Ardys Naylor

Ardys Naylor  June 11, 1927 ~ Nov. 6, 2019 

Ardys Joyce Naylor, age 92, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2019 in San Clemente, California where she resided for the past 4 years of her life.

She was born June 11, 1927 in Los Angeles, California to Roble Clinton Naylor and Dorothy Mae Pond. She lived in the Los Angeles area in her early childhood until severe asthma forced her family to move first to Tucson, then Phoenix, Arizona. She met and married her first husband, Norman "Norm" Lewis Schaff, in Chandler, Arizona, a marriage to which three boys (Dave, Mike, Rick) were born. She married her second husband, William "Bill" Knight Cochran in Carson City, Nevada where she lived for 43 years. From this union, two boys (Dan, Paul) were born. Ardys' third marriage was to Clyde Whitely Petersen from which a girl (Christine) was born. Her fourth marriage was to Wendell Clare Cridlebaugh, and her fifth marriage was to Birchall Warren Smith of Palo Alto, California where she lived for 18 years.

Ardys was very active in politics for a number of years where she was instrumental in getting Paul Laxalt, the governor for the state of Nevada, elected in the early 1960's. She served as head matron of the Nevada State Women's Prison for a number of years. Ardys was active in her children's lives attending numerous football and basketball games and selling Avon.

She is survived by her sister, Jo Anne Gardner of Carson City, Nevada, her sons David Schaff of Nevada City, California, Rick Schaff of Houma, Louisiana, Dan Cochran of Crestview, Florida, Paul Cochran, and Christine Truong of San Clemente, California who graciously cared for her mother in the last years of her life. Ardys has 17 grandchildren, and several great grandchildren. She was much loved and will be missed by all.