LATIMES.COM B5
Adelaide Finkbine Hixon
May 31, 1918 - November 6, 2019
Adelaide Finkbine Hixon, of Pasadena, California, died at her home on
November 6th. She was born on May 31, 1918 and lived for 101 years. She is
survived by two sons, Andrew Hixon of Santa Barbara, California, and Anthony
Hixon of Cohasset, Massachusetts, as well as seven grandchildren. There are
now twelve great-grandchildren whose ages run from one year old to thirty.
Adelaide was predeceased by her husband, Alexander P. Hixon, and her first-
born son, Lex Hixon.Adelaide was a uniquely powerful, complex, and loving person who has deeply
influenced hundreds of people during her long life. She could light a room with
her intuitive and lightning-like intellect, yet she also possessed a vivid sense of
humor, which ran the gamut from the bath room variety all the way up into the
subtle realms of high wit. Her funny bone often prompted her to tears of pure joy.
Adelaide had a decent golf game and was a highly accomplished fly fisher with
intimate knowledge and love of scores of spring holes and miles of trout streams
in the woods of Northern Wisconsin.For an article in Pasadena Magazine she summed up her early life.“Pasadena
was developed and formed by winter resort people. My family came when I was
about a year old, from Iowa. They would spend the winter, then go back, and
eventually they bought a house and stayed. I was raised here until I went to
school in France, when I was twelve or thirteen.”Adelaide attended the Westridge
School in Pasadena, The Shipley School for Girls in Bryn Mar, PA, and Vassar
College. She married Alexander P. Hixon in 1938.Adelaide was dedicated to liberal and humanitarian values from an early age,
and she was the dragon enemy of pomposity, fatuousness, and hypocrisy. She
felt that her wealth and social position demanded that she be aware of and of
assistance to people who struggled in life. Adelaide and Alec put their time as
well as their money into the service of causes and institutions whose work they
admired. For example, when in their late forties they volunteered to work for the
United Nations Development Program, aiding developing countries by serving in
one diplomatic post for five years in Accra, Ghana, and a second for three years
in the Western Pacific, based in Apia, Western Samoa.Adelaide believed in education and she and her husband innovatively
supported the Pacific Oaks School, Westridge School, Polytechnic School
(established an internship program for student teachers in conjunction with
PCC), Pasadena City College (a teacher training program), Yale University (a
Center for Urban Ecology, an endowed chair and scholarship support for African
students), Harvey Mudd College (a Center for Sustainable Environmental Design
and a professorship in the humanities), and California Institute of Technology (a
Writing Center to assist engineers and scientists to write clearly).This is a partial
list. Adelaide was particularly focused on scholarships, because of the diversity
that encouraged, and scholarships for teachers, so that they could enlarge their
abilities.After being a nurse’s aide during World War II, Adelaide started doing
community service of all sorts.She did volunteer work for Planned Parenthood for
years. On one occasion she took her young granddaughter with her to help hand
out free condoms on the street. Various boards and executives were attracted
to Adelaide because of her intelligence, honesty, and insights, and an innate
willingness to speak truth to power. Adelaide served on the board of Southern
California Public Radio, and she was on the national board of People for The
American Way. Politically, Adelaide donated to mostly Democratic candidates.
She was proud to have been an early supporter of Congressman Adam Schiff.Adelaide was a life-long patron of the arts.She was a member ofThe Pasadena
Art Alliance, The Conservatory of Music, served on the board of the Pasadena
Art Museum (now the Norton Simon), the board of the Center Theater Group,
and was involved with the Art Center College of Design. Adelaide said “I am not
just an art patron. I’m interested in our civilization. One of the problems is some
people are so interested in art, they forget that people have to eat, educate their
children, and art won’t do it. So you have to be more diverse in what you support.”Adelaide was involved with and a supporter of All Saints Church in Pasadena.
Her son, Lex Hixon, led Adelaide into a deepening interest in Eastern Religion.
Desmond Tutu became her friend. Recently, Adelaide held hands with loved
ones, looked them in the eye, and said, “I am trusting you to be happy.”The family will be scheduling a memorial service for Adelaide on a date after
the holidays.To place an obituary ad
please go online to:latimes.com/placeobituaryor call
1-800-234-4444September 15, 1927 - November 1, 2019BENDER, Joyce DavisJoyce was a unique and special
person who will be deeply missed by
all who knew her. Joyce was a lover
of life, always seeking travel and
adventure. She maintained her quick
wit, artistic endeavors and optimism
until her last days. She is survived
by son Daniel, 3 grandchildren, 1
great-grandson, sister, and numerous
nieces, nephews, and friends. She was
predeceased by her parents, husband
Morton of 70 years, and son, Douglas.
