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In Memory

Stoddard (Skip) Lane

Stoddard "Skip" Lane III

1943 - 2021

Stoddard "Skip" Lane III passed away on August 11, 2021 after a brief illness. Born March 13, 1943 in Long Branch, New Jersey to Stoddard Lane Jr. and Barbara (Spaulding) Lane. His father put on hold his English Literature PhD at the University of Chicago to join the Army Air Forces in World War II. Born during the course of his successful 50 combat missions, Stoddard Jr.'s B-24 crew came to call their captain's unseen newborn son the " 'lil Skipper". Hence, "Skip", which stuck for life.

Skip's family moved around to follow his father's executive career postings with Johns Mansville, with most of his youth spent in Kenosha, WI, and Anaheim, CA. Skip followed three generations of Lane men before him in attending Amherst College, excelling scholastically and on the tennis team. Following graduation, he attended law school at Cal, but the summer before he was to take the bar exam, he worked in the legal department of a firm on Wall Street and decided that a future in law was not for him after all. He and a friend quixotically hitched a ride on a barge from New York to Israel and joined a kibbutz, where Skip met his first wife, Danish national Lisbeth Hansen. They moved back to Berkeley, CA for a time before following Skip's uncle, Jim Spaulding, (a journalism emeritus professor at Cal and owner of Stonegate Winery in Calistoga, CA) to Napa Valley. After working in the cellar at Robert Mondavi Winery, Skip co-founded the first modern day cooperage in Napa Valley, Barrel Builders. Selling his interest to his partners after a few years of successful operation, Skip transitioned to a career in real estate brokerage. He remained active in the Napa Valley real estate market for the remainder of his life, co-founding and operating several real estate companies with his second wife, Gail Morgan Lane.

Serving the community of St. Helena was always a top priority for Skip, he consistently participated in organizations dedicated to the betterment of his beloved town over the course of his 50 years of residency. He proudly served as President of the St. Helena School Board, St. Helena Historical Society, and St. Helena Library foundation, among others.

Skip's later years were lovingly spent traveling with his wife Cynthia, and enjoying active participation in their children and grandchildrens' lives. A lifelong voracious reader, his final years afforded him ample time for his favorite hobby. Skip is survived by his wife Cynthia Lane of St. Helena, CA, his daughter Sarah Lane of St. Helena, CA, his son Sebastian Lane (Estelle) of St. Helena, CA, his sister Elizabeth Cabot (Jeff) of Columbus, OH, his step-daughter Leah Jaeger of San Diego, CA, his step-son William Jaeger (Leanne) of Port Orange, FL, his grandchildren Marie-Marguerite and Sebastian Lane of St. Helena, CA and his step-grandaughter Charlie Rose Jaeger of Port Orange, FL.

No public services will be held and the family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers to the St. Helena Historical Society in his name.

 
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03/11/22 06:21 PM #9    

Nancy Walton (Julien)

Oh Tom, Please forgive me. Glad it worked out for you. Not sure who finally got blamed for it. Oh, those were the days :)


03/12/22 11:30 AM #10    

Cecil O'Neal

Roberta Weber and I exchanged some meories of skip about a year ago on this site.  I won't repeat all that I shared with Roberta, but Skip was a great and influential friend.  He and Roberta were the only members of our kindergarten class who could read and were often called upon to do so.

Skip's family home was an eccentric cottage on the west side of 7th Avenue just two doors south of the cemetary.  It had a huge back yard, the western bouderies of which were more like a country field than a small town back yard, at least im my memory.  We even dug a "foxhole" back there.  A group of us from Southport hung out there on a regular basis; Skip, Peter Kaiser, Mark Schmerling, Chuck Limpert...Sadly, Chuck and I may be the only ones still alive from that little group.  We would sit in that "foxhole" and talk for hours about whatever adolescent boys talked about, probably adolescent girls.

I was the only one who lived west of 7th avenue, sort of the equivelent of the "the other side of the tracks" in those days.  We lived on 73rd Street west of 8th Avenue.  Tom and Terry Fugette lived on 8th Avenue just north of 75th Street and Tony DiCello lived on 74th Street jsut west of 8th.

Skip was an extremely bright and interesting man.  His death is a huge loss.


