Obituaries from Gazette.net, January 2003: 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 *********************************************************************** *****Jan. 9, 2003***** Margaret Elizabeth Smith Margaret Elizabeth Smith of Main Boulevard in Accokeek passed away Dec. 27 at Springbrook Nursing Home in Silver Spring. She was 69. Smith, who was a homemaker, was born Nov. 25, 1933, in the District to the late William John Van Wart and Mary Goldsborough of Mechanicsville. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Scott Smith Jr., and siblings, Tom and Asbury Van Wurt. In addition to her mother, she is survived by her children, Michael R. Smith of La Plata, Sandra A. Schwarz of Arlington, Va., and Sean A. Smith of Nanjemoy; siblings, Laura Comeau and William Van Wurt, both of Bryans Road, and Paul Van Wurt of Mechanicsville; and grandchildren, Christina L. Smith of Waldorf and Brittian and Kinzey Smith of England. Funeral services were held at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 2 at Sacred Heart Church in La Plata, with the Rev. Matthew Siekierski officiating. Interment was held at the Maryland Veterans cemetery in Cheltenham. Huntt Funeral Home made the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Ethel B. Trunnell Ethel B. Trunnell of Fort Washington died of pneumonia Dec. 20 at Fort Washington Hospital. She was 85. A longtime secretary with the federal government, she was born April 8, 1917, to the late Burton Bendall and the late Annie Hudgins. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles E. Trunnell Sr. She is survived by her son, Charles E. Trunnell Jr.; daughters Joanne Wallace and Peggy Dennison; brother Burton Bendall; and 12 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Jan. 4 at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home in Oxon Hill, with the Rev. Eric Boyer officiating. Interment took place at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suitland. Herbert Walter "Herb" Hickmann Herbert Walter "Herb" Hickmann, a former resident of Reamy Drive in Morningside and recently a resident of Solomons, died Dec. 11 at age 81. His wife, N. Ann Hanson Hickmann, preceded him in death. Survivors include his children Steven, Carol and David Hickmann, and five grandchildren. *****Jan. 16, 2003***** Christopher Ian Stoddard Christopher Ian Stoddard, a 1st lieutenant in the Air Force and a graduate of The Citadel who earned his pilot's wings last February, died in a swimming pool accident Dec. 8. He was named Squadron Co-pilot of the Month in October and had been awarded several Air Force medals. Survivors include his parents, Clifford and Christina Stoddard of Clinton; brothers, Alexander and Michael; and several grandparents. Mass of Christian burial was at St. Phillip's Church, and burial with full military honors was held at Arlington National Cemetery. Eva M. Dent Eva M. Dent Laforest, 94, a longtime resident of Hillcrest Heights, died on Christmas Eve. She had retired from Andrews Air Force Base after years as a government secretary. Survivors include four children, Mary Alciere, Sr. Ann Laforest, Virginia Uliana and Celeste Fatora. She is also survived by 21 grandchildren, 21 great- grandchildren and a great-great-grandson. She was preceded in death by four children, Aubin, Stephen and William Laforest and Frances Kieffer. Mass of Christian Burial was at Holy Family Church, where Eva was very active with the Sodality. Ethel Lee Padgett Ethel Lee Padgett of Schall Road in Accokeek passed away at her home Dec. 20. She suffered from heart failure at the age of 78. She was born July 31, 1924, in Berkley County, W.Va., to the late James Barthlow and the late Elva Butts Barthlow. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph L. Padgett. She was a farming wife all her life. She enjoyed bowling and was a member of Whitehall Baptist Church. She is survived by her children, Patsy Harper, Ronnie, Paul and Jim; siblings Nora Hattle, Sue Miller and Leroy Barthlow; grandchildren Dean, Traci, Wendi, Scott, Paul and Erin; and great-grandchildren Abbi, Brooke, Megan, Christian and Jordan. Funeral services were held Dec. 23 at the Raymond Funeral Home in La Plata, with the Rev. John Warren officiating. Interment was held at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf. Raymond Funeral Home made the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Charles County, P.O. Box 1703, La Plata, MD, 20646. *****Jan. 30, 2003***** Harry L. Durity, a longtime resident of Upper Marlboro and native Washingtonian, died on Jan. 9. He was 85. Durity, who specialized in municipal law, had a career that spanned more than three decades, serving as the town attorney for Upper Marlboro in the 1960s, as the deputy county attorney for Prince George's County for 15 years and as an assistant state's attorney in the late 1960s. In addition, he served as legal counsel to the Prince George's County delegation of the General Assembly and later for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. During his career, he also served as justice of the peace for Prince George's County and as a town commissioner in Upper Marlboro. Durity graduated from McKinley Tech High School in 1935, after which he worked with his parents as a hotelkeeper at the Marlboro House and also as a surveyor during the construction of Andrews Air Force Base. In 1944, he was inducted into the U.S. Army where he joined Company B, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division in France during the Battle of the Bulge. After his return from Europe, Durity was honorably discharged from the military in 1946 and studied law while working as a title, examiner, real estate agent and general contractor. He was awarded a law degree in 1950 from George Washington University School of Law. Durity was married to Betty Smith Durity for 28 years and is survived by their three sons: Dennis Durity of Upper Marlboro, G. Harry Durity of Greenwich, Conn., and Richard Durity of Denver. In addition, he is survived by six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His second wife of 22 years, Carol Wells Durity, preceded him in death. Memorial donations in memory of Harry Durity may be sent to the Prince George's County Historical Society, P. O. Box 14, Riverdale Park, Md., 20738- 0014. Call 301-464-0590 for more information or visit www.pghistory.org/index.html.