May we all aspire to live as full and
interesting life as she had. Rest In
Peace, we love you.
Memorial services are to be
held on 11/16/2019. Please email
[email protected]
for details.OBITUARY
NOTICES
Place a paid notice latimes.com/placeobituary
Search obituary notice archives: legacy.com/obituaries/latimesAge 66, passed away on October
17, 2019. He is survived by his
mother, Masako Hamada; siblings,
Ellen (Thomas Crane) Hamada-Crane,
Ronald and Joanne Hamada; nephews,
Brian, Stephen, and Kevin Crane; he is
also survived by other relatives.
Private family services were held
on Thursday, November 7 at Orange
County Buddhist Church in Anaheim.
http://www.fukuimortuary.com
213-626-0441HAMADA, Kent SeijiMount Sinai Memorial Parks -
Hollywood Hills 800-600-0076
http://www.mountsinaiparks.orgGOLDBERG, Herbert(61) passed away on October 31,
2019 in Los Angeles. He is survived by
his loving partner, Becky Yamagawa;
mother, Grace Fukutomi; brothers,
Ross (Mariko), and Buzz Fukutomi; also
survived by nieces, nephew, and other
relatives.
A private memorial gathering will be
held at a later date.
http://www.kubotamortuary.com
(213) 749-1449FUKUTOMI, Scott ShizuoDon’t let the
story go untold.
placeanad.latimes.com/obituariesIn partnership withMATSUHARA, Frank Masao passed
away October 31, 2019 in Torrance, CA.
He was born in 1926 and was a WWII
veteran in the U.S. Army. He retired
from a career at G.E. He loved fishing,
golfing, bowling & playing cards with
friends.
Mr. Matsuhara is survived by
children, Glen Matsuhara, David
Matsuhara, Robin Swartwout and
grandchildren Jeffrey and Robert
Swartwout.
A private memorial was held.MATSUHARA, Frank MasaoPatrickA.Lynch
November 23, 1998 - October 23, 2019Patrick A. Lynch, 20, passed away October 23rd
at home in Newport Beach. The second son of
Mary Katherine (Fuelling) and Kevin Lynch, he was
born November 23rd, 1998, in Seattle, Washington.
Patrick was a graduate of Newport Harbor High
School, Class of 2017. At the time of his death, he
was enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder
as a Philosophy Major. He was also a member of
the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.
Often described as a dedicated scholar with
insatiable curiosity, humble athletic leader
and caring environmentalist, Patrick was the
quintessential dreamer with boundless imagination.
He will be remembered for his infectious smile and
as a loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin
and friend whose passion for the ocean ignited his
love for the Orcas and other sea life.
His youthful interests were seemingly limitless,
extending to vintage cars, which he shared with his
father; hiking U.S. national parks; film; spending
time with his friends, family and dogs; lacrosse,
fencing, and basketball; travel and vintage Reyn
Spooner Hawaiian-themed shirts.
In addition to his parents, Patrick is survived by his
brother, Jack; sister, Katherine; and grandparents,
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Fuelling of Laguna Beach.
A memorial service will be held at Our Lady
Queen of Angels in Newport Beach, Saturday,
November 23rd beginning at 2:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions are
welcome to one of his favorite causes, saving the
Orcas, through: https://www.whaleresearch.com/
donate.To place
an obituary ad
please go
online to:latimes.com/placeobituaryor call
1-800-234-4444Age 74, passed away on October
22, 2019. Predeceased by his parents,
Raymond and Amy Sagawa. He is
survived by his wife, Nancy Sagawa;
son, Garrett Sagawa; sister, Teri St.
Jacque; nephew, Kevin (Joy) St.
Jacque; he is also survived by other
relatives here and in Japan.
Public visitation will be held on
Wednesday, November 20, 4-7 p.m.
at Fukui Mortuary “Chapel in the
Garden”, 707 E. Temple St. in Los
Angeles. Funeral service will be held
on Saturday, November 30, 3 p.m. at
Orange County Buddhist Church, 909 S.
Dale Ave. in Anaheim.
