Local designer Robert Karl Behrens, a Sonoma resident since 1986, and best known for his design of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, died peacefully in his home, Saturday, Feb. 16, surrounded by his family. He was 68.
Behrens was born in Teaneck, N.J., on May 12, 1939. He attended Kansas City Art Institute earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1965 in industrial design and sculpture; and earned his master's in sculpture from the University of Denver in 1972. His public art career spanned more than 34 years, from 1973-2007.
He was the principal designer of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, after having joined the planning group during the early stages of its development. He even traveled to Washington, D.C., to find inspiration for the design. During that trip, he noted that the nation's highest military award is the Medal of Honor. Upon returning to Sonoma, he began to design the park with the medal in mind. At its heart is the five-point star fountain, while the walkways that radiate out from it recall the ribbon on which the medal rests.
Jim Parks, who was and is the memorial park's inspirational leader and main driver, credits Behrens with creating a design that both honors veterans and comforts visitors who come there to honor veterans.
Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders recently praised Behrens for his "personal passion" and creating in the memorial park "one of the crown jewels of our town."
He traveled to many of the beautiful places in the world that inspired much of his work. He was particularly interested in the ancient ruins of Greece, Italy, the Yucatan and Native American culture. His love of nature and beauty were reflected in his visionary works throughout the United States. Robert moved to Sonoma in 1986, at which time he and Marga Friberg remodeled and transformed two old houses on First Street East into the beautiful Cottage Inn and Spa.
His humble, kind, caring and generous spirit will leave an indelible impact on the city of Sonoma and he will be greatly missed by his many friends, colleagues and family around the world.
Robert led the way for planting trees on Broadway and was instrumental in keeping the integrity and charm of Sonoma alive by creating one of the tightest Urban Growth Boundaries in California. He also served on the Sonoma City Planning Commission. His work with neighbors and developers created a beautiful living environment north of the Mission. Love and beauty inspired all aspects of Robert's life.
His final design project was the Romantico Paradisio Room of the Cottage Inn and Spa where he and his wife, Faye, married by candlelight on Aug. 21, 2007.
Robert is survived by his devoted wife, Faye, and his beautiful daughter, Gaeta, his loving brother George and sister-in-law Mary Sue, and nephews, Kurt, Karl and Hank Behrens.
The family wants to recognize the professional and loving assistance provided by the Hospice By The Bay and the loving service of Jerrigrace Lyons of Final Passages.
To honor Robert, the family will host a celebration of life on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 310 First St. E., Cottage Inn and Spa.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be contributed to Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Valley Art Museum and Sebatiani Theatre.
Published in the Sonoma News, 18 Feb. 2008
Robert Behrens didn't confine art to a single sculpture or project. He envisioned his entire city as a work of art.
A public artist and designer of urban spaces and landscapes, he once brazenly applied for a National Endowment for the Arts grant to design the entire city of Sonoma as a work of urban art.
Although he was turned down, Behrens was never deterred by his failures. During his more than 20 years in the city of Sonoma, he vociferously spoke out for the aesthetic details -- large and small -- that make a street, a sidewalk, a new building, a development or a monument, something pleasing to experience and behold.
An indefatigable advocate whose impassioned voice was repeatedly heard at City Hall, Behrens died Saturday at home after a six month battle with cancer. He was 68.
"He helped change forever the way we see our own city," said former Councilman Larry Barnett. "Robert had a real appreciation for the pricelessness of the physical spaces and structures that make up a community. He kept pointing people in the direction of not making those decisions casually, and understanding that once something was built, it would be there for 50 or 100 years."
Behrens' most visible legacy is the design of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park in Mountain Cemetery, including a monumental five-pointed star on which are etched the names of Sonoma Valley veterans who have died. But he also is credited with the idea of making Broadway a grand passageway into the city. Many of his big ideas for creative urban design were ahead of their time, but his idea of planting oaks along the city's major gateway came to pass.
"Our cities and cultures are only as great as those places of beauty that survive the individual who had the inspiration, dream, desire and drive to freely create something for their fellow man to contemplate and enjoy for generations to come," he wrote just before his death.
