Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart, a Palm Beach resident for 25 years, died Monday, Nov. 11, 2002, in Haverford, Pa. He was 85.
Formerly of the Philadelphia area, Mr. Stewart was a real estate entrepreneur involved in multimillion-dollar construction projects, including Veterans Stadium and the Spectrum in Philadelphia, and RFK Stadium and a Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Stewart was born in Gloucester City, N.J., the ninth of 10 children of Mary Garrity Stewart and Patrick Stewart, a builder in the Camden, N.J. area.
He attended LaSalle College High School in Wyndmoor, Pa.; the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; and Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Mass.
He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard at the outbreak of World War II and became a lieutenant commander.
After the war, Mr. Stewart joined an accounting firm in New York, specializing in taxes, and later took up real estate development. In the 1970s, he began buying luxury apartment buildings and converting them to condominiums.
His wife, Virginia, of 48 years, died in 1995. They were members of the Beach Club, Seminole Golf Club and St. Edward Catholic Church.
Mr. Stewart is survived by a son, Bill Stewart Jr. of Blue Bell, Pa.; two daughters, Barbara Stewart Brown of Cochranville, Pa., and Mary Stright, of Berwyn, Pa.; and eight grandchildren.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 14 at St. John Neumann Church in Bryn Mawr, Pa. William H. Logan Funeral Home of Yeadon, Pa., handled the arrangements.
Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in West Conshohocken, Pa. A Palm Beach memorial service will be held in January.
Gwendolyn Charlesworth Graves
Gwendolyn Charlesworth Graves died on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2002. Mrs. Graves, a former resident of Vineland, N.J., was a seasonal Palm Beach resident for 50 years.
Mrs. Graves was a graduate of the Penn Hall School and Harcum College of Bryn Mawr.
Mrs. Graves is survived by her husband, George (Bud) Graves; a son and daughter-in-law, Bud and Jan Graves of Northfield, N.J.; a daughter and son-in-law, Gwenn and Jeff Hamilton; and five grandchildren, Chris, Shane and Alaina Graves and Tyler and Stephanie Hamilton.
Friends may visit at 4 p.m. today at the Margate Community Church, 8900 Ventnor Ave., Margate. A memorial service will follow at 4:30 p.m. at the church. Interment will be private.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Margate Community Church or the charity of the donor's choice.
Arrangements will be handled by Jeffries & Keates Funeral Home in Northfield.
Paul Chase
Paul Jerome Chase, of Palm Beach and Mill Neck, N.Y., died Friday, Feb. 7, 2003, at his home here. He was 86.
Mr. Chase was born March 8, 1916, in New York City. He graduated from the Choate School, Yale University Class of 1939 and the University of Virginia Law School, 1942. He was a partner at Casey, Beinecke and Chase and a founding partner at Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O’Donnell and Weyher.
He was a member of the Bath and Tennis Club, the Everglades Club and the Seminole Club.
Mr. Chase is survived by his wife, Florence McKim Chase; daughters Susan Culver of Wayland, Mass., and Lynn Flintoft of New York; son Brewster Chase of Ithaca, N.Y.; granddaughters Ann Prentice and Jennings Lee Culver; stepdaughters Wendy Havens, Lilly Woodworth, Heidi Doubleday and Phoebe Timpson; and brothers George Chase of Atlanta, Jerome Chase of Wayland and Peter Chase of Santa Fe, N.M. He was predeceased by a brother, Dr. Henry Chase of New York, and former wife Mary Brewster Jennings of Long Island, N.Y.
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, 141 S. County Road. Donations can be made to the Strang Cancer Prevention Center, 428 E. 72nd Street, New York, NY 10021 or Choate-Rosemary Hall, 333 Christian St., Wallingford, CT 06492. Arrangements are by Quattlebaum-Holleman-Burse Funeral Home, West Palm Beach.
James 'Jimmy' Brooks
James "Jimmy" Brooks, who for 25 years served as barber to some of the best-known heads in Palm Beach, died Friday, June 14, 2002, at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. He was 82 years old and had been in failing health in recent years. Born Dec. 1, 1919 in Haverhill, Mass., he was the son of George and Elsie (Ridlin) Brooks. He attended Haverhill public schools. His father also was a barber and Mr. Brooks grew up learning the family trade.
