Obituaries
Todd Raver Spokane
Memorial service for Todd Alan Raver, 31, will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 4 in the Music Building Recital Hall at Eastern Washington University.
Mr. Raver died Jan. 17. Born in Freeport, Ill., he moved to the Spokane area many years ago.
He graduated from Cheney High School in 1982 and attended Washington State University and The Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He also attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., where he majored in vocal performance.
He was chosen as the Washington State Music Teacher’s Vocalist of the Year.
Mr. Raver performed as tenor soloist with the Montana Youth Choir in Europe and the Aspen (Colo.) Music Festival. He also performed as tenor soloist with the Valley Light Opera Co. in Amherst, and with the Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, Ohio.
He had a Spokane Symphony Orchestra performance at Handel’s Messiah at Whitworth College.
Mr. Raver co-founded Black-i-Design, a successful advertising design company, with Tim Bruns.
Survivors include his parents; a brother, Timothy; his grandparents; and two nephews.
Memorials for AIDS programs may be made to the Todd Fund, Seafirst Bank, 423 First Street, Cheney, WA 99004.
Robert ‘Bob’ Biggs Spokane
Service for Dr. Robert “Bob” W. Biggs, 58, is planned for 11 a.m. Monday at St. Augustine Catholic Church followed by burial at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hazen & Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Dr. Biggs died Wednesday. Born in Spokane, he graduated from North Central High School in 1954. He graduated from Whitworth College in 1959 and received his doctorate in dental sciences from the University of Washington in 1963.
He practiced dentistry in Anchorage and Juneau, Alaska, from 1963 to 1975.
Dr. Biggs returned to Spokane in 1976 and practiced dentistry until his death. His specialties were in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
In 1981 he was selected as a member of the American Society of Dental Aesthetics and was past president of the Alaska Dental Society.
Survivors include his longtime companion, Ramona Vaude Veegaete; a son, Jason of Spokane; a daughter, London of Spokane; his mother, Esther Biggs of Spokane; three brothers, Larry Biggs and Terry Biggs, both of Spokane, and Michael Biggs of Bremerton; a sister, Patricia Woodrow of Las Vegas; and several nieces and nephews.
Teresa Cappuccio Spokane
Vigil service for Teresa Cappuccio, 81, will be at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday at St. John Vianney Catholic Church followed by burial at Holy Cross Cemetery. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cappuccio died Wednesday. Born in Bari, Italy, she immigrated with her parents to Spokane at age seven, where she worked on the family truck farm.
She attended Holy Names Academy and sang on the “Italian Hour” radio show in the early 1940s.
Mrs. Cappuccio was active in the Dishman School PTA and was a winner in several Christmas home lighting contests. She also sang in the St. John Vianney Choir for over 25 years.
Her husband, Guy Cappuccio, preceded her in death.
Survivors include two daughters, Bette Weber and Mary Bush, both of Spokane; a sister, Mary Scorcio of Spokane; two brothers, Lawrence Ferrante of Spokane and Peter Ferrante of Tacoma; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Norman Coombes Spokane
Memorial service for Norman E. Coombes, 83, is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Riverview Terrace Chapel, E1801 Upriver Drive. Private inurnment will be at the Pines Cemetery. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Coombes died Tuesday. Born in Canada, he moved to Spokane in the 1940s.
He worked as a horticulturist for 25 years at Manito Park and with commercial greenhouses, retiring in 1972.
Survivors include his close friend, Martha Tomlinson of Spokane; a sister, Gertrude Emery of Spokane; and two nephews.
Robert ‘Lee’ McClain Spokane
No service is planned for Robert L. “Lee” McClain, 66, at his request.
Mr. McClain died Tuesday of cancer. Born in Denver, Colo., he moved to Spokane 28 years ago.
He worked as a salesman for Montgomery Ward in the home furnishing department from 1975 to 1986.
Mr. McClain was a past member of the Moose Lodge.
He married Charlene Wharton in 1955.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Daniel McClain of Denver, Colo., Robert McClain Jr. of Anaheim, Calif., and Jack Chitwood of Seattle; a daughter, Laura McClain of Spokane; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Larry Broadbent Coeur d’Alene
Service for Larry Ronald Broadbent, 57, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at the St. Pius Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene followed by burial at the Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Broadbent died Thursday of heart disease and cancer.
