Obituaries from Gazette.net, April 2002: 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 *********************************************************************** *****Apr. 3, 2002***** Barry W. Gonchar Sr. Barry W. Gonchar Sr., 63, of Silver Spring, died March 28, 2002, at Montgomery General Hospital, Olney. He worked as a salesman for household products. Born Sept. 14, 1938 in Washington D.C., he was a son of the late Michael T. and Frances Johnson Gonchar. He was the husband of Joyce M. Gonchar. In addition to hiswife, he is survived by four children: Tracy L. Kemp of Laurel, Tammy Wright, Kimberly Tolley and Barry W. (Buck) Gonchar Jr., all of Silver Spring; a sister, Diane Wilcox of Columbia; brothers Donald Gonchar of Virginia, Wayne Gonchar of Florida, Brian Gaunter of California and Michael Gonchar of Poolesville; six grandchildren and a mother-in-law, Mildred Inscoe of Silver Spring. Burial was private. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Kidney fund. Claude Allen Carlisle Claude Allen Carlisle, 47, of Clarksburg, died March 24 at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville. Born in Olney on May 15, 1954, he was the son of Bertha Virginia and the late Claude W. Carlisle. Surviving in addition to his mother are sisters, Barbara Shifflett of Damascus, Blanche Pratt of Athens, Ohio; brothers James, John and Everett Carlisle, all of Clarksburg. Two nieces, two nephews and two grandnephews also survive him. A funeral was held March 30. Burial was private. Sarah L. King Sarah Louise King of Thurmont, formerly of Clarksburg, died suddenly March 28 at her home. She was the wife of the late James R. King. Born Aug. 23, 1922, in Frederick, she was a daughter of the late William E. and Marcella Wetzel Kemp. Mrs. King was a homemaker and a Methodist. Survivors include two children, James F. King and his wife, Earlene, of Knoxville, and Peggy King, of Thurmont; three grandchildren, Crystal King of Augusta, W.Va., Michael R. King Jr. of Williamsport, and James R. King of Knoxville; two sisters, Margaret Noll and her husband, Bernie, of Martinsburg, W.Va. and Carrie Young of Woodsboro; and one brother, Claude Kemp of Freeport, Fla. Mrs. King was preceded in death by a son, Michael R. King Sr. in December 2001. Friends may call today from 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the Olin L. Molesworth P.A. Funeral Home, 26401 Ridge Road in Damascus. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. The Rev. Lynn Glassbrook of Clarksburg United Methodist Church will officiate. Burial will be in Clarksburg Methodist Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sarah L. King Memorial Fund, c/o Clarksburg United Methodist Church, 22925 Frederick Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871. Luis A. Osorio Luis A. Osorio, 61, of Germantown died of cancer March 31 at his home. Born Dec. 30, 1940, in El Salvador, he was the husband of Rosa Osorio. Mr. Osorio held a bachelor's degree in business administration and worked as a mechanic. Survivors beside his wife include three daughters, Isabel Rosenthal, Nadia Osorio and Natalia Osorio, all of Germantown, and seven grandchildren. Friends may visit tonight from 6-8 p.m. at DeVol Funeral Home, 10 E. Deer Park Drive, Gaithersburg. A funeral service will be held Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Martin's Catholic Church, 201 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. Burial will be in Parklawn Memorial Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 11331 Amherst Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20902. Fern D. Ward Mrs. Fern D. Ward, 87, of Derwood, formerly of the Gaithersburg-Rockville area, died March 29, 2002, at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney. Born June 29, 1914, in Pennsylvania, she was a daughter of the late Herman C. and Mary Candace Koon Duffy. She was the wife of Ira C. Ward. Mrs. Ward was a homemaker and attended the Shady Grove Presbyterian Church in Derwood. Besides her husband she is survived by a daughter, Gail Marie Rice of Texas; two grandchildren; two sisters, Hester Ford of College Park, and Helen Ward of Centreville; and one brother, Roy Duffy of North Carolina. Funeral services were held Tuesday at Shady Grove Presbyterian Church, Derwood. Burial was in Parklawn Cemetery, Rockville. Memorial donations may be sent to Good News Jail Ministry, 2230 E. Parham Road, Richmond, Va. 23200 or Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, P.O. Box 779, Minneapolis, Minn. 55440-0779. Arrangements were made by the Muriel H. Barber Funeral Home. *****Apr. 17, 2002***** Edith I. Jamison Edith Irene Jamison, 96, of Clarksburg, died April 9, 2002, at Shady Grove Adventist Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rockville. Born April 14, 1905, in Lewisdale, she was the daughter of the late Eugene and Exie Purdum Jamison. Survivors include one brother, Purdum Jamison of Clarksburg; three nephews, Donald P. Barr of Barnesville, James Morningstar of Poolesville, and Eugene Morningstar of Rockville; and three nieces, Edith Luhn of Barnsville, Mary E. Blackburn of Spencerville and Edna Mae Spong