Our Obituaries
RODNEY F. KNAUP
August 4, 2016
RODNEY F. KNAUP of Falls City, NE died August 4, 2016 at the age of 81. He was a licensed funeral director for over 50 years. He worked for Hobson Funeral Home in Weeping Water before moving to Falls City in 1961 where he took employment at Dorr Funeral Home. He became sole owner of the firm after the death of Mr. Dorr. He received his 50 year funeral director pin in 2007 and in August of 2009 he...
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L. DAVID McCABE
August 1, 2016
L. DAVID McCABE of Farmington Hills, MI died Au-gust 1, 2016 at the age of 90. He was the third generation owner of McCabe Funeral Home in Farmington Hills, MI, joining the staff in 1952. A 1956 graduate of Wayne State University, he earned his funeral director's license and worked with his father at McCabe Funeral Home's Detroit location. In 1969, he began moving the funeral home from its...
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JOHN A. CHEW
July 22, 2016
JOHN A. CHEW of Hollywood, FL died July 22, 2016 at the age of 84. Dr. Chew was a Funeral Service Education Specialist, Consultant, Tutor, Thanatogeneticist, and a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer. He was a retired former Associate Professor and Director of Funeral Service Education at Miami Dade Community College as well as the Institute for Funeral Service Education and Anatomy at Lynn...
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SHERMAN ARTHUR "ART" SUMMERS , JR
July 20, 2016
SHERMAN ARTHUR "ART" SUMMERS JR of Chesapeake, VA died July 20, 2016 at the age of 72. He was a funeral director at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home for several years.
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RUSSELL M. BOLIN
July 15, 2016
RUSSELL M. BOLIN of Zanesville, OH died July 15, 2016 at the age of 83. He joined his father, Kenneth O. Bolin as a licensed funeral director at the Mader-Peoples Funeral Home in 1951, and in 1964 they bought the controlling interest and renamed it Bolin Funeral Home. In 2007, they changed the name to Bolin-Dierkes Funeral Home where he was president of the company until his death. He graduated...
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EDWARD H. SAXTON
July 12, 2016
EDWARD H. SAXTON of North Canton, OH and formerly Rocky River, OH died July 12, 2016 at the age of 86. He was a fifth generation funeral director at the Saxton Family Funeral Chapels for over 60 years. He graduated from the Western Reserve College of Mortuary Science in 1950 and was a member of the Cuyahoga County Funeral Directors Association, Stark County Funeral Directors Association, Ohio...
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GEORGE R. HENAULT
July 11, 2016
GEORGE R. HENAULT of West Warwick and Block Island, RI died July 11, 2016 at the age of 80. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1957. He worked alongside his father, Raoul R. Henault at the Raoul G. Henault & Son Funeral Home until he retired in 1980. At that time, he assumed ownership of the firm and continued to operate it until his retirement in 2001. He graduated from the...
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DANFERD "DAN" C AVIS
July 9, 2016
DANFERD "DAN" C AVIS of Lakewood, OH died July 9, 2016 at the age of 88. He was a licensed funeral director and was the former executive director of the Foresight Family Funeral Homes. He was past president of the International Order of the Golden Rule and member of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association.
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JEFFREY "ADAM" BARB
July 8, 2016
JEFFREY "ADAM" BARB a native of Parsons, WV and a resident of Kerens, WV died July 8, 2016 at the age of 28. He was a third generation funeral director and embalmer at his family's business, Lohr & Barb Funeral Home in Elkins and Parsons, WV. He was instrumental in developing the Dove Release Program, both training and raising the birds used at graveside services for families the funeral home...
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DONALD R. ZUTHER
June 29, 2016
DONALD R. ZUTHER of Poynette, WI died June 29, 2016 at the age of 79. He obtained both his Wisconsin and Minnesota licenses in 1966. He served his internship with the Taylor Funeral Home in Merrill before joining the staff at Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Homes in Portage. In 1972, Don began working for the UW Medical School and served over the years in the Pathology, Physiology and Anatomy...
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ALAN THOMAS "BO" YOUNGBLOOD
June 29, 2016
ALAN THOMAS "BO" YOUNGBLOOD of Rome, GA died June 29, 2016 at the age of 68. He was a well-known funeral director in the North Georgia area. He graduated from the Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science.
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THOMAS C BROWN
June 27, 2016
THOMAS C BROWN of Springfield, NJ died June 27, 2016 at the age of 79. He served as a consultant and licensed funeral director at Martin's Home for Service since 1977. He had experience with Arlington National Cemetery and was certified in OSHA training, Mass Causality training, and Organ Donor/Eye Enunciator. He graduated from Eckles College of Mortuary Science and Temple University College of...
