Delaware Obituary Collection
(Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in Delaware [with many Maryland obits that are associated with Delaware]).
Many obituaries from Dover and Rehoboth Beach.
Funeral services for Daisy Lee Rich, 90, of Frederica, will be held at noon Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Matthews-Bryson Funeral Home, Smyrna, where friends may call two hours earlier. Mrs. Rich died of cardiac arrest Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004, in Frederica.
Mrs. Rich was born Aug. 28, 1914, in Hartwell, Ga., daughter of the late Simon Peter and Minnie Allan.
She was an entrepreneur.
Mrs. Rich was preceded in death by three great-grandsons, Wayne Keith Jeron, Kenneth Rich and Clifton B. Rich.
She is survived by a son, Leonard Rich; and 11 grandchildren, Catherine, Marie, La’whan, Ricardo, Linda, Monica, Leonard D., Lenora, Bernard, Kenneth and Morgan.
Mrs. Rich also is survived by six grandchildren-in-law, Murray, John, Jeffrey, Gary, Charles and Tina; 18 great-grandchildren, David, Jennifer, Sibongile, Zalika, La’whan L., Mary, Dwight, Darnell, Alisha, Leah, Catherine, Leonard, Bernard Jr., Christopher, Julian, Julius, Jonathan and Danielle; and two great-great-grandchildren, Javon and Rose.
Arrangements were by Young's Funeral Home, Milford.
Graveside services for Alfred Milton Shirey, 66, of Felton will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Bear. Mr. Shirey died Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004, at Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover.
Mr. Shirey was born Dec. 23, 1937, in Roscommon, Mich., to the late Ferda and Margaret Shirey.
A Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Shirey had worked for the past 17 years as a corrections officer at the Delaware Correctional Center, located near Smyrna.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ying Hua Shao, on June 30, 1994.
Mr. Shirey is survived by a son, Robert A. Shirey; and a daughter, Judith Shirey, both of Felton.
Arrangements were by Torbert Funeral Chapels, Dover.
Marian E. Cormier Snyder
Funeral services for Marian E. Cormier Snyder, 82, of Dover will be held Friday, Dec. 10, at the Torbert Funeral Chapel, 61 S. Bradford St., Dover, where friends may call one hour prior. Mrs. Snyder died after a long illness Dec. 6, 2004, surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Snyder was born Feb. 23, 1922, in Springfield, Mass., daughter of the late Edward and Elizabeth Cormier, who had emigrated to the United States from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
Mrs. Snyder graduated from Springfield High School in 1940, and met her husband, Robert G. Snyder, at Westover Air Force Base, Mass. They were married Oct. 12, 1947, and moved to Dover in 1955. Mrs. Snyder, a devoted wife and mother to three daughters, worked part-time as a Sarah Coventry jewelry consultant and later worked in food services for 12 years in the Capitol School District.
Mrs. Snyder possessed an endearing nature and a sincere willingness to be a friend to all. She loved to cook and bake, particularly, German chocolate cake and Swedish tea logs. She also was an active member of her local community, volunteering at the Dover office of the Blood Bank of Delmarva. A member of the Church of the Holy Cross in Dover, she served in its Holy Sodality for several years. Mrs. Snyder also belonged to the Twins (Mothers of Multiples) Club of Dover, TOPS, and NARFE.
In addition to her beloved husband of 57 years, Mrs. Snyder is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Linda and Bruce Tease of Newark, Denise and Bayard Holleger of Rehoboth, and Diane and Charles Woodring of Hockessin.
She also is survived by her grandchildren, Bree Tease of Newark, Kelly Holleger of Orlando, Fla., and Charles Woodring of Hockessin; two sisters, Stella Mondoux and Doris O’Connor; a brother, Robert Cormier of Springfield, Mass.; and many nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to acknowledge and sincerely thank all of those who so loving and tenderly cared for Mrs. Snyder with dignity and respect.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Community Service Bldg., 100 West 10th St., Suite 1003, Wilmington, DE 19801 or the Delaware Chapter Alzheimer’s Assoc., 2306 Kirkwood Hwy. Wilmington, DE 19805.
Funeral services for Franklin Joseph Ode “Frank” Thompson Sr., 62, of Marydel, will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Fleegle and Helfenbein Funeral Home, P.A., Greensboro, Md., where friends may call from 7 until 9 p.m. the night before. Mr. Thompson died Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004, in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover.
Mr. Thompson was born Dec. 23, 1941, in Wilmington, son of the late Ode and Julia Thompson.
He attended the Downes Vocational School in Wilmington.
He operated Junior Ellenworth Auto Repair in Willow Grove.
Mr. Thompson enjoyed fishing, singing and listening to country music and was a Dale Earnhart Sr. and a Dallas Cowboys fan. He loved his work and enjoyed meeting people.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Clara Dear.
Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife of 40 years, Pauline F. Thompson; four children, Franklin Thompson Jr. of Greensboro, Paula Martin of Marydel, Brian Thompson of Goldsboro, and Dawn Thompson of Henderson; and four children he raised, Paul Street of Sandtown, Bobby Wilson of Smyrna, Richie Faulk of Hartly, and Crystal Wilson of Greensboro.
He also is survived by four brothers, Johnny Thompson of Florida, Bobby Thompson of Wilmington, Roger Thompson of Greensboro, and Charles Thompson of Smyrna; two sisters, Louise Ellis of Marshalltown and Doris Willis of Harrington; and 13 grandchildren, Michael, Ashley, Robert, Jimmy, Brian, Brandon, Robert, Dillon, Mason, Cody, Sam, Dan, and Sadie.