of W. Va. She was predeceased by two brothers, Charlie and Leo Jamison, and two sisters, Estelle Barr and Claudia Morningstar. A funeral service was held April 13. Burial was in the Bethesda United Methodist Church Cemetery in Damascus. Memorial donations may be made to the Church of Christ, 1450 W. Montgomery Ave., Rockville, MD 20850. William K. Burns William Kenneth Burns, 63, of Woodfield, died April 14 at his home. Born June 16, 1938 in Mount Airy, he was a son of the late William Oscar and Mertle Virginia Duvall Burns. Mr. Burns attended Damascus High School. He was a retired carpenter with Kettler Brothers Builders in Gaithersburg. Survivors include two daughters, Bonnie Gibson and Maria Drake; one brother, Allen L. Burns of Elkridge; three aunts, Charlotte Lindsay, Betty Duvall, both of Woodfield, and Margaret Duvall of Damascus, and numerous cousins. Friends may call tonight from 7-9 p.m. at the Olin L. Molesworth Funeral Home, 26401 Ridge Road, Damascus. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Wesley Grove United Methodist Church, 23640 Woodfield Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20882. Juanita G. Suess Juanita Gertrude Dalton Suess, 76, of Poolesville, died April 14 at her home. Born March 11, 1926, in Floyd County, Va., she was the daughter of the late Hosea Diller and Marion Josephine Shelton Dalton. She was a homemaker and the wife of the late William Suess Jr. Survivors include five sons, Earl W. Jenkins of Acworth, Ga., Mike Jenkins of San Luis, Ariz., Warren L. Breeden of Mount Airy and Larry T. Breeden and Steve A. Breeden, both of Poolesville; two sisters, Elsie LeHew of Washington, Pa. and Dorothy Foster of Gaithersburg; one brother William Dalton of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A funeral will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Dellinger Funeral Home, 157 N. Main St., Woodstock, Va. Burial will follow at Massanutten Cemetery in Woodstock. Carl D. Hicks Sr. Mr. Carl D. Hicks Sr., 88, of Gaithersburg, died April 8, 2002, at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. He was the husband of Bessie R. Hicks. Born on March 19, 1914, in Hagerstown, he was the son of the late Jerry D. and Pearl Carl Hicks. Surviving in addition to his wife are two sons, C. Dennis Hicks Jr. and his wife, Jean, of Vienna, Va., and Nathaniel T. Hicks and his wife, Myrtle E., of Damascus; four grandchildren, Judith, Jonathon, Jennifer and Kimberly Hicks; two brothers, Gerald Hicks of Funkstown and Jerry Hicks of Columbus, Neb. Funeral services were held April 10 at the Olin L. Molesworth Funeral Home, Damascus. Burial was private. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions should be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Washington, 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1100, Bethesda, Md. 20841. Helen A. Porter Ms. Helen Ann Porter, 80, of Montgomery Village died April 13, 2002, at the Wilson Health Care (Center) in Gaithersburg. Born Sept. 20, 1921, in Lonaconing, Md., she was a daughter of the late William and Marion Brown Porter. Ms. Porter graduated from Central High School in Lonaconing and graduated from Frostburg State Teachers College with a degree in education. She earned her master's degree from the University of Maryland. She taught school at Gaithersburg Elementary School, Darnestown Elementary School and retired from Ritchie Park Elementary School in Rockville. She was a Girl Scout counselor for many years and was a member of the Maryland State Teachers Association and the National Education Association. She was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg. Survivors include a niece, Nancy S. Vader and her husband, David, of Derwood; four great nieces; one great nephew; and great great nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Grace United Methodist Church, 1991 N. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. Pastor Rev. Lewis Piel of Grace United Methodist Church, Pastor Stephanie Vader of the Centenary United Methodist Church in Shady Side and Pastor Jim Luedeke of the Shepherd of the Glen Lutheran Church in Glenwood will officiate. Burial will be private at Parklawn Cemetery in Rockville. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Centenary United Methodist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 529, Shady Side, Md. 20764. Arrangements were made by the Muriel H. Barber Funeral Home, Laytonsville. Michael Eric Miller Mr. Michael Eric Miller, 39, of Brunswick, died April 13, 2002, at Frederick Memorial Hospital. He was the husband of Meredith Miller, his wife of 10 years. Born Oct. 11, 1962, in Olney, he was the son of Maurice and Sharon Duncan Miller of Frederick. He graduated from Gaithersburg High School in 1980. He was attending Frederick Community College and studying paralegal skills. He was an executive assistant for the member benefits department of the National Education Association in Gaithersburg. Mr. Miller served in the United States Navy from January 1983 until December 1988. He was honorably discharged as Petty Officer 2nd Class. In addition to his wife and parents, he is survived by two sons, Jonathan and Zadok Miller, both at home; two brothers, Mark Miller and wife Darla of Tecumseh, Okla., and Martin Miller and wife, Kendra, of Frederick; one niece and two nephews. Mr. Miller was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Fred and Dot Duncan; paternal grandparents, Roger and Margaret Miller; and several aunts and uncles. