Tri-Valley Writers We Remember
Camille Minichino: 1937-2024
Camille is the author of nearly 30 published mystery novels, plus numerous short stories and articles in both technical and popular magazines and websites. Her mystery series included The Periodic Table Mysteries, The Miniature Mysteries, the Professor Sophie Knowles Mysteries, The Postmistress Mysteries, The Alaskan Diner Mysteries, and the Sister Francesca Mysteries. For her blog, The Real Me, Camille described herself as follows: “I’ve been a factory worker, a translator, a teacher, an experimental physicist, a nuclear safeguards engineer, a writer, a waitress, a miniaturist, a paralegal, a nun, a minister, a short order cook, a ticket taker, an editor, a crafter, and a cotton candy twirler… plus a wife.” No overview of Camille’s life is complete without acknowledging the deep devotion she shared with her husband, Richard (Dick) Rufer. Camille and Dick met at “The Lab” and married in 1977. Dick was, without question, the great love of her life. They watched movies together, conspired on solving crossword, acrostic, and jigsaw puzzles and creating cryptoquotes. Camille often fondly referred to Dick as her “24/7 tech support” and/or “The Cable Guy.” He was the inspiration for her book How to Live with an Engineer. Over their nearly half-century of marriage, they exchanged nightly love-notes. Dick was always there for her, and she for him. Dick predeceased Camille by two months, shattering her world.
Kymberlie Ingalls: 1971-2024
Kymberlie Ingalls, founder of Angels and Blimps (an organization that is simply about kindness, about spreading good deeds and kind acts throughout our communities, about making a difference one deed at a time) and owner of Rainfall Press, has passed. She was a former CWC Berkeley president who had served on several CWC branch boards through the years. Kymberlie initiated Tri-Valley Writers’ Author Support & Marketing Group as she had done for the CWC Berkeley Branch. The numbers of writers statewide whom she had personally supported could be counted in the hundreds, if not more. She was a tireless advocate for CWC statewide: as a volunteer, holding many branch board positions, and serving on the NorCal Group. Kymberlie was a champion for the Northern California literary community. Her compassion for others, expertise, and tell-it-like-it-is (better known as her “beware of falling opinions”) spirit will be missed.
Violet Carr Moore: 1939-2023
Violet achieved her goal of becoming a published author with In the Right Place: A Gallery of Treasured Moments. Following that collection of mystic vignettes, she published Moments of Meditation, a collection of inspirational devotionals. Violet’s short stories have been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Mothers; Christmas Miracles; Written Across the Genres; The Choice Matters; Voices of the Valley: First Press, Encore, Word for Word, Journeys; Through the Window; and several anthologies. She co-authored Double Take, a memoir of her childhood years, with her twin. Violet’s winning Haiku was published in Bay Area News Group printed editions and online newspapers. “Fatal,” her first attempt at a Sci-Fi short story, won first place in Survival, a California Writers Club anthology by the High Desert Branch. She was a featured website devotional contributor to More to Life Today for twelve years. Her current work in progress is a Morgan Madrid crime fiction trilogy. Violet received the Jack London Award for her volunteer service to Tri-Valley Writers after serving as vice president, then president.
Marilyn Slade: 1930-2023
Marilyn shared her life through her writings, especially her haikus, her humorous poetry, and her short memoir pieces. She won many awards for her poetry at the Alameda County Fair and was a mainstay at Tri-Valley Writers’ Open Mic with My Friends.
Dan Hobbs: 1946-2022
Ellen Aubry: 1947-2021
Ellen is the author of The Great Fiction Book Proposal: Make it Happen, available on Amazon. The work is a guide to writing a book proposal for fiction writers. She graduated from the University of Denver’s Professional Creative Writing Masters’ Program with an emphasis in fiction. As a dual member with Tri-Valley Writers, Ellen’s story “Loud and Clear” was published in Voices of the Valley: Journeys (2018).
Jack Russ: ??-2020
In 1951, the Navy sent Ensign Jack Russ to a destroyer-escort serving in the war zone. Jack went
on to fly as a carrier jet pilot, including combat action in the Vietnam War. He retired from the Navy as a Captain after thirty years, four commands, and multiple medals and awards. Following retirement, Jack joined the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, then formed a consulting firm after retirement from the Laboratory, and finally returned to his love of writing in his free time.
