Obituaries

Thomas M. Baird (74), MSgt, USAF (Retired), passed away Thursday, August 3, 2023, at his home in Madera after a battle with cancer.  Tom accepted Jesus as his personal savior at a Hume Lake retreat and was active in his church.

Tom was born in San Diego while his father was in the Navy. Before moving to Fresno, his family lived in Hawaii and small towns in CA. He graduated from Bullard HS in 1967 and attended Navy boot camp in San Diego. He trained as a jet engine mechanic in Kingsville, TX, and moved to Miramar Air Station in San Diego for F-4 Phantom training. He was assigned to the VF-154 Black Knights flying squadron and deployed to Viet Nam aboard the USS Ranger. After the deployment ended, he left the Navy and attended Fresno City College to become a licensed Aircraft & Powerplant Mechanic. He worked in flight operations in Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Chowchilla.

Renay Michele Weis (57),  a native and life resident of Madera, passed away July 27, 2023.

She was a member of the 4th Street Church of God in Madera and a Co-Owner and Bookkeeper for many family businesses. Renay was a Graduate of Madera High School, Class of 1984. She was a Campfire Leader for many years and was active in many different organizations. She was an excellent Artist with a focus on Porcelain Painting. As a result, Renay was a member of the Porcelain Artist Guild.

Her Mother, Karen Harbart, precedes Renay.

She is survived by her Husband, Sam Weis of Madera; her Father, Richard Harbart of Madera; her children, Nicholas Weis and his wife, Dakota of Madera; and Samantha Boehm and her husband, Roger of Madera. Her Grandchildren will miss her, Jacob Weis and Aria Boehm. Renay also leaves her Sister Kari Christiansen and her husband Carsten, along with her cousins Mike and Kelly McClaran, Nieces and Nephews Cory and Alycia Christiansen, and Katy and Romain Montazel.

Memorial Services will be held Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at 11:00 am at the 4th St. Church of God in Madera.

Services are in the care of Jay Chapel, Madera, CA.

Gary James Oberti (82) was born on the 2nd day of June in 1941 and passed away on the 14th day of July 2023 following a period of declining health. He was a lifelong resident of Madera and a respected community leader. He was honored in 2011 with a lifetime achievement award from the Madera Chamber of Commerce, where he was the founding chairperson.

Gary graduated from the Class of 1959 of Madera Union High School and furthered his education at Fresno City College, Fresno State College, and the Armstrong College of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. He served on the student council and was a proud Kappa Sigma Gamma Fraternity member there. He also served seven years in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.

Virginia Lee McClure (93) was born to Robert and Gertie Duren on January 10, 1930, in Wasco, California.  The Duren’s, joining with several other families in a caravan, had just traveled from the Stigler, Oklahoma region to California as part of the great migration of people moving West seeking jobs and opportunities.  Virginia recalled the family working in the fields and living in tents during the Second World War, being told to keep the lights off at night for fear of Japanese bombers, and proudly telling how her mother Gertie could pick as much cotton as any man.  During this time period, the family moved back and forth between California and Oklahoma several times, her mother Gertie died of a sudden illness, and Virginia graduated from high school in Stigler in 1950.

After graduation, Virginia met her future husband, Hubert McClure, and they were wed in a single-ring ceremony on February 18, 1954. Virginia never removed this ring from her finger and still bore it on the day she passed, July 10, 2023, which was some 27 years after Hubert’s death from cancer.