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GERALD "JERRY" MINER
June 25, 2016
GERALD "JERRY" MINER of Midland, MI died June 25, 2016 at the age of 94. In 1952, he and his wife, Edith purchased the Reigle Funeral Home in Gladwin, and continued to own and operate it as Miner Funeral Home for over 17 years. He sold it in 1969 before returning to Midland to work for Wilson Funeral Home. The Miners purchased the Bradley Funeral Home in 1971, operating it as Miner-Bradley for a...
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JAMES RUSSELL RILEY, SR
June 24, 2016
JAMES RUSSELL RILEY SR of Lansing, MI died June 24, 2016 at the age of 93. He was a licensed funeral director, owner and operator of Riley Funeral Home, which he established alongside his wife, Deresa in 1957. They continued to operate the funeral home until retiring in 1993. In that time, ownership of the firm was relinquished to their son James R. Riley, Jr., who maintains operating it as the...
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DORETHA "DOTTIE" HECTOR
June 24, 2016
DORETHA "DOTTIE" HECTOR of Baltimore, MD died June 24, 2016 at the age of 74. She was an intern for Samuel Redd at his funeral home before serving her apprenticeship with West Baltimore undertaker Arlington Phillips. She worked alongside Phillips and his wife, Elizabeth, as they converted the old Silber's Bakery into Phillips Funeral Home. After Philips died in 1979, she continued to help...
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ANDREW "ANDY" B COLEMAN III
June 23, 2016
ANDREW "ANDY" B COLEMAN III of Jacksonville, FL died June 23, 2016 at the age of 53. He was the owner and operator of A. B. Coleman Mortuary.
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NORMAN A. BARILLA
June 20, 2016
NORMAN A. BARILLA of Neshannock Township, PA died June 20, 2016 at the age of 88. He was a national sales manager for Boyertown Casket Company and a regional sales manager for Yorktown Casket Company. He then worked for Milso Casket Company until his retirement in 2008.
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RONALD L. McKAY
June 17, 2016
RONALD L. McKAY of Boardman, OH died June 17, 2016 at the age of 73. He was a licensed funeral director who established the Clemente-McKay Funeral Home and Ambulance Service in New Middletown in 1976 alongside his partner Samuel C. Clemente. In 1982, they acquired the Clemente Funeral Home and Ambulance Service in Struthers, a firm that he had been associated with since 1969. In 1997, he began...
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JOHN GREGORY "GREG" MATHENA
June 16, 2016
JOHN GREGORY "GREG" MATHENA of Topeka, KS died June 16, 2016 at the age of 64. He was a licensed funeral director and manager of Chapel Funeral Home in Salina from 1974 to 1977. He became the managing partner of the Brennan's of Topeka Funeral Home in 1980. In 1994, he and his wife Donna bought out their partners and renamed it Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home. He retired in 2007 after 35 years of...
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JOHN K. WEBSTER
June 14, 2016
JOHN K. WEBSTER of Hamilton, OH died June 14, 2016 at the age of 89. He assisted his son, Robert D. Webster at his business, Webster Funeral Home in Fairfield, OH.
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JOHN R. "BOB" KENNEDY
June 5, 2016
JOHN R. "BOB" KENNEDY of Blue Earth, MN died June 5, 2016 at the age of 50. He began his apprenticeship at the Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield, IA before managing the Patton Funeral Home in Blue Earth for 17 years as a licensed funeral director. He graduated from the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in 1988.
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FRANK F. GIGLER, JR
June 5, 2016
FRANK F. GIGLER JR of Lower Burrell, PA died June 5, 2016 at the age of 87. He established the Frank F. Gigler Funeral Home in 1959 and has provided funeral services for 57 years as a licensed funeral director. He graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 1951.
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JOHN T. "JACK" CONNORS
June 3, 2016
JOHN T. "JACK" CONNORS of Allentown, PA died June 3, 2016 at the age of 83. He was a retired funeral director and owner of the John T. Connors Funeral Home in Allentown.
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HENRIETTA FANT MIMS
June 1, 2016
HENRIETTA FANT MIMS of Griffin, GA died June 1, 2016 at the age of 82. She and her husband, Robert Dean Mims owned and operated Cherokee Casket Company before retiring and entrusting the company to their son, Michael Mims.
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DOROTHY A. BLY
May 28, 2016
DOROTHY A. BLY of Cooperstown, NY died May 28, 2016 at the age of 98. In 1954, she and her husband, James Nicely Bly purchased the Newitt & Bly Funeral Home in Little Falls and continued to own and operate it for the next 26 years.
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JAMES R. CANNING
May 26, 2016
JAMES R. CANNING of Wallingford, CT died May 26, 2016 at the age of 97. He was a licensed funeral director at the B. C. Bailey Funeral Home for over 40 years. He graduated from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Embalming in New York and was a member of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association.
