Family, Friends Pack Private Seau Ceremony

A private celebration for the fallen former NFL star brought hundreds of friends and family to Calvary Chapel in Oceanside Friday.

Some 2,000 friends and family of Junior Seau gathered at Calvary Chapel in Oceanside to remember the NFL legend. “It was beautiful,” said Lauren Godinet, Junior’s niece, of Friday’s celebration of life.  Seau was found dead at his beachfront home on May 2. The occasion was filled with joy, she said, adding that eulogies by friends and family were held together by a common theme — her uncle’s smile. Her father, Wilson, said the service was “positive and uplifting.” “It just made you want to get closer to God,” he said. He saw relatives he hadn’t seen for four decades.  “(Junior) brought a lot of us together,” he said. Before his cousin’s death, Wilson was teaching Seau to play the guitar. He loved island music, he said, but he also had a …

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Up to 60,000 Expected at Public Seau Memorial

A private service will be held in Oceanside.

A private church service is planned Thursday for the family of the late former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, while a public "Celebration of Life" tribute is set for Friday. Supporters of the family have said the private service would take place at a church in Oceanside, but the location was not being reported because the mourners are seeking privacy. Friday's event for the hometown hero, who graduated from Oceanside High School, is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium. Admission and parking will be free and on a first-come, first-served basis. According to U-T San Diego, anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 people are expected to attend the event, which is being paid for by the Chargers. It should last about 90 …

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Vigil Planned Thursday Evening for Seau

Former NFL star Junior Seau died Wednesday in his Oceanside home.

A prayer vigil is planned for fallen NFL star Junior Seau on Thursday evening at his home, the North County Times reports. The house is on The Strand south of the Oceanside Pier. His family is also planning a memorial service.  Seau died Wednesday morning at his home. Police are investigating the shooting death as a suicide.  Read more on the North County Times. 

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VIDEO: San Diego County Residents Mourn Seau’s Death

Friends, family and fans of Junior Seau gathered at the Oceanside home where the NFL legend was found dead.

The Wednesday morning death of former NFL star Junior Seau drew hundreds of mourners to his beachfront home, where the life-long Oceanside resident was often seen enjoying the sun and chatting up neighbors.   “He was a good, humble man,” said neighbor Eric Dobbins, who often saw Seau surfing, riding his bike on the boardwalk and eating dinner at Oceanside haunt Primo’s. ”He didn’t act like a celebrity. He never exploited that.” Related: Junior Seau Death Being Investigated as Suicide Outside the residence, people wept, sang hymns and embraced each other. Friends, family and fans piled flowers near the doorstep and some gathered on the beach to pray and create a giant cross made of stones. As Seau’s mother left the house, she cried out “God…

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Bruce Alan Brewer Dies at 53

He was a Poway native.

Bruce Alan Brewer died April 1, according to the North County Times. He was 53. The Poway native was an athlete and fisherman, according to the newspaper. A memorial service was held on Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Poway, according to the newspaper.  

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IN MEMORIAM

Vaida Jones Helland Dies at 93; Involved in Many Activities at Belmont Village

She traveled extensively in the United States with the Wally Byam Airstream Trailer Club.

Vaida Jones Helland—whose family moved to La Mesa in 1938 and lived out her last years at Belmont Village in Sabre Springs—died March 19, according to a U-T San Diego obituary. She was 93. “In 1977, she and [husband] Bob moved to Rancho Bernardo, where they supported a Tijuana orphanage and traveled extensively in the U.S. with the Wally Byam Airstream Trailer Club and abroad as well,” the obituary said. “At both Remington Club and later at Belmont Village in Poway, she enjoyed many activities, including making new members feel at home.” A memorial is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at Belmont Village, 13075 Evening Creek Dr., San Diego.

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Poway to the People

Colleen O’Connor: California’s ‘Rainy Day’ Fund is Drying Up

It’s time for the governor to refill the financial reservoirs.

The 4.0 earthquake that woke up San Francisco on Monday morning should wake up the governor’s office as well. California’s “rainy day” funds are drying up. The rosy predictions for the current fiscal year’s budget have already withered on the vine. According to a January financial statement from the State Controller’s Office, California “ended last fiscal year with a cash deficit of $8.2 billion. The combined current-year cash deficit stands at $21 billion.” Only emergency legislation providing for increased borrowing prevented the state from breaching the minimum safety level of $2.5 billion. This was only accomplished through huge “temporary” borrowing from any state fund with ready cash—including the University of California and …

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Arthur Young, 72

Young died from diabetes at the age of 72.

Arthur Young, professor emeritus of astronomy at San Diego State University, died in Poway on Feb. 7, 2012, from complications of diabetes at the age of 72. In his almost 35-year career, he was a highly respected researcher, professor and author of numerous scientific publications, many of which were co-authored by students he mentored. He was recognized by the astronomical community for his innovative research in stellar astrophysics. Young enjoyed bringing the wonders of the universe to the public, often as guest speaker at planetarium shows in the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and at meetings of the San Diego Astronomy Association. His passion for education was evident in the workshops he presented for elementary and high school …

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IN MEMORIAM

Dan Hoff Interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery as Air Force Veteran

Donations invited in memory of La Mesan who triggered a search of Poway’s Iron Mountain.

Updated 10:45 a.m. Jan. 9, 2012 Daniel Hoff, the La Mesa man who went missing in December and was found dead in an apparent suicide, was an Air Force veteran who served in California, Italy and Turkey, according to a published obituary. The 43-year-old son of Lawrence and Ellyn Hoff has been interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, said Sunday’s death notice in The San Diego Union-Tribune. He died Dec. 13 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his torso, according to the county Medical Examiner’s Office. “Dan Hoff was a beloved son, brother and uncle,” his death notice said. “A native San Diegan, he loved hiking and camping in the region. He lived in San Diego throughout his life, except for his time in the Air Force.” Hoff was …

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Abraxas High Grad Killed in Oceanside Crash

Michelle R. Cafagna, the niece of the late Mayor Mickey Cafagna who attended Abraxas High School, was killed Dec. 15 in a single-vehicle collision in Oceanside.

Michelle Reni Cafagna, who graduated from Abraxas High School, was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Oceanside on Dec. 15. Cafagna, 20, and Rizelle Cabana Alamares, 24, were killed after a car Cafagna was driving veered across three lanes of traffic and smashed sideways into a palm tree at about 1 p.m., the medical examiner’s office reported. The car impacted on the passenger’s side killing Alamares before she could be given medical attention. Cafagna was airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla where she was pronounced dead about an hour later. The tree was on a median near 2125 El Camino Real. The medical examiner's report stated the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and crossed three lanes of traffic. Skid marks …

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