Walnut Creek Death Notices

Janice Lee Christie, a resident of Walnut Creek, was born in South Dakota. She earned a bachelor's degree and teaching credential from Kansas State University. She and her husband of 50 years had two sons and six grandchildren. Christie died on Dec. 3 at the age of 73.

Barbara Crist, a resident of Walnut Creek, was born in Oakland. She graduated from El Cerrito High School, where she was a majorette, member of the choir and played the violin. She obtained her teaching credential from San Francisco State University and a master's degree from Cal State Hayward in psychology. She taught in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District for 19 years. Crist died on Dec. 2 at the age of 79.

Albert Doyle, a resident of Walnut Creek, was born in the Panama Canal Zone. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He earned a degree in education from U.C. Berkeley. He taught high school English for more than 30 years in Daly City. Doyle died on Dec. 1 at the age of 88.

Edward Leibson, a resident of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, was born in Detroit. He earned a doctorate in education from Wayne State University. He taught science in Detroit schools and was Mr. Science on educational television there. He moved to California in 1977 to direct the newly created Health Systems Agency of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. He later worked for Blue Cross of California. Leibson died Dec. 1 at the age of 84.

Ben Matsui, a resident of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, was born in Selma, California. During World War II, his family was forced to relocate to an internment camp in Arizona. Matsui was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II and earned a Purple Heart and two Bronze Star medals. He attended USC after the war and worked in the banking industry for 40 years. He was a member of the Rotary Club, the Golden Gate Optimist Club, the Buddhist Church of Oakland and the Sequoyah Country Club. He moved to Rossmoor after retirement. Matsui died on Dec. 1 at the age of 88.

Charles Vincent Peck, a resident of Walnut Creek, was born in San Francisco. He worked as a plumber for 35 years. Peck died Dec. 3 at the age of 75.

Justice M.O. Sabraw, a resident of Walnut Creek, was born in a small town in Canada. His family emigrated to the United States in 1937, settling in the Bay Area. Sabraw was a paratrooper for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He earned an undergraduate degree from U.C. Berkeley and a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law. He and his family settled in Fremont, where Sabraw opened a law practice. He was president of the school board there and was a member of a variety of organizations. In 1968, he was appointed as a municipal court judge. In 1971, he was appointed as a judge in Alameda County Superior Court. In 1985, he was appointed to the California Court of Appeal. He retired from the court in 1988 but continued to work as an arbitrator and mediator. Sabraw died on Nov. 30 at the age of 87.

Angelina Bertino Thomas, a longtime resident of Walnut Creek, was born in Pennsylvania. She moved to Oakland at the age of 20. Thomas and her husband moved to Walnut Creek in 1946. Thomas died on Nov. 29 at the age of 92.