Born in Weiser, Idaho, he served in the military for four years.
He was police chief for Burley, Idaho, from 1979 to 1980, when he moved to Coeur d’Alene.
He was Kootenai County undersheriff from 1981 to 1989, retiring after 28 years of service in law enforcement.
Mr. Broadbent devoted many years of service to human rights issues and Kiwanis community service projects.
Survivors include his wife, Grace Broadbent; a son, James Broadbent of Ontario, Ore.; five daughters, Kari Sleight of Payette, Idaho, Claudia Taylor of Moorehead, Minn., Linda Erickson of Spokane, Leslie Aldolphsen of Boise and Gloria Webb of Usk, Wash.; two brothers, Kenneth Broadbent of Boardman, Ore., and Julian Broadbent of Caldwell, Idaho; three sisters, Emily Langly of Boardman, Oleta Fuller of Boise and Myrna Perkins of Weiser; 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Dorothy McMurray Potlatch, Idaho
Service for Dorothy Eileen McMurray, 73, is planned for 11 a.m. Monday at the Simpson United Methodist Church in Pullman followed by burial at the Pullman City Cemetery.
Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. McMurray died Thursday of cancer.
Born near Union Center, Wash., she moved with her family to Roseburg, Ore., in 1925. They resided in several communities in Oregon and Washington until 1930 when they returned to Pullman. She graduated from Pullman High School in 1939.
She married Wayne McMurray in 1939 and they farmed east of Pullman.
In 1959 they purchased land near Potlatch where they raised cattle and cut timber. They maintained residences at both properties.
During the 1970s she worked in the food service department at Washington State University.
Mrs. McMurray was a member of the Whelan Grange, the Friendly Neighbors Club and the Moscow Junior Rodeo Association.
Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Karen Bloomfield of Pullman; a son, Kenneth McMurray of Pullman; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Hospice, W102 Main, Pullman, WA 99163.
Grace Marcella Spokane
Recitation of the Rosary will be said for Grace Marcella, 89, at 6 p.m. Monday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Celebration of a Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Private inurnment will be at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Trentwood. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Marcella died Thursday. Born in Sicily, she moved to the United States as a teenager.
She married Daniel R. Marcella Sr. in 1923 and they moved to Spokane in 1979 from Torrington, Conn.
She was a homemaker and a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.
Survivors include her husband of 72 years, Daniel R. Marcella Sr.; 11 children, Mary Diorio, Lillian Grosso and Daniel Marcella, all of Torrington, Conn., Vivian Amodio, Arlene Lucas, Frances Garcia and Mario Marcella, all of Spokane, Alice Killeen of Elk, Betty Harris and Rosemary Miller, both of Sacramento, Calif., and Richard Marcella of Post Falls; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Ariana ‘Anne’ Roberts Spokane
No service is planned for Ariana “Anne” Greene Roberts, 84, at her request.
Mrs. Roberts died Wednesday. Born in Pasadena, Calif., she moved to Spokane 47 years ago.
She studied music at the Dalcrose Institute in Paris and Geneva, and was a concert pianist before her marriage.
Mrs. Roberts taught piano for many years.
Survivors include two daughters, Jane Storey Petersen of Spokane and Susan Anne Soper of Miami, Fla.; a brother, Thomas Gordon Greene of Carmel, Calif.; a sister, Bettie Storey Greene of Carmel; four grandchildren, one great-grandchild and one nephew.
Irma Durbin Spokane
Graveside service for Irma Lee Durbin, 84, was Friday at Riverside Memorial Park and was followed by a memorial service at Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Hazen & Jaeger Valley Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Durbin died Tuesday. Born in Blue Hill, Neb., she moved to the Spokane area 52 years ago.
She worked for J.C. Penney’s for 30 years, before retiring in 1982.
Mrs. Durbin was a member of Pilgrim Lutheran Church and the ladies’ auxiliary of the church.
Survivors include two daughters, Dorothy Watkins of Spokane and Linda Morgan of Veradale; a sister, Doris Brunner of Wenatchee; five grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.
Memorials may be given to Pilgrim Lutheran Church, 2733 Northwest Blvd., Spokane, WA 99205, or to the Alzheimer’s Association, N5125 Market, Spokane, WA 99207.