Half Moon Bay Woman, Born on a Farm Where Smith Field is Today, Dies at 94

Yola Picchi was born on March 2, 1919 to Helene and Lorenzo Ricci on a farm where Smith Field is currently located today. She worked at the Blue Gate Candle Factory in El Granada before she began working at the San Mateo County Courthouse for 20 years. She was also a Lioness for many years and finally joined the Lions Club when the Lionesses disbanded, working alongside her husband, Pete, and her two sons at Half Moon Bay Lions' projects. She was also an active participant in the Half Moon Bay Volunteer Fire Department Auxillary from the 1930s until the late 1990s and Our Lady of the Pillar church. She leaves two sons, seven grandchildren and five great-children. She died at the age of 94 peacefully at home on Oct. 8, 2013.

Bernice (Brown) Lewis, born on Dec. 29, 1920 in Half Moon Bay, lived in various places in California but spent most of her years living in Half Moon Bay, working at the Blue Gate Candle Factory. In 1937 she was Half Moon Bay Chamartia Queen. She graduated from Beauty School and worked as a Beautician in the Hayward area. She passed away on Sept. 16, 2013, in Jackson, Calif. 

Richard John Kraal, a Moss Beach resident, had been suffering from melanoma for the last several months. Kraal was born on Sept. 25, 1938 at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco to Gladys and Lloyd Kraal. He attended St. Anne's grammar school in San Francisco and St. Ignatius College Preparatory, Class of 1956. He then attended UCSF for two semesters and then he was in the Army Reserves from 1957 to 1965. His working life was always in the telecommunication field and worked for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph, Lenkurt, Farinon, and Harris Corporation. He retired from Harris in 1998. Kraal and his wife Victoria celebrated their 35th Wedding Anniversary last month. He was a 49ers fan, and loved fishing, sports, photography and traveling. He died at age 74 on Sept. 18, 2013. His wife and children were with him.