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DONALD NELSON BOYER
May 25, 2016
DONALD NELSON BOYER of Sharpsville, IN died May 25, 2016 at the age of 70. He was a licensed funeral director for over 39 years and owner of the Boyer Funeral Home in Sharpsville, which he purchased alongside his wife, Cheryl in 1977. In 1981, they purchased the Leatherman-Morris Funeral Home in Tipton, and renamed it Leatherman-Morris-Boyer Funeral Home. He graduated from the Indiana School of...
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RICHARD "DICK" WALTER MUIR
May 24, 2016
RICHARD "DICK" WALTER MUIR of Romeo and formerly of Almont and Dryden, MI died May 24, 2016 at the age of 81. He was a second generation funeral director who worked closely with his brother Norman in operating Muir Brothers Funeral Home in Almont as well as Muir Ambulance service. In 1984 he and his wife, Deborah acquired the current Roth-Muir Funeral Home in Romeo. He graduated from Wayne State...
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LAURENCE HALE WOOD
May 24, 2016
LAURENCE HALE WOOD of Floyd, VA died May 24, 2016 at the age of 99. He was a licensed funeral director and owner of Wood Funeral Home for over 60 years. The funeral home closed a few years ago after Wood reluctantly decided to retire.
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MARTHA ELIZABETH "BETTY" BEHM
May 20, 2016
MARTHA ELIZABETH "BETTY" BEHM, a lifelong resident of Madison/Perry, OH died May 20, 2016 at the age of 97. She worked alongside her husband Wilford N. Behm in owning and operating the Behm Funeral Home, which was founded by Wilford's parents, Walter C. and Alta E. Behm in 1906. Upon Wilford's death in 1961, Betty devoted her time to managing the funeral home with the help of Thomas Stanton, a...
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MILES T. "TOM" MARTIN
May 20, 2016
MILES T. "TOM" MARTIN of Mt. Morris, MI died May 20, 2016 at the age of 71. He purchased the Miles Martin Mortuary in Mt. Morris from his parents in 1971, and in 1996, he and his wife, Darnell acquired the Clark Funeral Homes in Vassar and Fairgrove. He graduated with a degree in mortuary science from Wayne State University in 1971 and was a member of the Genesee County Funeral Directors...
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JOHN L. CAREY, JR
May 20, 2016
JOHN L. CAREY JR of Cleveland, OH died May 20, 2016 at the age of 83. He was the owner and operator of the Carey Funeral Home in Cleveland, OH.
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CHARLES DAVID "SONNY" HENSON
May 14, 2016
CHARLES DAVID "SONNY" HENSON of Huntington, WV died May 14, 2016 at the age of 79. He was the founder of Henson & Kitchen Mortuary, which was originally established and began serving families as Henson Mortuary in October 1972. He served the families in the Huntington, Barboursville and Milton areas for over 54 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Sonny graduated from the Cincinnati...
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EDWARD CARLTON STEVENS
May 11, 2016
EDWARD CARLTON STEVENS of Wilson, NC died May 11, 2016 at the age of 64. He was a licensed funeral director and chief embalmer at Stevens Family Funeral Home, LLC for the past 39 years. He graduated from Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta, GA in 1974.
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ROBERTA MARKER "BERNIE" HELLER
May 10, 2016
ROBERTA MARKER "BERNIE" HELLER, lifelong resident of Dayton, OH died May 10, 2016 at the age of 93. She was the former co-owner of Marker & Heller Funeral Homes, which was established by her parents, the late Ora G. and Mae C. Marker in 1925 as Marker Funeral Home.
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FREDERICK N. "FREDDIE" COOKE
May 7, 2016
FREDERICK N. "FREDDIE" COOKE of Nitro, WV died May 7, 2016 at the age of 86. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer at his family's business, Cooke Funeral Home & Crematorium. He graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and was a member of the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association.
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JOSEPH ZEVNIK
May 7, 2016
JOSEPH ZEVNIK of Highland Heights, formerly of Wickliffe, OH died May 7, 2016 at the age of 57. He was the operator and managing funeral director of Zevnik-Cosic Funeral Home in Willoughby Hills and served as a past president and board member of the Cuyahoga Funeral Directors Association and the Ohio Embalmers Association.
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LARRY TIM NAFZGER
May 6, 2016
LARRY TIM NAFZGER of Reynoldsburg, OH died May 6, 2016 at the age of 79. He was a licensed funeral director and manager at Schoedinger Funeral Service for 50 years. He graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
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JAMES A. MORTON II
May 3, 2016
JAMES A. MORTON II of Baltimore, MD died May 3, 2016 at the age of 86. He began his career with the William L. Jackson Funeral Home in Baltimore. In 1954, he and his partner, Morton Dyett established the James A. Morton & Sons Funeral Homes Inc, which was the first black-owned funeral home in Baltimore. He later opened a second location in Dundalk and retired in 2012 as a licensed funeral...