03/12/22 08:17 PM #11    

Suzette Arnoldini (Englund)

Some of the best memories I have are of Lincoln Junior High School. The people I met there have been friends for life really and I sure apprecate all of them.  i did not know many kids in the Lincoln area in 7th grade as I came from what had been the county.  But I certainly remember Skip.  In those days I believe we were placed in classes by numbers with #(7-1, 8-1, 9-1 and on up.etc). I believe the number ones being some very bright kids.  It was where I first met Skip, a student who certianly belonged in that number one group.  Others like Kitty Wells, Joyce Smoler, Jamie Charlton, also belonged there. I did not and of course was much more comfortable as a 9-13!!!  Anyway Skip was very bright, but also very cool, and  kind and humble. He was good looking and he sort of reminded me of George Hamilton in Where The Boys Are.  The thing I remember best about Skip however was how much Nancy cared about him, and he cared about her.  The picture Nancy posted is priceless. It sure brought back memories. As Cherie said those first loves stay with you forever.  They were such a sweet couple and I know enriched  each others lives even at their young ages.  Such an impact our classmates make on us.  I hope Skip had a happy life.               


03/13/22 07:10 AM #12    

Charles Limpert

Cecil

You are so right on your memory of Skip Lane

Thanks for comments. Yes we were pretty close group and thanks for mentioning. His home was quite unique and I can remember my dad and grandmother telling me about it as they lived their entire lives in my home two doors down.

The real history of his gigantic back yard is that behind our homes stretching several blocks before development was a massive sand dune that also was unique. We played there a lot. His back yard ran into it. Sand dunes wete a left over from once Lake Michigan was once covering our properties a long time ago . 

My backyard also ran into it. Great area if you can remember to play in

Thanks for causing me to think of things I haven’t thought of for 65-70 years. I have a land plot that my dad gave me that showed the area of southport before developpent. Here is solething you might not know and Suzette might not kniw

The entire area across the street from my hole and skips was the original Kenosha country club golf course. My dad gave me a picture if him as a child standing in our from yard looking across the dirt road which Is now 7 ave and seeing the golf course all the way to Lake Michigan. Suzette your home was on the golf course, tks for remembering  lots of history my dad passed down to me  he lived his entire life in our one hose  92 yrs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


03/13/22 09:25 AM #13    

James Szantor

Please don’t misconstrue this as a criticism in any way, but how strange and ironic in this day of instant and incessant communication that we’re just learning of Skip’s passing nearly six months after the fact.  I guess it’s a two-sided coin:  We’re proud that so many of our classmates drifted away and succeeded in far-flung locales as they—to trot out an old saying—went out to seek their fortunes.  But at the same time that success and those subsequent adventures removed them from our radar screens and--naturally so--as we immersed ourselves in our own lives, families and careers.  We had, after all, a class of 600-plus, and that, alas, leaves only so much time for keeping track of people like Skip and others whose journeys escaped into, as a poet once said, into the mists of time.  But even with the belated and unfortunate news, the vivid and loving memories laid out here by Chuck, Tom, Cecil, Nancy, Suzette, Mary and Cherie more than compensate for the time lag and bring not only his life but those precious “Wonder Years” days back into the sunny side of our memory banks.  R.I.P., Skip.  (I wonder if anyone ever called him “Stoddard” and lived to tell the tale.)


03/13/22 09:46 AM #14    

Nancy Walton (Julien)

Jim, Skip was not in the Class of '61 that is why it has been so long. Someone contacted Sandi about his death becsuse so many of us knew and cared for Him. Thank You Sandi. 


03/13/22 11:03 AM #15    

James Szantor

I hear you, but I see his name listed in Classmate Profiles, and many of those reminiscences predated our actual Bradford graduation day. 

  


03/14/22 11:34 AM #16    

William Whyte

When Skip left Kenosha, he asked me to take care of his girlfriend at the time, Janie Heller. After a few years of dating, 50 years of marriage, 2 daughters, 8 grandchildren, and countless memories, Jane passed away in 2013.

Now if that isn't being a loyal friend, I don't know what is. RIP Skip.


03/14/22 02:07 PM #17    

Nancy Walton (Julien)

Bill, I remember Skip snd Janie were an item. You did what Skip wanted You to do. You took care of Her :) Why did Skip leave Town at that time?  He was still young so He moved with His Parents. Right?


03/15/22 09:21 AM #18    

Cecil O'Neal

Chuck,

Thanks so much for this.  Neighborhood history that I had no idea of.  Amazing that your father lived in that house for 92 years.

It would be great to see you at the 80th birthday party, if it happens.

Best
Cecil

 

 


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