GenealogyBuff.com - Obituary Collection from New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County, Delaware Obituary and Death Notice Collection (Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Wilmington, Newark, Elsmere, New Castle, Middletown, Delaware City, Newport, Bellefonte and Odessa areas.)
John Lester Watts, Sr., of Delaware City, died on Sunday, July 22 at Christiana Hospital, Newark. He was 63.
Mr. Watts was a repairman at the Chrysler Corporation Newark Plant for more than 30 years, retiring in 1989. For the past four years, he had been the groundskeeper for the Governor Bacon Health Center in Delaware City. He played fast and slow pitch softball for Delaware City teams
He was a member of the Delaware City Recreation Club for 40 years and a member of its horseshoe league for the past five years and its bowling league.
Mr. Watts is survived by his wife of 44 years, Lona L. (Wheat) Watts; his children, John L. Watts, Jr. and his wife Tina of Delaware City, Patricia F. Watts of Bear and Robert F. Watts and Mary Jo Watts, both of Delaware City; siblings, Roda V. Watts of Delaware City, Lee Watts and Sue Dooley, both of New Castle; six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A funeral service was held at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home in Delaware City on Friday, July 27. Interment was in Old St. Paul's Cemetery, Delaware City.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Diabetes Association, 100 W. 10th St., Suite 1002, Wilmington, DE, 19801.
James H. Achuff, Jr.
James H. Achuff, Jr. of Kenton, formerly of Aston Township, Pa., died Friday, July 27, 2001 at home. He was 74.
He was born in Lenni, Pa., and was an Army veteran of World War II.
Mr. Achuff was employed as a welder for Ludwig Honold Manufacturing. Co., Folcroft, Pa., for more than 20 years. He moved to Delaware in 1982, and was employed at the Smyrna Rest Area for 12 years. He enjoyed fishing.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Achuff, in 1993; a son, George G. Achuff, in 1999; and a step daughter, Mary I. Lamb, in 2000.
He is survived by his companion and friend, Thelma Daub, at home; four sons, John and William, both of Claymont, James, III of Bear and Ludwig of Cheswold; five daughters, Rose "Sissy" Rodriguez of Linwood, Pa., Rosamarie Shipley of Townsend, Janet Johnson of New Castle, Evva Hoyt of Mountainview, Mo. and Pearle Steele of Harrington; three sisters, Edna Russell and Arlene Saville of Pa. and Mary Latshaw of New Castle; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services were held Aug. 1 at Matthews-Bryson Funeral Home, Smyrna.
Interment was in Glenwood Memorial Gardens, Broomall, Pa.
James H. Cherricks, Jr.
James H. Cherricks, Jr. of Clayton died Friday, July 27, 2001 at his daughter's home. He was 57.
Mr. Cherricks was employed by the State of Delaware as a custodian. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and will be sadly missed.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Bertha Tubs Jackson Cherricks.
He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Bonnie M. (Ellingsworth) Cherricks; four children, Bobbie J. Kaeppler and her husband, Scott, of Delaware City, Sue Connors and her husband, John, of Townsend, James Shulties at home and Lisa Cherricks of Bear; two sisters, Edna Mae Speorl and her husband, Carl, of Newark and Linda Spiezio of Millsboro; his dear cousin, Diane; and six grandchildren.
Services were held July 31 at Gracelawn Memorial Park, New Castle.
Arrangements by Gebhart Funeral Homes of New Castle County.
Christine R. Chitwood
Christine R. Chitwood of Townsend, formerly of Roanoke, Va., died suddenly Sunday, July 22, 2001 at Christiana Hospital, Newark. She was 86.
Mrs. Chitwood was a homemaker and owned and operated the Skyline Restaurant in Roanoke, Va. during the 1960s. She moved to Delaware in 1975.
She is survived by two sons, Michael Chitwood of New Castle and Bobby Chitwood of Townsend; a sister, Pauline Lockhart of Townsend; and four grandchildren, Kendra, Kelly, Amanda and Andrew.
Services were held July 26 at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery Chapel, Bear.
Katherine M. Harvey of Newark, formerly of Wilmington, died suddenly Friday, July 27, 2001 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. She was 31.
She enjoyed horses, football, NASCAR races and riding Harley Davidson motorcycles.
She is survived by three children, Kandy B. Harvey of Wilmington, Amber A. Harvey of St. Petersburg, Fla. and Austin Harvey of N. J.; her parents, Barbara Harvey Rocco of Middletown and Clyde H. Harvey of Md.; a brother, Robert J. Harvey and his wife, Mary, and son, Rob J. Harvey, Jr. of Wilmington; grandmother, Bessie King of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and four aunts, Sissy King and Margie Armstrong, both of St. Petersburg, Fla., Robin Oberly of Newark and Kathy Graham of Townsend.
Services were Aug. 1 at Nichols-Gilmore Funeral Home, Newport.