Memorial contributions may be made to Frank Thompson c/o Fleegle and Helfenbein Funeral Home, P.A., P.O. Box 161, Greensboro, MD 21639.
Funeral services for Gloria Dianne Henderson Thompson, 51, of Richmond, Va., were held Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Richmond. Mrs. Thompson died Friday, Nov. 5, 2004, at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital, Richmond.
Mrs. Thompson was born Nov. 30, 1952, in New York City, to Jeannette Henderson and the late Robert Council.
She attended school in Richmond and Newark, N.J., earning a certificate in nursing. She worked as a private duty nurse for several years, then worked in management in the fast food industry.
From 1999 until 2004 she lived with her mother in Dover, moving back to Richmond in August for treatment at the MCV Hospital.
At the time of her death, Mrs. Thompson was a faithful member of Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church. She was fondly known as “Say So” because she would often speak those words as the reverend delivered his Sunday sermon. She was a member of the Voices of Hope and Unity Choirs, even when her health was failing.
Her warm smile, loving ways and spirited demeanor won her many friends and admirers. She will be missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her father, Mrs. Thompson was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred Thompson; and a son, Tyrone D. Henderson.
In addition to her mother, Mrs. Thompson is survived by a daughter, Clarinda E. Henderson of Newark, N.J.; a son, Edward Henderson of Richmond; her grandmother, Mary Hopkins Henderson; a granddaughter, Shaquana L. Henderson; three grandsons, Anthony Q. Hill Jr., Dominic Davis and Edward Henderson Jr.; and a sister, Yvonne Henderson.
In addition, she is survived by an aunt, Mary E. Henderson; an uncle, Lonnie McLaurin; a devoted great-aunt and great-uncle, Elizabeth and Percy Tucker; a niece, Chelay A. Sims; three nephews, Joseph and Lonnie Henderson and Kenneth Stallings Jr.; two adopted sisters, Janice Baptist and Mini Freeman; devoted friends, Patricia Williams, Jessie Hamlin, the Rev. Randolph Burt Sr., Edward Hartman, James Smith, James Lewis and Bernard Smith; and a host of cousins, relatives and friends.
Arrangements were by Brunson’s Funeral Chapel, Richmond.
Richard Woodrow Bedwell, 73, of Hartly died of natural causes Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004, at his home.
Mr. Bedwell was born Dec. 5, 1930, in Dover, son of the late Lester and Myrtle Patterson Bedwell.
In addition to his wife of 12 years, Harriet Simpson Bedwell, he is survived by a large extended family including two ex-wives, nine children and 13 grandchildren. “Daddy” always believed in doing things in a big way.
Mr. Bedwell enjoyed a colorful professional life that included time as a commercial fisherman, large machine operator, inventor, television technician and construction supervisor. He was a graduate of South Western Oregon Community College. A military veteran, Mr. Bedwell served his country during the Korean War as a construction engineer.
His neighbors and friends will remember him for his random acts of kindness. His greatest loves were the ocean, large crab cookouts on the beach with his family, inventing many varied machines and playing cards.
Mr. Bedwell’s remains were taken to Valley, Wash., to be interred in a private family plot. Memorial services in Valley are planned for a later date.
Katherine Roberta Johnson Branner
Funeral services for Katherine Roberta Johnson Branner, 96, of Dover were held Saturday, Oct. 30, in the Wesley United Methodist Church, Dover. Mrs. Branner died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, at home.
Mrs. Branner was born June 20, 1908, in Winchester, Md., to the late Robert Todd and Katherine Rebecca King Johnson.
She taught fourth grade at the W.B. Simpson Elementary School in Caesar Rodney School District for many years, retiring in 1970. She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Dover where she was the oldest member and a member of Harvest Years Senior Center. Mrs. Branner was an active person who enjoyed visiting friends and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was artistic, loved crafts, playing piano and was an avid bridge player. She had a wonderful sense of humor.
Mrs. Branner was preceded in death by her husband, John C. Branner Jr., on Dec. 1, 1991.
Mrs. Branner is survived by her daughter, Katherine B. King of Dover; four grandchildren, Matthew King, Amanda Mazzola, John King and Rebecca McCue; and four great-grandchildren, Samantha and Ashton Mazzola, John King and Celeste King.
Arrangements were by Torbert Funeral Chapels, Dover.
Services for James E. Brown Sr., 84, of Dover will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, in the Pippin Funeral Home, 119 West Camden-Wyoming Ave., Wyoming, where friends may call one hour before. Mr. Brown died Sunday, Oct. 31, 2004, in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover.
Mr. Brown was born Jan. 21, 1920, in Dover, son of the late William Henry and Ethel Luff Brown.
Mr. Brown proudly served his country as a sergeant in the United States Army during World War II.
He worked as a carpenter and in his spare time enjoyed rabbit hunting and watching westerns on television.
Mr. Brown was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Evelyn Blome Brown; a son, Charles Brown; four brothers, George Brown, John Brown, Willard Brown and Wilson Brown; and two sisters, Daisy and Mildred.
He is survived by seven children, Woody Brown and his wife Becky of Staten Island, N.Y.; Grace Sheers and her husband Oscar of Dover; Carol Jones of Dover; William Brown and his wife Shirley of Templeville, Md.; Mary Hines and her husband Tom of Dover; James E. Brown, Jr. of Dover; and the Rev. Cathrine Bernard and her husband Joe of Felton; a sister, Annie Moore of Dover; 28 grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Burial will be in Sharon Hills Memorial Park, Dover.
