Our Obituaries
HENRY R. CHARLOT, SR
March 28, 2013
HENRY R. CHARLOT, SR of New Orleans, LA died March 28, 2013 at the age of 89. He was a funeral director at Littlejohn Funeral Home and Rhodes Funeral Home of New Orleans. He was an honorary member of Crescent City Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association, and a member of the National Funeral Directors Association.
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MARY ELISABETH WEBSTER BOYD
March 28, 2013
MARY ELISABETH WEBSTER BOYD of Beachwood, OH died March 28, 2013 at the age of 95. She was a lead undertaker at the E. F. Boyd & Sons Funeral Home & Crematory, founded by her father-in-law, Elmer Boyd in 1905. Her husband, William Francis Boyd took over operations of the firm in 1938. She worked alongside her husband from 1966 until retiring in 1991 to take care of her husband who suffered from a...
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DARREL JAMES BROUSSARD
March 26, 2013
DARREL JAMES BROUSSARD of Breaux Bridge, LA died March 26, 2013 at the age of 63. He was a funeral director and embalmer for many years. He was a member of the Southwest Funeral Directors Association.
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ROBERT H. EVERTZ
March 25, 2013
ROBERT H. EVERTZ of Point Pleasant, NJ died March 25, 2013 at the age of 68. He was the owner and operator of the Pable Evertz Funeral Home which he co-founded in 1985. He began his career in the funeral service as an apprentice with the former W. David DeRoche Funeral Home in Lakewood, and later worked for different funeral homes in Ocean and Monmouth counties. He was a member of the National...
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JAMES WALTER "JIMMY" ALEXANDER II
March 22, 2013
JAMES WALTER "JIMMY" ALEXANDER, II of Oak Hill, WV died March 22, 2013 at the age of 66. He was employed as a funeral director and embalmer at Tyree Funeral Home, Inc, and served as a manager since 1983. A graduate of the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, he was a member of the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association.
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ROBERT FENTRESS CASEY
March 21, 2013
ROBERT FENTRESS CASEY of Oak Ridge, TN died March 21, 2013 at the age of 87. He and his family lived in Evans and Lassiter Funeral Home in Alamo from 1931 until 1941. The family moved to Henderson in 1941, where his father owned and operated Casey Funeral Home. He assumed ownership of the firm upon the death of his father in 1953. The funeral home was purchased by the Shackelford family in 1991....
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PAUL R. YOUNG, SR
March 18, 2013
PAUL R. YOUNG, SR. of Cincinnati, OH died March 18, 2013 at the age of 91. In 1948, he estab-lished the Paul R. Young Funeral Home in Mt. Healthy. He later added funeral homes in Hamilton and Oxford with the help of his wife, Marian and career-long assistant, Nola Apro. He served as president and owner of the firm until his passing. He was well known throughout the Tri-State area as the creator...
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SCOTT STRICK MELSON
March 15, 2013
SCOTT STRICK MELSON of Pocomoke City, MD died March 15, 2013 at the age of 76. He was the owner and operator of Melson Funeral Home from 1974 until his retirement in 1997.
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MARION WILBUR DOLLAR
March 4, 2013
MARION WILBUR DOLLAR of Atlanta, GA died March 4, 2013 at the age of 78. He established Dollar Funeral Home in 1973. In 1957, he moved to South Florida and started his career with the Oscar L. Range Funeral Home in Miami, FL. In 1959, he moved back to Georgia and worked for Banks Funeral Home for several years. During that time, he became a fully certified funeral director. He spent nearly 50...
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EDMOND F. FAHEY III
March 4, 2013
EDMOND F. FAHEY, III of Bay St. Louis, MS died March 4, 2013. He was the owner of Edmond Fahey Funeral Home, which was established by his grandfather in 1890. He operated the firm for 50 years as a third generation funeral director.
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WILLIAM J. LANDERGAN, JR
March 3, 2013
WILLIAM J. LANDERGAN, JR of Marblehead, MA died March 3, 2013 at the age of 84. He was a longtime funeral director and owner of Landergan Funeral Home in Lynn. In 1996, the firm merged with the Solimine and Rhodes Funeral Home, creating the Solimine, Landergan and Rhodes Funeral Home. He served the families of Lynn, Nahant and Swampscott for 64 years. He was a graduate of the New England...
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JASON G. REED
March 2, 2013
JASON G. REED of Oakwood, IL died March 2, 2013 at the age of 39. He served his apprenticeship under Kent Leasure at Houghton-Leasure Funeral Home in Georgetown. He stayed on at the firm after the Darby family purchased it and he moved to Sunset Funeral Home in 1998. In 2000, he quit directing funerals to help serve families at Sunset Memorial Park. He served as national sales manager at Trigard...