The family suggests contributions to the Katherine Harvey Children Memorial Custodial Fund, c/o Wilmington Trust, 100 N. James St., Newport, DE 19804, attn: Marian M. Askin.
James "Jim" Edward Hassert
James Edward Hassert of Sebastian, Fla. died Friday, July 24, 2001 at Sebastian River Medical Center, Roseland, Fla., after an extended illness. He was 72.
Mr. Hassert was born June 25, 1929 in Hackensack, N.J. and moved to Sebastian, Fla. six years ago from Newark. He was a mechanical engineer and computer consultant at Haveg Industries, Wilmington.
He was a graduate of Rutgers University and the University of Delaware, where he received his Masters degree. He was a member of Sigma Xi, a professional engineering fraternity. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Junella Hassert; a son, James Wilson Hassert of Downingtown, Pa.; three daughters, Anne Lambert of Middletown, Ellen Levine of Newark and Mary Taylor of Wilmington; a sister, Eva Verge of Sebastian, Fla.; three step sons, Earl Whaley of Orlando, Fla., Vincent E. Whaley of St. Petersburg, Fla. and John M. Whaley of Sebastian, Fla.; seven grandchildren; and a great grandchild.
Services were held July 27 at Strunk Funeral Home, Sebastian, Fla.
Burial with military honors was in Sebastian Cemetery, Sebastian, Fla.
The family suggests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, Treasure Coast Area, 3375 20th Street, #100, Vero Beach, FL 32960 or to the VNA Hospice of Indian River County, 1111 36th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960.
Gerald L. Hoffman
Gerald L. Hoffman of Port Penn died Friday, July 27, 2001 in the Christiana Hospital. He was 75.
Mr. Hoffman retired in 1989 from Star Enterprise (Motiva) in Delaware City where he worked as a Security Guard. He was also A retired truck driver and member of the Teamsters Union. He was also a member of the Living Waters Ministry in Brookside.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ethel, in 1970.
He is survived by a son, Keith Hoffman and his wife, Josie, of Smyrna; two sisters, Lucile Sweigard and Gladys Pringle, both of Pa.; five grandchildren; four great grandchildren; and his close companion, Phyllis Giles.
Services were held Aug. 1 at the Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home, Middletown.
Burial was in Bethel Cemetery, near Chesapeake City, Md.
The family suggests contributions to the Living Waters Ministry, PO Box 7162, Newark, DE 19714-7162.
Sandra L. Keeler
Sandra L. Keeler of Clayton died Sunday, July 29, 2001 at home. She was 55.
She helped run the family business, Turner Snack Shop in Clayton and graduated from Smyrna High School in 1962.
Mrs. Keeler enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting, shooting and visiting the beach. She was also an avid baseball fan.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilson and Ella Mae Turner.
She is survived by two daughters, Lisa Kay Clark and Denise Keeler Evans and her husband, Ned; two grandsons, Chas and Tanner Evans, all of Blackbird; a sister, Arlene Reese of Dover; two brothers, Edward Turner of Az. and Scottie Turner of Hartly; her former husband and best friend, James Keeler; a sister in law, Kay Weisner; and all of the beloved Keeler family.
Memorial services will be held Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Blackbird Community Center, located of Rt. 13 on Blackbird Forest Road, (Rd. 471).
Arrangements by Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home, Middletown.
Clifford C. Lasana
Clifford C. Lasana of Smyrna died Tuesday, July 24, 2001 at home. He was 81.
Mr. Lasana was a World War II veteran and had been a 55 year resident of Delaware.
He was employed by the Town of Smyrna for 37-1/2 years as the Superintendent of the Electric Department. He retired in 1984. In addition, he worked on his family farm and had owned and operated an electrical contracting business, Lasana and Son.
He was a member of American Legion Post 14, Smyrna and enjoyed woodworking and refinishing, traveling, visiting historical sites, dining out and spending time with his family.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Mary E. Lasana, at home; a son, D. Clinton Lasana and his wife, Melody; a daughter, Janet L. Kucher and her husband, Bob; and four grandchildren, D. Clifford Lasana, Alexandria M. Lasana, Lloyd C. Massey and Mary J. Massey, all of Smyrna.
Services were held July 27 at Matthews-Bryson Funeral Home, Smyrna.
If desired, contributions may be sent to Compassionate Care Hospice, 623 W. Newport Pike, Graystone Plaza, Wilmington, DE 19804.
William L. Shea
William L. Shea of Port Penn died Friday, July 27, 2001 at home. He was 53.
Born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., he graduated as a Dentist from Elkhart University, Ind. and advanced his skills as a Dental Technician during the Vietnam War. He was published throughout the Dental Community and enjoyed sharing his knowledge with the Educational System.
Mr. Shea operated Shea Dental Lab from his home. He was a Veteran of the Vietnam War and a member of the Delaware Veterans Club Post #1, in New Castle County. He was active in local politics and instrumental in town changes.