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BETTY JO MAULDIN HOLCOMBE
May 1, 2016
BETTY JO MAULDIN HOLCOMBE of Union, SC died May 1, 2016 at the age of 86. In 1986, she and her husband, the late Billy Eugene Holcombe, founded Holcombe Cemeteries, Inc., with the purchase of Union and Jonesville Memorial Gardens and later Forest Lawn Cemetery. After Billy's death in 2005, she along with her nephew, Tommy Genoble and son continued to own and operate Holcombe Funeral Home, Inc....
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LOUIS A. PONTONE
April 28, 2016
LOUIS A. PONTONE of Staten Island, NY died April 28, 2016 at the age of 82. In 1931, his father started a casket company. After he and his brothers joined their father, they expanded the company to serve all fifty states as South Brooklyn Casket Company, Miller Casket Company and Reliable-Miller Casket Company, then joining as one name, Milso Industries and later teaming with Matthews...
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FRANK M. REGAN
April 27, 2016
FRANK M. REGAN of Scranton, PA died April 27, 2016 at the age of 87. He was a licensed funeral director at the Frank M. Regan Funeral Home for over 30 years. He served on the executive boards of the Lackawanna County Funeral Directors Association and the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association for over 60 years. He graduated from the Eckel's School of Mortuary Science in 1953.
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FREDDIE FAISON
April 26, 2016
FREDDIE FAISON of Kingstree, SC died April 26, 2016 at the age of 55. He was a licensed mortician and manager of the Samuels & Richardson Funeral Home in Lake City, SC which he co-founded alongside his partner Hayes F. Samuels, Jr. He served 38 years at the Redmond-Richardson Funeral Home in Kingstree under the leadership of the late Daniel Webster "D.W." Richardson. A graduate of the Gupton...
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JOHN W. JAY MOONEY, JR
April 24, 2016
JOHN W. JAY MOONEY JR of Weymouth, MA died April 24, 2016. He was the author and creator of the poem Merry Christmas From Heaven, which he wrote in 1989 and was president and CEO of MooneyTunCo, Inc.
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PAT PHILLIP GOEBEL
April 20, 2016
PAT PHILLIP GOEBEL of Crooksville, OH died April 20, 2016 at the age of 72. He served his apprenticeship with Schoediner Funeral Service in Columbus before purchasing the former Fred. L. Cannon Funeral Home in 1974 and he amended the corporate name to Goebel Funeral Home. He continued to serve the surrounding communities for the last 42 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He...
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R. C. "CHUCK" JOHNSON, JR
April 20, 2016
R. C. "CHUCK" JOHNSON JR of Georgetown, KY died April 20, 2016 at the age of 73. He was a third generation funeral director and owner of Johnson's Funeral Home for over 50 years. He graduated from Georgetown College.
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JOHN B. EGGERS, JR
April 15, 2016
REV JOHN B. EGGERS JR of Boiling Springs and Chesnee, SC died April 15, 2016 at the age of 54. He was the founder and co-owner of Eggers Funeral Homes in Boiling Springs and Chesnee, SC and Cliff-side, NC. He started working in Boone, NC at the Hampton Funeral Service as a licensed funeral director and then the Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home as part-owner. He later returned to Hampton Funeral...
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DALE A SHELLEY
April 14, 2016
DALE A SHELLEY of Little Falls, MN died April 14, 2016 at the age of 88. He worked as a funeral director in Arlington, MN and later worked in Minneapolis at the Albin Chapel and the Listow-Wold Funeral Home. In 1985, he and his wife, JoAnne E. Brustad purchased the Leo M. Thompson Funeral Home in Little Falls and renamed it Shelley Funeral Chapels. After 30 years of owning the firm, they sold it...
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ROBERT J. "BOB" INMAN
April 14, 2016
ROBERT J. "BOB" INMAN of Palm Harbor, Florida, formerly of Cleveland, OH, died April 14, 2016 at the age of 86.
Bob began his career in 1956 as a trade embalmer serving funeral directors in a six-county area of northeast Ohio. In 1962 he expanded his embalming business to handle the transportation of bodies from the Cleveland market for out of town funeral directors. In 1969 he founded the...
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JESSIE OTIS BYRD SANDERS
April 11, 2016
JESSIE OTIS BYRD SANDERS of Clinton, SC died April 11, 2016 at the age of 62. He was a licensed mortician, owner and operator of Sanders-Thompson Funeral Service.