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JAMES ROBERT "BILL" McPETERS, JR
March 2, 2013
JAMES ROBERT "BILL" McPETERS, JR of Corinth, MS died March 2, 2013 at the age of 90. From the neckties he always donned around his waist to his feathered hats, Bill was a colorful, unpredictable friend even in his nineties. In 1954, he purchased his cousin Liddon's share in McPeters Funeral Home, which was originally established by his great-great uncle, W. L. McPeters and Dave Hynerman in 1905....
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DONALD K. PURDY
February 25, 2013
DONALD K. PURDY of Council Bluffs, IA died February 25, 2013 at the age of 87. He was a funeral director at Cutler-O'Neil-Meyer-Woodring Funeral Home for more than 62 years, retiring in 2009.
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RAYMOND D. COPELAND, JR
February 15, 2013
RAYMOND D. COPELAND JR of Coraopolis, PA died February 15, 2013 at the age of 92. He was the owner of Copeland Corapolis, previously known as Troxell Funeral Home. He began working at Ritchey Funeral Home in Sewickley; and later worked as an apprentice at Brandt Funeral Home. He then served as an embalmer at Patterson Funeral Home in Atlanta; Scott Funeral Home in Rogersville in Greene County;...
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LUCILLE S. LUPINSKI
February 14, 2013
LUCILLE S. LUPINSKI of New Haven, CT died February 14, 2013 at the age of 66. She was the owner and operator of Lupinski Funeral Home. She was a member of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors Association and the Greater New Haven Funeral Directors Association.
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ERNEST "ERNIE" B. HALL , JR
February 10, 2013
ERNEST "ERNIE" B. HALL JR of Proctorville, OH died February 10, 2013 at the age of 64. He was a second generation funeral director, embalmer, owner and operator of Hall Funeral Home for more than 40 years. A business his father, Hall Sr., established in 1931in Chesapeake before it was relocated to Proctorville. He also operated River Valley Crematory in Proctorville and Miller Memorial Gardens in...
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JOHN THOMAS STEWART III
February 8, 2013
JOHN THOMAS STEWART III of Washington, DC died February 8, 2013 at the age of 76. He served as president of Stewart Funeral Home Inc, the oldest African-American family owned funeral home in the District of Columbia. He provided 50 years of service to the public as a third generation funeral director, carrying on the 113 year tradition of Stewardship of the firm. He served on the board of...
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AUBREY BUSHELON
February 3, 2013
AUBREY BUSHELON of Birmingham, AL died February 3, 2013 at the age of 77. He was the owner of Bushelon Funeral Home, Inc, serving over 50 years as a funeral director. He was a member of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association and the Alabama Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.
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WARD LYNN SKINNER
January 30, 2013
WARD LYNN SKINNER of Edinburg/Mission, TX died January 30, 2013 at the age of 61. He joined his dad, grandfather and four uncles as a third generation funeral director at Skinner Funeral Home, now known as Skinner-Silva Funeral Homes in Edinburg and Parr. He was president of Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Edinburg. In 1975, he graduated from the Commonwealth Institute of Mortuary Science in...
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LUTHER JOHNSON , JR.
January 30, 2013
LUTHER JOHNSON JR. of Liberty, SC died January 30, 2013 at the age of 82. He was the owner of Luther Johnson Funeral Home. He was one of the oldest licensed African-American funeral director in South Carolina, with over 66 years of experience in the funeral profession. He was a member of the South Carolina Morticians Association and the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association. He...
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JAMES W. KRAUSE
January 29, 2013
JAMES W. KRAUSE of Brookfield, WI died January 29, 2013 at the age of 83. He was a licensed funeral director, embalmer and president of Krause Funeral Homes, which his father, William Krause, founded in 1933. He ran the business alongside his two brothers until retiring in 1994. He graduated from the Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science in 1950.
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TANYA JENKINS PEREZ
January 21, 2013
TANYA JENKINS PEREZ of Orangeburg, SC died January 21, 2013 at the age of 46. She was a third generation owner of her family business, Al Jenkins Funeral Home of Orangeburg and Elloree, SC. She was a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and the South Carolina Morticians Association.
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CARL WELLS, SR
January 20, 2013
CARL WELLS SR of Stanton, KY died January 20, 2013 at the age of 80. He was a licensed funeral director at Wells Funeral Home and Wells Ambulance. He served as Powell County Coroner for 44 years. He graduated from the Kentucky School of Embalming in 1961.