The result of this decision is Jack’s debut novel, In Dangerous Waters. Drawing upon his experiences in the Korean War, the novel is an exciting tale of tension, danger, and intrigue that presents a new perspective on the men who waged the war. Jack was a founding member of Tri-Valley Writers.
Hildi Kang: 1934-2019
Hildegarde Kang published almost a dozen books, including children’s and scholarly books. Her most successful was Under the Black Umbrella: Voices from Colonial Korea 1910-1945 (Cornell University Press). Hildi was an Oakland native, but lived for many years in rural New York before returning with her family to California. She also played the cello in the Livermore—Amador Symphony.
Annette Langer: 1943-2019
Annette’s life exemplified her strength through humor. In both her books, Healing through Humor: Change Your Focus, Change Your Life! and A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to the World: Diary of a Fearless Travel Agent, Annette drew on her unfatigable sense of humor to highlight the funny side to some not-so-funny circumstances and to temper the many sobering situations in which she found herself. Her work has also appeared in numerous anthologies.
Albert Rothman: 1924-2018
Albert received first prize in Ina Coolbrith Circle poetry contest and a first prize in a Marguerite A. Sousa Poetry Competition, published in The Poets’ Edge magazine. Other poems and prose pieces have appeared in the Northwoods Journal, the Dan River Anthology, New Horizons, and other anthologies. He was an avid hiker, a source for his poetry and prose on nature and his adventures. His memoir, A Brooklyn Odyssey: Travails And Joys Of A Boy’s Early Life, is a story about a boy growing up in Brooklyn during the Big Depression of the 1930s.
Guri Essen: 1926-2018
Guri was one of the first to teach computer engineering at both Berkeley and Davis. He holds a patent for a personal computer, the Dinkiac I (dated almost five years prior to the founding of Apple Inc.). During the last years of his life he attended to his true calling, writing fiction. His first novel, String’s Cross, was published in August, 2015.
Reme Pick: 1922-2017
Reme was a survivor of WWII and the invasion of the Japanese in the Philippines. She relayed her harrowing story in her memoir, The Blue Yoke, published in shortly before her passing in 2017. She loved gardening, cooking, playing mahjong, and writing.
Steve Workman: 1950-2016
Steve was a founding member of the Tri-Valley Branch and winner of its first writing contest, The Disbeliever, in 2006. He is published in the 2003 Las Positas Literary Anthology, the 2008 Livermore Literary Harvest, and Voices of the Valley: Encore.
Patricia Holladay: 1934-2014
Patricia was a consummate classical pianist who loved classical music in all forms, and taught generations of piano students in the Livermore Area. She was a writer of stories and essays, and encouraged young writers by donating to TVW’s annual high school writing contest.
Beth Aaland: 1923-2012
Beth self-published her book, Legacy in Words, in 2009 as a Christmas present for her friends and family. Several of her poems and stories have been printed in various anthologies. In addition, Beth published Consequences, a booklet of poems and doodles in 2005 to honor her beloved husband Kris.
Barbara Burton: 1927-2012
Barbara joined Tri-Valley Writers in May of 2011 after she moved to Pleasanton. She was an prolific writer of letters, poetry, and stories, and an active in the STEM Critique Group.
Nancy O’Connell: 1932-2011
Nancy was an author and illustrator, a teacher of art and music, an editor of college literary publications, and a college instructor of “Creative Writing” and “Writing a Book.” Her Take a Camel to Lunch and Other Adventures for Mature Travelersis an adult nonfiction book. Nancy also wrote pictures books for children, and was a mainstay at Tri-Valley Writers’ Open Mic with My Friends.
Kate Wheatman: 1948-2010
Kate was a charter member of CWC Tri-Valley Writers. After a 20+ year career in corporate communications, she and a friend started HomeTown PR in Pleasanton, which specialized in small, local mom-and-pop businesses. Kate was a freelance and travel writer.
Sue Tasker: 1960-2008
Sue was the founder of the Tri-Valley Branch of CWC. Her passion for travel and history lead her writing journey, and inspired her to pursue the idea of starting a writers group in the Pleasanton-Livermore area. As a charter member and its first president, Sue poured her heart and soul into the organization. Sue’s passion inspired TVW to award a biennial award for exemplary volunteerism in Sue’s honor.