Redfern "Red" English's Obituary
Redfern “Red” Charles English was born in San Francisco, CA in July 1925 to Floyd and Ruby Redfern English, and passed away on April 4, 2018 in Templeton, CA, after a brief illness. Red spent his childhood years in Oakland, CA, enjoying summers at the family ranches in San Jose and Carmel Valley, and selling local newspapers at the train station before school in the 1930’s.
At the age of seventeen, Red left Oakland High School to join an academic program with the Naval Supply Corps, serving the Navy while advancing his education at Stanford University and UCLA. He married Jean Stephenson in June 1945 and together they traveled East to Florida with the Navy, and then to Boston, to earn a MBA degree from Harvard University. They then returned to California where Red began his 30-year career as an economic analyst with the Standard Oil Company of both California and New York, and Chevron Oil Europe in Brussels, Belgium.
Red and Jean divorced in 1965 and Red then married Kathryn Margaret Kelley. They spent the next fifty-one years together, living and touring in Europe, retiring to Moraga, CA, and building a mountain home in the Sierras. For over twenty years, Red volunteered at the Oakland Lincoln Child Center thrift shop and eventually served on their Board of Directors. In 2017 Red moved to Paso Robles, CA to be closer to family.
Red was preceded in death by his wife Kathryn in 2016. He is survived by his son Bob English of Hakalau, Hawaii and daughter Martha Staib (Ron) of Paso Robles, CA; three granddaughters Jennifer, Carleen, and Heather; and one great-granddaughter Samantha. A Celebration of Life will be planned for a future date.
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