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DORIS YVETTE BOULDIN BLAND
January 17, 2013
DORIS YVETTE BOULDIN BLAND of Petersburg, VA died January 17, 2013 at the age of 59. She was a licensed funeral director, and co-owner of Bland Enterprises, Inc., operating as William N. Bland & Son Funeral Home and Turner-Bland Funeral Home. She was a member of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, the Virginia Morticians Association and the Southside Virginia Funeral...
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ALSTON JOYNES GODWIN
January 16, 2013
ALSTON JOYNES GODWIN of Cape Charles, VA died January 16, 2013 at the age of 101. At the age of 16, she began a mortuary apprenticeship at Gray's Funeral Home, under the direction of her aunt and uncle, Jennie and Mills Gray. She obtained ownership of the firm after the passing of her aunt. She then partnered with her husband, the late Thomas L. Godwin, to manufacture burial vaults. Together,...
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GEORGE J. PAYNIC
January 16, 2013
GEORGE J. PAYNIC of East Alton, IL, died January 16, 2013 at the age of 83. He founded the George J. Paynic Home for Funerals in Rosewood Heights in 1989 and operated it until 2011. In 1955, he began working at Marks Mortuary in Wood River for many years. He assisted the Thomas Saksa Funeral Home in Granite City and several other firms in that area. He briefly worked at Gent Funeral Home in Alton...
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PAUL LOUIS "L.P." SHERWOOD
January 12, 2013
PAUL LOUIS "L.P." SHERWOOD of Atlanta, GA died January 12, 2013 at the age of 89. He operated the Haugabrooks Funeral Home, which was established by his aunt, Geneva Moton Haugabrooks in 1929. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer for 50 years, retiring 5 years ago.
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JIM CASSIDY
January 9, 2013
JIM CASSIDY of Everett, WA died January 9, 2013 at the age of 82. He owned and operated Cassidy Funeral Home until 1979, when it merged with Purdy & Walters to form Purdy & Walters with Cassidy. He was the manager for many years and senior director until he was hospitalized.
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JAMES "SONNY" STINSON
January 8, 2013
JAMES "SONNY" STINSON of Pompano Beach, FL died January 8, 2013 at the age of 89. He was the former owner of Stinson Funeral Homes in Detroit and Southfield, MI. When he was 12, his parents opened the funeral home on the first floor of their home on Tillman Street. It was considered to be the second-oldest family owned funeral home in Detroit. In 1944, he became a licensed funeral director. In...
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CHARLES R. "BUCK" BLESSING
January 7, 2013
CHARLES R. "BUCK" BLESSING of Aurora, OH died January 7, 2013 at the age of 71. He was the manager and funeral director of Blessing Funeral Home at Crown Hill, previously known as the Charles R. Blessing Funeral Home in Twinsburg for more than 40 years.
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EMMA LEA COX
January 7, 2013
EMMA LEA COX of Charleston, WV died January 7, 2013 at the age of 83. She and her husband, John P. Cox are the former owners of Bartlett Burdette Cox Funeral Home.
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GEORGE BERNARD BENTA
January 3, 2013
GEORGE BERNARD BENTA of Harlem, NY died January 3, 2013 at the age of 91. He joined his father and step mother in operating Benta's Funeral, Inc, previously known as Reed and Benta Funeral Home Inc, which was established by his father and a partner in 1928. The firm operated from a brownstone on 132nd Street, operating it on the first and parlor floor, while he and his family lived in the top...
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GORDON B. GREENLEE
January 3, 2013
GORDON B. GREENLEE of Fredericktown, PA died January 3, 2013 at the age of 77. In 1957, he joined his father, John B. Greenlee, as a licensed funeral director at Greenlee Funeral Home in Beallsville. He expanded operations to include facilities in Bentleyville and Fredericktown, serving as a mentor to many area funeral directors for over 55 years. He was a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of...
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GEORGE B. McFALL, JR
January 2, 2013
GEORGE B. McFALL JR of Detroit, MI died January 2, 2013. He was president of McFall Brothers Funeral Home, serving the greater Detroit area as a licensed funeral director. He attended Wayne State University School of Mortuary Science.
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JAMES E. KELLETT II
January 2, 2013
JAMES E. KELLETT II of Mendon, MA died January 2, 2013 at the age of 61. He was the owner and operator of the James E. Kellett and Son Funeral Homes in Milford and Blackstone, MA for over forty years. He graduated from the New England Institute of Applied Sciences in 1972.
