Category: Obituaries

Peter Hicks, a beloved bluegrass fiddler and mandolin player who performed with Bean Creek, the Central Valley Boys, the Courthouse Ramblers, and other area bluegrass bands, died on October 9, 2022. He was 70 years old. He was a fixture on stage and in jams at Northern California bluegrass festivals for the past four decades.

Hick’s father was in the Air Force and he spent much of his youth in Europe, mainly in Germany, France, and England, with some time back on the US East Coast. He attended high school in Mannheim, Germany and later in Savannah, GA. He was a graduate of New York University, where he earned tuition funds by driving a New York City taxi cab.

He first heard bluegrass music on the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts on Armed Forces Radio. During college, he heard some Flatt & Scruggs recordings, began to play mandolin, and in 1971 was privileged to lend his instrument to Don Reno during a live Reno & Smiley concert on campus. His first festival was the 1972 Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers Convention in North Carolina. Pete & some friends quickly put together a band for the contest so they could get into the event free.

After graduation with a degree in Germanic Language & Literature in 1972, Pete spent two years teaching at the US Army Education Center in Thailand. After hours, he organized a bluegrass band with fellow teachers and army personnel. He learned to play fiddle to be in that band.

After his Army job ended, Pete spent two years in Hawaii playing in bluegrass bands and learning to play Hawaiian music.  He returned for a long vacation in Hawaii in the early 2000s to spend time playing with his old musical friends in Kailua on Oahu.

Pete arrived in Northern California in 1976. He has been an active member of the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society/Northern California Bluegrass Society and married to the former NCBS President Lora Ellen Hicks Landregan. He has performed at almost every Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival and Bluegrass On Broadway Festival as well as at other NCBS events. His bands have won Best Bluegrass Band honors and he has been named the top performer on both of his instruments in the NCBS Northern California Bluegrass Awards.

Pete’s soulful instrumental performance style was matched by his deep, intense bass singing. His good humor and smile contributed to his bands’ stage personalities. Pete was a regular at weeknight shows at Phil’s Fish Market in Moss Landing and at Sam’s BBQ in San Jose.

With the support of others in the community, Pete and his wife Lora staged Hickstival, a small Memorial Day Weekend bluegrass campout and festival at Bolado Park in Tres Pinos for a number of years.

Hicks continued his language studies, earning a master’s degree in English As A Second Language at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He put this degree to use by teaching recent immigrants from around the world at the Salinas Adult School. There was no start or end date for the weekday classes — students could join at any time and determine that they had learned sufficient English language skills at any time. The native languages of the class often exceeded a dozen or more at the same time. Hick’s students left his class ready to participate in US society and greatly appreciated Pete’s flexible teaching abilities.

Pete’s other Salinas involvement was with the California Rodeo Band at the huge annual rodeo at the local fairgrounds. The band would perform for two weeks straight for all the competitive events and ceremonies, and often late into the night. Pete even brought a small version of the rodeo band, The Trail Ride Band, to play regularly at Phil’s the rest of the year.

After he retired from teaching, Pete spent many hours working as a luthier at his home in Aromas, making and repairing instruments for his fellow acoustic musicians.

His Bean Creek bandmates Billy Pitrone & Sarah Eblen sang for him one last time in his hospital room before he died. A small memorial bluegrass gathering for Peter E. Hicks will be held at Bolado Park on Memorial Day Weekend in 2023.

 

 

 

Retired tech engineer John Lonczak, formerly of Sunnyvale, was well known to attendees and bands at Northern California festivals, concerts, and radio programs as Dancin’ John. He died at his home in Rancho Cordova after dancing for the final time at the Strawberry Music Festival this past Memorial Day Weekend. He was 69 years old.

He was deeply devoted to the idea that all kinds of live music, including bluegrass, should be accompanied by dancers. When he was unable to lure others to dance near the stage, he would dance alone, often for extended periods of time. His stamina was impressive.

At many festivals, including the NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, John would arrange with festival management to mark off and police an official dance area so that dancers and the other less active patrons would each have plenty of space to enjoy the performance in their own way.

