Three people with deep Palo Alto roots are remembered in obituaries published Sunday, July 12, 2026, by The Almanac: Kuniko Ikemori Okamoto, 94, a speech therapist who fulfilled a childhood dream of opening an ice cream shop; Elizabeth "Beth" Cowell, 89, a Bronze Life Master at the Palo Alto Bridge Club; and Stacey Burkholder, 48, a teacher who captained American Cancer Society Relay for Life teams for 12 years before dying of cancer herself.

Kuniko Ikemori Okamoto, 94

Okamoto, who died Sunday, April 26, was born Aug. 13, 1931, in Kahului, Maui. She moved to Palo Alto in 1978 with her family and worked with several local school districts and at the Stanford Speech and Language Clinic, helping children with speech disorders.

She earned a bachelor's degree in speech pathology from the University of Michigan and a master's from Trenton State University. She retired in 2010 at age 79 from the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, where she helped veterans recover speech skills after strokes.

But her family remembers another chapter just as fondly. Okamoto and her husband Howard owned and managed an ice cream and candy store in Napa, fulfilling what the family called her "sweet tooth dream." Julia Child visited the shop.

Okamoto is survived by three children, Kelvin, Kathleen, and Karlton, along with four grandchildren. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. A graveside service follows Monday, July 20, at Riverside National Cemetery, where she will be reunited with her husband Howard Kazuo Okamoto. The family requests donations to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Elizabeth "Beth" Cowell, 89

Cowell was born May 6, 1936, at Stanford Hospital and died Friday, May 29, with her children close at hand. She moved to Palo Alto after her father's death to help run the family businesses, Cooks Seafood and the Bib and Tucker Restaurant.

Widowed at 48, Cowell reinvented herself. She joined the board of the Mayfield Community Health Center, earned certification as an Enrolled Agent, and prepared complex financials for a Palo Alto CPA firm.

Her family wrote that "her life was exponentially impacted by the friendships and connections she made when she began playing bridge." She became a fixture at the Palo Alto Bridge Club, eventually earning Bronze Life Master status. She was also an early visitor to the People's Republic of China in the 1980s and a member of the book club at St. Mark's Episcopal Church.

Cowell is survived by her children Kimberley Cowell, Robert Cowell, and David Cowell. The family requests donations to EMILY's List.

Stacey Burkholder, 48

Burkholder, who attended high school in Palo Alto and graduated from Santa Clara University, died Monday, June 22, after a long battle with cancer. She had moved back to Webster, New York, in recent years but maintained ties to the Peninsula.

After college, she served with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, then earned a master's degree at San Jose State University and taught at Del Robles School in San Jose's Oak Grove School District. She hosted free after-school tutoring sessions several times a week.

Burkholder captained American Cancer Society Relay for Life teams for 12 years. She played tennis competitively in high school and held ski season passes at resorts in California and New York. She attended Menlo Park Presbyterian Church while living on the Peninsula.

Her family closed the obituary with a line that captures her: "We apologize for any grammatical errors in this obituary — Stacey wasn't here to edit it."

She is survived by her mother and stepfather Leslie and Sam Huey, sisters Jill Burkholder and Kate Kapoor, and boyfriend Robert Gulick. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m. at the Country Club of Rochester in New York. The family requests donations to the American Cancer Society.

Remembrances

Community members can read full obituaries, leave remembrances, and post photos at almanacnews.com/obituaries.