Huge Marriages Search Engine!
Austin Cowles Farrell
After a long battle with cancer, Austin Cowles Farrell, 85, peacefully departed this life on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 at Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community.
He was born April 8, 1919 in Paterson, N.J., and was the son of the late Floyd Vincent Farrell and Grace Cowles Farrell. Mr. Farrell was employed with IBM for 30 years and was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War. Austin was the founder of the Raleigh Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication. He received the honor of Associate Fellow and Fellow from STC. He founded the Homeowner's Association of Medfield Estates and was a member of the Cary United Methodist Church and the American Radio Relay League for many years. While a resident at Springmoor, he was a member of the Hot Shots choral group, editor of the monthly newsletter and founded what is now the Austin C. Farrell Computer Club.
Austin is survived by his wife of 55 years, Adelaide T. Farrell; son, Richard C. Farrell of Apex; daughter and son-in-law Deirdre (Dee) and Ralph Bonuccelli of Bowie, Md.; and daughter-in-law Claire K. Farrell; grandchildren Janna and Rae Farrell, and Michael and Krista Bonuccelli; and great-grandchild Lily Farrell.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. in the auditorium at Springmoor, 1500 Sawmill Road, Raleigh, NC 27615. A burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in Newburgh, N.Y., on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. Memorial gifts may be made to the Springmoor Endowment Fund.
Eunice M. Hinsley
Eunice M. Hinsley, 90, of New Hill died Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2004 at Laurels of Chatham in Pittsboro. Mrs. Hinsley was a native of Chatham County, born to Jimmy L. Mitchell and Ida Holder Mitchell on Oct. 11, 1913. She was the wife of John Hinsley, who preceded her in death on Feb. 11, 1985.
Mrs. Hinsley was a devoted member of Pleasant Plains Baptist Church. She had her special children, who held a special place in her heart. A funeral was held Friday afternoon, Sept. 24, at Pleasant Plains Baptist Church and was conducted by the Rev. Jackie Green and the Rev. Kyle Copas.
Burial followed in the New Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.
She is survived by her sons, Ronald Hinsley and his wife, Madge, and Johnny Hinsley and wife, Martha, all of New Hill; daughters, Shirley Vest of West End, Virginia Mills of Waxhaw, Linda Hinsley of Apex, Jackie Hendricks and husband, Lynn, of Cary, Darlene Coats and husband, James, of New Hill and Nancy Huey and husband, Harry, of Waxhaw; brother, Bob Mitchell and wife, Marie, of Pittsboro; brother-in-law, William Critten of Pittsboro; 27 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; five foster grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Also preceding her in death were a son, Billy Hinsley, and a daughter, Bonnie Stephens.
The family received friends Thursday evening, Sept. 23, at Apex Funeral Home.
Robert Alan Helmus
Robert Alan Helmus of Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary, and previously of Fearrington Village and Garden City, N.Y., passed away Saturday, Sept. 25, after a long battle with heart disease.
Bob was born Oct. 11, 1922 in St. Albans, N.Y., to the late John J. Helmus and Ida Huelle Helmus. He was educated at Baldwin (N.Y.) High School, The Peddy School, the University of Virginia and Columbia University's School of Business.
After participating in the Navy ROTC program in college, Bob was commissioned an ensign and served primarily in the Pacific Theater of World War II. When his ship hit a mine and sank off Okinawa, his back was broken, for which he received the Purple Heart.
For 36 years, Bob worked in Manhattan as credit manager and assistant treasurer for the precious metals firm Handy & Harman. He retired at age 61 to Fearrington Village and he and Lois lived there for almost 18 years before moving to Glenaire.
In addition to being skilled in business and financial matters, Bob enjoyed woodworking. He and his family built a cabin on Flying Pond in Mt. Vernon, Maine, which gave all of them great pleasure and happy memories for almost 50 years.
He leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife of nearly 54 years, Lois Jaeger Helmus. He also leaves three children and their families: Todd Alan Helmus and Dr. Ann Aldershof Helmus of Lincoln, Mass., and their children Liddy and Ian; Dr. Mark Robert Helmus and Dr. Joann Licitra Helmus of Davis, Calif., and their children Julie, Scott and Nolan; and Nancy Helmus Hemphill and S. Todd Hemphill of Cary and their children, Bonnie and Mark. He also leaves a sister, Ruth Jane Helmus of Springmoor Retirement Community in Raleigh.