He is survived by his parents, Jeanne and William T. Shea; three children, Heather Hoffman (Maldonado), and Christopher and Rebecca Shea; and his fianc , Linda Jobson.
Services were held July 31 at Old Drawyers Church, north of Odessa.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Port Penn Historical Society or Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Arrangements by the Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home, Middletown.
Robin Jay Thomas
Robin Jay Thomas of Wilmington, formerly of Dover, died Thursday, July 19, 2001 at home. He was 48.
Mr. Thomas retired from the Air Base Carpet Mart of Dover after 17 years. He was a long time member of the Camden-Wyoming Moose Lodge and the American Pool Association.
He is survived by a daughter, Lanie Robin Thomas of Dover; a son, Jay Trevor Thomas of Dover; his mother, JoAnn Kyritsis Crossan of Wilmington; his father, Joseph Kyritsis of Newark; a sister, Marianne Kyritsis Stewart and her husband, Kenneth, of Townsend; a brother, J. Andrew Kyritsis of Newark; and other family and friends.
A memorial service will be held Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Old St. Anne's Episcopal Church, S. Broad Street, Middletown.
In lieu of flower, contributions may be made to Delaware Hospice, 3515 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19810.
Arrangements by New Castle Cremation Service.
Alumus A. "Reds" Akers
Alumus A. "Reds" Akers, of Townsend, died suddenly Monday, July 22, 2002 in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover. He was 79.
Mr. Akers owned and operated a heating and air conditioning business for more than 35 years. He was an Army veteran of WWII. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and was an avid NASCAR fan.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Frances Virginia Akers; three stepsons, Dwayne Basham of Middletown, Jack Basham of Phoenix, Ariz. and Paul Basham of Melbourne, Fla.; a brother, Clyde Akers of Wilmington; a sister, Ila Cecil of Odessa; 11 grandchildren; and 13 great grandchildren.
Services were held July 27 in the Daniels and Hutchison Funeral Home, Middletown.
Robert V. McDowell, III, of Claymont, died Thursday, July 25, 2002 in the Wilmington Hospital. He was 74.
Mr. McDowell was a 1943 graduate of Claymont High School and a 1952 graduate of Drexel Institute of Technology. He was a mechanical engineer for Delmarva Power, retiring after 35 years of service.
He was an active member of the Atonement United Methodist Church and a veteran of WWII. He was also very active in the Masonic Lodge, serving as Past Master and secretary of Brandywine Lodge. He was a member of the Delaware Consistory 33rd degree-deputy of Delaware, Brandywine Chapter #9 Royal Arch Masons Past High Priest, Gunning Bedford Council #1, Past Commander Trinity Commandery #3 Knights Templer, Red Cross Constantine, and Past Commander and Chief of the Delaware Scottish Rite and the Nur Temple Shrine.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Florence Emma McDowell; two daughters, F. Emma King (Lester) of Bethany Beach and Roberta Joan Coleman (Randall) of Middletown; a brother, George K. McDowell of Newark; a sister, Martha S. McDowell of Claymont; and six grandsons.
Services were held July 29 in the Atonement United Methodist Church, Claymont.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mr. McDowell's memory to the 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Center, Scottish Rite Office, 4800 Lancaster Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807.
Arrangements by the McCrery Funeral Home.
Edward John Pavina, Sr.
Edward John Pavina, Sr., of Lewes, died Thursday, July 25, 2002 at his home. He was 76.
Mr. Pavina was born in Johnstown, Pa. to the late John and Magdalena Turkovic Pavina. Formerly of Claymont for 37 years, he had worked for Scott Paper at the Chester, Pa. plant as a paper finisher, retiring in 1972 after 30 years of service. He also had served as a united paper workers union representative for 18 years.
He was a member of Mary Mother of Peace Catholic Church in Oak Orchard and Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Claymont. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the VFW in Claymont and the American Legion, Millsboro. Mr. Pavina was a devoted Democrat and a U.S. Army veteran.
Mr. Pavina is survived by his wife, Edna "Sis" Edwards Pavina; four daughters, Kathy Russo (Steve) and Nancy Czukiewski, both of Wilmington, Judy Pavina of Salinas, Calif. and Teena Williams of Mesa, Ariz.; two sons, Edward Pavina, Jr. (Linda) of Middletown and John Pavina (Kimberly) of Newark; a daughter, Donna Pavina-Trotman (Andy) of St. Croix, Vt.; and 17 grandchildren.
Services were held July 29 at Atkins-Lodge Chapel of Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Lewes and July 30 at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Claymont.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Delaware Hospice Southern Division, 600 N. DuPont Hwy., Georgetown, DE 19947 or to Mary Mother of Peach Church, Rt. 24, Millsboro, DE 19966.
Arrangements in Northern Delaware by the Ward Funeral Home Linwood, Pa.