After serving with the U.S. Navy during Worl War II, Mr. Brooks opening his own show. He lived and worked in Haverhill until 1977, when he moved to West Palm beach.
Mr. Brooks worked first at the Everglades Barber Shop on Cocoanut Row and then at Richard's Barber Shop on Brazilian Avenue.
He was an avid golfer and played courses around the county.
Failing health forced his retirement from golf and barbering a few years ago.
In addition to Peggy, his wife of 25 years, Mr. Brooks is survived by his two sons, J. Bradford Brooks and Brian C. Brooks -- also a barber -- both of Haverhill; daughters, Jacqueline McCormick of Haverhill and Jill Brooks of Palm Beach Gardens; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Brooks' body was cremated. A service for family members will take place in Haverhill. A local memorial service will take place in the fall.
Annamaria Kuhn-Bubna
Annamaria Kuhn-Bubna, of West Palm Beach and formerly of Palm Beach, died at her summer home in Palanzano, Italy, on Wednesday, June 19, 2002. She was 86.
Born on May 22, 1916, in Aflenz, Austria, on May 22, 1916, her parents were Ludwig Hofmann von Ehrenberg and Baroness Hermine von Steinbach.
Mrs. Kuhn - Bubna, nicknamed Annamie, lived for 18 years at the Southlake apartments in Palm Beach, until she moved to West Palm Beach about two years ago.
She was the widow of Rene Kuhn-Bubna, who died in 1983. Mrs. Kuhn-Bubna is survived by cousins Ann Heavey of Palm Springs, Calif., and Kurt von Sternbach of Innsbruch, Austria; and nephews Herbert Fritzsche and Wolfried Tajowski of Vienna, Austria.
A Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at St. Edward Catholic Church, 144 N. County Road, where she had been a member. Her cremated remains will be sent to the Old Military Cemetery in Innsbruch for interment in the family plot. A funeral Mass was held June 21 at San Martino Church in Palanzano.
Memorial donations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, 2330 S. Congress Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33406.
Avis Weaver Pringle
Avis Weaver Pringle of Palm Beach and Greensboro, N.C., died Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2002, at her home in Greensboro. She was 78.
Mrs. Pringle was born June 5, 1924, in Bassett, Va., to the late Avis Bassett Weaver and Robert Edward Weaver.
She attended Salem Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C.; graduated from Mount Vernon Junior College in Washington D.C.; and earned her bachelor's degree in sociology and economics from Salem College in Winston-Salem. She was member of the Virginia State Board of Education, was a member of the board of visitors of Radford College, and was trustee emeritus of Ferrum College in Roanoke, Va.
Mrs. Pringle is survived by her daughter, Margaret Helms Shelton of Greensboro; two sons, Ralph Jackson Helms Jr. of Roanoke, and Charles Steven Helms of Fairfax Station, Va.; and six grandchildren, Virginia Bassett Shelton, John Carroll Shelton III, Matthew Buchanan Helms, Leah Aston Helms, Jeb Tyler Helms and Mark Losson Helms.
The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Bassett Memorial United Methodist Church.
The funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. Friday at the church with the Rev. Alan Follett and the Rev. Jim Meredith officiating. Interment will follow the service at the Bassett family cemetery.
Arrangements are by the Collins Funeral Service in Bassett.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Bassett Memorial United Methodist Church. P.O. Box 408, Bassett, VA 24055 or to Ferrum College, P.O. Box 1000, Ferrum, VA 24088.
Guilford Dudley Jr.
The Hon. Guilford Dudley Jr., a longtime seasonal resident of Palm Beach and former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, died Thursday, in Nashville. He was 94.
Born in Nashville June 23, 1907, he was the son of Guilford and Anne (Dallas) Dudley. His father was one of the founders of the Tennessee Life & Casualty Co.
Ambassador Dudley graduated from Vanderbilt University and joined his father's company in 1932. He became its first million-dollar salesman.
"I didn't have enough sense to know what a Depression was," he once told the The Tennessean in Nashville.
During World War II, he served as a naval aviator, flight instructor and Air Operations Offier. He earned a citation from Adm. W.F. Halsey and a presidential unit citation for service in the Pacific aboard the USS San Jacinto.
After the war, Ambassador Dudley returned to Nashville and his business career.