The Teaneck, N.J., native's training in the fine arts, architecture and design gave him a uniquely broad view. He attended the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York, got a bachelor's degree in industrial design and sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute, studied landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin's Graduate School of Environmental Design and earned a master's degree in sculpture from the University of Denver.
"Everything was about beauty. The simplest thing, such as putting food on the plate, looked like art," recalled his wife, Faye Behrens, his partner in the Cottage Inn and Spa several blocks from the Sonoma Mission. "To Robert, everything was art. He could do it all, and life was a celebration."
His advocacy for good urban design often put him in an adversarial position. He fought as out of scale the development of what is now the Lodge at Sonoma Resort at Broadway and Leveroni Road. He was a leader in the effort to create an urban growth boundary, coming up with a plan that didn't sacrifice affordable housing, Barnett said. But he also was instrumental in getting the city to enact specific design guidelines for the town and was involved in the city's 1995 General Plan, which won an award from the state.
He served on the Planning Commission and lost a run for the City Council in 2002. But most of his work was as a citizen activist. With his signature dark turtleneck and soft-spoken voice, he managed to press hard while always coming across as an unfailing gentleman.
"He accomplished more as an ordinary individual than most people who have sat on commissions and councils for many years," Barnett said.
Behrens was an accomplished public artist whose career spanned 34 years and included projects all over the country, including the Solar Borealis Gateway at the Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska, Neptune's Gate at the entry to Lafayette Place in New Orleans and his favorite, a series of whimsical shade shelters shaped like whales tales and birds at the Cherry Creek State Recreation Area in Denver.
He had a surprising footnote deep in his past. As a dapper young man he served a regular stint on TV's "The Mickey Mouse Club," doing feature spots as the club reporter.
A celebration of his life will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Cottage Inn & Spa, 310 First St. East, Sonoma.
In addition to his wife, Behrens is survived by a daughter, Gaeta Stratton of Sonoma, brother George Behrens and sister-in-law Mary Sue Behrens and three nephews, all of West Virginia.
-- Meg McConahey
Published in The Press Democrat, 21 February 2008
Behrens was born in Teaneck, N.J., on May 12, 1939. He attended Kansas City Art Institute earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1965 in industrial design and sculpture; and earned his master's in sculpture from the University of Denver in 1972. His public art career spanned more than 34 years, from 1973-2007.
He was the principal designer of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, after having joined the planning group during the early stages of its development. He even traveled to Washington, D.C., to find inspiration for the design. During that trip, he noted that the nation's highest military award is the Medal of Honor. Upon returning to Sonoma, he began to design the park with the medal in mind. At its heart is the five-point star fountain, while the walkways that radiate out from it recall the ribbon on which the medal rests.
Jim Parks, who was and is the memorial park's inspirational leader and main driver, credits Behrens with creating a design that both honors veterans and comforts visitors who come there to honor veterans.
Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders recently praised Behrens for his "personal passion" and creating in the memorial park "one of the crown jewels of our town."
He traveled to many of the beautiful places in the world that inspired much of his work. He was particularly interested in the ancient ruins of Greece, Italy, the Yucatan and Native American culture. His love of nature and beauty were reflected in his visionary works throughout the United States. Robert moved to Sonoma in 1986, at which time he and Marga Friberg remodeled and transformed two old houses on First Street East into the beautiful Cottage Inn and Spa.
His humble, kind, caring and generous spirit will leave an indelible impact on the city of Sonoma and he will be greatly missed by his many friends, colleagues and family around the world.
Robert led the way for planting trees on Broadway and was instrumental in keeping the integrity and charm of Sonoma alive by creating one of the tightest Urban Growth Boundaries in California. He also served on the Sonoma City Planning Commission. His work with neighbors and developers created a beautiful living environment north of the Mission. Love and beauty inspired all aspects of Robert's life.
His final design project was the Romantico Paradisio Room of the Cottage Inn and Spa where he and his wife, Faye, married by candlelight on Aug. 21, 2007.
