Kent County, Delaware Obituary Collection (Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in Kent County, Delaware.
Many obituaries from Camden, Dover, Smyrna, and surrounding area.
MILFORD - Dr. John B. Baker of Milford died of heart failure Tuesday, May 5, 1998, in Milford Memorial Hospital. He was 93.
Dr. Baker was a 1922 graduate of William & Mary College, in Williamsburg, Va., with a bachelor's of science degree in 1926. He then graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1930 as a medical doctor specializing in pediatrics. He served his internship at Misricordia Hospital in Philadelphia.
He was a major in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Dr. Baker moved to Milford in 1932, and set up his pediatric practice. He was the first pediatrician in Milford and served on the staff at the Milford Memorial Hospital Emergency Room. Dr. Baker served 53 years in pediatrics in Milford. During that time, he was chief of pediatrics at Milford Memorial Hospital. He and other doctors helped to design and build the Main Building of Milford Memorial Hospital.
He was a member of the American Medical Association; the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Medicine. He was past president of the Delaware Academy of Pediatrics. He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, where he served as a past Senior Warden; and a member of the Milford Historical Society and a former member of the Milford V.F.W. Blue Hen Post 6483.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Edith Subers Baker in 1990.
He is survived by a son, John B. Baker Jr. at home; a daughter, Loretta B. Houston of Milford; two grandchildren, Beverly Messick of Milford and Jeffrey Houston of Pleasanton, Calif.; and five great-grandchildren, Matthew and Bryan Messick, and Thomas, Jordan and Danielle Houston.
Service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Christ Episcopal Church, 200 Church St., Milford.
Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. Sunday at the Lofland Funeral Home, 102 Lakeview Ave., Milford.
Burial will be in the adjoining churchyard.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to Christ Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 191, Milford, DE 19963.
Florence Barbara Brown, 64
FELTON - Florence Barbara Brown of Felton died of pneumonia Sunday, May 3, 1998, in Bayhealth Medical Center. She was 64.
Mrs. Brown was born in 1933, in Woodside, the daughter of Emory and Gertrude Berry.
She received her education in the Delaware school system.
Mrs. Brown was employed at Playtex in Dover.
She was a member of Greater Life Christian Church, Star Hill.
She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Richard C. Brown of Felton; one daughter, Lois Brown of Felton; three sons, Douglas Berry of Almere, Netherlands, Larry Brown of Newark, and Lorenzo Brown of Dover; a stepson, Roy Patton of Newark; two sisters, Helen Berry of New York and Amanda Selth of New Castle; a devoted niece, like a sister, Joan Hunter of Wilmington; three brothers and sister-in-laws, Emory Berry Jr. of New Castle, Charles and Jean Berry, both of Wilmington, Irving and Bernice Berry, both of Felton, and Phyllis Scott of Dover; 16 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Greater Life Christian Church, Star Hill, where friends may call two hours prior to the service.
Bishop James Ashley will officiate.
Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. in the Delaware Veteran's Memorial Cemetery.
Arrangements by Minus Funeral Home, Dover.
Isadore Redlus, 76
CLAYMONT - Isadore Redlus of Claymont died Sunday, May 3, 1998, in Kutz Home for the Aged. He was 76.
Mr. Redlus owned and operated Swanky Frank Restaurant in Dover for many years.
He was a member of Montefiore Mutual Benefit Society.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Grace E. Redlus; a son, Jacob Redlus of Wilmington; two daughters, Carolyn Kraftsow of Fisher Island, Fla., and Jill Landing of Wyoming; a brother, Jack Redlus of Bellefonte, and six grandchildren.
There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m. Monday in the Montefiore Section of the Jewish Community Cemetery on Foulk Road.
Shiva will be observed Monday at the residence of Mrs. Grace E. Redlus, 7520 Society Drive.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the American Heart Association.
David J. Prettyman, 64
DOVER - David J. Prettyman of Dover, formerly of Laurel, died Monday, May 4, 1998, in Kent General Hospital. He was 64.
Mr. Prettyman was the son of the late Claude and Olga Prettyman.