As chairman of Tennessee's Life & Casualty Insurance Co, which later consolidated into American General, Ambassador Dudley was instrumental in the development of the 31-story L&C Tower in Nashville, the first high-rise office building in the downtown area.
He was also president of International Financial Services Ltd.
Ambassador Dudley also became active in politics, serving as chairman of the GOP finance committee in Tennessee and as finance manager for the campaigns of Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He also served as an adviser to Ronald Reagan's 1980 transition team.
He served as U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from May 1969 until November 1971. During that time, he arranged secret meetings between Vice President Spiro Agnew and Crown Prince Henrik of Denmark. Those meetings led to the release in 1969 of the first official list of 368 names of American POWs held by the North Vietnamese.
Ambassador Dudley received the Grand Cross of the Order of Dannenborg from King Frederik IX for his diplomatic service in Denmark.
In spite of his passion for politics, he held only one elective office -- that of GOP county chairman.
Even as a septuagenarian, he went to Panama in 1977 as part of a Citizens Task Force to analyze U.S. interests in the Panama Canal. The task force later submitted report for presidential review.
"I wouldn't completely retire," he told the Palm Beach Daily News that year. "I wouldn't be happy. Without the challenge ... I'd get bored. Too many people seem to lose interest in life after giving up their jobs. I'll set my goals and work for their accomplishment."
In addition to his business and political skills, Ambassador Dudley was also a noted sportsman and artist. He raised horses that he raced in England, Ireland, France, Denmark and the US, among them Roublet, runnerup for Steeplechase Horse of the Year in 1968, and Kings Kide, best navia in 1970. He was also a fox hunter, skier, tennis player and golfer, although he preferred his art, which he called "the best therapy."
"Golf only swaps one set of problems for another," he once said. "Art is the best therapy, the only therapy which enables me to forget all of my troubles."
He concentrated on andscapes and portraits and had a one-man show at Palm Beach Galleries in 1975. His work was also exhibited at the U.S. embassy in Denmark.
He was a longtime resident of Palm Beach, where he lived at 1820 S. Ocean Boulevard for nearly 25 years before selling it to a shopping center designer A. Alfred Taubman. Ambassador Dudley led the opposition to the town's project to build a seawall in the South End.
With his third wife, he was international, national and diplomatic chairman of the Red Cross Ball for many years.
He was a member and former president of the Cocoanuts. He and friend Bob Leidy, president of the Cocoanuts, played golf and tennis together, but were known for their brief pairing each New Year's -- on the dance floor at the Cocoanuts gala.
"Everybody thought we were nuts. We'd dance for about 20 seconds. The only problem is Guilford always wanted to lead," Leidy chuckled.
Leidy called Ambassador Dudley a wonderful gentleman who had a fantastic sense of humor. "God bless him," Leidy said.
Locally, Ambassador Dudley was also a member of the Everglades Club and the Bath and Tennis Club. In New York, he was a member of the Brook Club, the River Club and the Southampton Bathing Corp.
He is survived by his wife, Jane Anderson Dudley; sons Guilford Dudley III of Medenales, N.M., Robert Dudley of Nashville; daughter, Trevania Dudley Henderson of Boston; grandchildren, Chris Guilford Dudley of La Jolla, Calif., Robert Dudley Lee of San Jose, Calif., Natasha Dudley Busick of La Jolla, and Guilford Cole Henderson of Boston great-grandchildren Jacquelyn Busick, Charles Dudley, Emma Dudley and Samuel Dudley.
The funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Christ Church, Nashville.
Anton Guadagno
Anton Guadagno, the artistic director and conductor who worked tirelessly to raise Palm Beach Opera from a minor player on the regional scene to a company of international esteem, died Friday, Aug. 16, 2002, night in Vienna, Austria. He was 79.
Mr. Guadagno, had conducted Otello in St. Margarethen, Austria, the night before his death. He died of a heart attack, according to Palm Beach Opera officials.
Mr. Guadagno was about to start his 19th season at the helm of the Palm Beach Opera. Many people agree that his connections in the international music community and his dedication to the company brought the orchestra to the high level of acclaim it enjoys today.
"What this opera company is is the result of maestro Guadagno's work," said Joseph Barnett, general director of the opera who has known Guadagno for a decade. "He was the godfather of this opera. He brought it from a rather small, mediocre company to the point that we could count on international stars to come."