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MARSHA S. HANNAH THOMPSON
January 1, 2013
MARSHA S. HANNAH THOMPSON of Pineville, WV died January 1, 2013 at the age of 51. She was employed at Calfee Funeral Service for the last twelve years.
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ISABELLE SESLER TYREE
December 31, 2012
ISABELLE SESLER TYREE of Oak Hill, WV died December 31, 2012 at the age of 92. He was vice president of Tyree Funeral Home, Inc of Oak Hill and Mount Hope.
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ETHEL L. CIAVARELLI
December 30, 2012
ETHEL L. CIAVARELLI of Conshohocken, PA died December 30, 2012 at the age of 96. In 1948, she and her husband, Emil J. Ciavarelli, established the Emil J. Ciavarelli Family Funeral Home located on Fayette Street. In 1972, the firm moved across the street. Eight years later, a second funeral home was added in Ambler. She was president of the Conshohocken Business and Professional Women's...
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CHARLES "CHUCK" CURTIS
December 20, 2012
CHARLES "CHUCK" CURTIS of Fairport, NY died December 20, 2012 at the age of 79. He was a funeral director at Curtis Funeral Home, now known as the David Doser Funeral Home for 25 years. He retired in 1992.
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WESLEY F. KIDDER
December 20, 2012
WESLEY F. KIDDER of Swanton, VT died December 20, 2012 at the age of 85. In 1975, he established Kidder Memorial Home and served as a funeral director for over 64 years. He also operated Wood & Kidder Furniture Store for many years.
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GLADYS CRANDALL
December 19, 2012
GLADYS CRANDALL of Hudson, OH died December 19, 2012 at the age of 93. She worked at Brown-Van Hemert Funeral Home, previously the Charles E. Brown and Son Funeral Home for 74 years.
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JOHN WAKELAND FISHER
December 15, 2012
JOHN WAKELAND FISHER of Logansport, IN died December 15, 2012 at the age of 89. He was the founder of Fisher Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services, which was originally located on the corner of Front and West Streets. John's down to earth personality and compassionate service helped his business grow to be one of the largest funeral homes in the area. In 1980, his son, J.D., joined the family...
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JAMES W. TUNIE , SR.
December 15, 2012
JAMES W. TUNIE SR. of Homestead, PA died December 15, 2012 at the age of 85. He was the proprietor of the Tunie Funeral Home, Inc., a family owned business servicing Homestead and the surrounding communities since 1960. He served his apprenticeship at Frances A. Keith Funeral Home in McKeesport. He graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 1948.
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GEORGE W. MARSH
December 14, 2012
GEORGE W. MARSH of Lexington, MI died December 14, 2012 at the age of 94. He owned and operated the Marsh Funeral Chapel alongside his twin brother, Jack, from 1945 until his retirement in 1984. Together, the brothers also operated the Marlette Insurance Agency for many years and provided ambulance services for the community of Marlette. He earned his Mortuary Science degree from Wayne State...
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JOE L. ALLBRITTON
December 12, 2012
JOE L. ALLBRITTON of Houston, TX died December 12, 2012 at the age of 87. A civic minded philanthropist, Allbritton was known for his business prowess, investing in real estate, banking and media. In the 1950's he purchased the Pierce Brothers Funeral Homes and Pierce National Life Insurance Company of California. He sold the businesses in the early 90s.
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FAUSTINA RONE GERACI
November 29, 2012
FAUSTINA RONE GERACI of Vineland/Stone Harbor, NJ and Hallandale Beach/Palm Beach, FL died November 29, 2012 at the age of 92. She was the owner and operator of Rone Funeral Home in Vineland, NJ. She was one of the first female funeral directors in the state of New Jersey. She ran the business alongside her father, C. Calvin Rone until he was severely burned in a boating accident. During that...
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CARL T. RUTLEDGE
November 27, 2012
CARL T. RUTLEDGE of Collierville, TN died November 27, 2012 at the age of 87. He was a funeral director for 50 years at Collierville Funeral Home, previously Brantley Funeral Home before it was relocated in 1974. He served as manager and funeral director until his retirement on January 1, 2010. He also served as president of the Magnolia Cemetery Association.
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DONALD S. CHILES
November 24, 2012
DONALD S. CHILES of Lima, OH died November 24, 2012 at the age of 80. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer at Chiles-Laman Funeral and Cremation Services for 52 years.
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EDWARD O. CURRY , JR.
November 17, 2012
EDWARD O. CURRY JR., of Peekskill, NY died November 17, 2012 at the age of 96. He was a funeral director and embalmer at E.O. Curry Funeral Home, a family owned business for 75 years.
