Stanford Report, Jan. 21, 2004

Memorial set for computer systems administrator Evelyn Ubhoff

BY BARBARA PALMER

Evelyn Ubhoff, an administrator in the Computer Systems Laboratory, died of pneumonia on Jan. 13 at Novato Community Hospital. She was 56.

Ubhoff, who lived in Redwood City, had worked as an administrator for the Department of Sociology for nine years before becoming faculty administrator to Giovanni De Micheli, professor of electrical engineering.

Ubhoff was born April 3, 1947, in New York City and earned an associate's degree in fine arts from the New York Institute of Technology in 1965, a bachelor of fine arts degree from State University of New York-Plattsburgh in 1968 and a master's degree in education from Hofstra University in 1972.

After college, Ubhoff worked as an artist and taught art classes before moving to the Bay Area with her parents, Gerard and Hedwig Walter, in the late 1970s. She married Harvey Ubhoff, now deceased, in 1983.

Ubhoff was very positive and brought a lot of enthusiasm and energy as well as skill to her work, De Micheli said. "All of her colleagues are very distressed. We will miss her attitude."

She always was animated and full of life, said colleagues and family members. "Her loud and very frequent laughter filled every space she occupied," wrote Ubhoff's sister, Shirley Pittman. Ubhoff was a presence in the Gates Building, agreed Claire Ravi, administrative services manager for the Computer Systems Laboratory. "She was one of those people who do so many things so well."

Outside of work, Ubhoff loved her two cats, reading novels, sunbathing and driving her convertible with the top down, Pittman wrote.

Ubhoff is survived by Pittman, of Dallas; her mother, Hedwig Walter, of Moraga; a brother, Barry Walter, of Santa Cruz; a stepdaughter, Kerry Estes, of San Luis Obispo; a stepson, Brody Ubhoff, of Las Vegas; and a companion, Manuel Duran, of Novato.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, Jan. 22, at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Church, followed by a reception in the library on the second floor of the Gates Building. Her family has suggested that donations of blood be made to Stanford Blood Bank in her memory.

Evelyn Ubhoff