For one long and absolutely manic festival season, John attempted to set a new Guiness Book of World Records record for “dancing at the most festivals during a calendar year.” He did not make the record book, although though he did achieve his goal. He danced at a sufficient number of festivals but did not understand that Guiness requires submission of a detailed plan in advance and an agreement about documentation and witnesses with the record book staff. John did all the dancing brilliantly — but his after-the-fact submission was denied. He drove many thousands of miles, usually dancing at multiple festivals every weekend and often as many as two or three in a single day. He decided that he would not try a second time, but instead would return to leisurely enjoying dancing at the festivals he loved.

John also danced on KKUP Radio — a medium not often used to present the art of dance. His regular appearances on Mike Russell‘s Monday night show (where Michael Hall would emcee) with the Stoney Mountain Ramblers, Windy Hill, and other bands he loved led to an amazing fact: The only two live bluegrass music radio programs with regular on-air dance performances were The Grand Ole Opry on WSM in Nashville and Monday Night Bluegrass on KKUP in San Jose.

After leaving the Bay Area and moving to Rancho Cordova, John set up shop for his business in a warehouse. John sold high end sound systems for commercial sound reinforcement. He lived in his camping vehicle within the warehouse. He would drive in and set up camp. John enjoyed camping at the warehouse and at bluegrass festivals full time. His original Sprinter van was totaled in an accident in December 2020 after decades of service. He bought his fancy new Mercedes Sprinter to replace it

Dancin’ John was a unique talent who went his own way to enjoy bluegrass music. He had a heart as big as Texas. He was different, he was fun, he was dedicated, and above all, he was fiercely independent. His passing leaves a big hole in the Northern California bluegrass community. One could easily believe that there will never be another like him.

John Lonczak was born at Lackland AFB in San Antonio TX. He was predeceased by his parents Walter and Rose Mary Lonczak. He was the oldest of six children, all of whom survive: Alice McAuliffe (Pat), David Lonczak (Julie), Mark Lonczak (Nancy), Karen Lonczak and Mary Anne Amato.

 

 

 

 

 

Roland White, a mandolinist, guitarist, and vocalist, who pioneered bluegrass music in Southern California, has died. He had a long, creative, and influential performing career with top bands Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, the Kentucky Colonels, Country Gazette, the Dreadful Snakes, and Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass, and also with his own Roland White Band. The cause of his death was complications following a heart attack. He was 83 years old.

White’s recording career covered traditional bluegrass, but also explored the boundaries of the genre, mixing bluegrass with swing, jazz, country, gospel, and rock. He was the first to bring bluegrass music to network television.

White was a French Canadian who was born in rural northern Maine and came to Burbank, California with his family in 1954. His original surname was LeBlanc, French for White, which was adopted by the family as their new English name in California. In his early career, Roland performed in a family bluegrass band with his brothers Eric and Clarence and his sister Joanne. They came from a large musical family which included their father Eric and several uncles who played acoustic instruments.

Roland’s rise to bluegrass fame was rapid once the family band The Country Boys switched from country to bluegrass in 1955 after Roland heard a recording by the Father of Bluegrass. The brothers added Bill Ray Lathum on banjo and LeRoy Mack on Dobro, and came to the attention of Andy Griffith, which led to the band’s multiple appearances on the CBS Network’s Andy Griffith Show during the 1961 season. The Country Boys later became the Kentucky Colonels and performed at festivals across the country before the end of the folk revival caused work for the band to diminish.

Roland White performed at Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society concerts and at various Northern California festivals with three of his bands. He is best known to Northern California bluegrass fans as a member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band and as a popular instructor at area bluegrass camps.

After Roland left Lester Flatt’s band and his brother Clarence left The Byrds in 1973, the two reunited as the leaders of the New Kentucky Colonels. This collaboration was sadly cut short when Roland was seriously injured and Clarence died when they were hit by a drunk driver while loading out sound equipment following a band performance. Roland then continued his career with the popular and influential LA bluegrass and alt-country band, Country Gazette.

Roland Joseph White was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2017. In his later years, he was a volunteer sound engineer at the Station Inn in Nashville, where he organized an annual Monroe Appreciation Night. He is survived by his wife Diane.