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BERNARD FRANKLIN HOUSE
November 17, 2012
BERNARD FRANKLIN HOUSE of Villa Rica, GA died November 17, 2012 at the age of 71. He was a funeral director and embalmer for Tapp Funeral Home in Buford for five years, and Crowell Brothers Funeral Home in Norcross. He later joined the Jones-Wynn Funeral Home family, working as a funeral director. He served families for more than 50 years.
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ALAN KENT CHRISTIANS
November 16, 2012
ALAN KENT CHRISTIANS of Lindsborg, KS died November 16, 2012 at the age of 57. He was a funeral director at Christians Funeral Home and served the people of Oklahoma City, Great Bend, and Lindsborg, KS. He earned a Mortuary Science degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.
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ROBERT SCRIVEN, JR.
November 11, 2012
ROBERT SCRIVEN JR., of Sumter, SC died November 11, 2012 at the age of 71. In 1970, he established Scriven's Funeral Home, with the assistance of his wife, Glories Coralette Franklin Scriven, and served the community for 42 years. He served his apprenticeship in several funeral businesses in Sumter and Clarendon counties. He graduated from the John C. Gupton Mortuary College in Tennessee.
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RALPH BILLINGSLEY
November 7, 2012
RALPH BILLINGSLEY of Cookeville, TN died November 7, 2012 at the age of 83. He was a co-owner and later owner of Rogers & Billingsley Funeral Home in Livingston. He served families for over 50 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Early in his career, he was associated with Miller Funeral Home in Maryville, Pettus-Owens & Woods Funeral Home in Nashville, and Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home...
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HOWARD H. RAUGHT
November 4, 2012
HOWARD H. RAUGHT of Willow Street, PA died November 4, 2012 at the age of 85. He was a funeral director and served as Wayne County Coroner for over 20 years. He graduated from the Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia.
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JOHN ARTERO
November 4, 2012
JOHN ARTERO of Victoria, TX died November 4, 2012 at the age of 82. He was a longtime owner of Artero Memorial Chapels, which his father established in 1940.
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BARBARA JEAN BAILEY LEVETT
November 3, 2012
BARBARA JEAN BAILEY LEVETT of Conyers, GA died November 3, 2012 at the age of 79. In 1964, she and her husband, George William Levett, Sr., established Levett and Young Funeral Home, now known as Levett Funeral Home. Together, they operated the firm until he died in 2004. Since then, her son, George W. Levett, Jr., managed the firm and she remained a key advisor until her health would no longer...
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LISA SAXER-BUROS
November 2, 2012
LISA SAXER-BUROS of Janesville, WI, co-founder of Madelyn Co., died November 2, 2012 of lung cancer. The passing of Lisa's mother, Madelyn Saxer, in 1992 gave rise to the Madelyn Co. Keepsake Pendant. Business collaborate Joni G. Cullen stated "I am blessed. Madelyn Saxer's generosity and compassion did not skip a generation, as Lisa has been the best friend and business partner I could ever ask...
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GLEN EDWIN KIMES
October 22, 2012
GLEN EDWIN KIMES of Parkersburg, WV died October 22, 2012 at the age of 85. He was a licensed funeral director since 1950, co-owner and operator of Kimes Funeral Home for many years. He was a mem-ber of the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association, and the Little Kanawha Funeral Directors Association. He was a graduate of the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
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FRANCIS EMERSON HAYNES
October 19, 2012
FRANCIS EMERSON HAYNES of Opelousas, LA died October 19, 2012 at the age of 87. She was the owner of Williams Funeral Home. She also established Williams Progressive Insurance, which is currently listed as the fourth largest minority-owned insurance company.
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CLYDE L. "SUNNY" CHANDLER
October 18, 2012
CLYDE L. "SUNNY" CHANDLER of Sarasota, FL formerly of Graceville, FL died October 18, 2012 at the age of 73. He was a licensed funeral director, embalmer and owner, working alongside his wife in opening Chandler and Son Funeral Home in 1995. He worked for Bodge Funeral Home in Pensacola before moving to Clearwater, where he was employed at Larkins Funeral Home. He then moved to Sarasota, FL and...
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AGNES MAGDALENE FIERSCHNALLER GOULD
October 16, 2012
AGNES MAGDALENE FIERSCHNALLER GOULD of Hopewell, PA died October 16, 2012 at the age of 93. In 1950, she purchased Shanko Funeral Home alongside her husband, Raymond A. Gould, renaming it Shanko-Gould Funeral Home, before establishing the name as Gould Funeral Home. In the mid 1960s, they bought Wells Funeral Home in Petersburg, which was renamed as Gould-Wells Funeral Home before becoming Gould...
