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Florence McHose, 92
Florence Clark McHose, 92, of South Amboy died on Saturday, March 18, 2000 at the Summer Hill Nursing Home in Old Bridge.
Born in Westfield, she had lived in South Amboy and then in Florida for 20 years before returning to South Amboy in 1991.
Mrs. McHose had been employed by the Central Railroad of New Jersey for 43 years before her retirement.
She was a member of Sirius Chapter No. 123 of the Order of the Eastern Star in Keyport and the Central New Jersey Veteran Employees Association in Rahway.
She was a Past President of the American Legion Auxiliary of Westfield and a former member of the Railroad Business Women’s Association and the South Amboy Senior Citizens Club.
She was predeceased by her husband, Maurice McHose, in 1963.
A brother, Raymond Clark, and three sisters, Helen Cockley, Mae Wissert and Ruth Daly, also predeceased her.
Surviving are a daughter, Jane Mederios of South Amboy; two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
Services were held on Tuesday, March 21, at the Kurzawa Funeral Home in South Amboy.
Burial took place at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.
Memorial donations may be made to the South Amboy First Aid Squad or to the Center for Hope Hospice, 176 Hussa Street, Linden, 07036.
Leon Bownes, 49
Leon Bownes, 49, of Plainfield died on Wednesday, March 15, 2000 in Newark.
Born in Middlesex, he had lived in Midway, Ala. for 16 years before moving to Plainfield 33 years ago.
He was predeceased by his brother, Johnny Bownes, in 1980, and by a sister, Betty Baker, in 1996.
Surviving are a daughter, Orlonda Hurdle of Westfield; his parents, Annie and A. D. Bownes, Sr. of Plainfield; two sisters, Doris Bownes of Plainfield and Susie Tarver of Midway, Ala., and two brothers, David and A. D. Bownes, Jr., both of Plainfield.
A funeral service was held on Tuesday, March 21, in Brown’s Funeral Home in Plainfield.
Interment took place at Somerset Hills Memorial Park in Basking Ridge.
Margaret Korab, 60
Margaret “Peggy” Bassler Korab, 60, of Colonia died on Tuesday, March 21, 2000 at Rahway Hospital.
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., she had lived in Colonia for most of her life.
Mrs. Korab was the owner of Repeat Performance Boutique in Rahway.
She was very active in the Rahway Center Partnership, serving on its Promotion and Marketing Committee and its Holiday Gala Committee.
Surviving are her husband of 39 years, Edward Korab; two daughters, Selina Korab of Totowa and Robin Halterman of Westfield; two brothers, David Bassler of Dunellen and Ronald Bassler of Tucson, Ariz., and two sisters, Shirley Savoie of Austin, Tex. and Ann Reeve of Gainesboro, Tenn.
Services will be held at 8: 30 p.m. tonight, Thursday, March 23, at the Lehrer-Gibilisco Funeral Home in Rahway.
Visitation will be today from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m.
Burial will be held on Saturday, March 25, at the Hanover Green Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Rahway Center Partnership, P. O. Box 1711, Rahway, 07065.
William H. Coles, Sr., 84
Was Executive; Active in Presbyterian Church, Scouting
William H. Coles, Jr., 84, of Erie, Pa., formerly of Westfield, died on Monday, March 20, 2000 at home.
Born on March 6, 1916 in Bridgeport, Conn., he was the son of the late William H. Coles, Sr. and Florence Temporal Coles.
Mr. Coles had worked for Electrical Installation, Inc. in Cranford for more than 25 years, retiring in 1981 as Vice President.
Prior to that, he had worked for General Electric Company in Bloomfield for 15 years.
He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, serving in various capacities including the Search Committee and Food Pantry.
He was also a former member of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, where he was a Deacon and an Elder.
Mr. Coles entered the United States Army in 1941 and was a Captain in the Signal Corps in World War II, serving in the North African Theater and Italy.
In 1951, he served as a Captain in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict.
He graduated from Rutgers University in New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics.
He was a member of Koinonia of Erie County and was active in the Boy Scouts of America, serving as District Commissioner of the Watchung Area Council.
He was predeceased by a brother, Clifford H. Coles.
Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Jeannette Hubbard Coles; four sons, William H. Coles, 3rd of Emmaus, Pa., Laurence C. Coles of Erie, Daniel B. Coles of Cincinnati, Ohio and Mark R. Coles of South Burlington, Vt.; a brother, Edward Allen Coles of Rutland, Vt.; two sisters, Mildred Rainier of Peterborough, N. H. and Marjorie Ferguson of Sun City West, Ariz.; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation will take place at the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc. West, 536 West 10th Street in Erie, today, Thursday, March 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m.
