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Frederick D. Ackwith
Lifelong Edgemere resident Frederick Dawson Ackwith, 72, died Jan. 29 at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center of complications following surgery.
A U.S. Army veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he also served in the U.S. Merchant Marine. He attended Sparrows Point High School and lived in the same Edgemere house his entire life.
He retired from Bethlehem Steel with 40 years of service.
He liked yardwork and gardening and was his family’s jack-of-all-trades. He belonged to Wells-McComas VFW Post 2678 and the Dizzy Pleasure Club.
Survivors are his wife of almost 29 years, Marie (nee Loncala), sons Frederick and Daniel Ackwith, daughter Nancy Wozniak, brother Franklin “Bud” Ackwith, many grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services were held Feb. 2 at Connelly Funeral Home. Interment followed at Sacred Heart of Mary Cemetery.
Edward J. Cusack
Former Dundalk resident Edward J. Cusack, 73, died Jan. 25 at his home in Marshall, Texas.
Born Jan. 11, 1927, in Dundalk, he was a U.S. Navy veteran and a retired General Motors auto worker. He was a member of the Dundalk VFW Post 6694 honor guard.
He is survived by daughter Midge Wilkinson of Marshall, son Ronnie Cusack of Lancaster, Pa., sister Marguerite Crocker of Mt. Airy, Md., brother Galvin Cusack of Ocean City, Md., six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Mary Ellen Myers.
Kenneth M. Danneman
Rabon Avenue resident Kenneth Michael Danneman Sr. died at home Jan. 27 at age 69.
Born and raised in Highlandtown, Mr. Danneman graduated from Patterson High School, then took evening classes at Maryland Institute, College of Art and Johns Hopkins University.
He was maintenance foreman for Koppers Co. when he retired in 1985 with 31 years of service.
He belonged to Church of God of Dundalk and was an active member of the Billy Graham Crusade.
An avid bowler, Mr. Danneman belonged to duckpin leagues in Dundalk, Edgemere and Parkville.
Predeceased by his wife, Beatrice (nee Tinelli), he is survived by sons Kenneth M. Danneman Jr., Robert W. Danneman, sister Darlene Waters and one step-grandchild. He was predeceased by a brother, Andrew Danneman.
Funeral services were held Jan. 31 at Church of God of Dundalk. Interment followed at Oak Lawn Cemetery.
Lethia E. Dawson
Gray Manor resident Lethia Elma Dawson (nee Gardner), 72, a longtime member of Galilee Baptist Church, died Jan. 16 at Genesis Heritage Nursing Center.
A native Baltimorean, Mrs. Dawson lived on Norris Lane for most of her life. She and her family also lived in Grand Forks during the year her husband pursued a doctorate at the University of North Dakota.
From an early age, she was devoted to her Christian beliefs and became an active member of Galilee Baptist Church, where she was president of the Golden Age Ministry and a member of the junior usher board. She also belonged to the church’s senior choir and Voices of Galilee and sang with the Young Sisters gospel group at churches throughout Maryland and Virginia. She attended the Baptist Ministers Conference each year in Hampton, Va., and in 1998 was recognized for attending the conference for 15 consecutive years.
With Sunday church services an important part of her life, she took particular care to choose the perfect hat and suit to wear each week.
She worked in the Bethlehem Steel wire and pipe mill restaurant for more than 34 years before retiring in 1984. She retired a second time from the Baltimore County School System.
In 1986, she earned a geriatric nursing certificate from Community College of Baltimore. Her many interests included cooking, shopping, dining out and traveling with her husband and children.
She is survived by five children, Beatrice Owings, Deborah Lewis, Lethia Farmer, Howard Dawson Jr. and Donna Thomas, two sisters, Mary Macklin and Oradell Collins, two aunts, Druscilla Acree of Philadelphia and Alice Kidd of Columbia, Md., and 12 grandchildren. She was predeceased in 1984 by her husband, the Rev. Howard Dawson.
Funeral services were held Jan. 21 at Galilee Baptist Church followed by interment at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery.
David Dixon
David Andrew “Andy” Dixon, 67, a longtime Liberty Parkway resident, died of stroke complications Jan. 26 at Sinai Hospital.
Mr. Dixon lived with his sister-in-law Freda Dixon and her daughter, Joy Dixon Garland, after his parents died when he was 8 years old.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force for 14 years, he worked as a carpenter and cabinet maker until he retired at age 62.
Among his many interests were hunting, playing cards, spending time with his grandchildren and visiting his brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Cass Dixon, on the Eastern Shore.
He is also survived by his wife, Maria (nee Steinberger), and children Sarah M. Parker, George A. Dixon, Deborah A. Draper, Margaret R. Franklin, Sylvia J. Morrison and Patricia L. LaMartina, 16 grandchildren and other family members.
Services were held Jan. 30 at Duda-Ruck Funeral Home.
Ruth V. Doetsch
Ruth Virginia Doetsch, a Longpoint Road resident for 60 years, died Feb. 5 at age 78.
The former Ruth Swift was born in Marion Station, Md., and moved to Baltimore to study hairdressing. Years ago, she owned and operated a beauty shop in Baltimore.