Robert is survived by his devoted wife, Faye, and his beautiful daughter, Gaeta, his loving brother George and sister-in-law Mary Sue, and nephews, Kurt, Karl and Hank Behrens.
The family wants to recognize the professional and loving assistance provided by the Hospice By The Bay and the loving service of Jerrigrace Lyons of Final Passages.
To honor Robert, the family will host a celebration of life on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 310 First St. E., Cottage Inn and Spa.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be contributed to Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Valley Art Museum and Sebatiani Theatre.
Published in the Sonoma News, 18 Feb. 2008
Robert Behrens didn't confine art to a single sculpture or project. He envisioned his entire city as a work of art.
A public artist and designer of urban spaces and landscapes, he once brazenly applied for a National Endowment for the Arts grant to design the entire city of Sonoma as a work of urban art.
Although he was turned down, Behrens was never deterred by his failures. During his more than 20 years in the city of Sonoma, he vociferously spoke out for the aesthetic details -- large and small -- that make a street, a sidewalk, a new building, a development or a monument, something pleasing to experience and behold.
An indefatigable advocate whose impassioned voice was repeatedly heard at City Hall, Behrens died Saturday at home after a six month battle with cancer. He was 68.
"He helped change forever the way we see our own city," said former Councilman Larry Barnett. "Robert had a real appreciation for the pricelessness of the physical spaces and structures that make up a community. He kept pointing people in the direction of not making those decisions casually, and understanding that once something was built, it would be there for 50 or 100 years."
Behrens' most visible legacy is the design of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park in Mountain Cemetery, including a monumental five-pointed star on which are etched the names of Sonoma Valley veterans who have died. But he also is credited with the idea of making Broadway a grand passageway into the city. Many of his big ideas for creative urban design were ahead of their time, but his idea of planting oaks along the city's major gateway came to pass.
"Our cities and cultures are only as great as those places of beauty that survive the individual who had the inspiration, dream, desire and drive to freely create something for their fellow man to contemplate and enjoy for generations to come," he wrote just before his death.
The Teaneck, N.J., native's training in the fine arts, architecture and design gave him a uniquely broad view. He attended the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York, got a bachelor's degree in industrial design and sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute, studied landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin's Graduate School of Environmental Design and earned a master's degree in sculpture from the University of Denver.
"Everything was about beauty. The simplest thing, such as putting food on the plate, looked like art," recalled his wife, Faye Behrens, his partner in the Cottage Inn and Spa several blocks from the Sonoma Mission. "To Robert, everything was art. He could do it all, and life was a celebration."
His advocacy for good urban design often put him in an adversarial position. He fought as out of scale the development of what is now the Lodge at Sonoma Resort at Broadway and Leveroni Road. He was a leader in the effort to create an urban growth boundary, coming up with a plan that didn't sacrifice affordable housing, Barnett said. But he also was instrumental in getting the city to enact specific design guidelines for the town and was involved in the city's 1995 General Plan, which won an award from the state.
He served on the Planning Commission and lost a run for the City Council in 2002. But most of his work was as a citizen activist. With his signature dark turtleneck and soft-spoken voice, he managed to press hard while always coming across as an unfailing gentleman.
"He accomplished more as an ordinary individual than most people who have sat on commissions and councils for many years," Barnett said.
Behrens was an accomplished public artist whose career spanned 34 years and included projects all over the country, including the Solar Borealis Gateway at the Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska, Neptune's Gate at the entry to Lafayette Place in New Orleans and his favorite, a series of whimsical shade shelters shaped like whales tales and birds at the Cherry Creek State Recreation Area in Denver.
He had a surprising footnote deep in his past. As a dapper young man he served a regular stint on TV's "The Mickey Mouse Club," doing feature spots as the club reporter.
A celebration of his life will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Cottage Inn & Spa, 310 First St. East, Sonoma.
In addition to his wife, Behrens is survived by a daughter, Gaeta Stratton of Sonoma, brother George Behrens and sister-in-law Mary Sue Behrens and three nephews, all of West Virginia.
