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ANDREW J. BENNETT
CUMBERLAND -- Andrew Joseph Bennett, 61, of Ridgeway Terrace, Cumberland, died Monday, July 16, 2001, at his home.
He was born on July 29, 1939, in Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. Bennett was a retired Lieutenant Commander from the U.S. Navy, having served during Vietnam. He was a 1963 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. By act of Congress, Andrew J. Bennett served his country as an officer and gentleman. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal (21 Stars), Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and 2 stars, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.
Surviving are his wife, Christina Bennett; one daughter, Melissa Story and husband Bill; one son, Christopher Bennett and wife Courtney, all of San Antonio, Texas; and two grandchildren, Brandon and Gregory.
Friends will be received at the Scarpelli Funeral Home, P.A., 108 Virginia Ave., Cumberland, Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m.
At Mr. Bennett's request, his body will be cremated.
Inurnment will be in Arlington National Cemetery.
LUCILLE L. MOSER
CUMBERLAND -- Friends for Lucille Ley Moser will be received at the Scarpelli Funeral Home, P.A., Cresaptown, Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A Christian Wake Service will be conducted Wednesday at 8:45 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at SS. Peter Paul Catholic Church on Thursday at 10 a.m.
Interment will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
JOHN A. LONG
CUMBERLAND -- John A. Long, devoted father to many, devoted coach and leader to others and devoted friend to those in need passed quietly on July 15, 2001. He had recently enjoyed his 95th birthday celebration at the Country House in Cumberland, Maryland. Many of his former football players from the classes of 1940-1941-1942 and others at Fort Hill High School shared in a birthday celebration with him at the Country House just a short time before. Their devotion to him and his devotion to his players extended over sixty years.
Our father and friend loved his community and its people. Born and raised a few steps from the Kensington and Country House in Cumberland, he would enjoy spending time sitting in front of the Kensington and reminiscing about the people of Cumberland, and how they were always so loyal when others were in need of help. And in return, he spent his life challenged to creating a better living environment for the people of Allegany County.
He began his outstanding athletic career as a youngster playing basketball, baseball and football at Saint Peter & Paul School. He held the oldest scoring record of 52 points in a basketball game when in 1923 Allegany High School played a Western Maryland Interscholastic game against Bruce High School. Our Dad received an athletic scholarship to Catholic University where he starred in basketball, baseball and football. He was a member of the "Fearsome Foursome" on the great "Reindeer" squad of 1927 and 1928. He was the star forward on teams that combined to go 27-9 and a regular choice for All-District of Columbia collegiate teams. He also returned to Catholic University to coach the Cardinals to their only Division I NCAA Tournament appearance in 1944. It has been almost sixty years since our Dad coached at Catholic and he still holds the longest winning percentage as a coach of basketball at Catholic for a coach in ninety years.
And besides being a great athlete himself, he spent his life encouraging all young people to participate in school sports activities. He was a firm believer that by being active in physical education, schools would be less threatened by students who had too much "pinned-up" energy. As children of his growing up, we can still remember him raising money from you, the community, to buy basketball hoops for the various different sections of Cumberland in order that every child would have the opportunity to get outside and participate in physical activities.
When he was beginning his career as coach and teacher at Fort Hill High School, he was asked by Superintendent Cobb in the late 30's to participate in the architectural design of the now existing football stadium. He was the first coach at Fort Hill to coach a football game in the "new" stadium. He also loved coaching football and basketball at LaSalle and Allegany High Schools. For eight years he was the Athletic Director and Coach at Newman Prep in Lakewood, New Jersey. During World War II, he returned to his Alma Mater, Catholic University, as basketball coach. His CU Cardinals won the conference championship and played in the NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. While at Catholic University, he also coached football at Bullis, a prep school in Potomac, Maryland and was a coach at St. John's High School in Washington, D.C.
As his children, we were honored to be with him and our mother when he was inducted into two different Halls of Fame. He was inducted into the Catholic University Hall of Fame and the State of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in the 1970's. As a member of the Maryland Hall of Fame, he was honored to have his name placed on a gold plaque in Camden Yards, home of the Orioles. It will stand forever as a testament to his athletic abilities.
Besides being active in athletics, our Dad was tremendously dedicated to community service and community spirit. For twelve years he served on the city council as a commissioner. He fought hard to save Constitution Park in the late fifties when developers wanted to develop the park with homes. He believed that the park was developed for the children of Cumberland and surrounding areas and should remain a place of summer solitude, fun and adventure for all children to come. As unpopular as he was at that time, he prevailed. The park will always be a reminder to us of his tremendous wisdom and foresight.
Our Dad had the great privilege of being on the first Board of Directors of Allegany Community College in the sixties. He participated in the obtaining of land and the actual construction of the very first buildings that we now know as Allegany College.
He was honored when he was appointed in 1973 to be a Judge on the Allegany County Orphans Court and he was elected and became president of the Allegany County School Board from 1975 to 1980. He was very active and served six consecutive terms on the Allegany County Democrat Central Committee. He was also very active and loved the friendship of his fellow members of the Knights of Columbus, the Kiwanis Club and the Elks Club.