Proof of the orchestra's accomplishments came with the performance of last season's Tannhauser, Barnett said. The success of the challenging work personified everything that Mr. Guadagno did for Palm Beach Opera.
There is no question that renowned artists came to perform in town because of Mr. Guadagno, said Robert Lombardo, an artists' manager based in New York City who met the maestro in Philadelphia in the 1960s.
One example Lombardo cites is Olga Makarina, a soprano from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, who came last year to perform the role of Norma Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma.
Training under Mr. Guadagno gave the singer a "solid basis" to perform the role all over the world, which she did following her time here, Lombardo said.
Mr. Guadagno's absence will leave a void not only in South Florida, but in the world of opera, Lombardo said.
"This was a company that had the last composer in United States that had an Italian basis, a traditional Italian basis," Lombardo said.
An American citizen, Mr. Guadagno was born in Castellamare del Golfo, Italy, May 2, 1923. He was educated in orchestra conducting, composition and band instrumentation from the Conservatorio Vincenzo Bellini in Palermo and the Conservatorio di Santa Cecila in Rome. He later attended the Salzburg Mozarteum, where he studied under maestro Herbert von Karajan and won a first prize for conducting in 1948.
Mr. Guadagno was music director of the Philadelphia Lyric Opera; principal conductor for the Cincinnati Opera; director of the Conservatory and Symphony of Arequipa, Peru; music director for the International Opera Season of Bellas Artes; Mexico, and director of the Opera Nacional of Lima, Peru. He also was musical director of Monterrey Opera in Mexico, where he met and later conducted young tenor Plácido Domingo.
He also was principal guest conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic.
Mr. Guadagno and his wife, Dolores, have one son, Steven, who is also a conductor.
Mr. Guadagno lived in West Palm Beach, New York City and Vienna.
Funeral services are pending.
George Archer
George William Archer of Palm Beach died Sunday, Aug. 11, 2002, at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Riviera Beach.
Born in Hargrove, Ala., on Dec. 22, 1899, he was a resident of the Palm Beach area since 1947.
"He lived for three centuries and thought that was really cool," said his granddaughter Terrell Viner of New Canaan, Conn., and Vero Beach. "His military service and patriotism were also very important to him."
Mr. Archer was a veteran of World War I, joining at age 17 but saying he was 19 so he could earn his pilot's wings and commission. He also helped to launch a newspaper on the base. One of his customers was Broadway singer Lillian Russell.
After the war, he worked at newspapers in Pensacola and Birmingham, starting as an advertising cartoonist.
During World War II, he enlisted and served on Ascension Island in the south Atlantic, then went on to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve by 1959.
Following the war, Mr. Archer worked at a newspaper in New York for a short time before returning to Florida.
He moved to West Palm Beach and joined the Palm Beach Post-Times staff. He was the publisher from 1952 until 1960, when he retired. He moved to Palm Beach in the early 1960s.
John Burns, an attorney and friend who knew Mr. Archer for more than 30 years, called the veteran a "gentleman's gentleman, one of those great people who maintained his dignity, dress and spirit even at 102."
His sense of was "wonderful," Burns said. "I visited him in his room at the VA hospital last week, and he was telling jokes and reminiscing about the olden days when we served on the Sunrust South Florida board of directors [in the 1960s]."
"He had [the VA staff] laughing, and the nurses were in love with him, Viner.
"It was the family joke that he lived so long because he didn't start smoking until he was 12," she added, noting her grandfather smoked a pipe and cigars. "He was very proud of the fact that he never took medicine, not even aspirin, and washed his hands several times a day [for health reasons]."
Mr. Archer drove until he turned 100, when he voluntarily gave up his driver license, Burns said. He also liked reading about the world wars, played golf with the Old Guard Society of Palm Beach Golfers until he was age 95, and was an avid baseballcollector. His collection included the Chicago Cubs infielder trio of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance, Burns said.
Mr. Archer belonged to a breakfast club that meets at Howley's restaurant in West Palm Beach. "Even when I was a girl," Viner said, "he met with his buddies and friends for breakfast on his way to work. He loved being out in the morning; it was an important part of his life. He also got a real kick out of his great-great-grandchildren."
Mr. Archer was a longtime member of the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches and the American Legion Post 12 in West Palm Beach.