-- Meg McConahey
Published in The Press Democrat, 21 February 2008
Local designer Robert Karl Behrens, a Sonoma resident since 1986, and best known for his design of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, died peacefully in his home, Saturday, Feb. 16, surrounded by his family. He was 68.
Behrens was born in Teaneck, N.J., on May 12, 1939. He attended Kansas City Art Institute earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1965 in industrial design and sculpture; and earned his master's in sculpture from the University of Denver in 1972. His public art career spanned more than 34 years, from 1973-2007.
He was the principal designer of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, after having joined the planning group during the early stages of its development. He even traveled to Washington, D.C., to find inspiration for the design. During that trip, he noted that the nation's highest military award is the Medal of Honor. Upon returning to Sonoma, he began to design the park with the medal in mind. At its heart is the five-point star fountain, while the walkways that radiate out from it recall the ribbon on which the medal rests.
Jim Parks, who was and is the memorial park's inspirational leader and main driver, credits Behrens with creating a design that both honors veterans and comforts visitors who come there to honor veterans.
Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders recently praised Behrens for his "personal passion" and creating in the memorial park "one of the crown jewels of our town."
He traveled to many of the beautiful places in the world that inspired much of his work. He was particularly interested in the ancient ruins of Greece, Italy, the Yucatan and Native American culture. His love of nature and beauty were reflected in his visionary works throughout the United States. Robert moved to Sonoma in 1986, at which time he and Marga Friberg remodeled and transformed two old houses on First Street East into the beautiful Cottage Inn and Spa.
His humble, kind, caring and generous spirit will leave an indelible impact on the city of Sonoma and he will be greatly missed by his many friends, colleagues and family around the world.
Robert led the way for planting trees on Broadway and was instrumental in keeping the integrity and charm of Sonoma alive by creating one of the tightest Urban Growth Boundaries in California. He also served on the Sonoma City Planning Commission. His work with neighbors and developers created a beautiful living environment north of the Mission. Love and beauty inspired all aspects of Robert's life.
His final design project was the Romantico Paradisio Room of the Cottage Inn and Spa where he and his wife, Faye, married by candlelight on Aug. 21, 2007.
Robert is survived by his devoted wife, Faye, and his beautiful daughter, Gaeta, his loving brother George and sister-in-law Mary Sue, and nephews, Kurt, Karl and Hank Behrens.
The family wants to recognize the professional and loving assistance provided by the Hospice By The Bay and the loving service of Jerrigrace Lyons of Final Passages.
To honor Robert, the family will host a celebration of life on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 310 First St. E., Cottage Inn and Spa.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be contributed to Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Valley Art Museum and Sebatiani Theatre.
Published in the Sonoma News, 18 Feb. 2008
Robert Behrens didn't confine art to a single sculpture or project. He envisioned his entire city as a work of art.
A public artist and designer of urban spaces and landscapes, he once brazenly applied for a National Endowment for the Arts grant to design the entire city of Sonoma as a work of urban art.
Although he was turned down, Behrens was never deterred by his failures. During his more than 20 years in the city of Sonoma, he vociferously spoke out for the aesthetic details -- large and small -- that make a street, a sidewalk, a new building, a development or a monument, something pleasing to experience and behold.
An indefatigable advocate whose impassioned voice was repeatedly heard at City Hall, Behrens died Saturday at home after a six month battle with cancer. He was 68.
"He helped change forever the way we see our own city," said former Councilman Larry Barnett. "Robert had a real appreciation for the pricelessness of the physical spaces and structures that make up a community. He kept pointing people in the direction of not making those decisions casually, and understanding that once something was built, it would be there for 50 or 100 years."
Behrens' most visible legacy is the design of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park in Mountain Cemetery, including a monumental five-pointed star on which are etched the names of Sonoma Valley veterans who have died. But he also is credited with the idea of making Broadway a grand passageway into the city. Many of his big ideas for creative urban design were ahead of their time, but his idea of planting oaks along the city's major gateway came to pass.
"Our cities and cultures are only as great as those places of beauty that survive the individual who had the inspiration, dream, desire and drive to freely create something for their fellow man to contemplate and enjoy for generations to come," he wrote just before his death.