As his children, we will never be able to thank him and our beloved Mother for their undying courage and determination which began in 1941 when their eldest son, John Jr. was born. Shortly after his birth, they realized that Bing (as he is known) was not progressing as other babies the same age. They spent the first and second year of Bing's life in and out of Johns Hopkins Hospital and University searching for answers and help. There would be no answers. Time and again they were told to institutionalize their first born. Time and again they refused. They worked tirelessly and struggled emotionally and physically to encourage others to come forward if they too had a physically or mentally disabled son or daughter. They placed an ad in the Cumberland News and four other couples initially replied. With God's love in their hearts and with their own undying spirit, they formed the first Friends Aware right in our living room. They continued their struggle of raising money. They reached out to the community. They held day school for the mentally and physically impaired students who had been shun by others until they finally, after ten years, were able to change the minds of others on how they perceived mental retardation. And so it began, in a simple living room, in 1954, filled with a roomful of tears, self-doubt and self-blame, through the courage of one ordinary couple, the Friends Aware that we know today, was born.
This ordinary couple set out on a mission together, to change the thinking of the world and especially their world in Allegany County. Their challenge was to reach out to the "least of HIS children". Their challenge was to teach all of us that it is ok to be different -- to be unique. And their challenge was to help you and us, their children, to realize that by reaching out to the "least of His children" we are actually reaching out and touching God Himself.
Our Mother and Dad loved us and they loved you, the people of Allegany County. They always believed that without your loyalty and greatness of spirit, there would never have been a Friends Aware. They always said, it was your loyal friendship, your caring and your hard work that makes Friends Aware the Friends Aware that is so successful today.
Our Dad will be buried next to his dearest friend and wife, Mock. As their children, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being there for our parents and for our brothers, Bing and Stephen, and their friends who happily walk those beautiful hills of Friends Aware.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church on Wednesday, July 18 at 12:30 p.m. with the Rev. Senan Claw, O.F.M., Cap. officiating. The family will greet friends in the vestibule of the church at 12 p.m. All are invited to help us salute and applaud both our parents as we bid them God Speed and Everlasting Joy in their new life together.
There will be a private burial at the SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be John Long Jr. "Bing", Stephen J. Long, John M. Long, William C. Long, Gregory R. Clucas, Jr., and Christopher L. Clucas.
The family requests that memorials take the form of contributions to the Friends Aware Endowment Fund, Allegany College or any of the area High Schools.
We will miss our Mother and Dad, dearly and deeply, but we are so grateful to have been a part of their extraordinary lives. This self proclaimed "ordinary" couple taught us and you how to dream even when challenged with extraordinary challenges. They taught us all how to make a difference in others lives and even how to face death with dignity and appreciation to our dear Lord for many blessings.
Michael and Beryl Long and Family
Bing and Stephen Long
Susan and Gregory Clucas and Family
CECIL C. COX
WILEY FORD, W.Va. -- Friends for Cecil C. Cox will be received at the Scarpelli Funeral Home, P.A., 108 Virginia Ave., Cumberland, Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m.
Private inurnment services will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
ELSIE C. WALTERS
CUMBERLAND -- Elsie Charlotte Walters, 89, of 220 Sommerville Ave., Cumberland, died Monday, July 16, 2001, at Memorial Hospital.
Born on Oct. 29, 1911, in Cumberland, she was the daughter of the late Charles Eugene Gantt and Ida Mae (Durfey) Gantt. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Walter R. Walters in 1980.
Mrs. Walters was retired from the Allegany County Board of Education and was employed at Fort Hill High School in the Custodial Department. She was a member of Holy Cross Episcopal Church. She was the last surviving member of immediate family.
She is survived by a son, Royce Paul Walters, Cumberland; four daughters, Carole K. Thorpe and husband Edwin Allen, Cumberland, Gwen P. Fields and husband Gerald, Myrtle Beach, S.C., Gail S. Smith and husband Nolan, McMinnville, Ore., Lois Green, Baltimore; 10 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be conducted at Holy Cross Episcopal Church on Thursday at 1 p.m. with Father Warren Frederick officiating.
Interment of her ashes will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.
The family requests that memorials be made to Holy Cross Episcopal Church, 610 Brookfield Ave., Cumberland, MD 21502.
The Merritt-Adams Funeral Home, P.A., 404 Decatur St., Cumberland, MD, is in charge of the arrangements.
LILLIAN L. HARVEY
OAKLAND -- Lillian L. Harvey, 93, of Hyattsville, formerly of Garrett County, died Sunday, July 15, 2001, at the home of her niece in Harkers Island, N.C.
Born on April 13, 1908, in Garrett County, she was a daughter of the late Sidney Harvey and Mary Anna (Rodeheaver) Harvey.
Mrs. Harvey was a longtime educator.
Surviving are one brother, Earle Harvey, McHenry; one adopted sister, Deloris Hertzog, New Port Richie, Fla.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at the Durst Funeral Home, Oakland, on Thursday from 10 until 11 a.m.
Services will be conducted at the funeral home at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Rob Culler officiating.
Interment will be in the Rodeheaver Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the American Cancer Society, The Lakeside Assembly of God Church or the charity of the donor's choice.
