Mid-County December Death Notices

The following people with ties to Capitola, Gilroy and Aptos died in the last month. Click their names to read full obituaries. 

Norma Jean Nelson Brown: Resident of Aptos. Award-winning baker and longtime accountant. Passed away Dec. 24. She was 91.

Vincent Catalano: Resident of Rio del Mar. He was an avid golfer and the sports editor of his college newspaper. Passed away Christmas day. He was 87. 

Frederick Green: Resident of Capitola. Spent his prime owning a plastic countertop store in Sebastopol. Passed away Dec. 26. She was 82. 

Margaret Jansen: Resident of Soquel. Volunteered in the fire brigade in England in WWII. Passed away Dec. 29. She was 89.

Ruben Curtin: Services were held in Soquel. He was born in Guatemala and raised in Santa Cruz. Passed away Dec. 10. He was 27. 

Vera Pulido: Resident of Aptos. Taught at Cabrillo College for 35 years. Passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 11. She was 65. 

Sarah Rosen: Resident of Soquel. Died of acute respiratory failure on Dec. 25. She was 36. 

Arlene Smith: Resident of Soquel. She worked in a Bay Area naval shipyard in WWII with her husband. Passed away Dec. 9. She was 90. 

Erwin Tomash: Resident of Soquel. He was a pioneer in the computer industry, a true leader in the field of computer science. Passed away Dec. 10. He was 91. 

Emerine Acorn: Resident of Aptos. She was married 52 years and played badminton and was an avid cyclist until she died. Passed away Dec. 20. She was 90. 

Mark Sean Arruiza: Graduate of Aptos High. He lived in Los Gatos and was a bartender in Milpitas. Passed away. Dec. 8. He was 49. 

Joanne Grooney: Resident of Aptos. She was a 4H leader, taught cooking classes and lived in Aptos for almost 50 years. Passed away Christmas Eve. She was 83. 

Do you have a friend or family member to add to the list? Wish to send condolences? Tell us in the comments. You can also add death announcements to Patch for free by posting an announcement.