Mary Ellen Hirsch-Champion, 61, a longtime resident of Saratoga, died on Oct. 9 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Hirsch-Champion went to Penn State and was a huge football fan. She held two master's degrees, in special education and microbiology. She sang with the Masterworks Chorale group, with whom she toured Europe and sang at Carnegie Hall. She also spent nine years singing with the Sunnyvale Singers.

Hirsch-Champion taught special education and physical education at Aragon High School in San Mateo. She supported foster children in Africa and groups such as the National Organization for Women and the Sierra Club.

She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Dennis, of Saratoga; their son, Ben, of San Diego; and two sisters and a brother. Donations can be made in her name to the Parkinson's Foundation.

Karl F. Peterson

Karl Frederick Peterson, 71, of Saratoga, died on Oct. 12.

Peterson grew up on his father Axel's citrus farm in Vero Beach, Fla. He graduated from the American Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he met his wife, Lois K. Holmsten. They married and moved to Sunnyvale in 1957. They moved to Saratoga in 1965, where they raised their four children on Woodbank Way. Peterson worked as an electrical engineer with Lockheed in Sunnyvale for 38 years.

Peterson and his wife joined Valley Church in Cupertino in 1957, where he actively served for the rest of his life, including leading the Christian Service Brigade boys ministry for 15 years, and served on the church board in various capacities. He was active with Gideons International, distributing Bibles to students and military inductees. He was also elected to and served a term with the Republican Central Committee after he retired. He enjoyed beekeeping, gardening and driving his tractor.

Peterson is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lois Holmsten Peterson, of Saratoga; his daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret and Suzanne; his son, Peter; and his 11 grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers, Axel, Edward and Fred, and his sister, Pauline, all of Vero Beach.

Donations in his memory can be made to Gideons International, at www.gideons.org.