The family kindly requests aloha
attire.
http://www.fukuimortuary.com
213-626-0441SAGAWA, Norman K.Paul Mulholland Porter, born in
Hollywood, CA, passed away on
November 6, 2019 at his home in
Ventura at the age of 85. He is survived
by Erna, his wife of 61 years, and their
5 children, Michael Porter (Blanca),
Patricia Toth (Robert), Ann McDonald
(Gary), Paul Porter (Gloria), and Tom
Porter. His youngest daughter Jean
preceded him in death. He enjoyed a
special relationship with each of his 8
grandchildren and his great-grandson.
He loved and was loved in many ways,
as a son, brother, uncle, husband,
father, grandfather, great-grandfather,
and a friend to all who knew him.
Funeral services will be held on
Saturday, November 23 at 4:00 P.M.
at Mission San Fernando, 15151 San
Fernando Mission Blvd., Mission Hills,
with a private burial at a later date. In
lieu of flowers, contributions may be
made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church,
“Called to Renew” Campaign,” 10800
Henderson Road, Ventura, CA 93004.PORTER, Paul MulhollandTWO side by side cemetery lots in
highly desired area in Forest Lawn
Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills,
Los Angeles. Interment spaces 1 and
2, Lot 2387, Section Enduring Faith.
$30,000.00. Phone 253-858-39322-person Majestic Crypt
Price: $12,000.00
Inglewood Park Cemetery
Sale by owner. Money order or cashier
check (with receipt) or pay through
Zelle only.PACIFIC VIEW MEMORIAL PARK -
BURIAL PLOT
You have the flexibility to convert into
double interments through Pacific
View).
Location is Meadowlawn South. Site
is near the final resting place of John
Wayne and adjacent to the veteran
Captain of his yacht.
Please email [email protected]
for details.Cemetery Lots/CryptsOn November 4, 2019, Dan E.
Weisburd of Toluca Lake, California,
passed away, one day before his 86th
birthday. Born November 5, 1933 in
Minnesota, Dan moved to Los Angeles
in the late 1940s with his parents
Max and Shirley, and his younger
brother Sherman. Graduating from
Dorsey High in 1951, Dan went on
to earn his B.A. in film from UCLA
in 1955. After serving in the U.S.
Air Force, Dan began his career as a
writer, producer and director. He was
nominated for an Academy Award for
his 1968 documentary A Way Out of
the Wilderness; co-created The Most
Important Person, which aired in the
1970s on the Captain Kangaroo Show;
and was a writer for television shows,
including Laverne & Shirley, Trapper
John MD, and From Here To Eternity.
After his son David’s life was derailed
by schizophrenia, Dan spent years
working in public service on mental
health issues, publishing CAMI’s
The Journal; serving as Chairman
for Lt. Governor Leo McCarthy’s Task
Force for the Seriously Mentally Ill,
which led to the passage of AB 377
and the creation of Integrated Service
Agencies in California; and producing
and directing Another Kind of Valor, a
series of docudramas focused on the
challenges faced by returning veterans
and their families. Earlier this year, Dan
lost his wife of 59 years Elaine, and his
son David, to cancer. Dan is survived
by his children Steven Weisburd and
Elizabeth Buck; his brother-in-law
Warren; his nephew Andrew Aaron
Weisburd; and his grandchildren Diana
and Emily Buck, and Audrey Weisburd.WEISBURD, Dan E.A father and his daughter
were arrested this week in
Palmdale on suspicion of
kidnapping a woman in Las
Vegas, sexually assaulting
her and leaving her to die.
Stanley Alfred Lawton
and Shaniya Nicole Poche-
Lawton each face charges of
kidnapping to commit rob-
bery, attempted murder,
kidnapping from outside the
state, forcible rape and three
counts of first-degree ATM
robbery, according to the
Los Angeles County district
attorney’s office.
Military police found the
disoriented woman near Ed-
wards Air Force Base on
Wednesday and she was tak-
en to a hospital, according to
the Los Angeles County
Sheriff ’s Department, which
assisted the FBI and the Las
Vegas Police Department on
the case.
“She was reported to be
cold and was suffering from
the elements,” Sheriff ’s
Capt. Eduardo Hernandez
said at a news conference
Friday.
The woman, who is in her
40s, is believed to have been
kidnapped at gunpoint from
North Las Vegas on or about
Oct. 30 and held for a week in
Stanley Lawton’s Palmdale
home. She’s since been re-
leased from the hospital and
is now back in Las Vegas.
Stanley Lawton, 54, was
arrested Wednesday after-
noon and his daughter, 22,
early the next morning with-
out incident. The victim
knew her kidnappers, au-
thorities said, but the case
“doesn’t seem to point to any
type of revenge,” Hernandez
said. There does not appear
to have been a ransom.
