Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) - April 15, 2008

Daisie Adria Polich Stoney Resident of Walnut Creek Daisie Adria Polich Stoney died peacefully in Walnut Creek, CA on April 6. Daisie was born in Gum Spring, VA on December 17, 1913. In 1923 she moved with her parents and brother, Elwood, to the Bunker Hill area of Los Angeles, and moved again shortly thereafter to South Pasadena where she spent the remainder of her youth, graduating from South Pasadena High School in 1930 (at the rather young age of 16). She then earned her B.A. degree from UCLA (then known as the Southern Branch of the University of California) in 1934 where she was a proud member of the Phi Mu sorority, an affiliation she actively maintained throughout her life, at one point serving as an officer of the national sorority. Throughout her youth she became an accomplished pianist, and while at UCLA partially paid her way through school teaching piano. Many years later she filled in as the back-up pianist for the Glendale Symphony Orchestra. Daisie spent her entire career as an educator, commencing as a substitute teacher in the Glendale public schools in 1945. Reasonably quickly thereafter she became a full-time pre-school teacher in Glendale, from which point early childhood education became her career-long specialty and passion. In 1962 she began teaching at Glendale College (continuing to specialize in early childhood education but also teaching other subjects), a position she held - along with occasional stints at Los Angeles City College and Cal State LA - until her retirement in 1984. Her expertise was called upon in connection with the commencement of the Head Start Program, and she made several trips to Washington, D.C. in connection with that and other educational issues. She was a participant in the 1970 White House Conference on Children. Along the way (i.e., on nights and weekends) in 1965 she earned her M.A. in Education from UCLA (then no longer the Southern Branch). In addition to her extensive activities as a Phi Mu alumnae, Daisie had many other affiliations with which she was very active, in particular the Glendale Branch of the American Association of University Women - of which she was President during the 1961-1962 year - and Chapter KD of PEO. She was a long time member of the First Uinted Methodist Church of Glendale. And on a more "social level," in addition to being a friendly, fun, and sought-after person, she was a dominant bridge player - and she loved to dance, doing so three times per week through age 87. Daisie was preceded in death by her husband of forty-eight years, Carl J. Stoney, also a South Pasadena transplant from the East (Wisconsin), who spent most of his career doing top secret work at Lockheed's famed Skunk Works in Burbank. She is survived by her son, Carl, Jr. of Orinda, CA, her niece, Barbara Linda Polich of Cortez, CO, her nephew, Mike Polich of Chatsworth, CA, and her nephew, Jeff Polich of Lancaster, CA. In addition, when the Polich family moved west; they left a very extended family in Virginia; Daisie returned to Virginia several times through the years to visit her relatives, and remained very close to many of them. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 18, at the First United Methodist Church in Glendale (134 North Kenwood, between Wilson and Broadway). In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to the First United Methodist Church, the Phi Mu Foundation (400 Westpark Dr., Peachtree City, GA 30269), or the charity of your choice.