A last goodbye to the Valley figures who died in 2024. BY PHOENIX NEW TIMES STAFF The Departed A rizona lost some longtime fixtures in 2024. The Valley bid farewell to two Phoenix Suns icons. We lost prominent figures in music, media, food and politics. This year marked the death of one of the last Navajo Code Talkers. It’s also the year Phoenix New Times lost a former reporter who helped give our paper its journalistic bona fides. Here’s our list, hardly definitive, of the most notable people who died last year. RENEE “LOVEY” BORENSTEIN APRIL 4 Renee “Lovey” Borenstein died just a few weeks before her 90th birthday. The mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and family matriarch was the co-founder of the Valley deli and bagel shop chain Chompie’s. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Borenstein moved to Arizona in 1978. A year later, she opened what was then called Chompie’s Restaurant and Bagel Factory with her husband, Lou, and their children, Mark, Neal and Wendy. The family business started as a small deli selling New York- style bagels and sandwiches on 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard. Over the years, it has become a successful chain with locations in Phoenix, Chandler, Scottsdale and Glendale. Frank Lara, director of marketing for JRI Hospitality and a 42-year employee of the restaurant company, described Borenstein as “the heart and soul of Chompie’s.” Customers could often find Borenstein at her restaurants, where she frequently visited tables to offer a word of advice or friendly suggestion. “In her more than 40 years presiding over Chompie’s, she was renowned for making each and every customer, employee, vendor and supporter feel like they were a member of our family,” Lara said. “And to her, they absolutely were.” – Tirion Boan ANTHONY CANECCHIA OCTOBER 12 The founder of the state’s largest inde- pendently owned brewery leaves a lasting legacy in the brewing community and beyond. He was 51. Brewing was a lifelong passion for Canecchia, who left his studies at the University of Arizona in 1996 to take his home brewing hobby to the next level. He honed his skills at Four Peaks Brewing Co. before founding SanTan in 2007. As the Chandler-based brewery steadily grew, Canecchia centered sustainability efforts, community and philanthropy. Later, he turned his attention to another passion and launched SanTan Spirits. Outside of the brewery and distillery, Canecchia was a loving son, brother and uncle and was a fan of “Star Wars”, comic books and LEGO sets. News of Canecchia’s passing led to an outpouring of tributes from the community and other local brewers, who remembered him as both a caring, funny and goofy guy and a “trail- blazer,” a “visionary” and a “champion” of craft beer. – Tirion Boan ZANE COOLIDGE SEPTEMBER 6 Phoenix police officer Zane Coolidge was one of two officers shot on Sept. 3 while responding to a call that someone was trying to break into a car on McDowell Road and 15th Street. Three days later, Coolidge died from his wounds at 29 years old, leaving behind his wife and a 5-month- old daughter, as well as his mother, twin brother and sisters. City officials, including Police Chief Michael Sullivan and Mayor Kate Gallego, lamented the loss of the young officer. “We will forever honor and remember his bravery and selfless service to our community,” Gallego said in a press release. A memorial for Coolidge was held on Sept. 18 at Dream City Church. Coolidge had worked for the Phoenix Police Department for five years at the time of his death. The suspect who shot Coolidge, 41-year-old Saul Bal, was arrested and indicted for first-degree murder, among other charges. Coolidge was the first Phoenix officer to die in the line of duty since 2021. Since 2017, seven Phoenix officers have died, three of whom perished from COVID-19. – TJ L’Heureux DAMON DERING APRIL 25 Theater and drag lovers have frequented Nearly Naked Theatre for decades, greeted by the smiling face of director Damon Dering before enjoying lively, provocative performances that shaped the city’s arts scene into what it is today. Dering was a beloved Phoenix drag queen and theater director for Nearly Naked Theatre for two decades, where he created a welcoming space for vibrant performances that pushed the envelope. An iconic flame in Phoenix’s Queer community and theater world, Dering cast out-of-the-box actors in roles which more traditional theaters might never have offered them. The actor and director also spent time in drag, eventually going on to win the titles of Miss Gay Phoenix America 1997 and Miss Gay Arizona America 1997. In April, Damon Dering passed away unexpectedly in his home. He was 53. – Itzia Crespo
