Robert Melvin Cahen
Robert Melvin Cahen, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully in his home in Hillsborough on September 28. He was a native of Chicago, and that is where his lifelong love of opera and photography began, at the Chicago Lyric Opera. He became the first available-light color opera photographer.
Bob moved to California in 1960 and in 1962 began his 50-year collaboration with the San Francisco Opera. His photographs have appeared on 70 album covers, numerous book jackets and are on permanent display at San Francisco Opera House Gallery. His passion for photography took him to all the great opera houses of the world and created friendships with all the great artists.
Bob was also a successful real estate broker on the Peninsula and served as president of the San Mateo-Burlingame Board of Realtors.
Bob is survived by his wife, Joan, and daughters and sons-in-law Gwen Kresteller (Daniel) and Betsey Kauffman (Richard), and his grandchildren Leland, Elizabeth, Harris and Sylvain. Bob will be missed for his enthusiasm for family, friends, opera and life.
Donations in Bob’s name may be made to the charity of your choice.
Helen Culiner
Helen was born in Quebec City, Canada, in 1921. After high school she went to Toronto and attended the university there. That is where I met Helen. We were married in San Francisco in 1942 where I was a medical resident at the University of California hospital.
Helen attended the University of California at Berkeley. Because she had so many credits from the University of Toronto, she was told that she could take any course to obtain her bachelor’s degree. So Helen chose to learn fencing.
The following year we migrated to Boston where she attended Harvard University. Our daughter Claudia was born there.
Eventually we returned to California where we loved the lifestyle, the friends and the weather, and our family grew to include our son Paul Adam. Catastrophe struck when our son, then aged 15, was stricken with meningitis and died within 24 hours. Our daughter made aliyah and still lives in Israel.
At the age of 40, Helen decided to go to law school and enrolled at Hastings in the city. She was an honor student when Melvin Belli, the outstanding trial lawyer at the time, asked her to join his staff. She was involved with litigation in various cities across the U.S. After seven years Helen left the office and developed her own practice. She retired when she was about 85 years old.
We had a beautiful marriage until she passed away at the age of 94, on Sept. 15, 2015. Our marriage was a true blessing.
— Norman Culiner
Sheila Stoll Wills
Sheila passed peacefully on Oct. 8, 2015 surrounded by her family. Born April 15, 1935 to Mary and Allan Stoll, Sheila was the proud and loving mother of Lisa, mother-in-law of Woody, grandma to Alex and step-grandma to Samantha, Shannon and Mya.
Sheila lived in San Francisco except when she went to U.C. Berkeley, lived with her daughter in Oakland and recently lived in Danville. She began her career as an elementary-school teacher and later worked for many years at UCSF.
Sheila loved family and friends, art, great restaurants and beautiful clothes. Thank you to all who cared for her. She will be missed.
Suggested donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Rotary Club of Pleasanton Foundation Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 352, Pleasanton, CA 94566.