A memorial service was held Tuesday, Sept. 28, at Glenaire Retirement Community. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Glenaire Foundation.
Lewis Junior Cook
Lewis Junior Cook, 76, of Cary died Saturday, Sept. 25. Mr. Cook was born in Stark County, Ohio, on Nov. 26, 1927 to the late Lewis T. and Nellie Wood Cook.
Mr. Cook served his country with the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He retired from state government, where he served as a building system engineer.
Surviving Mr. Cook are his wife Helen Caudle Cook of Cary; son, Michael L. Cook and his wife, Terri, of Raleigh; two daughters, Deborah C. Ritter and her husband, Tim, of Cary and Sheree C. Keever and her husband, Michael, of Cary; eight grandchildren, Alison, Eryn and Brittany Ritter, Adam and Christopher Cook, Jason Jonczak, and his wife, Michele, and Malinda and Sarah Keever.
Graveside services were held Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 29, at Restlawn Memorial Park. The family received friends at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Wake County, 1300 St. Mary's Street, Raleigh, NC 27605.
Donald L. Trasti
Donald L. Trasti passed away peacefully on Sept. 11, 2004 after a brief illness. He was surrounded by all his family and grandchildren and gracefully went to a better place.
Born on Feb. 28, 1936 in Mason, W.Va., he grew up in Lorain, Ohio. While serving in the Air Force, he met his wife Carol and started a family. His 35-year career with IBM moved him briefly to New York and then to North Carolina, where he and his family have been since 1978. After his retirement from IBM, Trasti continued work as a computer programmer for the state of North Carolina.
If asked how he died, his family would rather remember how he lived his life. He was a hero in the eyes of his children and grandchildren. He was a kind person who spoke with few words. He was a caring and devoted husband to Carol, his wife of 45 years, a proud father of one daughter and three sons who all grew up to be successful and caring adults, and a loving grandfather to his six grandchildren.
He lived a wonderful life and never lived his days thinking about what could have been, but rather what wonderful things could happen. He had a twinkle in his eyes for the little things that brought him comfort: his writing, his poetry, his pets, his orchids and most recently the hummingbirds that visited his birdfeeder every day this summer. He was devoted to all of his family and friends and this is how he would like to be remembered.
Surviving are his wife, Carol Grogan Trasti; daughter and son-in-law, Donna Trasti Keville and Chet Keville of Cary; son and daughter-in-law, John and Moji Trasti of Apex; son, Dr. Scott Trasti of Chapel Hill; youngest son and daughter-in-law, Erik and Cortney Trasti; his grandchildren, the jewels of his eyes, Christina, Katherine and Christian Keville, and Justin, Gabrielle and Hailey Trasti; and finally, his beloved parrot, Merlin. He was preceded in death by his parents, Swande and Eleanor Trasti, and brothers Richard and Phillip, all of Ohio.
There was a memorial service on Sept. 22 at Montlawn Funeral Home Chapel. Condolences should be sent to Carol Trasti, 1983 Harnett Central Road, Angier, NC 27501.
Faust Potter d'Ambrosi
Jan. 9, 1922-Sept. 14, 2003
America lost another of its "Generation of Heroes" with the passing a year ago of Faust Potter d'Ambrosi. Mr. d'Ambrosi, 81, was born Jan. 9, 1922, to Faust Joseph and Elnora Potter d'Ambrosi in Ithaca, N.Y., and was reared in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Mr. d'Ambrosi graduated from Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie-Mellon University) in April 1942 with a degree in chemical engineering and a commission in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was immediately ordered to active duty. He served as a line company officer and as a battalion staff officer in a Combat Engineer Group in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. He returned to the United States in May 1945. He continued his military service at the Engineer School at Ft. Belvoir, Va., as an instructor in mine warfare and demolitions. He reverted to reserve status in 1946 and served until 1959 in the West Virginia National Guard.