She belonged to Watersedge Baptist Church and its senior center and Dundalk Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary.
Predeceased by her husband, Joseph C. Doetsch, she is survived by son Joseph C. Doetsch, daughters Geraldine S. Doetsch, Janice R. Akers and Jacqueline Y. Godwin, sister Barbara Riggin, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She also was predeceased by two brothers, Richard and Carroll Swift.
The Rev. Marvin Kline of Dundalk United Meth-odist Church conducted services Feb. 7 at Connelly Funeral Home. Interment followed at Holly Hill Memorial Gardens.
Mitchell Frances Jr.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Feb. 26, for lifelong Dundalk resident Mitchell Frances Jr., 72, who died of heart failure Feb. 4 at his home in North Point Village.
The service is set for 2 p.m. at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, 9534 Belair Road in Perry Hall.
Born in Sparrows Point in 1927, Mr. Frances served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He had worked for Bethlehem Steel for more than 37 years when he retired in 1983 as a production expediter in the 60-inch plate mill.
He was a charter member of the Dundalk Chapter of the Chorus of the Chesapeake and a 43-year member of SPEBSQSA Inc. For 31 of those years, he served as Mid-Atlantic District stage manager.
He was a lifelong member of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in both Sparrows Point and Edgemere.
Predeceased in 1992 by his wife of 41 years, Barbara A. (nee Salisbury), he is survived by sons Mitchell L. Frances III and Robert J. Frances, daughters Barbara L. Martin and Susan M. Douglas, brother William L. Frances and 11 grandchildren. He also was predeceased by a daughter, Catherine Wiedel, and a sister, Hazel Schopes.
Norma Hammel
Norma Hammel (nee Grumbach), a lifetime Graceland Park and Dundalk resident, died at Heritage Nursing Center on Feb. 10, two days before her 80th birthday.
Mrs. Hammel worked at Bethlehem Steel, Western Electric and General Motors. She had been a longtime member of Sparrows Point Country Club.
Her first marriage ended in divorce, leaving her with a son, J. Stacey Mitchell, to raise. She married J. Edward Hammel in 1950.
Mrs. Hammel loved music and had danced at all of Baltimore’s favorite dancing spots.
Other survivors are children Elizabeth Louise Hernandez and Joseph E. Hammel Jr.
Daniel L. Hill
Daniel L. Hill, 43, a 1974 graduate of Patapsco High School, died Feb. 3 at Manor Care Nursing Center.
A former Kavanagh Road resident, Mr. Hill became a quadraplegic in a diving accident when he was 19. He enjoyed painting, computers, the Beatles and nature. He loved animals and had a pet African gray parrot.
He is survived by daughter Jennifer A. Harrison, mother Betty J. Hill, brothers John R. and Steven M. Hill and two grandchildren. He was predeceased by his father, Clarence Hill.
Services were held Feb. 5 at Schimunek Funeral Home followed by entombment at Holly Hill Memorial Garden.
Vere A. Koski
Former Sparrows Point resident Vere Andrew Koski, 61, died Feb. 2 in a Minneapolis VA hospital.
Mr. Koski, a U.S. Navy veteran, retired from Bethlehem Steel after 30 years of service as an electronics repairman. He moved to Huron, S.D., about eight years ago.
He enjoyed sports, camping and traveling with his children. His 28-year marriage to Mary Holt Koski ended in divorce. Survivors are his wife of eight years, Ruth Elbon Koski, and children Mark A. Koski of Glen Rock, Pa., Robert A. Koski of Bel Air, Gwendolyn J. Corsa of Middle River, Hazel M. Mellett of Fredericksburg, Va., and Judith A. Aburn of Hanover, Pa. Other survivors are brothers Arden, Neil and Alexander Koski, sisters Myrta Carpenter, Alma Dyson, Anna Mae Bierman, Lila Lanning and Donna Thompson and eleven grandchildren. He was predeceased by brother Samuel Koski.
He was buried Feb. 8 at Bel Air Memorial Gardens.
Memorial contributions may be made to Fisher House, 1 Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417.
George J. Lawrence
Edgemere resident George Joseph Lawrence, 42, died Jan. 31 at Deaton Home and Hospital in Baltimore after a long illness.
Mr. Lawrence was a member of Edgemere Free Methodist Church and worked as a painter. He was known as a kind and generous man.
He is survived by aunt Brenda Gasker and grandmother Lorena Young of Edgemere and many other family members.
Myrtle F. March
Services were held Jan. 8 in Salisbury for former Yorkway resident Myrtle F. “Dottie” March, 56, who died at home Jan. 5 after a long battle with cancer.
Born in Delmar, Md., on July 14, 1943, she worked as a nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital before moving to Willards, Md., where she was an executive housekeeper at Phillip’s Beach Plaza Hotel for five years.
She is survived by her husband of 21 years, John M. March, children John Short, Charmaine Trader and Charlene Gordon, all of Baltimore, and Buddy Short of Salisbury, sisters Gladys Simmons of Delmar and Darlene Kolhoff and Ida Robbins of Whites-ville, brothers Russell Wells of Laurel and Tommy Wells of Willards and eight grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Willards Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 38, Willards, MD 21814, or Coastal Hospice, P.O. Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802-1733.