A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, March 24, at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant.
Private interment will be at the Revolutionary Cemetery of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 823 Filmore Avenue, Erie, Pa., 16505, or to First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 250 West 7th Street, Erie, Pa., 16501.
Michael W. Fox
Westfield Rotarian; Former Board of Education Member
Michael W. Fox of Scotch Plains died on Tuesday, September 26, 2000 at home.
Born in New York City in 1947, he had lived there and in Westfield before relocating to Scotch Plains a year ago.
A certified public accountant, Mr. Fox was a partner in the accounting firm of Allorto and Fox and Company, L. L. C. of Westfield.
He was recently appointed as Executive Vice President of Duxiana Inc. of New York City.
Previously, he had worked as an accountant for the firm of Coopers and Lybrand in New York City.
He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting from Baruch College City University of New York and a master’s degree in corporate finance from Fordham University in The Bronx.
Mr. Fox was a former President of the Westfield Regional Health Department.
He was also a member of the Westfield Board of Education from 1992 to 1994.
He served on the Budget Review Committee and as a campaign volunteer for the United Fund of Westfield.
He was a Westfield Republican Committee member and Treasurer and also served as Treasurer for many Republican campaigns over the years.
Mr. Fox was a member of the Rotary Club of Westfield and of the Parish Council of St. Helen’s Roman Catholic Church in Westfield.
Surviving are two daughters, Erica Brooke Fox of Boulder, Colo. and Courtney Erin Fox of Westfield; his mother, Ruth Fox of South Hampton, N. Y., and two sisters.
The funeral was held on Monday, October 2, at 8:30 a.m. at the Higgins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home in Westfield.
Interment took place at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.
Memorial donations may be made to the United Fund of Westfield, 301 North Avenue, East, Westfield, 07090.
James DiBattista, 81
Owned Area Firm; Decorated Navy Veteran of World War II
James E. DiBattista, 81, of Scotch Plains died on Tuesday, September 26, 2000 at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield.
Born in Berwick, Pa., he was raised in Cranford and lived in Scotch Plains for 40 years.
Mr. DiBattista had been the President and owner of the Woodford Corporation in Garwood between 1949 and 1996.
He was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II. As a naval aviator, he flew off the aircraft carrier Intrepid.
Mr. DiBattista received the Purple Heart, the Philippine Liberation Medal with Two Stars, and the Asiatic-Pacific Medal with Four Stars.
He graduated in 1941 from Fordham University in The Bronx with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Government.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council No. 1711 of Westfield.
Surviving are his wife of 41 years, Rose Mary Marrow DiBattista; a daughter, Judith Rumpp, and three sisters, Elizabeth Leonard, Grace DiBattista and Ann Zielkowski.
A Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Thursday, September 28, at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Scotch Plains.
Interment was at St. Gertrude’s Mausoleum in Colonia.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Dooley Funeral Home, 218 North Avenue in Cranford.
Memorial contributions may be made to either the Fanwood or the Scotch Plains volunteer rescue squads.
William S. Leonhardt, 84
Was Executive; Served on Boards of Various Companies
William Stroup Leonhardt, 84, of Boca Raton, Fla., died on Tuesday, September 26, 2000 at The Southern Ocean County Hospital in Manahawkin.
Born in Philadelphia, he had lived in Cranford for most of his life and then in Westfield for 10 years before relocating to Boca Raton in 1978.
He also maintained a residence in Long Beach Island.
An employee of Commercial Solvents Corporation in New York City for 35 years, Mr. Leonhardt served as President of the company before becoming a corporate executive for Reynolds Metals Inc. in Richmond, Va.
He worked in that capacity for 10 years before his retirement in 1986.
He was a member of many pharmaceutical and banking associations, and of The Union League Club in New York City, the Boca Resort and Hotel in Boca Raton, the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield and the Roselle Golf Club in Roselle.
Mr. Leonhardt was also on the Board of Directors of the Adrienne Vittadini Company and A. L. Labs, both in New York City, as well as Alpharma, Inc. in Norway.
He was also on the Board of Directors of the Reynolds Metals Corporation in Richmond.
He graduated from New York University in 1941 with a degree in business and was a member of the university’s Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity and its Alumni Association.
He was predeceased by his wife, Evelyn F. Leonhardt, and by a son, William S. Leonhardt, Jr., both in 1993.
Surviving are three daughters, Geraldine Leonhardt of Springfield, Janet L. Small of Cranford and Lynne Toth; two sisters, Elizabeth Hutchinson and Mary Moore; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Friday, September 29, at the Gray Funeral Home, 318 East Broad Street in Westfield.
Interment followed at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.
Memorial donations may be made to any local hospice programs.
