Obituaries from Gazette.net, August 1998: Montgomery Co., MD Permission has generously been granted by Gazette.net to include these obituaries in the MDGenWeb Archives. This publication is available on-line at http://www.gazette.net. *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** *****August 5, 1998***** Damon C. Gray Damon C. Gray, 69, of Rockville died Aug. 4 at his home. Born in Wellsburg, W.Va., he held a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He had worked as an engineer. Mr. Gray was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Derwood. He is survived by his wife, Fannie Jo Gray; children, Damon C. Gray and his wife Diane, Lynn M. Lee and her husband Fred, Michael J. Gray, Karen S. Counts and her husband James, Mary F. Walker and her husband Steven, Fred Gray and his wife Kristen, Andrew J. Gray and Kevin Gray; 15 grandchildren; and a sister, Ethel Mae Repas. He was predeceased by a daughter, Judith Ann Gray. Friends may call at the DeVol Funeral Home, 10 E. Deer Park Drive, Gaithersburg, from 7 to 9 tonight, and 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 6. A prayer service will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 6. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Aug. 7 at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 6701 Muncaster Mill Road, Derwood. Burial will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring. Memorial contributions can be made to ARC of Montgomery County, 11600 Nebel St., Rockville, Md. 20852. George F. Kidwell George Fred Kidwell, 62, of Chestertown died July 25 at Kent and Queen Annes Hospital in Chestertown. Born in Rawl, W.Va., he was the son of the late Harvey and Columbia McCoy Kidwell. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served from 1954 until he was honorably discharged in 1958. Mr. Kidwell married Eleanor Thompson in 1955. He enrolled in Morris Harvey College in Charleston and graduated in 1961 with a bachelor of arts degree. He then went to Wayne State University in Wayne, Mich., where he received his master's degree in social work in 1963. As a clinical social worker, he practiced for several years in Michigan. He then founded the first mental health clinic in Gaylord, Mich. In 1978, he moved to Maryland and worked with the Eastern Shore Hospital Center in Cambridge from 1978 to 1982, when he went to work as an area coordinator for Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center in Chestertown until 1991. He also, during this time, worked as executive director for Family Services of Kent County, where he was due to retire this month. He is survived by a son, Thomas F. Kidwell of Gaithersburg; brother James W. Kidwell of Augusta, Maine; three sisters, Mary Hatfield of Perryville, Janice Perkins of Perryville and Patricia Wagman of Aberdeen; two grandchildren, Matthew T. and James Grey Kidwell of Gaithersburg. He was predeceased by two brothers, Danny Kidwell and John Kidwell. Memorial services were held July 27 at the First Baptist Church in Perryville. Another memorial service will be held in September in Matewan, W.Va. Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home in Chestertown handled the arrangements. Memorial contributions can be made to St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, 14115 Seneca Road, Darnestown, Md. 20874. *****Aug. 12, 1998***** Mary Joan E. Soblotne Mary Joan Elizabeth Soblotne, 63, died Aug. 7 of cardiac arrest at her Gaithersburg home. She was the daughter of the late Rupert W. Spring Sr. and Mamie Cariolen Spring. She is survived by two children, Cheryl Soblotne Steen of Odessa, Texas, and Forrest W. Gerber III of Gaithersburg; four sisters, Cloria Duvall and Geraldine Bartee of Rockville, Betty Lou Allnutt of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Sondra Schwarzel of Neunan, Ga.; two brothers, James Spring of Boyds and Rupert W. Spring of Dickerson; and a sister-in-law, Nancy Spring. Her marriage to William Soblotne ended in divorce. Her longtime companion, Forrest Gerber Jr., predeceased her in 1990. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Pumphrey's Colonial Funeral Home in Rockville handled the arrangements. Peter William Ziebell Peter William Ziebell, 67, died Aug. 4 at his home in Derwood. Born Jan. 31, 1931, in Wisconsin, he was a son of the late Ernest and Alpha Younggren Ziebell. He was the husband of Deborah A. Howard. Mr. Ziebell received his undergraduate degree from Lawrence University in Wisconsin. He completed graduate work in psychology and business at the University of Colorado and further graduate work in Michigan. He retired from Montgomery County government as a family therapist in 1993. While working for Montgomery County, he developed programs for at-risk youths and people with disabilities. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, Donald Ziebell of Scottsdale, Ariz., Kurt Ziebell of North Carolina and Michael Ziebell of Nanjemoy, Md.; a sister, Nancy Wilson of Florida; four grandchildren; and his uncle, Newell Younggren and wife Beth of Arizona. He was predeceased by a daughter, Jennifer Ziebell. A memorial service was held Saturday at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, 21615 Laytonsville Road in Laytonsville. Interment was private. Muriel H. Barber Funeral Home in Laytonsville handled the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Centers for the Handicapped, 10501 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, Md. 20903. Paul O. Alexander Paul Orville Alexander, 87, a retired Montgomery County police officer and Bethesda district commander, died Aug. 1 at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Born in Chevy Chase, he was a son of the late Horace and Bertha Comstock Alexander. Mr. Alexander was a page in the U.S. Senate and attended the Capitol Page School. He retired as a captain from the Montgomery County Police Department after 30 years of service, including 10 years as commander of the Bethesda district. He also retired as commander from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve after 29 years of service. He served in Europe during World War II. In North Myrtle Beach, where he lived after retirement, he was a member of Surf Golf & Beach Club, and a charter member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, where he served terms as treasurer and vestryman. He was a former member and junior warden of St. John's Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase and was a charter member of Lakewood Country Club in Rockville. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Blackwell Alexander; daughter, Susan Mathis of Raleigh, N.C.; sister, Ruth Marbury of Gaithersburg; and granddaughter, Kathryn Alexander Mathis. A memorial service was held Aug. 10 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. McMillan-Small Funeral Home in South Carolina handled the arrangements. Memorial contributions can be made to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 813 Townsend Road, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29582. Charles E. Elliott, 70, educator Charles E. Elliott Jr., 70, of Silver Spring died Aug. 7, 1998, at Washington Adventist Hospital. Born in Washington, D.C., he was the son of the late Charles Elliott and the late Lottie Williams Elliott. Mr. Elliott enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17; he was activated into service on his 18th birthday. He underwent basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He was one of four black soldiers selected to attend Engineer Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvior, Va. In addition, he served with the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion and the 82nd Airborne Division. After leaving the service, Mr. Elliott received his bachelor of science degree in elementary education at D.C. Teacher's College and received his master of arts in elementary administration at George Washington University. His service to District public schools, students and teachers spanned 31 years, until his retirement in 1984. He held a lifetime membership in the D.C. Congress of Parents and Teachers. He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa fraternity, Pigskin Club, 555th Parachute Infantry Airborne Association, Council of School Officers and the Elementary Principal Association. Mr. Elliott received a Pioneer Achiever Award in recognition of service to community and church. He also served as an usher and on the board of deacons at Christ Congregation Church in Silver Spring Mr. Elliott was the husband of Mable A. Elliott, to whom he had been married for 47 years. He is also survived by children, Geoffrey Charles Elliott, Lance Brian Elliott and Linda Allyce Phelps; daughter-in-law, Jackie Nelson; son-in-law, Richard Phelps; grandchildren, Brian Phelps and Chase Nelson Elliott; special nieces, Ianthia Charles Johnson, Margaret A. Fields and Lottie Fields Bailey; and a nephew, Charles E. Fields. He was predeceased by two sisters, Lillian Jackson and Ianthia Uzzle. A service will be held today at 2 p.m. at Christ Congregational Church, 9525 Colesville Road, Silver Spring.