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THERESA CROSSLIN GAINOUS
October 11, 2012
THERESA CROSSLIN GAINOUS of Daytona Beach, FL died October 11, 2012 at the age of 90. She was the former owner of R. J. Gainous Funeral Home, which was established by her late husband, Dr. Rabbi J. Gainous. She relied solely on their well-trained godson, Alexander C. Wynn, III to manage the family business. Wynn became sole proprietor of the firm in May of 2003.
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JOHN M. "DOBIE" DOBRINICK
October 10, 2012
JOHN M. "DOBIE" DOBRINICK of Trafford, PA died October 10, 2012 at the age of 73. He was employed by William Daugherty Funeral Home, which he bought in 1974 and later established the John M. Dobrinick Funeral Home. He was a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
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KEVIN MICHAEL BRENNAN
October 6, 2012
KEVIN MICHAEL BRENNAN of Topeka, KS died October 6, 2012 at the age of 61. He operated the Kevin Brennan Family Funeral Home alongside his wife, Mary and two of their children.
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JOSEPH O. EWING
October 4, 2012
JOSEPH O. EWING of Newtown, PA died October 4, 2012 at the age of 69. He was a licensed funeral director at Flaner & Buchanon Funeral Home in Indianapolis where he worked with their ambulance service. He was later employed at Reliable Miller Casket Co. until his retirement. He was a graduate of Indiana Mortuary College IU.
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DAVID H. LEGGETT
October 3, 2012
DAVID H. LEGGETT of Hopkins Park, IL died October 3, 2012 at the age of 89. He was the owner of Leggett Funeral Home. He was a former deputy coroner and a funeral director for more than 66 years.
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ROBERT HARRY MOTZKIN
September 22, 2012
ROBERT HARRY MOTZKIN of The Woodlands Township, TX died September 22, 2012 at the age of 69. He began working in the funeral industry at the age of 19 and enjoyed a successful career with Service Corporation International for the past 35 years.
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WILLIAM H. CLARK
September 20, 2012
WILLIAM H. CLARK of Stroudsburg, PA died September 20, 2012 at the age of 91. In 1948, he purchased the Glenn W. Kisor Funeral Home alongside his wife, the late Florence (Essex) Clark, establishing the William H. Clark Funeral Home. After retiring in 1984, he remained very active in the family business for many years. He was a member of the National Selected Morticians, National Funeral Directors...
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DAVID B. THOMAS
September 19, 2012
DAVID B. THOMAS of Stroudsburg, PA died September 19, 2012 at the age of 55. He was a licensed funeral director, and owner of Thomas Funeral Home, which was established by his father, the late William R. Thomas in 1949. He took over ownership of the firm after his father died in 1988. In 1997, he was elected Monroe County Coroner and was re-elected for three more terms, in 2001, 2005 and 2009....
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JAMES EDWIN PAUL
September 19, 2012
JAMES EDWIN PAUL of Corbin, KY died September 19, 2012 at the age of 49. He had worked at Ellison's Funeral Home as a funeral director for over 25 years.
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BETTY DALE PYLES
September 12, 2012
BETTY DALE PYLES of Augusta, WV died September 12, 2012 at the age of 84. She was co-owner and the third generation of the family owned and operated McKee Funeral Home.
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SCOTT E. LAW
September 9, 2012
SCOTT E. LAW of Erie, PA died September 9, 2012 at the age of 65. He was a longtime funeral director at Law Funeral Home, which was established by his father, Donald Law in 1983. He was a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
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JAMES OATMAN
September 6, 2012
JAMES OATMAN of Springville, NY died September 6, 2012 at the age of 65. He was a licensed funeral director, president and manager of Smith-Weismantel Funeral Home until 2011. He was employed as an associate at Weismantel Funeral Home from 1970 until 1977. In 1977, he purchased the firm and merged it with Smith Funeral Home, forming the Smith-Weismantel Funeral Home. He was a member of the Erie...
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MARGARET LINTON LANIER
September 3, 2012
MARGARET LINTON LANIER of Cleveland, OH died September 3, 2012. She was a licensed funeral director at Linton Funeral Service, and founder of the Ohio Negro Business and Professional Women's Club and served on local, state and national real estate and funeral director boards. She attended Youngstown State University for real estate, counseling and broadcast journalism.
