STEVENS, Clarence A. (Gus)

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Monday, October 17, 2011 Clarence A. (Gus) Stevens, 86, of Las Cruces, N.M., died Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, at La Posada - Mesilla Valley Hospice. He was born May l, 1925, in Buffalo, N.Y. Gus served his country honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps in the South Pacific during WWII. After the end of the war, his Marine unit served six more months in Tientsin, China. He returned home, enrolled at San Diego State University and graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a degree in journalism. He worked for 38 years for newspapers in Arizona and California. The last 25 years he worked for the San Diego Union-Tribune where his positions ranged from copy editor, assistant news editor, book reviewer, travel writer and columnist. For the last eight years he was a television and radio critic. In addition to his newspaper duties, he wrote more than 100 romance novels, one mystery novel, a book on home safety, and numerous magazine articles. Gus is survived by his wife, Mary Jen of the family home, and his nieces and nephews, Sylvia Johnson and Sally Lyons of Murrieta, Calif., Chris Vahl of Nuremburg, Germany, Don Stevens of Ely, Minn., and Jim Stevens of Pound, Wis. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Eleanor, two brothers, James and Harry, and a sister, Barbara. At his request, cremation will take place, and no services are planned. Contributions may be made in his name to Mesilla Valley Hospice, 299 E. Montana, Las Cruces, NM 88005. Baca's Funeral Chapels and Sunset Crematory, 300 E. Boutz Road, Las Cruces, NM 88005 575-527-2222, helped the family with arrangements. For online condolences logon to www.bacasfuneralchapelslascruces.com. Information provided by survivors.