He was a 1951 graduate of Laurel High School. He attended West Chester State Teachers College, Pa. He received a bachelor's of science degree in Music Education in 1955.
Mr. Prettyman entered the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Korea with the 24th Infantry Division Band.
He began his teaching career in Perry County, Pa., where he was band director at Susquenita High School. In 1961, he began teaching instrumental and general music at Dover Air Force Base High School. In 1972, he transferred to teach instrumental music in the Caeser Rodney Elementary Schools, retiring in 1987.
Mr. Prettyman was always active in music outside of the school systems. He began playing in dance bands when he was 13 years old and had his own dance band his last two years in high school. He played concert bands in Ocean City, Md., Salisbury, Md., Harrisburg, Pa., the Milford Community Band, and in orchestras for the Dover Community Singers shows. He had been a church choir director in Marysville, Pa., and in Camden. He was most active, however, in numerous dance bands and combos where he played trumpet, flugelhorn, and valve trombone. He has been a member of the Bob Wagner Band since 1961.
He is survived by his wife, Jean; two daughters, Shirley Scrafford of Lakenheath Air Force Base, England, and Linda Sams of Gilbertsville, Pa.; a son, Craig Prettyman of Newark; two brothers, Claude Prettyman Jr. of Villa Park, Calif., and Richard Prettyman of Suffield, Conn.; a sister, Olga Kretz of Wilmington; and five grandchildren, Shaun, Kathryn and Christopher Scrafford, and Melissa and Michelle Sams.
There will be a memorial service at 1 p.m. Friday at the Whatcoat United Methodist Church of Camden, 16 N. Main St., Camden.
Burial will be private.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Whatcoat United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, Drawer L, Camden, DE 19934.
Arrangements by Torbert Funeral Chapel, Dover.
Ronald L. Price, 61
LAUREL - Ronald L. Price of Laurel died of heart failure Monday, May 4, 1998, in Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Seaford. He was 61.
Mr. Price was born 1937 in Camden, N.J.
He worked for the Department of Transportation for the state of New Jersey.
Mr. Price was a member of St. John United Methodist Church, Berlin, N.J.
He is survived by his wife, Marie L. Price of Laurel; three sons, Ronald M. Price Jr. of Philadelphia, David Price of Sicklerville, N.J., William Price of Blackwood, N.J.; seven grandchildren, four brothers-in-law, three sisters-in-law and a daughter-in-law Zaira Price.
Friends may call at Miller Funeral Home in Camden, N.J. on Saturday.
Betty Ann Cephas-Stinson, 44
DOVER - Betty Ann Cephas-Stinson of Dover died Tuesday, May 5, 1998, in her home. She was 44.
Mrs. Stinson was born in 1954, the daughter of Mrs. Delores Jones of Wildwood, N.J., and Clifford 'Dicky Bird' Cephas of Cambridge, Md., Step-father, William Jones of Wildwood and a devoted daughter, April L. Stinson, also of Dover.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth L. Stinson and her grandmother, Willie Mae Cephas.
In addition to her daughter and parents, she is survived by four grandchildren, Tomaya, Roger, Tiana and Amerie Tucker of Dover; two sisters, Valerie Jones of Wildwood, and Vanessa White of Los Angeles; four brothers, Wilmont and William Jones, both of Wildwood, Raymond Chase of Dover and Benjamin Jones of Grasonville, Md.; parental grandparent, Mrs. Evelyn Askins of Grasonville; a devoted mother-in-law, Elois Martin of Cambridge and grandmother, Bernice Cornish of Cambridge; five sisters-in-law, Patricia Hughes of Hurlock, Md., Lois Stinson of Cambridge, Tina Jones of Wildwood, Patricia Lee and JoAnne Chase, both of Cambridge, and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, stepbrothers, stepsisters, nephews, cousins and friends.
Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Refuge Temple in Cambridge, where the Rev. Gloria Cephas will officiate.
Friends may call at the church one hour prior to the service.
Burial will be in Waugh Church Cemetery, Cambridge.