William W. McLaughlin
William W. McLaughlin, 81, died Feb. 1 after a long battle with chronic pulmonary disease and many recent hospitalizations due to heart problems.
Mr. McLaughlin was a member of Patapsco Masonic Lodge 183, St. John’s Royal Arch, Monumental Chapter 3 and a Past Royal Patron of the Order of the Amaranth.
A member of Dundalk American Legion Post 38, he was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II who fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
He also belonged to Dundalk Lodge 1228 Loyal Order of Moose and the St. Helena Old Timers Club.
An avid fisherman and hunter for many years, he enjoyed the fields and streams of Pennsylvania and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
At one time, he led Boy Scouts of America’s Explorer Post 314 and spent much time teaching fishing skills. He also coached a softball team for several seasons.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Alberta (nee Dietrich), son M. Stark McLaughlin, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Another son, Wayne, predeceased him.
The Rev. Joseph Skillman conducted a memorial service Feb. 6 at St. Timothy's Lutheran Church.
Clifford L. Meisenhalder
U.S. Navy veteran Clifford Lane Meisenhalder, a Dunmanway resident since 1948, died of cancer Feb. 6 at Fort Howard VA Hospital. He was 74.
Mr. Meisenhalder was extremely proud to have served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, when he was stationed aboard the USS O’Bannon as a machinist’s mate.
His many decorations included the Presidential Unit Citation, American Area and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medals, the Philippine Liberation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
He worked at Bethlehem Steel for about six years before becoming bartender and manager for Dundalk Moose Lodge 1228, where he was a member for 50 years.
He belonged to the O’Bannon Shipmates Association and was a member of Dundalk American Legion Post 38.
Football and woodworking were among his many interests.
In addition to his wife of 53 years, Lilah (nee Albery), he is survived by son Clifford R. Meisenhalder, daughter Linda Cash, brother Raymond Meisenhalder and one grandson.
Dundalk Moose members conducted ritual services Feb. 10 at Bradley-Ashton-Matthews Funeral Home.
Mario Molinaro
Longtime St. Helena resident Mario Molinaro, 77, died of a cerebral aneurysm Feb. 4 at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
Born in Fagaro, Italy, Mr. Molinaro served in the Italian Army during World War II and spent two years in a German concentration camp. In 1948, he came to Baltimore, where he met and married the former Cecilia Dolci.
After working as a bricklayer for Bethlehem Steel for more than 20 years, he started his own business, Mario Molinaro Contractors.
He was a member of St. Rita Church.
He attended art classes at CCBC Dundalk, where he studied oil painting and sculpture.
“Even though his eyesight had declined over the years, he produced about 40 remarkably detailed landscapes and portraits, including one of his father that he painted from an old and extremely worn photograph,” said his daughter, Rosemarie Loiacano of Matthews, N.C.
He swam 40 laps every day at the college and walked five to eight miles every day.
Other survivors are son John Molinaro of Fallston and four grandchildren. His wife of almost 49 years died Feb. 26, 1998. He also was predeceased by one brother and one sister in Italy.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Feb. 8 at St. Rita Church, where he was a longtime member. Entombment followed at St. Stanislaus Cemetery.
Doreen E. Osborne
Former Dundalk resident Doreen Elenor Osborne, 68, died of cancer Feb. 3 at Stella Maris Hospice.
A native of Ontario, Canada, she moved to Dundalk in the 1950s. She moved to Canton about nine years ago. She was an accomplished artist who studied at Dundalk Community College and the Maryland Institute, College of Art. She was an active member of the Art Gallery of Fells Point, where her work, including oil paintings and handpainted glassware, were regularly exhibited. She and her daughter recently started their own business, Osborne Fine Arts.
She loved and studied the Greek language, provided interpreter and translation services and volunteered for the International Visitors Center in Baltimore.
She is survived by son Dorman C. Osborne of Dundalk, daughter Charlene E. Osborne of Phoenix, Md., and brothers Jim and Fred Weaver.
The family plans to hold a memorial service in the spring.
Memorial contributions may be made to Johns Hopkins Home Hospice, 2400 Broening Highway, Baltimore, MD 21224.
Martha W. Pajak
Former Dundalk resident Martha W. Pajak died after a long illness Feb. 1 at the Westminster home of her daughter and son-in-law. She was 78.
Born and raised in Fells Point, the former Martha Wlodarczyk moved to Dundalk a year after her 1951 marriage to Leo B. Pajak Sr., who predeceased her. She moved to Westminster in September.
Survivors are daughter and son-in-law Maryanne and Gary Cofflin, daughter Diane Rhodes of Sykesville, son Leo Pajak of Delta, Pa., five granddaughters and one grandson. Other survivors are sisters Regina Pace of Dundalk and Stella Bagrowski of Hanover, brother Henry Wlodarczyk of Hood River, Ore., and many nieces and nephews. She also was predeceased by two brothers.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Feb. 4 at Sacred Heart of Mary Church, where Mrs. Pajak was an active member.
