My Dad's Obituary
A shorter version is being published in newspapers, but this is a full account of the highlights.
Grover Stanley Drengson, 69, husband of Leila “Sally” Britt, father of three grown girls, died peacefully in his sleep close to midnight on August 31, 2009, at his home in Crescent City, California. Born August 5, 1940 in Pierre, SD, Grover was the son of Frances Kibler and Navy sailor Grover Henry Drengson. He was nicknamed “Butch”. The family relocated to Oakland, California during WWII, and Grover, along with his sister Judy, grew up mostly in the towns of the Sierra Nevada mountains: Oroville, Emigrant Gap, Gold Run, and finally Rocklin, where Grover took to hopping trains out of his back yard when he got to be a teen, riding the rails and seeing some of the world with his friends. He graduated from Roseville High School in 1958. In 1959 he took a job at Dewitt State Hospital as a Psychiatric Technician. He met and married Susan Braito in Auburn, CA in the early 1960s and they had three daughters: Natasha Kim, Charissa Lynn and Amiee D’Maris. The family moved to Applegate in the early 1970s to take part in a communal living experiment with two other families, Whitehills and Schubauers. Those friendships would span the rest of their lives. Grover worked for the State of California for his entire career. He graduated from Sacramento State College with a BA. The family moved first to Ukiah, CA, then to Sonoma Developmental Center in the wine country as Grover helped managed the downsizing of the State mental health facilities. He was a kind and charming man who was much liked by co-workers. He played baseball with local teams, and worked as a volunteer firefighter. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tell a good story. He also had a passion for knowledge and was a pretty good chess player. In 1976 Susan and Grover divorced, and Grover embarked on the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to sail the seas. He bought “Foggy” and began the process of becoming a ship’s captain. In 1981 he sailed to Hawaii and survived a monsoon on his return. Grover returned to Sonoma, and then relocated to San Jose to work at Agnew State Hospital. There he met and married Leila “Sally” Britt. The couple lived and worked together for many years, before retiring to live on their boat “Califia” in the Jack London Harbor in Oakland, CA. They sailed the SF Bay and up and down the west coast of America for many years and planned to sail around the world. In 1999 Grover underwent heart surgery which then prevented him from pulling sail anymore. Grover and Sally elected to sell “Califia” and took to the roads instead in their RV, becoming landlubbers. They traveled all around the US, spending time with friends and family. In 200? They bought a home in Crescent City, CA, close to the sea but still on land, where they have lived happily ever since. In his retirement, Grover undertook to chronicle his complete family history. He is the author of three family historical tomes, and spearheaded the effort to restore the Drengson-Rike homestead in North Dakota. He touched the lives of hundreds of people with his warmth, his huge heart, and his brilliant mind. He is survived by his wife, Sally, his three daughters, two sons in law, his granddaughter Heather Littlefield, his sister Judy and brother in law Ted Ebbage, nephew Andy Rhoades and niece Erica Smith and their families, cousin Rich Conley, sister Eleanor Krutina, and countless friends and acquaintances across the country. He will be greatly missed.
Grover Stanley Drengson, 69, husband of Leila “Sally” Britt, father of three grown girls, died peacefully in his sleep close to midnight on August 31, 2009, at his home in Crescent City, California. Born August 5, 1940 in Pierre, SD, Grover was the son of Frances Kibler and Navy sailor Grover Henry Drengson. He was nicknamed “Butch”. The family relocated to Oakland, California during WWII, and Grover, along with his sister Judy, grew up mostly in the towns of the Sierra Nevada mountains: Oroville, Emigrant Gap, Gold Run, and finally Rocklin, where Grover took to hopping trains out of his back yard when he got to be a teen, riding the rails and seeing some of the world with his friends. He graduated from Roseville High School in 1958. In 1959 he took a job at Dewitt State Hospital as a Psychiatric Technician. He met and married Susan Braito in Auburn, CA in the early 1960s and they had three daughters: Natasha Kim, Charissa Lynn and Amiee D’Maris. The family moved to Applegate in the early 1970s to take part in a communal living experiment with two other families, Whitehills and Schubauers. Those friendships would span the rest of their lives. Grover worked for the State of California for his entire career. He graduated from Sacramento State College with a BA. The family moved first to Ukiah, CA, then to Sonoma Developmental Center in the wine country as Grover helped managed the downsizing of the State mental health facilities. He was a kind and charming man who was much liked by co-workers. He played baseball with local teams, and worked as a volunteer firefighter. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tell a good story. He also had a passion for knowledge and was a pretty good chess player. In 1976 Susan and Grover divorced, and Grover embarked on the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to sail the seas. He bought “Foggy” and began the process of becoming a ship’s captain. In 1981 he sailed to Hawaii and survived a monsoon on his return. Grover returned to Sonoma, and then relocated to San Jose to work at Agnew State Hospital. There he met and married Leila “Sally” Britt. The couple lived and worked together for many years, before retiring to live on their boat “Califia” in the Jack London Harbor in Oakland, CA. They sailed the SF Bay and up and down the west coast of America for many years and planned to sail around the world. In 1999 Grover underwent heart surgery which then prevented him from pulling sail anymore. Grover and Sally elected to sell “Califia” and took to the roads instead in their RV, becoming landlubbers. They traveled all around the US, spending time with friends and family. In 200? They bought a home in Crescent City, CA, close to the sea but still on land, where they have lived happily ever since. In his retirement, Grover undertook to chronicle his complete family history. He is the author of three family historical tomes, and spearheaded the effort to restore the Drengson-Rike homestead in North Dakota. He touched the lives of hundreds of people with his warmth, his huge heart, and his brilliant mind. He is survived by his wife, Sally, his three daughters, two sons in law, his granddaughter Heather Littlefield, his sister Judy and brother in law Ted Ebbage, nephew Andy Rhoades and niece Erica Smith and their families, cousin Rich Conley, sister Eleanor Krutina, and countless friends and acquaintances across the country. He will be greatly missed.