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. today from Cornerstone Fellowship, 66 Waverly Drive, Frederick (behind JC Penney's at the Fredericktowne Mall). Burial will be in Resthaven Memorial Gardens, Frederick. Arrangements were handled by Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to a trust fund for the Miller Children c/o Dave Wachter, Cornerstone Fellowship, 66 Waverly Drive, Frederick, MD 21702. Marietta V. Reck Marietta V. Reck, 89, of Sarasota, Fla., died April 4, 2002. She was born March 2, 1913, in York, Pa. and came to Florida nine years ago from Hanover, Pa. She was a long-time resident of Gaithersburg, where she retired in 1975 as a manager of the Ben Franklin Store. She was a member of Harvest United Methodist Church in Sarasota. Survivors include a daughter, Barbara A. Rotruck of Sarasota; a son, Kenneth A. of Waldorf; two sisters, Gertrude Cramer and Kathleen Harman, both of Hanover; a brother, Merle Barbour of Fairfield, Pa.; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held April 14 at St. James United Methodist Church in Sarasota. Toale Brothers Funeral Home, Colonial Chapel, handled the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Harvest United Methodist Church Building Fund, 7311-C Trade Court, Sarasota, Fla., 34240. Rosalind Louise Deimel Rosalind Louise Deimel, 88, of Silver Spring, formerly of Bethesda, died April 13, 2002, at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring. Mrs. Deimel had retired as a sales associate with the Hecht Co. at Montgomery Mall, Bethesda. Born Dec. 1, 1913 in New York, she was the daughter of the late Maurice and Anna Poole. She was the wife of the late Arthur Deimel who died in 1970. She is survived by a son, Robert W. Deimel of Rockville; a daughter, Katherine H. Deimel of Silver Spring; and two sisters, Gertrude Schoenfeld of New Jersey and Florence Dickstein of New York. A service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday at Muriel H. Barber Funeral Home, 21525 Laytonsville Road, Laytonsville. Friends may visit one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Silver Spring. Henry Frank Schulz Henry Frank Schulz III, 45, of Silver Spring, died April 12, 2002, at Montgomery General Hospital, Olney. He had worked as a computer scientist for the Department of Defense for about 20 years. Mr. Schulz graduated from Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring. He also graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and received his master's in computer science from Johns Hopkins University. He was born Jan. 7, 1957 in Cbeverly. He is survived by his wife, Ceslie A. Schulz; and other relatives. Friends visited Tuesday at Muriel H. Barber Funeral Home, Laytonsville. Burial was private. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice. *****Apr. 24, 2002***** Redwood Wright Hoffman Redwood Wright Hoffman, 84, of Silver Spring, died April 7, 2002, at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring. He was a self-employed carpenter. Redwood Hoffman was born at home in Philadelphia. He graduated from Radnor High School and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. During World War II, he served in the Army in the Philippines as an airplane mechanic. After returning from the service, he began his carpentry career and lived in Berwyn, Pa., for 47 years. He also worked at Higgins Bakery in Wayne, Pa., owned by his late wife, Celia K. Hoffman, and her sister Nadine. He retired in the late 1970s to care for his wife, who had become disabled by multiple sclerosis. In 2001, he moved to Charter House, a retirement community in Silver Spring, to be near one of his daughters. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Elizabeth Hoffman and Brian Binger of Boulder, Colo., and Marjorie Hoffman and Christopher Bublitz of Silver Spring; his grandchildren, Emily and Mark Bublitz, his sister-in-law, Nadine Hoffman of Wayne, Pa.; a nephew, nieces, and their children. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Edward Fenno Hoffman. Contributions in Mr. Hoffman's memory are requested to be made to The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury (Web/Support) 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203 or Brookgreen Gardens, P.O. Box 3368, Pawleys Island, SC 29585-3368. In accordance with Mr. Hoffman's wishes, his body has been bequeathed to the Howard University Medical School. A private memorial service in Silver Spring is planned. Alice Mary Rogers Alice Mary (Hartman) Rogers, 86, of Bradenton, Fla., died April 21 at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney. She was born in Brighton, Mich., on May 4, 1915. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, R. Donald Rogers; her daughter, Marcia (Rogers) Collie and son-in-law Wesley Perry Collie of Brookeville; four grandchildren; a sister, Ernestine L. Wilkens, of Falls Church, Va.; and many nieces and nephews. There will be a Memorial Service at Oakdale Emory United Methodist Church's Oakdale Chapel on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Robert B. Jessup Robert Byrne Jessup, 60, of Germantown, formerly of Gaithersburg, died April 7. Born in Washington, D.C., at Garfield Memorial Hospital, he was the husband of Caroline Jessup. Mr. Jessup attended Washington and Lee High School and George Washington University, where he majored in aeronautical engineering before joining the U.S. Marines. He was honorably discharged in 1966. He worked as a senior systems programmer at General Electric Corporation with the GSX Global Technology Organization in Gaithersburg. While at General Electric, he was a key architect in the development of the MARK 3000 system. Mr. Jessup was involved in numerous community activities. He was on the board of directors for his community association in the 1970s and was a member of the Gaithersburg Board of Appeals for several years in the early 1990s. He was a football, baseball and a basketball coach and a Boy Scout leader in troops 207 and 494. Surviving in addition to his wife are his mother, Doris Skinner Jessup; three children, William, Richard, and Dana; two brothers, Richard and Michael; and five grandchildren. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery on May 1 at 1 p.m. Doris J. Gantt Doris Jean Gantt, 54, of Germantown died April 16. Born August 20, 1947 in Chickasha, Okla., she was a daughter of Steven Hooks and Gertrude Williams. Ms. Gantt graduated magna cum laude from Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn., and earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration. She worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Washington, D.C. She is divorced from George Aubrey Gantt. Survivors in addition to her father include three daughters, Adrian D. Mitchell, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Krista D. Gantt; one sister, Joyce Wilson; two grandchildren and several other relatives and friends. Funeral services and burial were held Tuesday in San Antonio. Gerald L. Duvall Sr. Gerald L. Duvall Sr., 74, of Damascus, died April 13 at the Montgomery Village Care & Rehabilitation Center in Gaithersburg. He was the husband of Miriam R. Baublitz Duvall. Born June 27, 1927, in Damascus, he was the son of the late Oliver Morgan and Faye H. Watkins Duvall. Mr. Duvall was a planner and estimator supervisor at the National Institutes of Health and retired after 39 years. Mr. Duvall served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a member and past commander of American Legion Post 171 in Damascus and a past commander of the Southern Maryland District, American Legion. Surviving in addition to his wife are four sons, Gerald Jr., Dana, Stanley and Curtis Duvall; three brothers, one sister and seven grandchildren. Leslie Cecil Amtower Leslie Cecil Amtower died April 13, 2002, at his home in Gaithersburg. He retired from Montgomery County Pubic Schools in 1984. He is survived by his wife, Helen Jane Kelly, of 52 years. Mr. Amtower was born Dec. 11, 1921, in Laurel Dale, W. Va., to Homer Ebert Amtower and Lucy Blanche Liller. He graduated from Petersburg High School then earned his two-year standard normal equivalency from Fairmont State College and later earned his bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from Fairmont in 1947. He began teaching in 1940 at a one-room schoolhouse in Grant County, W. Va., before he became a member of the 398th Infantry, Company K, 100th Division Infantry, serving as the communications chief in WWII. He received two Good Conduct Medals, the Presidential Unit Citation Medal and The Bronze Star. Mr. Amtower was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant in 1946. He completed his master's degree in education in 1952 at West Virginia University and in 1962 he completed his master's degree in guidance counseling at the University of Maryland. He worked in Garrett County as a math, physics and drivers education teacher at the public high school in Kittsmiller. In l952 Mr. Amtower and his wife moved to Allegheny County where he became a high school math teacher at Mount Savage. In 1960 the family moved to Gaithersburg where Mr. Amtower became a guidance counselor at Damascus High School. Mr. Amtower received numerous awards during his teaching career, including a citation for outstanding teaching of mathematics in Montgomery County, earned master teaching status in Montgomery County, elected to Kappa Delta P and received the National Capital Area Citation for Outstanding Teaching of Mathematics. Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Martha Louise Perry of Herndon, Va; and two grandchildren, Michael and Jennifer Clark of Arlington, Va. A memorial Service was held Monday at Epworth United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg. Burial was in Queens Meadow Point Cemetery, Keyser, W. VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Queens Meadow Point Cemetery Foundation Trust Fund, P.O. Box 476, Keyser, W. Va. 26726.