Bill Zern, who knew Mr. Archer for more than five decades and often took him to Post 12 meetings, said the veteran enjoyed talking about local history.
Mr. Archer's first wife, Elizabeth Debondeles Terrell Archer, died in 1963. His second wife, Edna Alexander Archer, died in 1999. A daughter, Elizabeth A. Townsend, died in 2001.
In addition to Viner, Mr. Archer is survived by two great-grandchildren, Don Philip Speers of Huntsville, Ala., and Shawn Elizabeth Speers of Hartford, Conn.; and three great-great-grandchildren, Katherine Terrell Speers, Robert Lee Speers and Dorothy Elizabeth Speers.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Quattlebaum-Holleman-Burse Funeral Home, 1201 South Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, with the Rev. W. David McEntire, pastor of United Methodist, officiating. The family will receive friends there from 10 a.m. until the time of service.
A graveside service with military honors will take place at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, Ala.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 5 Harvard Circle, Suite 110, West Palm Beach, FL 33409.
Grace C. DeGraaf
Grace C. DeGraaf of West Palm Beach died of cancer Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at Hospice of Palm Beach County. She was 47.
Mrs. DeGraaf worked as a waitress at the Green's Pharmacy diner, 151 N. County Road, for 13 years, until September 2002.
She was born Jan. 31, 1956, in Worcester, Mass. She was a resident of West Palm Beach since 1984.
Mrs. DeGraaf is survived by her husband, Robert; her 8-year-old son, Joshua Woods of West Palm Beach; and her sister, Linda Brigham, and brother, David Prouty, both of Boylston, Mass.
Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at People's Church, 1820 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth.
In Mrs. DeGraaf's honor, the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce has created a Touch of Grace Award, to be presented to her husband and son April 22 at the chamber's 30th anniversary awards dinner at The Breakers.
Contributions in Mrs. DeGraaf's memory may be made to the Joshua Woods Fund, W.M. Financial Services, Washington Mutual Bank, 7700 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33405.
Barbara Augustus Beer
A memorial service for Barbara Augustus Beer, 54, who died Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003, at her home in Palm Beach, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Animal Rescue League, 3200 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach.
She was born Sept. 19, 1948, in Woonsocket, R.I., the daughter of Alice Cavedon Augustus and Cmdr. Charles Augustus. She was married to Claude Andre Beer, who died Sept. 11, 2001.
Mrs. Beer graduated from Dana Hall School, Wellesley, Mass., in 1966, and from the University of Denver in 1970. She was a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Mrs. Beer left half her estate to the Animal Rescue League and half to Hospice of Palm Beach County, said attorney William D. McEachern of Shutts & Bowen LLP of West Palm Beach.
Contributions in memory of Mrs. Beer, who lived in Palm Beach for 20 years, may be made to the Animal Rescue League, 3200 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33409, or the Hospice Foundation, 53 East Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33407.
Arthur Dery
Arthur Dery of Lyndhurst, Ohio, a winter resident of Palm Beach for the past 25 years, died Wednesday, July 30, 2003, at his home in Lyndhurst. He was 95.
Mr. Dery was founder of Dalton Apparel of Cleveland. He rose from floor sweeper at the Federal Knitting Mill of Cleveland to become the founder of one of America's largest clothing companies, known for its cashmere sweaters and matching woven skirts.
Born Jan. 10, 1908, in Budapest, Hungary, Mr. Dery came to the United States in 1926, after graduating from high school, and settled in Cleveland. During the Depression of 1935, he became superintendent of the Excelsior Knitting Mills of Cleveland. He had an agreement with the company's owners that if he could save the business from bankruptcy, he would receive 50 percent of the stock ownership. He reached his goal and later bought out the remaining partners. In 1949, he started designing and manufacturing under his own label -- Dalton.
Mr. Dery was a trustee of Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, Ohio, and of Mount Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland. He also was active for more than 40 years in the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland and was general chairman of the annual Welfare Fund Drive in 1964. An avid golfer, he was a member of the Oakwood Club in Lyndhurst and the Banyan Golf and Country Club in West Palm Beach.
Mr. Dery is survived by his wife of 68 years, Elsie, and by three sons and their wives, Kenneth and Linda Dery of Waite Hill, Ohio; Robert and Patti Dery of Pepper Pike, Ohio; and James and Ann Dery of Steamboat Springs, Colo.
