19 West Valley View, Avondale, Arizona, Tuesday, April 17, 2012


Airman charged with firing gun on base


Amalia Cordova Riley Amalia Cordova Riley, 88, of Glendale and formerly of Tolleson died April 13, 2012.


by Brent Whiting staff writer


Amalia Riley


Funeral Chapel, 522 E. Western Ave. in Avondale. A rosary will be recited at 11:30 a.m., and funeral services will begin at noon. A procession to the Glendale Memorial Park Cemetery, 7844 N. 61st Ave. in Glendale, will follow the service. The Rev. John Moreno will officiate. Condolences can be left for the family at www.AvenidasFuneralChapel.com.


Betty J. Smith Betty J. Smith, 88, of Buckeye died April 11, 2012, in Surprise.


four-time noble grand and financial secretary of The Daughters of Rebekah, president of the VFW Aux., and volunteer coordinator of the All Faith Community Buckeye Food Bank. She is survived by two nieces, Beverly Derosa and Linda Ingraham, both of California. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Community Church of Buckeye. The Rev. Bob Lind will officiate. Arrangements were made by Ganley’s Buckeye Funeral Home.


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Tuesday


Mrs. Riley was born June 15, 1923, in Peoria to Amalia and Juan. She worked as a bartender, was a homemaker and was also involved in Chicanos Por La Causa. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry. She is survived by three daughters, Guadalupe, Andrea and Sarem; three sons, Bobby, Francisco and Jose Luis; two sisters, Elisa and Lupe; 23 grandchildren; and 61 great- grandchildren. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday at Avenidas


An airman at Luke Air Force Base was arrested after firing a weapon at the Glendale base, authorities said Monday. The active-duty airman, whose name was not released,


was taken into custody at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, officials said.


said. The incident is not terrorism related, and no one was injured by the gunfire, they added.


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moved to Arizona in 1972. After leaving college, she worked as a hairdresser and later became a caregiver. She was a past secretary of the Women’s Club,


Mrs. Smith was born Feb. 2, 1924, in Tulare, Calif. She


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The suspect is being held at a base facility, officials


“We’re committed to ensuring the safety of our men and women at Luke,” said Brig Gen. J.D. Harris, commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke. “Fortunately, our close partnership with off-base


law enforcement agencies helped resolve this situation quickly,” he said. Police from Avondale and Goodyear responded to assist


Luke security forces in handling the incident, officials said. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Luke is investigating the matter, officials said.


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C


ol. Gage Marston Mersereau joined his fi ghter pilot


buddies in the sky on April 3, 2012. He passed in peace and fl ew on to his next journey with his family by his side. Colonel Mersereau served in the US Air Force for 29 years as a decorated fi ghter pilot. Colonel Mersereau was


born on March 11, 1931, in Buff alo, New York. He graduated from Waite High School in Toledo, Ohio, in 1949. He entered the Air Force through the Re- serve Offi cer Training Corps program following graduation from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, in 1953. His USAF career in- cluded two assignments as a base commander, one in Billings, Montana, and the other in Syracuse, New York. He served our country in Vietnam as an A-1 pi- lot in 1968 and 1969, where he was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross. His career also included assignments in Athens, Greece and Rome, Italy. He retired from Luke Air Force Base in January, 1981, with decorations which included the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit. Following his retirement from the USAF, Gage


worked as a fl ight instructor at the Airline train- ing Center in Goodyear, AZ. He also owned a Pitts Special aircraſt in which he competed and taught aerobatics. His affi liations with the national Order of Daedalians and locally with the QBs reinforced his love of fl ight and the camaraderie with his fellow pi- lots.


Gage loved to hunt and fi sh; he bagged a moose in


Labrador and once shot an elk with a bow and arrow. He was a consummate grill gourmet with special- ties such as dove rumaki and perfectly seasoned elk steaks. He and his wife Sydna moved to PebbleCreek in Goodyear in 1998, where Gage thoroughly enjoyed playing golf; he was a former member of the “Rat Pack” and the PCMGA. Gage was also a Shriner and a member of the PebbleCreek Community Church. Friends and family will remember Gage’s huge heart and generosity. He was the fi rst one there for a new neighbor, or someone in need. Many charitable or- ganizations (especially ones for veterans) benefi tted from his caring and donations. In the last ten years of his life, Gage endured Al-


zheimer’s, and his brain was donated to research in hopes of helping to fi nd a cure for this debilitating disease. On March 24th Gage broke his hip; surgery and ensuing multiple complications culminated in his unexpected passing. He leaves behind his wife Sydna (Howard), to whom he was married for 55 years, a daughter Kay Mersereau McDonald , her husband Ian, and granddog Rufus p, and his son Todd Mersereau and granddogs, Nero and King. He is also survived by his older sister Miriam Brigham, as well as several nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, April


20th at 3:00 p.m. at the Eagle’s Nest Ballroom, fol- lowed by military honors at the Armed Forces Plaza, PebbleCreek Community in Goodyear, AZ. Memorial Giſt s are appreciated in memory of Gage M. Mersereau at either:


Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation www.alzheimersprevention.org 888-908-5766


Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) www.vfw.org 816-756-3390


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