On June 1, 1945, he married his first wife, the former Sybil Batchelor of Aberdeen, who was a member of the Navy Waves.
They settled in St. Albans, W.Va., where Mr. d'Ambrosi joined the Union Carbide Company.
He worked there for more that 32 years, starting in the Chemicals and Plastics Division as a large-scale process development engineer.
He progressed through positions of program analyst and controller of the Division's Technical Research Center, where he supervised the installation of a multipurpose computing center and accounting office. In 1961 he transferred to the New York City offices as an economic analyst and concluded his career as director of sales and marketing. Mr. d'Ambrosi was a noted tenor who remained involved in church choirs and community choral groups. He was active in American Legion, serving as a post commander, and Lions and Exchange clubs. He and Sybil retired to Raleigh in 1978 and eventually to Aberdeen. In the Sandhills he was active in Choral Society and community affairs, and was a hospice volunteer and volunteer guide at the Sandhills Nature Center. He was pre-deceased by Sybil in 1992.
He married Louise Lippincott of Southern Pines and they relocated to Ithaca, N.Y., for a period and finally to Hampden, Maine.
Mr. d'Ambrosi is survived by his wife Louise; a daughter, Sybil Elaine d'Ambrosi of Kanab, Utah; two sons, Denis of Manassas, Va., and Donald and his wife, Marie of Apex; two sisters, Elnora Sayre of Eager, Ariz., and Julia Pearson of Houston, Texas; two step-children, Carol Hubert of Wilmington and Robert Givens of Tallahassee, Fla.; seven grandchildren; and three great- grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by a great-grandson, John Ashley Just of Raleigh, in 2000.
Robert A. Bischoff
Robert Arthur Bischoff, 77, died on Thursday morning, Sept. 16, in Cary after a valiant battle with cancer. Born on March 9, 1927 to the late Frances Harcourt Bischoff and the late Robert Wagner Bischoff, he was raised in Pelham, N.Y. He left high school during World War II to serve in the U.S. Navy, returning after the war to complete school. He graduated from Iona College in 1951 and later attended business school at Columbia University.
He originally worked for Sinclair & Valentine, which was later acquired by Martin Marietta Corp. In 1992, after more than 40 years of tireless service, Mr. Bischoff retired as vice president of finance at Martin Marietta Aggregates.
He married the late Kathleen Lurenz Bischoff in 1953 and they raised their four children in Pelham, N.Y. He was very active in the community, serving as chairman of the school board, Little League president and as a volunteer fireman. A succession of business-related moves began with the family moving to Olney, Md., in 1974. Mr. Bischoff then relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1982 with his second wife, the late Susan Patterson Hallstein. In 1984, he settled in Cary, where he eventually retired, pursuing his passion for golf and enjoying his many friendships.
A longtime member of MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary, Mr. Bischoff was a member of the Board of Governors and served as treasurer for several years. In 1998, he wed Mary Ellen Matthews of Wescosville, Pa. They often traveled to Ocracoke Island, the Florida Keys and Kennebunkport, Maine. They took great pleasure in regular visits from the children and grandchildren. His vibrant and forthright personality will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
Mr. Bischoff is survived by his loving wife, Mary Ellen Bischoff; four children, Robert of New York, N.Y., Grace of Canaan, N.Y., Ann of Sudbury, Mass., and Patricia of Stamford, Conn.; four grandchildren, Jacob and Zoe Borden, and Noah and Willow Huppert; and his half-sister, Mildred Borbet of Conway, S.C.
The family would like to express its gratitude to William R. Barry, M.D., and his staff at Cancer Centers of North Carolina, and Jay Clarke, M.D., formerly of Wake Radiology/Oncology, and his staff for making the last several years of Mr. Bischoff's life possible, productive and joyful.
Visiting hours were held Sunday afternoon, Sept. 19, at the Apex Funeral Home. A funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m. at Saint Andrew The Apostle Catholic Church in Apex.
Donations may be made in Mr. Bischoff's memory to the American Cancer Society, at (800) 227-2345; or to Children's Flight of Hope, 113 Edinburgh South, Suite 210, Cary, NC 27511.
