Wayne Willis Grannemann, 86, a resident of Edgewood died Monday, March 1. He is survived by his sons, Thomas Grannemann and wife Alice Mann of Bradford, Mass., Richard Grannemann and wife Ruth of Benbrook, Texas, Bruce Grannemann of Arlington, Texas, and Gary Grannemann and wife Teresa of Edgewood; grandchildren, Scott of Cambridge, Mass., Cara and Kate Grannemann of Boxford, Mass. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret "Lisa" Grannemann; and wife, Joanne Grannemann. Grannemann was a professor of electrical engineering and for many years director of the Bureau of Engineering Research at the University of New Mexico. He was a longtime member of Central United Methodist Church. Services were March 5 at French-University Chapel. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the UNM Foundation Presidential Scholarship Program, 2 Woodward Center, 700 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87012 (www.unmfund.org/giving/index.html).

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ELAINE MCPHERSON

Elaine McPherson, 45, a resident of Tijeras lost a courageous battle against breast cancer on Tuesday, March 2, surrounded by her family and friends. Elaine is survived by her son, Evan Thomas Patterson; her husband, William A. Patterson; her parents, Vaughn and Emily McPherson of N.Y.; siblings Sandra Crawford (David) of Maryland, Scott McPherson (Karen) of North Carolina, Paul McPherson (Lisa) of New York; nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. Visitation was March 5 at Mountain Christian Church in Cedar Crest. Services followed. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mountain Christian Church in Elaine's memory. Please visit our online guest book for Elaine at RememberTheirStory.com

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RALPH H. PLUMLEE

Ralph H. Plumlee, beloved husband, father and grandfather, and 50-year resident of Cedar Crest, passed away Sunday, Jan. 24, in Tucson. He was born in Du Quoin, Ill., on Nov. 5, 1916. Despite humble beginnings and the impacts of the Great Depression, he excelled at school and went on to receive a B.S. degree in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1938, and a Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry from the Ohio State University in 1951. His 30-year professional career, first with RCA Laboratories in Princeton, N.J., and then Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque, was devoted to physical chemistry research on topics as diverse as fluorescent materials, mass spectrometry, ferroelectric switching and solar energy utilization. During World War II, he contributed to the war effort by working on the Manhattan Project. His work at Sandia Labs on ferroelectric ceramics has been heralded for its contributions enhancing the development of piezoelectric accelerometers. His marriage to Lynnette was a loving 65-year partnership devoted to fostering a strong sense of family and love of science in their two children. In addition to his professional contributions, his family will always fondly remember his great sense of humor, and that he was a jack-of-all-trades in home remodeling and repair, highly talented photographer, flautist and lover of classical music. He is survived by his wife, Lynnette, daughter Sandra, son Geoffrey, son-in-law Stephen, daughter-in-law Carol, and four grandchildren (Tucker, Chelsea, Jackson and Daniel). The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions in Ralph's memory be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

GEORGE ELLIOTT MURRAY

George Elliott Murray, 49, of Edgewood passed away Wednesday, March 3, at his home. George was born in Albuquerque on Dec. 6, 1960, to Frank and Bertha (Fried) Murray. He had lived in Edgewood for the past six years, having previously lived in Albuquerque. George was a very good handyman: "If it was broke, he could fix it." He loved gardening, along with chasing gophers. George is survived by his brothers, Shane Murray and his wife, Wendy, Brent Murray and his wife, Jeanette, and sister, Sandra Ikelman and her husband, Kenneth. There was a direct burial at Mountain View Cemetery on Thursday, March 4. There was a memorial graveside service March 7.

Harris-Hanlon Mortuary

JOHN ALAN WEITZ

John Alan Weitz passed away Saturday, Feb. 27. He was born in El Paso on April 23, 1949, to Loyal and Jeanne Weitz. John graduated from Burges High School and immediately embarked on a varied and colorful career. He produced and starred in the TV show "Captain Mack" and was one of El Paso's premier disc jockeys, creating numerous characters that endeared his listening audience while playing some of the best music of the time. As John matured in the business, his reputation grew as possessing one of the region's best voices for radio and TV production. Never one to rest on his laurels, John's love for motorsports led him to a position at MSD. In 2000, John moved to Sandia Park, where he continued his career as an actor and established himself as a movie production sound engineer. He also wrote humorous articles that were published in the East Mountain Telegraph.

John had an amazing zest for life. He was a technology nerd, a motor-head, a lover of nature, a biker at heart. He loved youth, his dogs, making us laugh and could tell a story that would leave you in stitches. He was always up for an adventure, whether it was four-wheeling in the river, three-wheeling in the desert or a 2,000-mile trek on the motorcycle. He and his mother, Jeanne, threw the best 4th of July parties around. John could always be depended on. He was a best friend, a loyal son and a compassionate man. Thank you, John, for touching our hearts, creating so much laughter and making life sweeter for all of us.

John was preceded in death by his father, Loyal Weitz. He is survived by his mother, Jeanne Weitz, of Sandia Park; brother, Marc Andrew Weitz of Metairie, La.; and sisters, Gail Patricia Holmes of Sandia Park and Judith Louise Zurbriggen of Prescott, Ariz.

A memorial service to celebrate John's life will be in Sandia Park on April 23.

Harris-Hanlon Mortuary

KAREN LYNN (WHEELER) BELCHEFF

Karen Lynn (Wheeler) Belcheff, 52, passed away at her home Sunday, March 7. She fought a courageous battle against ALS for over two years. She was born Dec. 21, 1957, in San Angelo, Texas, and grew up around the U.S. while her dad was in active duty with the Air Force, moving to Albuquerque when he retired. She married Larry Belcheff on Oct. 26, 1985, in Albuquerque. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in education from UNM, and taught third and fourth grades at San Antonito Elementary in Sandia Park for more than 15 years. She was an inspiration to the many children whose lives she influenced in countless ways, both in and out of the classroom, throughout her life. She loved her Lord and was activity involved at Heritage Christian Fellowship. She taught children's Sunday School and was involved in the Women's Ministry. Karen and Larry hosted a home fellowship group for many years. Karen loved horses and was actively involved in the National Association of Trail Riders; her other passion was quilting. She is survived by her husband of 25 years; stepson Scott Belcheff and wife Deidre, with the highlight of her life granddaughter Alex; her mother Mildred "Mickey" Wheeler; two brothers and family, David and Mary, their daughters Lindsey and Chelsea Wheeler, and Allen and Debbie Wheeler. In-laws Steve and Alba Belcheff of Raton; brothers- and sisters-in-law of Albuquerque, Frank and Lynette Butts, Dennis and Debbie Selvage, Dennis and Retha Shiplet, Steve and Janey Belcheff of Leander, Texas; nieces and nephews Jason, Erin and Jarin Shope; Vince and Sarah Moya; Jolynn and Maiah Torres; Adam Selvage and Jerrod Shiplet. She was preceded in death by her dad, Terry Wheeler, in 1990. Karen's endearing smile, warmth and caring personality will be forever impressed in our hearts. We will remain eternally grateful for having her in our lives, and will honor her by emulating the same spirit of joy and love that she gave to all of us. The family extends heartfelt appreciation and thanks to her many friends, caregivers and providers from Hospice of New Mexico. Her service, followed by a reception, will be at 3 p.m. today March 11, at French Mortuary, 10500 Lomas Blvd NE, in Albuquerque. Burial will be in the Belcheff family cemetery in Sofia, N.M. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the ALS Foundation, 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301. Please visit our online guest book for Karen at RememberTheirStory.com

French Mortuary