He also is survived by 10 grandchildren and their spouses, Ellen Cairns, Beth and Steve Schecter, Janet Dery, Deborah and Steve Joseph, Steve Dery, Susan and Bill Preisler, Kathryn Dery, Julia Dery, Matt and Lisa Dery, and Todd and Leah Dery; five great-grandchildren, Rachel Cairns, Mitchell Joseph, Brian Joseph, Emma Joseph and Jace Dery; and a sister, Margaret Greenbaum of La Jolla, Calif. He was preceded in death by a brother, Alex Dery; and sisters Belle Child, Ruth Silberger and Evelyn Eisenberger.
A service was held Aug. 3 at Fairmount Temple. The family received friends following the service and on Aug. 4 at the Dery home. Interment was at Mayfield Cemetery in Cleveland.
Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Dery/Schur Philanthropic Fund, c/o Jewish Community Federation, 1750 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115 or to the Fairmount Temple Arthur and Elsie Dery Family Unrestricted Endowment Fund, 23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood, OH 44122.
Gene Stanley Goldfarb
Gene Stanley Goldfarb died Tuesday, June 10, 2003, at his home in Palm Beach after an eight-year bout with myelodysplastic syndrome. He was 76.
The son of Frances and Samuel J. Goldfarb, he was born July 31, 1926, in Chicago. He was raised in New York, where he graduated from Columbia Grammar School. He attended Syracuse University in New York, and New York University.
Mr. Goldfarb was a manufacturer and wholesaler of children's, junior and women's clothing. As chairman of the board of House of Perfection Inc., which his father founded in 1934, he developed and expanded the company. He owned and operated manufacturing facilities in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina.
Mr. Goldfarb's youngest daughter, Ellen Goldfarb, serves as president and chief operating officer in the family-owned business.
Mr. Goldfarb supported the United Jewish Association Federation; Ben Gurion University; the state of Israel; Albert Einstein College; American Jewish Congress; United Way of Palm Beach and Greenwich, Conn.; the United Negro College Fun; Anti-Defamation League; Hillel Foundation; Technion Israel Institute; Good Samaritan and St. Mary's medical centers; and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. He chaired the UJA-Federation appeal for the children's clothing industry in New York City for several years.
Mr. Goldfarb was a member of Congregation Emanu-el of Westchester, N.Y.; Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.; and the Palm Beach Country Club. He made his summer home in Greenwich.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Judith Ellen Goldfarb; two daughters, Lauren Steiner and her husband, Leonard, of Beverly Hills, Calif., and Ellen Goldfarb of New York City; three grandsons, Nicholas and James Steiner, and Ryan Goldfarb; two brothers and their wives, Murray and Bobby Goldfarb of Aventura, and Alan and Sarah Goldfarb of New York City; two nieces, Susan and Amy; five nephews, David, John, William, Michael and Kenneth; and his brother-in-law, Richard L. Gray of New York City.
A private memorial service will be held at the Goldfarb home. A celebration of his life will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Old Oaks Country Club.
Contributions may be made in Mr. Goldfarb's memory to the Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10089.
Quattlebaum Funeral Home in West Palm Beach is in charge of local arrangements.
Mary Jane Browning
Mary Jane Browning of Palm Beach died Sunday, July 27, 2003, at the Hospice of Palm Beach County. She was 82.
Born in Howell, Mich., Mrs. Browning was a resident of the Palm Beach area for more than 25 years. She was a member of the Beach Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Mrs. Browning formerly lived in Lansing, Mich., where she was active in the Junior League and the Lansing Symphony Association. Her husband, McPherson Eddy Browning, died in 1989.
She is survived by a son, William McPherson Browning II, and his wife Jodi of Millinocket, Maine; two daughters, Dorothy Eddy Falcione and her husband Ron of Norwell, Mass., and Jennifer A. Browning of Topeka, Kans.; and two grandchildren, Kirsten Browning and William McPherson Browning III.
The funeral service for Mrs. Browning will be held privately. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to a charity of the donor's choice.
Arrangements are by Quattlebaum Funeral Home, West Palm Beach.
John Paul Getty Jr.
John Paul Getty Jr., heir to an American oil fortune who traveled a tormented path from 1960s hippie excess and personal tragedy to become a contented patron of the British cultural establishment, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, in a London hospital. He was 70.