Authorities believe they
have the primary suspects,
but the case is ongoing. Her-
nandez said it was unclear
why the Lawtons released
the woman.
The pair will be arraigned
Tuesday in the Antelope Val-
ley.
“It’s a vicious case,” Her-
nandez said. “It’s at gun-
point, it’s by force — that vic-
tim is then transported
across state line, held in a
house inside of a room for at
least a week. At some point
she was sexually assaulted
and then left for dead....
She’s very lucky to be alive.”Father, daughter
arrested in Vegas
kidnap and assault
Authorities say the
Palmdale pair kept
the victim captive
in a home for a week.
By Brittny Mejia
finally wooing Lois Lane. He
told children who asked to
see him fly that Superman
never would, except to fight
crime.
In a place not known for
manners, he was unfailingly
polite while in character,
which many visitors and
locals alike found charming
and always remembered
and now mourn. And they
don’t even yet know the full
extent of the tragedy.
This week, TMZ broke
the news that Hollywood
Boulevard’s marquee Man
of Steel had died at the age
of 52. He’d been found in the
Valley — apparently home-
less and lying headfirst in
one of those metal bins
made for people to toss old
clothes to be donated.
Shock and sadness has
been seeping across social
media ever since. But those
sentiments, I soon discov-
ered, are harder to come by
on the boulevard itself,
where I recently spent hours
looking for answers about
what happened to Dennis.
I had come to learn more
about one of our many lost
souls, who for a long time
caught our eye before he
dropped out of our sight. I
didn’t want his death to be
an easy one-liner: In L.A.,
even Superman winds up
homeless and dead on the
sidewalk.
In his own quirky way,
he’d done service to our city
for years. I thought we owed
him a richer sendoff that
went beyond the scant
official details.
Still, on the stretch be-
tween the wax celebrities at
Madame Tussauds Holly-
wood and the oversize white
elephants at Hollywood and
Highland, some of today’s
members of his strange
tribe of costumed charac-
ters spoke harshly about the
attention he got and about
his addiction to crystal
meth, which was his Kryp-
tonite.
And quite a few ex-
pressed precious little pity.
They felt he’d been handed
chance after chance to be
rescued and squandered
each one, ending up spiral-
ing out on the sidewalk,
talking to himself, caught in
destructive thought loops,
telling tall tales — pushing
himself more and more
beyond help.
Said a Freddy Krueger
from Switzerland who did
not want to be named: “No-
body cares about nobody
out here.”
Dennis once had been
more famous than anyone
else on the stretch. He’d had
so many opportunities. He’d
been on “Jimmy Kimmel
Live!” many times.
He’d been the star of a
2007 documentary, “Confes-
sions of a Superhero.” I just
watched it again this week
for the first time since it
came out and felt the poign-
ancy of the opening line,
from Dennis: “Hollywood is
a place where dreams are
made and dreams are bro-
ken.”
Matt Ogens, who di-
rected the documentary,
told me he thought Dennis
deserved his own Holly-
wood star. In the more than
two years he observed Den-
nis, he said, he “just found
him to be childlike. There
was something sweet about
him and there was some-
thing kind about him. He
had respect for the charac-
ter Superman and respect
for the job he was doing.”
Ogens said he was sad to
hear how Dennis had died
and to think of him in that
dark, lonely place. He said
he hadn’t seen him for sev-
eral years.
The denizens of the
boulevard said they had
never stopped seeing him
even after he stopped work-
ing the Walk of Fame, but
they didn’t always recognize
him, costumeless, hunched
over on the sidewalk at
Hollywood and Highland,
looking scruffy and sick and
emaciated and decades
older than he was, scrib-
bling in notebooks, drawing,
mumbling.
Storytelling on the boul-
evard, I’ve learned from long
experience, always contains
a murky mix of misinforma-
tion and rumor and make-
believe. It’s a place where
subtle kinds of delusion run
deep, where everyone’s
about to be discovered or to
be cast in a movie, no matter
how ragged the reality.
Every time I spend too
long out there, my head
begins to spin. I find myself
in conversations so fantasti-
cal, I’m not sure how I’ll ever
find my way out.
When I arrived there this
time, a Catwoman in min-
imal costume — really just
tight-fitting black clothes,
black cat ears and goggles —
was screaming at police who
told her she couldn’t strong-
arm tourists for tips. “If you
think you can come and
bully someone, you will die
in hell and you will burn into
ashes!” she screamed in the
cops’ general direction.
I met a shorter, some-
what rounder Superman in
a suit he’d grafted together
from various bits and bobs.