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MARIO J. COLUCCI
April 10, 2016
MARIO J. COLUCCI of Niagara Falls, NY died April 10, 2016 at the age of 89. He served his apprenticeship at the former Ernest Wedekindt Funeral Home in Buffalo, NY before establishing the M. J. Colucci Funeral Chapel in 1958. He retired in 2004 after serving 56 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He graduated from the McAllister School of Mortuary Science in 1949 and was a member...
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MICHAEL R. STRAKER
April 7, 2016
MICHAEL R. STRAKER of Parma, OH died April 7, 2016 at the age of 68. He was the president of Schuster-Straker-O'Connor Funeral Home and was a member of Ohio Funeral Directors Association.
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ROY LEON DERFELT
April 6, 2016
ROY LEON DERFELT of Galena, KS died April 6, 2016 at the age of 93. In 1951, he joined his father, John Olin Derfelt as a funeral director at Derfelt Funeral Home, a profession he continued to practice well into his 80's. He eventually became sole owner of the business. In 1977, he purchased a funeral home in Baxter Springs and provided ambulance services to the community and the surrounding area...
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CHARLES ERWIN POOR
April 6, 2016
CHARLES ERWIN POOR of Hingham, MA and Naples, FL died April 6, 2016 at the age of 81. He founded The Boston Prayer Card Company in 1992.
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ROBERT P. SCHILDMEYER
March 29, 2016
ROBERT P. SCHILDMEYER of Loveland, OH died March 29, 2016 at the age of 89. Along with his wife Marilyn, their sons, Lawrence T. and Terry S. Schildmeyer and grandson Lawrence Schildmeyer Jr, Robert operated the Tufts Schildmeyer Family Funeral Homes and Cremation Centers.
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NORMAN E. GANNON
March 26, 2016
NORMAN E. GANNON of Lackawanna and Ellicottville, NY died March 26, 2016 at the age of 91. He served his apprenticeship at the Thomas V. Ray Funeral Home in Buffalo, NY before opening the Norman E. Gannon & Sons, Inc. Funeral Home in 1947. He retired in 2000 as a licensed funeral director and turned operation of the funeral home over to his twin sons and second generation funeral directors,...
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HARVEY "PARKER" TAGSOLD, JR
March 23, 2016
HARVEY "PARKER" TAGSOLD JR of Blissfield, MI died March 23, 2016 at the age of 80. He was a licensed funeral director and a partner in his family's business, Tagsold Funeral Home and Tagsold Furniture, with his father, and later with his son, Douglas, until his retirement in 1984. He graduated from Wayne State University in 1956.
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WILLIAM H. "BILL" FORD, SR
March 16, 2016
WILLIAM H. "BILL" FORD, SR of Englewood, FL and formerly of Fairmont, WV died March 16, 2016 at the age of 92. In 1952, he and his brother, Joseph, established Ford Funeral Home in Fairmont. They later purchased R. C. Jones Funeral Home in 1966, DeGarmo Funeral Home in 1982 and Allen Funeral Home in 1999. He worked at various levels in funeral service within the West Virginia Funeral Directors...
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MARION G. "SKIP" BURCHAM
March 16, 2016
MARION G. "SKIP" BURCHAM of Fairborn, OH died March 16, 2016 at the age of 67. He was a licensed funeral director for over 40 years. He began his employment at Littleton Funeral Home in 1971 and remained there for 18 years. During that time, he was a partner in the Littleton Funeral Home with his friend Tom Rue. In 1989 he returned to his family's business, Burcham Funeral Home in Fairborn, and...
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JOHN B. "JACK" WHITE
March 12, 2016
JOHN B. "JACK" WHITE of Mankato, MN died March 12, 2016 at the age of 85. He was a funeral director for over 50 years.
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KEVIN T. THOMAS
March 10, 2016
KEVIN T. THOMAS of Dillon, SC died March 10, 2016. He was a licensed funeral director, embalmer and owner of the House of Thomas Funeral Home which he established in 1989. He previously served his apprenticeship under the late E. Perry Palmer of Palmer Memorial Chapel and the J. P. Holley Funeral Home in Columbia, SC; and William Penn Troy of Troy's Funeral Home in Mullins, SC. He served as both...
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LARRY A. DORFMEYER
March 9, 2016
LARRY A. DORFMEYER of Holland, OH died March 9, 2016 at the age of 65. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer at the Foth–Dorfmeyer Mortuary in Toledo, OH. He graduated from the University of Minnesota–College of Mortuary Science and was a member of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association.
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EDWARD "ED" GEORGE DEISLER
March 9, 2016
EDWARD "ED" GEORGE DEISLER of Saginaw, MI died March 9, 2016 at the age of 91. He served the community of Saginaw as a licensed funeral director for more than 68 years. He was a third generation funeral director and president of Deisler Funeral Home from 1951 until he retired in 1989. He was extremely proud that the Deisler Funeral Home was, and still is, the oldest funeral home in the Saginaw...
