity of cards and words of encouragement, the beautiful flowers; individual contributions and those to the Go-Fund-Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/for-vincent039s-moreno-family
He was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Nancy Lee Romero, Caltrans retiree
Nancy Lee Romero
Nancy Lee Romero was born Nov. 11, 1937, and died July 9 after a lengthy illness. In true Romero form, she fought like a champion and relied on her incredible faith in Christian Science to live long beyond expectations.
Romero was born at Rideout Hospital in Marysville to George Lefevere and Wilna Silver, and was raised by her grandmother, Goldia "Goldie" Koch, along with her sister Carole Sue Coomer. She remained in the Yuba-Sutter area her entire life, attending local schools.Romero met the love of her life, Robert "Babe" Romero, and they were married in a leap year, on Feb. 29, 1964. From that point on, it was always "Babe and Nancy," with their only separation being when they each spent time serving their community. Babe and Nancy Romero's love remained strong during her illness, and he was by her side in their home to the very end.
The Romeros were blessed with the birth of their sons, Robert "Rod" Romero Jr. of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Randall "Randy" Romero of Lafayette. The birth of their grandchildren, Robert "Roddy" Romero III and Josefina "Josie" Romero, brought them incredible joy, laughter and pride.Romero had a special bond with her niece, Becky Johnson, as well as a niece that she always considered a daughter, Tami Garcia. Romero acted as a "grandmother" to Tami's daughters Jennifer Vasquez and Jessica Guth, and to their children, frequently participating in their activities, especially enjoying annual attendance to see Olivia perform in "The Nutcracker." Also very dear and supportive to her were her niece Chris Odom, her husband, Gary Odom, and Babe's sister, Frances Castillo, along with niece Diane Lopez and her husband, Gary. Romero cherished time with family always and had more nieces and nephews than could be listed.
Romero began her work with the Department of Transportation, later Caltrans, in 1958, retiring in 2002. She earned much recognition as the queen of Caltrans signs. While employed, she also became the first female reserve officer, as she proudly served the Yuba City Police Department.In reality, Romero never really retired, as she remained busy throughout her life, volunteering her time with the Fremont Medical Center Auxiliary, with the Sutter County Memorial Museum, and proudly as a Sutter County Grand Jury member. Her greatest accomplishment was her participation in the effort to build a new animal shelter. She cherished animals of all kinds, but a variety of cats held a special place in her heart until the end.
Babe and Nancy Romero could never fully thank the caregivers and family members who helped them navigate the many challenges presented by her illnesses.Mario Ruiz, highway maintenance worker
Mario Ruiz
On Oct. 17, Caltrans Highway Maintenance Worker Mario Ruiz died in a head-collision on State Route 43 in Bakersfield, while driving home from work.
Ruiz started with Caltrans in July 2018, as a permanent intermittent employee on the District 7 South Region Aviation Road Crew. This new employee showed enthusiasm in everything that he learned. He craved more training to become a better employee. Ruiz commuted daily from Fresno to Los Angeles International Airport, where his crew was stationed. He never complained about the commute; he did what he had to do for his family and children that he always spoke about with love and pride. He loved his job and was proud to be a Caltrans employee.
In September 2018, his work and dedication paid off. He was hired as a permanent employee to the South Region Hollywood Road Crew. He was well-liked by all his co-workers and managers. He had a personality that made everybody around him treat him like a little brother and all were more than willing to mentor him. He was the employee that always had a smile on his face and said good morning to everybody that crossed his path.
Ruiz is survived by his wife, Guadalupe, and their five children (three of whom were adopted) of varying ages, ranging from 7 months to their teens.
He will truly be missed by Caltrans and especially those that had the honor of making his acquaintance.
If you would like to make a donation to his family during this difficult time, please visit www.transportationfoundation.org/donate and select “Ruiz Memorial Fund” from the drop-down menu.
Jarrett Woodruff, senior transportation engineer
Jarrett Woodruff
Jarrett Woodruff died on Aug. 18 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. His most recent position at Caltrans was Headquarters Construction Senior Transportation Engineer. Woodruff started working at Caltrans in 2001. Many of you may remember seeing him on the news, being interviewed about the slides on U.S. Highway 50 from the winter storms of 2017. He was a dedicated Caltrans employee and will be missed.
He leaves behind his wife, Melissa, and a three-year-old son, Lucas. Please keep his family in your thoughts. If you have anything to share, stories and/or pictures of Woodruff, his widow has requested “Letters to Lucas.” Please send your stories and picture to Caltrans Project Management Resource Manager Kim Epperson and she will pass them on to the family. In addition, contributions may be sent for Lucas Woodruff’s college savings account.