Thomas Lee Johnson, 70
NEWARK - Thomas Lee Johnson of Chestnut Hill Estates, Newark, died of heart failure Wednesday, May 6, 1998, in his home. He was 70.
Mr. Johnson was a Navy veteran of World War II.
He was an independent truck driver and retired in 1993, he leased to George Transfer.
Mr. Johnson enjoyed racing stock cars throughout the state during the 1940s and 1950s.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lena 'Lee' Argoe Johnson; one son, Thomas L. Johnson of Georgetown; three daughters, Tina Louise Jones of Port Orchard, Wash., Tonya Lyn Johnson of Seattle, and Judith Reynolds of Georgetown; three brothers, James A. Johnson of Dover, Robert Johnson of Clayton and C. Lee Johnson of Smyrna; one sister, Etta J. Winters of Staatsburg, N.Y., and several grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
There will be a memorial service at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday from the Chapel at the Delaware Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, Chesapeake City Rd., Summit.
Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the American Heart Association, Delaware Chapter.
Arrangements by Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home, Middletown.
Donald J. Shope, 65
MILLVILLE - Donald J. Shope of Bethany Bay in Millville, formerly of Kent, Ohio, died of cancer Tuesday, May 5, 1998, in the Beebe Medical Center. He was 65.
Mr. Shope served in the U.S. Army.
He was vice president and general manager of Residential and Commercial Services for Davey Tree Company of Kent, Ohio.
Mr. Shope was a member of the United Methodist Church of Kent; a member of the National Arborist Association and International Society of Arborist.
He enjoyed flying and surf fishing, fly tying, sailing golf and astronomy.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Nancy C. Shope; a son, Donald J. Shope of Houston, Texas; a daughter, Natalie J. Shope of Columbus, Ohio, and two grandsons.
Service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Mariner's Bethel United Methodist Church in Ocean View, where friends may call one hour prior to the service.
Burial will be private.
The Rev. Joseph Burris will officiate.
Arrangements by Melson Funeral Services, Frankford.
Jane R. Wheatley, 78
SMYRNA - Jane R. Wheatley of Smyrna died Thursday, May 7, 1998, in her home. She was 78.
Mrs. Wheatley was born 1919 in Philadelphia, the daughter of the late Clinton D. Robertson Sr. and Myrtle Mae Pearsaul.
She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Wheatley was a member of of Maple Dale Country Club, she was also an active supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Leslie 'Reds' Wheatley, 1984.
She is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Service will be noon Saturday at the Faries Funeral Chapel, 29 S. Main St., Smyrna, where friends may call one hour prior to service.
Burial will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Smyrna.
Instead of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to Compassionate Care Hospice, 256 Chapman Road, Suite 201-A, Newark, DE 19702.
Rebecca Jarrell Owens May, 90
BRIDGETON, N.J. - Rebecca Jarrell Owens May of Bridgeton died of congestive heart failure, on her 90th birthday, Thursday, April 30, 1998, in her home.
Mrs. May was Born in Chestertown, Md., the daughter of the late Clifton Lloyd and Elizabeth Jarrell.
She worked at the New Jersey State School for Girls, Vineland, N.J., and retired in 1972.
Mrs. May was married to H. LeRoy 'Buck' Owens, 1926-1950, of Berton, Md., and later married Clifford May, of Bridgeton, who preceded her in death, 1958.
She was also preceded in death by her sisters, Emma Bennett of Chestertown, Kathryne Norris and Edith Schaffer, both of Baltimore, and Martha May Legg of Denton and two brothers, Clifton and George Henry Jarrell, both of Baltimore.
She is survived by a daughter, Betty Jane Ale, of Bridgeton and a son Donald L. Owens, of Betterton; a sister, Ernespine Jarrell Matthews of Chestertown; nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Service was held at Sray Funeral Home, Bridgeton, on Monday, May 4.
Burial was in the Jarrell family plot, Chester Cemetery, Chestertown.
Instead of flowers the family suggests contributions to be made to Chestertown Volunteer Fire Co. or Kent and Queen Anne's rescue squad, Chestertown, MD 21620.