He’d fixed tears around the
neck of his blue top with
crooked red stitches. He
showed me photo after
photo of him as other char-
acters — a white Power
Ranger, Captain America —
and told me he was transi-
tioning from Superman to
Batman to fight corruption
in Los Angeles because
Batman on that score is
particularly smart.
Talking to him and oth-
ers about Dennis got con-
fusing. Timelines and mem-
ories merged with hearsay
and haziness. But everyone
agreed: Dennis had been on
the skids for years.
It probably started when
he and his first wife di-
vorced, some said — but
opinions varied over
whether the reason was his
drug use or because she
asked him to choose be-
tween her and Superman,
and he chose Superman.
Then there was the story
Dennis told a couple of yearsago about how he’d been
badly beaten with golf clubs,
which knocked some teeth
out, and robbed of all his
belongings, including nearly
$1,000 and his laptop and
Superman costume.
And his other story
about having his RV seized
by the city, leaving him
without shelter. One person
told me he’d heard he had
an RV with six cats in it.
Another who said he’d been
friends with Dennis for
years told me he never had
an RV at all.
People told me he’d
briefly been married again,
too — to someone he met in
Vegas or at an NA meeting,
and who only seemed to
make things worse.
His stories of his plight,
in any case, led to brief
flurries of news coverage
followed by crowd-funding
campaigns that raised
thousands of dollars to get
him back on his feet and to
help him launch a web series
about his life. (It’s unclear
where it stood at the time of
his death. Donors to the web
series repeatedly reached
out to Dennis on social
media demanding the
promised rewards for their
pledges.)
On the boulevard, people
told me he’d lost his teethfrom meth and spent the
money raised to help him
recover from his troubles on
meth, too. His benefactors
had bought him new cos-
tumes that disappeared just
like the old ones.
The L.A. County coroner
hasn’t yet determined a
cause of death. An investi-
gation is ongoing. For days,
the lack of detail frustrated
me. But I now know more or
less what happened. And it
really couldn’t be sadder.
I recently tracked down
his most recent partner,
Jennifer Masciopinto, who
was the one who found him
dead in the bin.
She has cerebral palsy
and uses a wheelchair, and
told me that he protected
and cared for her even when
he didn’t care enough for
himself.
She said they’d been
living together on the
streets for about a year now,
with stints here and there at
sober living homes.
Just before he died, she
said, he thought he’d been
kicked out of a drug-treat-
ment program, though she
later learned he’d misunder-
stood. In any case, she had
followed him back onto the
streets, and back into a tent
in Van Nuys.
He was still smokingcrystal meth, she said,
though he wanted to stop.
He was depressed and
taking various meds. He’d
been suicidal when she met
him and cutting himself, but
she said he told her that
she’d helped him turn a
corner and want to become
less self-destructive.
When she’d first met him
on the street, she said, he’d
been sketching and he’d
taught her how to draw a
tree. Then when the
boyfriend she’d come out
west from New York with
started beating her up,
Dennis had suggested one
day that they go together to
get cigarettes and she’d
stayed with him and never
looked back.
She didn’t know Dennis’
history at first. When he told
her, she said, she was in awe.
He’d known celebrities, she
thought. He’d been one.
Why was a world-famous
Superman with her?
She was getting ready for
bed the night before he was
found dead when he de-
cided to head to the dona-
tion bin nearby, where he’d
developed a system to pull
bags of donated clothes out
of the slot, which opened
and closed with a lever, by
standing on her wheelchair
and using a tool he’d fash-ioned out of some rope and
wire.
Usually she went with
him and stood by the wheel-
chair, holding it steady while
he hooked bags, she said.
But this time, he told her
just to stay put.
When she woke up the
next morning and realized
he wasn’t in the tent, she got
some help to walk over to
the bin and found him there,
partway in and partway out.
Maybe he slipped, she
said. Maybe he suffocated.
But the paramedics who
came after someone called
911 quickly pronounced him
dead.
He’d only been trying to
find some clothes to keep
them warm, she said, and
also some extra clothes to
sell.
They were right on the
verge of recovery, she told
me. She was expecting a
housing voucher any day.
They planned to use it on a
place where they could live
together in Hollywood.
“He wanted to go back to
being Superman,” she told
me, as she sobbed on the
phone. “We were this close.”
And she never even got
to see him in a Superman
suit, she said. By the time
she met him, there was no
suit in sight.Walk of Fame’s ‘Superman’ sought to rescue himself
[City Beat,from B1]