He is survived by his third wife, Victoria; by his four children from his first marriage and one child from his second. Mr. Getty also is survived by his half-sister, former Palm Beach resident Donna Long, now of West Palm Beach.
At the time of his death, Mr. Getty was widely regarded as the United Kingdom’s most generous philanthropist. But his life also was a parable about the effect money can have -- for good and as a curse -- on those who have it.
For long stretches of his adult years he used his inherited millions to finance a dizzying lifestyle of parties, alcohol and drugs, a combination that descended into paralyzing personal depression. His family suffered a string of setbacks, including the kidnapping of his son, John Paul Getty III, who had an ear cut off before the family paid a ransom to free him.
Yet Mr. Getty later found happiness in a third marriage to former model Victoria Holdsworth, and pleasure in a reclusive life at his 2,500-acre English country estate called Wormsley Lodge, where he submerged himself in old movies, even older books and cricket.
He also found redemption by giving away large sums of money. While associates said his personal fortune was measured in the hundreds of millions -- not the billionaire’s status usually ascribed to him -- they also suggested that he may have given away more money in his lifetime than he will leave behind. Those who benefited from Mr. Getty’s energetic philanthropy range from institutions at the pinnacle of British art and culture (he gave the National Gallery a onetime gift of 50 million pounds and another 20 million pounds to the British Film Institute), to hundreds of smaller causes that captured his fancy and conscience.
Mr. Getty’s money aided efforts to prevent artworks from leaving Britain and joining the collections of overseas museums including, on three occasions over a 12-year period, the Getty Center in Los Angeles, which had been muscularly endowed by his father.
Jeannette Cobey Weisman
Jeannette Cobey Weisman, a long-time resident of Palm Beach, died Sunday, June 8, 2003, at the Morse Geriatric Center in West Palm Beach. She was 96.
Born on March 10, 1907, in Cleveland, Mrs. Weisman moved from Galion, Ohio, a town of 5,000 people, to Florida more than four decades ago. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herman, to whom she was married for 70 years.
Mrs. Weisman is survived by her sons: Edward Weisman of North Palm Beach, Robert Weisman of Lantana and Matthew Weisman of Oakland, Calif. She was active in Palm Beach fund-raising activities, including the Jewish National Fund and United Jewish Appeal. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren.
Services and burial were held Wednesday at Menorah Gardens and Funeral Chapels in West Palm Beach.
Kenneth Wolofsky
Kenneth Wolofsky of Palm Beach died Saturday, April 19, 2003, at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach of complications from a stroke. He was 72.
Mr. Wolofsky, a resident of Palm Beach for the past 10 years and the Miami area for the past 25, was born Oct. 27, 1930, in Montreal, Canada.
He was a real estate developer and investor, mainly developing condominiums in Miami and Miami Beach, and was known for his philanthropy.
In 1948, he won the Golden Gloves amateur boxing championship in Montreal. He also played tennis and skied in Aspen, Colo.
Mr. Wolofsky is survived by his wife, Moira Wolofsky of Palm Beach; four children, Tammie Wolofsky Clarke of Boca Raton, David Wolofsky and his wife, Karen, of Weston, Michael Wolofsky of Nashville, Tenn., and Sydney Lynne Wolofsky of Palm Beach; a stepson, Scott Mueller and his wife, Toni, of Miami Beach; a stepdaughter, Brooke Mueller of Los Angeles; a brother, Peter Wolofsky and his wife, Ruth, of Boca Raton; and many nieces and nephews.
The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. today at Temple Emanu-El, 190 N. County Road, with interment to follow at Menorah Gardens, 9321 Memorial Park Road, West Palm Beach. The family will receive friends at their residence in Palm Beach until Friday.
Memorial donations may be made to the Children's Place at Home Safe, 2840 6th Ave. S., Lake Worth, FL 33461, or the American Heart Association, 2300 Centrepark W. Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33409, or charity of the donor's choice.
Sen. Omer Lee Hirst
Sen. Omer Lee Hirst, of Palm Beach and McLean, Va., died of a heart attack on Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va. He was 89.
Sen. Hirst graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., in 1936. He was a captain in the Marines and served in World War II. He was a member of both the Virginia House of Delegates and the state Senate.