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Carl H Russell, Jr
March 7, 2016
CARL H. RUSSELL JR of Winston-Salem, NC died March 7, 2016 at the age of 70. He was a licensed funeral director, embalmer and president of Russell Funeral Services, Inc. He was a member of the Funeral Directors and Morticians Association of North Carolina and the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.
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Henry L. J. Peebles
March 2, 2016
HENRY L. J. PEEBLES of Suffolk, VA died March 2, 2016 at the age of 83. He was a licensed mortician and embalmer in both Virginia and North Carolina. He was past president of the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, Virginia Mortician Association, Norfolk Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association and was a member of the Epsilon Nu Delta Fraternity.
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THOMAS "TOM" KAMM
March 1, 2016
THOMAS "TOM" KAMM of Denver, CO died March 1, 2016 at the age of 75. He established All-States Cremation in 1986 and All Veterans Burial & Cremation in 1989. He graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science.
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Nicholas "Nick" F. Handler, Sr
February 28, 2016
NICHOLAS "NICK" F. HANDLER JR of Tecum-seh, MI died February 28, 2016 at the age of 56. He joined Couture-Ochalek Funeral Home in 1995 as a licensed funeral director and became a full partner in 1997, renaming the business to Couture-Handler Funeral Homes. Handler then became a sole-proprietor of the Tecumseh and Clinton locations in April 2006. The businesses were later changed to Handler...
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Ellsworth D Purdy
February 27, 2016
ELLSWORTH D. PURDY of Vancouver, WA died February 27, 2016 at the age of 91. He was well known in the funeral and cemetery industry as a progressive leader and advocate for change. Understanding that consumer needs were evolving, and that the industry needed to listen and seek creative answers to better serve, he devoted the better part of his career in search of those answers.
He served as a...
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Nelson Edward Hayes
February 25, 2016
NELSON EDWARD HAYES of Matthews, NC died February 25, 2016 at the age of 75. He was a licensed North Carolina funeral director, embalmer and Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) at Davis Funeral Service in Monroe. He was a former manufacture's sales representative for North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia with Pierce Chemicals Royal Bond Company of Dallas, TX. He graduated from the...
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Paul A Robinson
February 24, 2016
PAUL A. ROBINSON of Gary, IN died February 24, 2016 at the age of 58. He was the owner and operator of The House of Robinson Funeral Directors for 28 years. He was a member of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.
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Armand Chevrette
February 24, 2016
ARMAND CHEVRETTE of Milford, CT died February 24, 2016 at the age of 66. He was the president of Mountain Grove Cemetery Association, where he worked for 46 years. He previously served as president of the Connecticut Cemetery Association, New England Cemetery Association and the Cremation Association of North America.
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Samuel Whitelock Purviance
February 20, 2016
SAMUEL WHITELOCK PURVIANCE of Wake-field, VA died February 20, 2016 at the age of 94. He was a licensed funeral director, who owned and operated Purviance Funeral Home alongside his wife, Hilda for nearly 50 years. He also operated funeral homes in Boykins and Jarrett, VA. A 1942 graduate of the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, he was a former president of the Tidewater Funeral Directors...
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Clyde Stephens Jr
February 15, 2016
CLYDE STEPHENS JR of Franklin, TN died Feb-ruary 15, 2016 at the age of 78. He started in the funeral industry in 1969 working at the former Franklin Memorial Chapel, and in 1972 he began managing Williamson Memorial Gardens. Later in 1980 he founded Williamson Memorial Funeral Home and in 2000, along with his family, opened Spring Hill Memorial Park & Funeral Home. He served two terms as the...
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Sarah Eleanor Ferrell Koch
February 9, 2016
SARAH ELEANOR FERRELL KOCH of Freeport, OH died February 9, 2016 at the age of 82. She was employed by Tinker Funeral Home in Kent before purchasing the former McCoy Funeral Home in Freeport alongside her husband, David H. Koch, Jr in 1967. She served her apprenticeship under Dave and became a licensed funeral director. In 1980, her husband died and she continued to operate the firm until selling...
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Wanda Saunders Willis
February 7, 2016
WANDA SAUNDERS WILLIS of Gallipolis, OH died February 7, 2016 at the age of 75. She and her husband, Cleeland Ray Willis, founded Willis Funer-al Home in 1974. She was a member of the Ohio Fu-neral Directors Association.
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Lem Long, Jr
February 7, 2016
LEM LONG JR of Charlotte, NC died February 7, 2016 at the age of 94. He worked alongside his wife, EDDIE JENETTA VAUGHN LONG, as a licensed funeral director, embalmer, owner, and operator of Long & Son Mortuary Service for 68 years. Mrs. Long passed away November 7, 2015 at the age of 93.
