Dec 4, 2009 8:52 pm US/Pacific
Sonoma Remembers Family Of 4 Killed In Crash
SONOMA (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
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Jonathan & Susan Maloney, killed in the crash along with their two children, 5-year-old Grace and 8-year-old Aiden.
CA DMV/CBS
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A family of 4 was killed in Novato when a driver going 90 mph ran a red light & crashed into their minivan on Hwy 37.
CBS
A day of remembrances is drawing to a close for a Sonoma County family of four who died in a car crash last weekend.
Friends and family members gathered at the Sonoma Community Center Friday afternoon to mourn and remember the Maloney family who were killed in a crash on Highway 37 and Lakeville Highway east of Petaluma Saturday night.
The venue quickly filled with mourners dressed in suits, dresses and street clothes, and eulogies and remembrances of John Maloney, 45, his wife Susan, 42, and their children Aiden, 8, and Grace, 5, of Sonoma were audible over speakers outside the 299-seat auditorium.
Members of the media, who understood the memorial service was public, were told on arrival the service was private and were asked to leave the building. They listened to the service across the street and outside the community center.
Speakers recalled John Maloney as a thoughtful, generous man and dedicated father who loved going on adventures with his family.
His wife Susan was known as a "prankster," for her "irreverent and wicked" sense of humor and for being highly organized, friends and family members said. The couple's motto was "work hard, play hard," one speaker said.
Family members in attendance included Molly Maloney, the couple's surviving daughter who was not with the family when they perished in the crash, and Susan's brother John Murray.
Family members recalled some of their favorite moments with their departed relatives, including trips to the beach and music concerts.
John Maloney was famous for his Sunday morning hikes during which he shared stories about Ireland, family said.
Aiden, who was remembered by speakers for his athleticism and energy, and Grace, for her love of singing and ballet, pretty dresses and the colors pink, purple, green and orange, were students at the Prestwood School in Sonoma.
Students, parents and staff members earlier held a moment of silence at the school.
The family was returning to their Sonoma home after a trip to Hawaii when their 2004 Nissan Quest was struck by a speeding 2009 Mini Cooper that drove through a red light, the California Highway Patrol said.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, Steven Culbertson, 19, of Lakeport, died Sunday of injuries sustained in the crash. Authorities are investigating a report that he was drinking alcohol in a Petaluma bar before the crash.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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