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VERNON L. WALLACE
August 30, 2012
VERNON L. WALLACE of Broadview, IL died August 30, 2012 at the age of 82. He worked part time for his uncle, Joseph Wallace, owner of Wallace Funeral Home on the Westside of Chicago. He began working at the House of Branch Memorial Chapels, where he continued to work for 34 years. In 1988, he and his wife, Gladys, established the Wallace Funeral Home located at Cicero and Westend Avenue in...
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MICHAEL A. HOEFLINGER
August 20, 2012
MICHAEL A. HOEFLINGER of Oregon, OH died August 20, 2012 at the age of 84. He joined his father, Ted, at Hoeflinger Funeral Home, the first funeral service in East Toledo and the surrounding suburbs that his grandfather, Michael, had established in 1877. He became the owner of the firm in 1968. He sold the firm and retired in the late 1900's, but maintained his state license as an embalmer,...
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CYNTHIA L. "ROSSI" LOCKNEY
August 17, 2012
CYNTHIA L. "ROSSI" LOCKNEY of Howland, OH died August 17, 2012 at the age of 62. She retired in 2008 as the office manager of the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel after 30 years.
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WILLIAM LEO "BILL" JOWETT
August 13, 2012
WILLIAM LEO "BILL" JOWETT of Grand Ledge, MI died August 13, 2012 at the age 78. He founded Jowett Funeral Home on Lapeer Ave in Port Huron. He was a licensed funeral director for 55 years and was the former St. Clair county coroner. He was a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, and the Michigan Funeral Directors Association. He graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary...
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PETER ANTHONY WASILEWSKI
August 12, 2012
PETER ANTHONY WASILEWSKI of Wallingford, CT died August 12, 2012 at the age of 60. He began working for his lifelong best friend and mentor, Davis T. Warren at Thomas E. Fitzgerald Funeral Home. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer for 45 years. In 1972, the firm expanded to open the Yalesville Funeral Home and the Wallingford Funeral Home in 1997. He graduated with a mortuary science...
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WILLIAM P. HERDEGEN, JR
August 9, 2012
WILLIAM P. HERDEGEN, JR of Chicago, IL died August 9, 2012 at the age of 82. He worked for several funeral homes before starting his own funeral home, Herdegen Funeral Home, in 1957. In 1988, he and his wife purchased the Brieske Funeral Home name. Out of the merger came the current name of Herdegen-Brieske Funeral Home. He graduated from Worsham Mortuary College in 1949.
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JAMES ADELL JONES, SR.
August 8, 2012
JAMES ADELL JONES SR., of Huntsville, AL died August 8, 2012 at the age of 84. In 1967, he purchased the Royal Funeral Home alongside his wife, Barbara Hundley Jones, a second generation funeral director, where he served as grand patriarch. In 1972, he moved the firm to its current location on 4315 Oakwood Avenue. In 2000, the firm was purchased by the Smiths', who are following in the steps of...
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GROOME MEARS, JR.
July 30, 2012
GROOME MEARS JR., of Lewes, DE died July 30, 2012 at the age of 87. He began working for the Mealey and Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes in Wil-mington before opening his own funeral home in Middletown in 1947. He owned the firm until retiring in 1992. Since 1998, he had been on staff at Parsell Funeral Homes in Lewes. He was a graduate of the Eckels College of Embalming.
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CHARLES W. DEE , SR.
July 29, 2012
CHARLES W. DEE SR., of Concord, MA died July 29, 2012 at the age of 88. He was a third generation funeral director, former president and treasurer of Dee Funeral Home for 64 years. He joined his father and grandfather in the operation of the firm, then known as Joseph Dee and Son Funeral Home, where he served his apprenticeship. In 1955, he was elected to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery committee,...
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THOMAS J. "TUCKER" REDDINGTON
July 26, 2012
THOMAS J. "TUCKER" REDDINGTON of Buffalo, NY died July 26, 2012 at the age of 82. He was a licensed funeral director, owner and operator of Reddington Funeral Home. He was a member of the Erie-Niagara Funeral Directors Association.
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PHILLIP WEATHERFORD
July 23, 2012
PHILLIP WEATHERFORD of Baltimore, MD died July 23, 2012 at the age of 53. He was the funeral director owner and of Weatherford Funeral Services, P.A.
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BLOSSOM CARRIE MORGAN
July 18, 2012
BLOSSOM CARRIE MORGAN of Versailles, KY died July 18, 2012 at the age of 90. She worked alongside Mr. and Mrs. Lula Haggard of Haggard Funeral Home until establishing Morgan Funeral Home in 1951. She managed the firm with her late husband, Harold Morgan until his death in 1990. She continued to offer her services to the community for more than 50 years as a licensed funeral director. She was a...