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Raymond E. "Gene" Crawshaw
February 4, 2016
RAYMOND E. "GENE" CRAWSHAW of Mur-physboro, IL died February 4, 2016 at the age of 84. He joined his father, the late Raymond A. Crawshaw in operating Crawshaw Funeral Home. He retired in 1994 after serving 40 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He graduated from the St. Louis College of Mortuary Science, was past president of the Egyptian Funeral Association and was a member of...
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MICHAEL J. GEARHART
February 3, 2016
MICHAEL J. GEARHART of Van Wert, OH died February 3, 2016 at the age of 63. He was a licensed funeral director and owner of the Alspach-Gearhart Funeral Home & Crematory. He retired after 40 years of service and was a member of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association.
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David "Gabby" Alan Adair
January 31, 2016
DAVID "GABBY" ALAN ADAIR of Knob Noster, MO died January 31, 2016 at the age of 62. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer at Sweeney-Phillips and Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg for over 14 years. He worked at Maple Hill Cemetery in Osceola, IA in 1982 and served as superintendant until 1996.
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James Thomas "Jimmie" Bramlett, Jr
January 27, 2016
JAMES THOMAS "JIMMIE" BRAMLETT, JR of Topeka, KS died January 27, 2016 the age of 92. He worked as a licensed funeral director and embalmer at several funeral homes in Muskogee and Tulsa, and operated the Chaney Funeral Home in McAlister alongside his wife, Wilma Beatrice Iler. He later worked as a casket sales representative for the Rex-Metallic, National and Batesville Casket Companies. He...
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ROBERT D. "BOB" GRAY, JR
January 26, 2016
ROBERT D. "BOB" GRAY JR of Skaneateles, NY died January 26, 2016. He established the Robert D. Gray Funeral Home in 1975. He graduated from the Simmons Institute of Funeral Service in 1968 and was past president and member of the Onondaga-Oswego Funeral Directors Association and served on the Lake View Cemetery Board for 25 years.
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HENRY ELLIS MCGILL, JR
January 21, 2016
REV DR. HENRY ELLIS MCGILL JR of Marion, SC died January 21, 2016 at the age of 80. He was a South Carolina licensed funeral director. He and his wife, Jacqueline acquired her father's business, Henry L. Jackson Funeral Home in 1968, which later became Jackson & McGilll Funeral Service.
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JOHN "BILL" FUSSELMAN
January 19, 2016
JOHN "BILL" FUSSELMAN of Syracuse, NY died January 19, 2016 at the age of 88. He worked as a licensed embalmer and funeral director for 60 years. In 1953, he opened the Fusselman Funeral Home in Louisville. In 1964 he along with his business partner, Milo Perry, purchased Sattler Funeral Home in Plattsmouth, NE. In 1968 he purchased Tonsing Funeral Home in Syracuse and operated the Fusselman...
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WILLIE B. GODWIN
January 18, 2016
WILLIE B. GODWIN of Lake City, SC died January 18, 2016 at the age of 86. He was a licensed funeral director and co-owner of Graham and Godwin Funeral Home.
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STEPHEN ELMO WEEKS
January 17, 2016
STEPHEN ELMO WEEKS of Savannah, GA died January 17, 2016 at the age of 96. He joined his father and brother in the family business, Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, as a third generation funeral director. He was past president of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association and a member of the National Selected Morticians.
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CLAUDIA ELIZABETH BURNAM
January 16, 2016
CLAUDIA ELIZABETH BURNAM of Louisville, KY died January 16, 2016 at the age of 58. She was a licensed funeral director, embalmer, owner and operator of Burnam & Son Mortuary, Inc., where she worked alongside her father, Claude E. Burnam, Jr and siblings for over 38 years. A graduate of the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science, she was a member of Kentucky Funeral Directors Association.
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SHIRLEY IRENE STOCKER
January 15, 2016
SHIRLEY IRENE STOCKER of Bradenton, FL died January 15, 2016 at the age of 80. She was the co-owner and secretary of Stocker Funeral Home in Covington, OH for 44 years. She was a member of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association.
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JAMES V. "SONNY" BONNETT
January 15, 2016
JAMES V. "SONNY" BONNETT of Nitro, WV died January 15, 2016 at the age of 82. He was an employee at Cooke Funeral Home and a member of the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association.
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GEORGE F. RIDGEWAY
January 13, 2016
GEORGE F. RIDGEWAY of Heath, OH died January 13, 2016 at the age of 69. He was an Ohio licensed funeral director and embalmer for over 35 years. Throughout his career in funeral service he had worked at Weir-Arend Funeral Home in Columbus; Walker Funeral Homes in Toledo; Henderson-VanAtta Funeral Home in Newark; and Brucker & Kishler Funeral Home in Newark. He also owned and operated Genesis...