 

 

Mike Doern of Capitola died on October 2, 2021. He worked as a carpenter and school bus driver, but enjoyed many avocations, including being an enthusiastic bluegrass volunteer and music lover. He was 75 years old.

Mike was best known to the NCBS members as the world’s most effective, pleasant, and unfailingly courteous security volunteer. He quietly enforced the rules at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival and other NCBS events, greeting every camper and politely reminding them of their responsibilities. Lest anyone in violation of a rule thought that his soft-spoken nature meant that compliance was not necessary, Mike would respond with good-natured, but absolutely unyielding persistence by remaining beside the camper until the problem was completely resolved.

He was a bluegrass music lover who attended many Santa Cruz and South Bay concerts and festivals, at first arriving on his motorcycle with a striking and unique welded chain around his neck and a extensive moustache, but in later years, he roamed events to visit with his friends on his small mobility scooter. He listened to many local bluegrass radio shows and was an active ham radio operator, known as KM6IKE. As a young man, he was an EMS Volunteer in Mamaroneck, New York and later trained bus drivers in California on how to assist handicapped passengers.

He grew up in Mamaroneck and graduated from Rye Neck High School. Mike refused to fly, but loved trains. He regularly made the long journey by Amtrak train to visit his family back home in upstate New York. Michael C. Doern is survived by 5 of his 8 siblings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allison Varner, the widow of Mark Varner and the mother of Marty Varner and Veronica Varner, has died at her retirement home in Dangriga, Belize. She was 57 years old.

Allison was an enthusiastic lover and supporter of all kinds of music, from bluegrass to opera, rock and blues. She loved to dance to live music and attended many live performances in the Santa Cruz and San Lorenzo Valley area, as well as bluegrass festivals throughout California.

She and her late husband organized the bluegrass concert series, The Otter Opry, in Santa Cruz. They also volunteered to help with Kids on Bluegrass and Kids on Stage programs at many bluegrass festivals. Allison was a fixture at Northern California Bluegrass Society gatherings for many years.

She took pride in the success of her children, in music and in life. Marty recently completed his masters degree and now lives in Belize. Veronica lives in Los Angeles, where she is married and is pursuing graduate studies.

Mark & Allison lived in San Francisco after they were married before settling in Boulder Creek. The couple retired to their new home in Belize in early 2021. Mark passed away on September 4th. Allison unexpectedly died in her sleep on October 21st.

Mark Varner Obituary (9/6/21)

 

 

Mark Varner, the only person to edit both the NCBS and CBA membership publications and an active bluegrass musician and volunteer, died in his sleep on September 4 at his new retirement home in Belize. He was 64 years old.

The Everett, Washington native and longtime resident of Boulder Creek played mandolin and guitar with several active bluegrass bands, including The Sibling Brothers. He performed frequently at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival during its early years, and at many other area bluegrass festivals and concerts.

He served on the Northern California Bluegrass Society Board of Directors and helped organize the GOF Festival, the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair, and other Society events. He presented The Otter Opry concert series in Santa Cruz and brought many fine touring bands to the area. He was also a proud “band parent” for his son Marty‘s youthful OMGG (“Obviously Minor Guys & A Girl”). He also hosted a regular bluegrass radio program on a Santa Cruz radio station.

When he was named editor, he added the “PDF” online version of the Society’s monthly Bluegrass By The Bay magazine — the first bluegrass publication of any kind ever to do so. Later, he took over and greatly upgraded the California Bluegrass Association’s Bluegrass Breakdown newspaper. Under his editorship, the CBA newspaper became the second bluegrass publication to issue an added “PDF” version. In addition to his editing efforts, he also wrote many articles for these publications.

Mark was eventually promoted to be the only paid Executive Director of the CBA, where he continued his newspaper publishing efforts, and also expanded and upgraded the program for the CBA Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival. He also served on the CBA Board of Directors and on the festival talent committee. He was one of the very few paid leaders of a bluegrass membership organization. His job lasted over a decade until the onset of the Coronavirus crisis forced CBA to eliminate the executive director position due to financial constraints.

Throughout his many years as a bluegrass musician and organizer, Mark maintained an engineering consulting practice designing and evaluating the air fluid systems in scuba equipment. He was a graduate of San Francisco State University.

