Obituaries from Gazette.net, December 2002: Prince George’s 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 *********************************************************************** *****Dec. 19, 2002***** Donald Charles Loweth Donald Charles Loweth of Solomons, formerly of Clinton and Hendersonville, N.C., died Dec. 11 at his residence. He was 91 years old. Loweth was born Sept. 13, 1911, in Chicago to the late Cecilia Agnes Glynn and Charles Harry Loweth. He retired from the U.S. Navy as a master chief after 32 years of service. Prior to serving in the Navy, Loweth was in the Marine Corps from 1932 to 1936. He was of the Methodist faith and belonged to Bells United Methodist Church in Clinton. He was a member of the American Legion, a member and founding father of the VFW post in Clinton and a member of the Masonic Lodge. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Ginger L. Aspinall, and his parents. He is survived by his wife, Deva McCracken Loweth; daughters Nancy A. Siehl, Susan E. Melton and Jeanne L. Close; sons John T. and Albert S. Loweth; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Private services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are being made by Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home in Charlotte Hall. Paul E. Bramell Paul E. Bramell, 66, died Nov. 13 at George Washington University Hospital. Born in Arlington, Va., he was raised in Brandywine, where he graduated from Gwynn Park High School. While attending Southeastern University in Washington, Bramell worked with American Security and Trust, where he rose to the position of senior executive. He later worked for Diplomat National Bank and National Bank of Washington before becoming chief administrator for the law firm of Pierson, Ball and Dowd in the early 1980s. He was also chief executive of the Seniors Coalition advocacy organization. For the past 10 years, he had changed occupations and ran the Shenandoah River Inn Bed and Breakfast in Luray, Va. Survivors include his companion, Ann Merrigan of Luray; five children from his previous marriage, Jeff Bramell of Luray, Linda Kirker of Germantown, John Bramell of Powell, Tenn., Gregg Bramell of Gaithersburg and Steve Bramell of Baltimore; his mother, Mary B. Bramell of Little Rock, Ark.; two sisters; and 13 grandchildren. John M. Tayman of Denton, a decorated World War II veteran and former superintendent of substation operations for Potomac Electric Power Co., died Dec. 11 at age 78. Tayman was born in Croom to the late Harry Packard Tayman and Bessie Rebecca DeVaughn Tayman. He retired from PEPCO in 1986 and moved from Lanham to Denton in 1990. Tayman was a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Croom. In addition to his wife, Mary Ellen Tayman, he is survived by sons John M. Tayman Jr. of Lusby, Gary L. Tayman of Laurel and R. Steven Tayman of Crofton; daughters Susan R. Schorr of Ridgely and Nancy C. Cifolilli of Mechanicsburg, Pa.; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Two brothers, Grafton P. Tayman and James N. Tayman, preceded him in death. A memorial funeral service was held Monday at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Croom, followed by internment in that church's cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Shore Home Care and Hospice, 29515 Canvasback Drive, Easton, Md., 21601. Arrangements were made by Moore Funeral Home in Denton. *****Dec. 31, 2002***** Lamont K. Bland Lamont K. Bland, 54, died Dec. 26 at his home in Upper Marlboro. An artist, painter and teacher, Bland battled cancer for six years. Born in 1948 in the District, he studied art in high school and upon graduating from Morgan State University in 1970, he won two awards: the school's Outstanding Art Student award and the university president's Creative Achievement Award. His first job out of college was at the Lorton Reformatory in Virginia where he taught charcoal illustration to inmates. Bland married Mary Virginia Glenn in 1977. After working as a graphic artist for General Electric in the 1980s, Bland took on jobs in other fields -- including stints in sales, marketing, insurance and security -- to support his family. In 1995, Bland was diagnosed with cancer and unable to work. He began to paint as he convalesced, according to his sister, Sharon Gund. His work, capturing the experiences of the African diaspora in charcoal, watercolor and acrylic, was chronicled by both The Gazette and The Washington Post. He specialized in portraiture, often producing expressive close-ups of children, drug addicts and jazz musicians. His work was exhibited both locally and throughout the country, in Atlanta, Richmond and cities New York and South Carolina. Several of his pieces were recently displayed in former Prince George's County Executive Wayne Curry's office. Bland is survived by his wife and three children, Lamar, 22, of Temple Hills, Lakeya, 18, and Larenzo, 15, both of Upper Marlboro. He was preceded in death by his father in 2001, he is also survived by his mother, who resides in Laurel, one brother, Gailliard Bland III, also of Laurel, and his sister, who lives in the District. The viewing on Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. will be followed by a funeral at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Highland Park, 6801 Sheriff Road in Landover. Internment is immediately following the service at the Maryland National Cemetery, 13300 Baltimore Ave. in Laurel.