The Teaneck, N.J., native's training in the fine arts, architecture and design gave him a uniquely broad view. He attended the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York, got a bachelor's degree in industrial design and sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute, studied landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin's Graduate School of Environmental Design and earned a master's degree in sculpture from the University of Denver.
"Everything was about beauty. The simplest thing, such as putting food on the plate, looked like art," recalled his wife, Faye Behrens, his partner in the Cottage Inn and Spa several blocks from the Sonoma Mission. "To Robert, everything was art. He could do it all, and life was a celebration."
His advocacy for good urban design often put him in an adversarial position. He fought as out of scale the development of what is now the Lodge at Sonoma Resort at Broadway and Leveroni Road. He was a leader in the effort to create an urban growth boundary, coming up with a plan that didn't sacrifice affordable housing, Barnett said. But he also was instrumental in getting the city to enact specific design guidelines for the town and was involved in the city's 1995 General Plan, which won an award from the state.
He served on the Planning Commission and lost a run for the City Council in 2002. But most of his work was as a citizen activist. With his signature dark turtleneck and soft-spoken voice, he managed to press hard while always coming across as an unfailing gentleman.
"He accomplished more as an ordinary individual than most people who have sat on commissions and councils for many years," Barnett said.
Behrens was an accomplished public artist whose career spanned 34 years and included projects all over the country, including the Solar Borealis Gateway at the Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska, Neptune's Gate at the entry to Lafayette Place in New Orleans and his favorite, a series of whimsical shade shelters shaped like whales tales and birds at the Cherry Creek State Recreation Area in Denver.
He had a surprising footnote deep in his past. As a dapper young man he served a regular stint on TV's "The Mickey Mouse Club," doing feature spots as the club reporter.
A celebration of his life will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Cottage Inn & Spa, 310 First St. East, Sonoma.
In addition to his wife, Behrens is survived by a daughter, Gaeta Stratton of Sonoma, brother George Behrens and sister-in-law Mary Sue Behrens and three nephews, all of West Virginia.
-- Meg McConahey
Published in The Press Democrat, 21 February 2008
Behrens was born in Teaneck, N.J., on May 12, 1939. He attended Kansas City Art Institute earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1965 in industrial design and sculpture; and earned his master's in sculpture from the University of Denver in 1972. His public art career spanned more than 34 years, from 1973-2007.
He was the principal designer of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, after having joined the planning group during the early stages of its development. He even traveled to Washington, D.C., to find inspiration for the design. During that trip, he noted that the nation's highest military award is the Medal of Honor. Upon returning to Sonoma, he began to design the park with the medal in mind. At its heart is the five-point star fountain, while the walkways that radiate out from it recall the ribbon on which the medal rests.
Jim Parks, who was and is the memorial park's inspirational leader and main driver, credits Behrens with creating a design that both honors veterans and comforts visitors who come there to honor veterans.
Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders recently praised Behrens for his "personal passion" and creating in the memorial park "one of the crown jewels of our town."
He traveled to many of the beautiful places in the world that inspired much of his work. He was particularly interested in the ancient ruins of Greece, Italy, the Yucatan and Native American culture. His love of nature and beauty were reflected in his visionary works throughout the United States. Robert moved to Sonoma in 1986, at which time he and Marga Friberg remodeled and transformed two old houses on First Street East into the beautiful Cottage Inn and Spa.
His humble, kind, caring and generous spirit will leave an indelible impact on the city of Sonoma and he will be greatly missed by his many friends, colleagues and family around the world.
Robert led the way for planting trees on Broadway and was instrumental in keeping the integrity and charm of Sonoma alive by creating one of the tightest Urban Growth Boundaries in California. He also served on the Sonoma City Planning Commission. His work with neighbors and developers created a beautiful living environment north of the Mission. Love and beauty inspired all aspects of Robert's life.
His final design project was the Romantico Paradisio Room of the Cottage Inn and Spa where he and his wife, Faye, married by candlelight on Aug. 21, 2007.
