Author: Kris Kimball

Ronald Profili Passed Away July 22, 2025

Featured by Kris Kimball

Ronald Profili Obituary

Ronald Louis Profili
12/16/1940 – 07/22/2025
Ron Profili’s life came to an end peacefully late evening on July 22, 2025.
Ron was born on December 16th 1941 in San Francisco, CA, and spent most of his youth in the City by the Bay which he loved. University of California, Berkeley was the College he chose. After college, Sacramento, CA was his first foray into the world of business. After a few years he relocated to Southern California and into computer sales. There he met Betty Burns who a year later, in 1969, would become his wife, a marriage that lasted over 56 years. The first years of marriage was in Palos Verdes, CA, but Ron always wanted to move back to San Francisco. So, they moved and lived in San Francisco until December 1998, where they moved to their present home in Napa, CA
In 1975, Ron and Betty started a company based on Real Estate related investments. Their first investment was in Orange County, CA, and they stayed with the same group of investors, buying and selling investment properties through out the years.
Their investments allowed them to have a busy life enjoying exotic cars and fun travels. But, blessed with all of the above they would always know that their blessings would allow them to be a part of being beneficial to the community they lived in. Five years ago, they donated to the Queen of the Valley Hospital Radiology Department and created the Profili Imaging Center.
Ron’s accomplishments were many. He was President of the Ferrari Club of America. He was on the board of the Alzheimer’s Assoc and a member of their Zenith Society. He was on the Board at the Queen of the Valley Hospital and also Napa Valley Opera House for many years. They spent many weekends at Sears Point and Laguna Seca where Ron loved to drive the Bondurant and Russell Racing Series in open wheel cars. He also loved driving his F355 with the Ferrari of Beverly Hills Team in the first season of the Ferrari Challenge North America Series.
Ron was a leader and innovator, but above all he was a man of principle and high morals. He was a great friend to many far and wide and he relished quality time spent with friends. Friends and family mourn losing such a vital individual who truly lived life to the fullest.
Ron leaves behind his loving wife, Betty, his sister and brother in law, Sandra and Jim Rohrer and their two daughters. Burial at Tulocay Cemetery will be private, family only, with a Celebration of Life planned for a later date.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Aug. 15 to Aug. 17, 2025.

Alvin Chan Passed Away

Featured by Kris Kimball

n Loving Memory of Alvin Chan

It is with profound sadness that Chapel of the Chimes announces the passing of Alvin Chan. In the early morning hours of Friday, February 6, 2026, Mr. Chan peacefully slipped away from his earthly bonds and gently entered into eternal rest, where he has been reunited in heaven with his beloved wife, Alicia Lowe Chan. He will be forever loved, missed, and remembered by his devoted family and lifelong friends.

Alvin is survived by his cherished children: Craig Chan and his wife Ivy, and Collin Chan and his wife April. He was a caring grandfather to Anissa, Malia, and Allyanna. His life was defined by a character that was remarkably kind and welcoming; he was a man full of spirit and joy who remained passionate about his family and his community until his final days.

For over 30 years, Alvin served in student accounting and finance at UC Berkeley, where his professionalism and dedication left a lasting impact on the university community. A resident of Moraga since 1973, he and Alicia built a life of deep roots and enduring memories, fostering a community of lifelong friends who became like family over the last five decades.

Maureen McClellan Van Tuyl Passed Away

Featured by Kris Kimball

Maureen Grace McClellan Van Tuyl died peacefully in her sleep on the morning of December 24, 2025 in San Jose, CA. She was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. She taught for 44 years as a French teacher at Carden El Encanto, an English teacher at Piedmont Hills High School, and as an ESL teacher for adults who had recently immigrated to the United States. She made a memorable impact on her students, and she stayed in touch with many of her students throughout the years. Her adult ESL students honored her by giving her a solid gold ring to thank her for the English she gave them through cultural exchanges, potluck, and laughter. Mrs. Van Tuyl’s students may remember her as the teacher with eyes in the back of her head offering a French or English Christmas carol to memorize.

Maureen’s love for horses and dogs can be seen throughout her shopping sprees at antique shops and through the clothes that she wore. Who can say when she rode her first horse, but we know it was love at first sight. Maureen rode many horses throughout her lifetime; Prince, Gracie, Mark, Pie, and Sport. Maureen was heavily involved in the United States Dressage Federation and the California Dressage Society. She taught horse-back riding lessons, and later became a judge and technical delegate. She also found joy and inspiration working at horse shows celebrating para-equestrians.

Maureen was always up for a traveling adventure. She spent summers scribing and volunteering around the world for her favorite Dressage judges. Because she was bilingual in French and English, Maureen wrote comments for many of the European judges at the Olympics and the World Equestrian Games. Maureen wrote of her tales for the CDS newsletter sharing her foreign friends with the horse people of California.

In later years, she enjoyed trailer trips with her family, going to Oregon in summers, Plymouth in fall, and select destinations across the US. She took her last trailer trip to the annual Thanksgiving trip in Plymouth in 2024 where she sat in the warmth of the party tent on a late fall afternoon surrounded by Van Tuyls, Lingelbachs, and Horgans, sharing turkey, pie, good stories and ignoring her green beans completely, as was her custom.

Maureen also enjoyed training her Standard Poodles and competed in Rally prior to COVID. Between her love for dogs and horses, she was always busy following her passion for the show arena. Her compassion for her animals has been handed down to her daughters and grandchildren. She taught her brother Denny, both her daughters, and attempted to teach her husband, Bob, how to ride horses. Maureen also became involved with Town and Country Dog Training in San Jose and encouraged her daughter, Gretchen, to become involved with training her dogs through the club.

After her retirement from Piedmont Hills High School, she started playing bridge almost daily when she wasn’t off with her dogs. She continued her bridge playing until her last weeks. She loved her bridge friends, Sue, Jack, Verna, Ernestina and many others and was proud of any master points that they earned.

Maureen leaves behind her husband Robert, her daughters Gretchen (Jeff Larese) and Kirsten (Linda Lingelbach), her grandchildren Juliann and Justin, her brothers Gary and Dennis, and her Standard Poodles Marti and Billy. She will be missed dearly.