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WALTER A. WILSON
January 13, 2016
WALTER A. WILSON of Dallas, TX died January 13, 2016 at the age of 83. He worked with his family at the Wilson Funeral Home in Tampa, FL. He later moved to Texas and worked at Lott's Mortuary. In 1966, he founded the Cedar Crest Funeral Home in the Oak Cliff sector of Dallas. In 1980, Cedar Crest opened its Plano location and merged with Wilson Financial Group of Houston in 1987. He was a...
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Harold D. Lamb
January 12, 2016
HAROLD D. LAMB of Lakeland, FL died January 12, 2016 at the age of 87. He was the oldest active funeral director in Polk County, who worked at the Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes and Dukes-Steen Funeral Home in Lakeland for many years. He later became an employee at Hancock Funeral Home in Fort Meade, where he continued to work until the time of his death. He was the past president of the Polk...
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RICHARD E. "GENE" WILLIAMS
January 12, 2016
RICHARD E. "GENE" WILLIAMS of Gainesville, FL died January 12, 2016 at the age of 70. He was a second generation funeral director and embalmer at Williams-Thomas Funeral Home, which was established by his father, Richard "Dick" Williams in 1940. Under his tenure, the funeral home expanded to Hawthorne and Jonesville and will remain locally owned and operated by Gene's son Rick Williams and Vonda...
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RODERICK R. GOODE, JR
January 7, 2016
RODERICK R. GOODE, JR of Chesterfield, VA died January 7, 2016 at the age of 44. He was a licensed funeral director at Bland and Tucker Funeral Home in Petersburg, VA. He received his mortuary science degree from John Tyler Community College in 2005, and was a member of the New Generation of Funeral Services Practitioners Association, Inc.
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Ruby Kennedy Johnson
December 27, 2015
RUBY KENNEDY JOHNSON of Prentiss, MS died December 27, 2015 at the age of 89. She assisted her husband, Eural L. Johnson, Sr., in operating his family's business, Johnson Funeral Home until he passed away in 1975. At that time, she became the sole proprietor of the business, retiring in 1991.
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PATSY FRANCIS SANTORO
December 26, 2015
PATSY FRANCIS SANTORO of Norwood, MA died December 26, 2015 at the age of 91. He was the superintendent of the Evergreen Cemetery Association and Crematory in New Haven, CT from 1969 until the time of his retirement in 1994. He served as president of the Connecticut Cemetery Association from 1979 until 1980 and the New England Cemetery Association in 1980. Patsy was a proud member of the...
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HUBERT KENNETH "HK" BOATWRIGHT
December 21, 2015
HUBERT KENNETH "HK" BOATWRIGHT of Darlington, SC died December 21, 2015 at the age of 91. He was a licensed funeral director, mortician and owner of Boatwrights Funeral Home in Bishopville, SC; Boatwright Chapel in Darlington, SC; and served as co-owner of Moses Funeral Home in Pamplico, SC. A 1943 graduate of the Eckels College of Mortuary Science, he was past member of the South Carolina Board...
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WILLIAM LEE SHANNON
December 20, 2015
WILLIAM LEE SHANNON of Shelbyville, KY died December 20, 2015 at the age of 96. He was a fourth generation funeral director at Shannon Funeral Service. He held the distinction of having the oldest funeral director and embalmer licenses in the commonwealth of Kentucky, having served 73 years as a funeral director and 69 years as an embalmer. Though in recent years, he was semi-retired, he still...
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M. DOMER LEIBENSPERGER
December 14, 2015
M. DOMER LEIBENSPERGER of Hamburg, PA died December 14, 2015 at the age of 75. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer. In 1974, he established the former Naftzinger Funeral Home in Centerport, which closed after the opening of his Leesport facility in December of 2012. He graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1961 and served as past president and member of the...
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JOSEPH HERMAN MILLER, JR
December 14, 2015
JOSEPH HERMAN MILLER, JR of Monroe, LA died December 14, 2015 at the age of 85. He owned and operated Miller Funeral Homes for nearly a century. His father, Joseph Miller Sr, founded the funeral home in 1935.
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G. JAMES BOSMA
December 11, 2015
G. JAMES BOSMA of Tempe, AZ formerly of Fulton, IL died December 11, 2015 at the age of 86. In 1963, he purchased Sikkema Funeral Home in Fulton and established Bosma Funeral Home. In 1979, he purchased Tomlinson Funeral Home in Morrison and his son, James D. Bosma, joined him in partnership. In 1987, the Renkes-Reynolds Funeral Home of Morrison joined together to establish the Bosma-Renkes...
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