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LILLIE T. SHELTON
July 18, 2012
LILLIE T. SHELTON of Ocala, FL died July 18, 2012 at the age of 91. She was a licensed funeral director and embalmer at Summers Funeral Home until her health began to fail in 2010. Licensed in 1969, she assisted her aunt, D. J. Brown, then owner of D.J. Brown Funeral Home in operating the firm. She was a graduate of the New York School of Embalming and the McAllister Institute of Funeral Service...
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ESTELLE J. WILSON
July 10, 2012
ESTELLE J. WILSON of New Orleans, LA died July 10, 2012 at the age of 89. She was a licensed funeral director, founder and president of Estelle J. Wilson Funeral Home Inc, which was established in 1964 as Central City Mortuary. She was the oldest living female funeral director in the city of New Orleans, and last year received the New Orleans Embalmers Association Distinguished Service Award....
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DALE A. GILLILAND
June 28, 2012
DALE A. GILLILAND of Bellevue, PA died June 28, 2012 at the age of 79. He purchased Daugherty Funeral Home in 1958. He was a graduate of the Pittsburgh School of Mortuary Science.
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GEORGE W. SNEAR, SR
June 26, 2012
GEORGE W. SNEAR SR, of Plymouth Meeting, PA died June 26, 2012 at the age of 84. He was a licensed funeral director since 1954, working at the William T. Ardell Funeral Home until purchasing the firm in 1968. He later owned and operated the George W. Snear Funeral Home until merging with Donald E. Moore Jr., in 1998, forming the Moore & Snear Funeral Home in Conshohocken, PA. He worked alongside...
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CHARLES M. LAIRD
June 19, 2012
CHARLES M. LAIRD of Natchez, MS died June 19, 2012 at the age of 82. He was a funeral director and founder of Laird Funeral Home and Family Security Life Insurance Company of Natchez. He was a member and past president of the Mississippi Funeral Directors Association.
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KEITH LEWIS BASSETT
June 19, 2012
KEITH LEWIS BASSETT of Amarillo, TX died June 19, 2012 at the age of 39. He was the owner and operator of Bassett's A to D Mortuary, serving funeral homes in Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. He was a graduate of Cypress College.
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ISAAC "BENNIE" BARTELLEE
June 14, 2012
ISAAC "BENNIE" BARTELLEE of Hemingway, SC died June 14, 2012 at the age of 73. He dedicated the last 40 years of his life to this endeavor and eventually became a partner at Bartelle's Funeral Home.
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ISAAC BARTELLE
June 14, 2012
ISAAC BARTELLE of Hemingway, SC died June 14, 2012 at the age of 73. He dedicated the last 40 years of his life to his funeral service calling, eventually becoming a partner at Bartelle's Funeral Home.
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SAMUEL LAMONT KOONTZ II
June 11, 2012
SAMUEL LAMONT KOONTZ II of Hamlin, WV died June 11, 2012 at the age of 93. He was a second generation owner and operator of Koontz Funeral Home for 64 years. He was a member of the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association.
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ANTHONY J. FONTANA
June 11, 2012
ANTHONY J. FONTANA of Napa Valley, CA died June 11, 2012 at the age of 70. He was a funeral director for 42 years. He spent 25 years at Claffey & Rota Funeral Home, and 17 years at Richard Pierce Funeral Service before retiring in 2001. He graduated from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1961.
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JOSEPH P. SABER
June 2, 2012
JOSEPH P. SABER, a longtime resident of North Tonawanda, NY died June 2, 2012 at the age of 71. He was the owner and operator of Saber Funeral Home. A graduate of Simmons School of Mortuary Science, he was a member of the Niagara County Funeral Directors group and Erie-Niagara Funeral Directors Association.
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WALTER A. CUFFE, JR.
May 30, 2012
WALTER A. CUFFE, JR., a longtime resident of Lynn, MA died May 30, 2012 at the age of 70. He was the owner and operator of the Cuffee-McGinn Funeral Home, beginning his career in the funeral industry working alongside his father. He was a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association. He graduated from the New England Institute of Anatomy...
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ROBERT A. JONKHOFF
May 29, 2012
ROBERT A. JONKHOFF of Grand Rapids, MI died May 29, 2012 at the age of 81. He served others for many years as former partner at Metcalf Jonkhoff Funeral Service. He was past president of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association. He graduated from Wayne State University of Mortuary Science.
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