After he retired from the CBA, Mark moved to the country of Belize, where he purchased a home and property in Dangriga. His time in Belize was spent with family. However, his plan to invite his bluegrass friends down for a tropical festival sadly did not come to pass.

Mark Scott Varner is survived by his son Marty Varner, daughter Veronica Varner, and wife Allison Varner, and by his brother Steven Varner and sister Martina Paris-Fully.

 

 

 

 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 1:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Mountain View for Carol Edmundson, a longtime member and leader of the Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society.

Carol Edmundson Bluegrass Obituary

Carol Edmundson Family Obituary with service information.

Carol Edmundson of Sunnyvale, who served as NCBS Membership Chair and as a member of the Board Of Directors during the Society’s most intense period of growth and development (1994-1999), has died. She was a Lifetime Member of the NCBS/SCBS. The cause of death was complications after leg surgery. She was 72 years old.

She was retired after a long career at Hewlett Packard Company in Palo Alto and Cupertino. She lived for many years on Carol Avenue in Mountain View with her husband, NCBS Treasurer Bruce Edmundson. The couple had retired to nearby Sunnyvale.

Carol and Bruce were longtime California bluegrass music supporters who volunteered their time for a number of organizations, including Redwood Bluegrass Associates, the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society. The couple often worked at the Society’s Information Booth at festivals and concerts.

Carol’s favorite bluegrass bands were Hot Rize and Sidesaddle. She was also a fan of Hawaiian slack key guitar music and enjoyed square dancing. She was active in her church.

Carol Edmundson is survived by her husband, mother, and brother, and by identical twins Chad and Devin Schaumburg of Bangor, Maine, whom she raised and considered her sons.

Helen Sweetland of Half Moon Bay has died. She is a former member of the Northern California Bluegrass Society Board of Directors and a founder, singer, and bass player of the traditional bluegrass band Highway One, which performed frequently at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, at other NCBS/SCBS events, and at many other area festivals. She was the publisher of Sierra Club Books.

Her bandmates wrote this tribute:

We’re so, so sorry to confirm the passing of our much beloved, self-described “chick singer,” bass player, and chief of harmony police, Helen Sweetland, following a brief and brave fight with cancer. If we’re each put on the earth for just one purpose, Helen’s calling was to sing harmony!

The spark for our band was struck when Helen, Tom, and Scott first played together in a late-night jam session at Wolf Mountain in 1997; Highway One was officially launched in early 1998. That’s a long time ago in both bluegrass and dog years! We’ve all decided that there is NO Highway One without Helen, so 23 years will be it for us—BUT we hope to see all of you somewhere, someplace in the near future and sing some songs together (though we’ll, of course, be singing them WRONG). 

Helen recorded Hazel Dickens’ classic  “Won’t You Come and Sing For Me” on the first Highway One CD, and it was one of her signature songs, but she became too emotional to sing it on stage because it reminded her so much of her own mother’s passing. Here’s the first part:

—

I feel the shadows now upon me

See the angels beckoning me

Before I go dear sisters and brothers

Won’t you come and sing for me

Sing those hymns we sang together

In that plain little church with the benches all worn

How dear to my heart how precious the moments

We stood shaking hands and singing a song.

Then there’s the song by Bob Amos, called “Reunion,” that she discovered and brought to the band in the last few years. We never officially recorded it, but we performed it a lot:

There are songs that we play at the end of the day

And their sweet words and melodies tell

Of a wonderful time when old friends reunite

And never again say farewell

And I’ll meet you there, I will meet you there,

I will meet you there, my friends

I will meet you over the hills

In the land of our long journey’s end

And we’ll all be together again.

—

Sense a theme? You were all Helen’s cherished friends and community. And now, we hope, the words of those beautiful songs might remind you of her, as well….

— Highway One

 

The online celebration for NCBS Lifetime Member Colleen Lethridge (1930-2020) is now available for viewing on YouTube. The popular singer and guitar player was a fixture at bluegrass jams throughout Northern California for over three decades.

When Colleen was not enjoying music with her friends, she and close friend Lisa Barrett could be found at Stanford Women’s Basketball games from Palo Alto to the national championships.

Colleen Lethridge Celebration (April 11, 2021)