Robert is survived by his devoted wife, Faye, and his beautiful daughter, Gaeta, his loving brother George and sister-in-law Mary Sue, and nephews, Kurt, Karl and Hank Behrens.
The family wants to recognize the professional and loving assistance provided by the Hospice By The Bay and the loving service of Jerrigrace Lyons of Final Passages.
To honor Robert, the family will host a celebration of life on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 310 First St. E., Cottage Inn and Spa.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be contributed to Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Valley Art Museum and Sebatiani Theatre.
Published in the Sonoma News, 18 Feb. 2008
Robert Behrens didn't confine art to a single sculpture or project. He envisioned his entire city as a work of art.
A public artist and designer of urban spaces and landscapes, he once brazenly applied for a National Endowment for the Arts grant to design the entire city of Sonoma as a work of urban art.
Although he was turned down, Behrens was never deterred by his failures. During his more than 20 years in the city of Sonoma, he vociferously spoke out for the aesthetic details -- large and small -- that make a street, a sidewalk, a new building, a development or a monument, something pleasing to experience and behold.
An indefatigable advocate whose impassioned voice was repeatedly heard at City Hall, Behrens died Saturday at home after a six month battle with cancer. He was 68.
"He helped change forever the way we see our own city," said former Councilman Larry Barnett. "Robert had a real appreciation for the pricelessness of the physical spaces and structures that make up a community. He kept pointing people in the direction of not making those decisions casually, and understanding that once something was built, it would be there for 50 or 100 years."
Behrens' most visible legacy is the design of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park in Mountain Cemetery, including a monumental five-pointed star on which are etched the names of Sonoma Valley veterans who have died. But he also is credited with the idea of making Broadway a grand passageway into the city. Many of his big ideas for creative urban design were ahead of their time, but his idea of planting oaks along the city's major gateway came to pass.
"Our cities and cultures are only as great as those places of beauty that survive the individual who had the inspiration, dream, desire and drive to freely create something for their fellow man to contemplate and enjoy for generations to come," he wrote just before his death.
The Teaneck, N.J., native's training in the fine arts, architecture and design gave him a uniquely broad view. He attended the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York, got a bachelor's degree in industrial design and sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute, studied landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin's Graduate School of Environmental Design and earned a master's degree in sculpture from the University of Denver.
"Everything was about beauty. The simplest thing, such as putting food on the plate, looked like art," recalled his wife, Faye Behrens, his partner in the Cottage Inn and Spa several blocks from the Sonoma Mission. "To Robert, everything was art. He could do it all, and life was a celebration."
His advocacy for good urban design often put him in an adversarial position. He fought as out of scale the development of what is now the Lodge at Sonoma Resort at Broadway and Leveroni Road. He was a leader in the effort to create an urban growth boundary, coming up with a plan that didn't sacrifice affordable housing, Barnett said. But he also was instrumental in getting the city to enact specific design guidelines for the town and was involved in the city's 1995 General Plan, which won an award from the state.
He served on the Planning Commission and lost a run for the City Council in 2002. But most of his work was as a citizen activist. With his signature dark turtleneck and soft-spoken voice, he managed to press hard while always coming across as an unfailing gentleman.
"He accomplished more as an ordinary individual than most people who have sat on commissions and councils for many years," Barnett said.
Behrens was an accomplished public artist whose career spanned 34 years and included projects all over the country, including the Solar Borealis Gateway at the Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska, Neptune's Gate at the entry to Lafayette Place in New Orleans and his favorite, a series of whimsical shade shelters shaped like whales tales and birds at the Cherry Creek State Recreation Area in Denver.
He had a surprising footnote deep in his past. As a dapper young man he served a regular stint on TV's "The Mickey Mouse Club," doing feature spots as the club reporter.
A celebration of his life will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Cottage Inn & Spa, 310 First St. East, Sonoma.
In addition to his wife, Behrens is survived by a daughter, Gaeta Stratton of Sonoma, brother George Behrens and sister-in-law Mary Sue Behrens and three nephews, all of West Virginia.
-- Meg McConahey
Published in The Press Democrat, 21 February 2008
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