A descendant of George Mason, Sen. Hirst was instrumental in establishing George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., and the George Mason Law School in Arlington. He continued to serve as trustee emeritus at the time of his death. With his wife, he funded the Omer L. and Nancy H. Hirst Educational Chair of Public Policy at George Mason University's School of Public Policy.
Sen. Hirst served as a trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Va., and later on the Virginia Museum Foundation Board.
In Palm Beach, he was a member of the Beach Club and The Society of the Four Arts.
Sen. Hirst is survived by his wife of 31 years, Nancy Melrose Hand Hirst, of McLean; a son, Thomson Mason Hirst, of Reston, Va.; two daughters, Robin Hirst Moore, of Orlean, Va., and Deborah Hirst Nager, of Warrington, Va.; a stepson, Christopher Henderson, of Fairfax; a stepdaughter, Winifred Henderson Dar, of San Diego; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandson. His first wife, Ann Palmer, died recently.
A viewing will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Money & King Vienna Funeral Home, 171 W. Maple Ave., Vienna, Va., and a memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, 1724 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.
Memorial contributions may be made to George Mason University, School of Public Policy, 4400 Univesity Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Gregory M. Henderson
Gregory M. Henderson of Palm Beach died Wednesday, June 18, 2003, at his home. He was 51.
Born in South Orange, N.J., Mr. Henderson lived in Rumson, N.J., for most of his life. He graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1970 and from Villanova University in Villanova, Pa., in 1974.
Mr. Henderson retired in March 2000 as senior vice president of Henderson Brothers Inc. He was a member of the New York Stock Exchange for 23 years. At the time of his death, he was a partner in Hook, Line and Sinker Restaurant and chief financial officer of H2O Velocity Athletic Wear.
Mr. Henderson was a member of The Breakers, Palm Beach Yacht Club, Navesink Country Club, and Monmouth Beach and Bath Club. He attended St. Edward Catholic Church.
Mr. Henderson is survived by three daughters, Katherine, Lauren and Christin Henderson, all of Rumson; his former wife, Janet Henderson of Rumson; his parents, Mary Louise and Charles F. Henderson of Palm Beach; three brothers, David Henderson of Rumson, Guy Henderson of Palm Beach and Jerome Henderson of Middletown, N.J.; a sister, Mary Louise Clarke of Short Hills, N.J.; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at John E. Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Ave., Red Bank, N.J. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Holy Cross Church in Rumson. Interment will be held at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Middletown, N.J. Memorial donations may be made to Christian Brothers Academy, 850 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, N.J. 07738.
Arrangements were handled by Quattlebaum Funeral Home, 1201 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach.
Daphne Connelly Shearouse
Daphne Connelly Shearouse of West Palm Beach died Sunday, July 27, 2003. She was 75.
Born on May 15, 1928, she was the daughter of Lee Hawkins Connelly and Daphne Wimbish Connelly of Sanford. Mrs. Shearouse graduated from Seminole High School. She attended Florida State University and was a member of the Pi Phi sorority. In 1951, she married Joseph B. Shearouse II, and they settled in West Palm Beach. She graduated from Palm Beach Community College and became a licensed Realtor for Johnson Realty.
Mrs. Shearouse volunteered at Mounts Botanical Garden and was on its executive board and at Good Samaritian Medical Center. Other volunteer work included Junior League of the Palm Beaches, where she served as chairwoman of Sustainers; on the board of directors of the Crippled Children's Society; and as 1981 chairwoman of the Heart Affair, the American Heart Association's annual fund-raiser. Mrs. Shearouse was a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, West Palm Beach, where she served as a Sunday school teacher.
She served as the chairwoman of the first "Spring Benefit" for Mounts. In 1999, Mrs. Shearouse earned the Toni Award, presented by Mounts to its Volunteer of the Year.
In addition to husband of 52 years, she is survived by two sons, Joseph B. Jay Shearouse III and Dr. William Stewart Shearouse; a daughter, LeeAnn Connelly; and five grandchildren, Katherine Anne, Miles Stewart and Savannah Alain, and Joseph B. Shearouse IV and Eric Gresham.
Funeral services were held Tuesday at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 211 Trinity Place, West Palm Beach.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33407, or the American Cancer Society 5 Harvard Circle No. 110, West Palm Beach, FL 33409.
Quattlebaum Funeral Home, 1201 S. Dixie Highway,West Palm Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
