Obituaries from Gazette.net, May 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 *********************************************************************** *****May 1, 2003***** Blanche P. Van de Ree Blanche P. Van de Ree, a longtime Clinton resident, died April 15 in Pembroke Pines, Fla. She was 97. Van de Ree, wife of the late Andries Van de Ree, was a resident of Clinton for 30 years before she relocated to Florida. She died one day before her 98th birthday. Van de Ree served on the Prince George's County Board of Education from 1958 to 1969. She was also an employee of The Enquirer Gazette newspaper in the 1950s. "She loved Maryland and dedicated her life to community service," said Van de Ree's daughter, Carol Dutton. Van de Ree is survived by daughters Carol Dutton and Margaret Van de Ree; grandchildren Caryn Bean, Andrea Dutton, Steven Rizer and Catherine Rizer; and great-grandchild Andrew Bean. Service plans have not been made. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Lung Association. Frank C. Howard Frank C. Howard, 79, a retired Marine Corps staff sergeant who served in the South Pacific during World War II and in Korea during the Korean War, died of cancer March 28 at his home in Mount Rainier. Sgt. Howard was born in Washington. He joined the Marines in 1941 and was wounded in combat at Tarawa during World War II. Later, he served at Camp Pendleton in California and at Quantico, Va. He retired from the Marines in 1964. His decorations included a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. After leaving the Marine Corps, Sgt. Howard was a meatcutter at Dunbar Market in Washington and later at the A&P store in Mount Rainier. For 17 summers, he was a cook at Camp Wabanna, a summer camp for children in Mayo. He also operated a produce stand in Oxon Hill. His first wife, Anne Howard, whom he married in 1956, died in 1974. His second wife, Rosa Howard, whom he married in 1976, died Jan. 25, 2003. Survivors include a daughter from his first marriage, Sue Smith of Blue Ridge, Ga.; three brothers; two sisters; two granddaughters; and two great- granddaughters. *****May 15, 2003***** Albert Brady Piper of Bowie, who served 28 years in the armed forces, died on March 22 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He was 86. In March, Piper was baptized at the Church of Latter Day Saints in Bowie and was confirmed the following week. Piper was born on March 27, 1917, in Killeen, Texas. He was one of four children. His father died in a farming accident when he was 4 years old. When Piper's mother fell ill in 1922, Piper and his siblings were taken to an orphanage in Waco, Texas. Piper enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and served in New Zealand, Greece, Japan and the Philippines, rising to the rank of master sergeant. When he was discharged in 1961, he worked at a naval research lab in the District, retiring in 1974. Piper is survived by his children David, Ronald, Stephen, Daniel, William, Eve, Albert, Robin and Thomas; and his wife, Ilene Piper. "What I'll remember was that he had a great sense of humor and he was compassionate to those he cared about," said Ilene Piper. *****May 29, 2003***** John Joseph Heidenberg of Mechanicsville, formerly of Hyattsville, died May 24 at the age of 35. Mr. Heidenberg was the beloved husband of Debra Munn-Yost; father of William, Nicole and Kristin; son of M. Michael and Ann Heidenberg; and son-in-law of Eleanor and Richard Yost. He is also survived by three brothers, Michael, Joseph and Nicholas; and seven sisters, Mary Anne, Theresa, Grace, Anne Marie, Margaret, Cecelia and Catherine. Mr. Heidenberg grew up in Hyattsville, where he attended St. Jerome Catholic School and Northwestern High School. After high school, he worked for Magruder Park in Hyattsville. From 1986 to 1988, he worked for the dispatcher and Parking Enforcement Office. He graduated from the Prince George's County Police Academy in 1988 and became a Hyattsville police officer. In 1991, he was awarded Police Officer of the Year. He married his wife, Debra, in April 1989. Mr. Heidenberg joined the Anne Arundel Police Department in 1992, where he became a detective in the Criminal Investigation Division Narcotics Section. At the time of his death, h e was assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. Services and a Fraternal Order of Police Memorial were held Wednesday at the Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home in Charlotte Hall. A Mass of Christian burial will be said today at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Mechanicsville, with interment to follow at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Heidenberg Children Memorial Fund, c/o Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Bldg. 1639, NAS, Patuxent River, MD 20670. Elaine Fagan Elaine Fagan, 58, of Fort Washington passed away May 18 from complications associated with her recent diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Erin and Brian Harrigan of Ellicott City, Stacie Fagan of Laurel, Criste and Carl Trilli of Prince Frederick, and Michael and Jane Fagan of Fort Washington. She is also survived by three grandchildren, two sisters and an extended family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and friends. Friends were received May 22 at the Lee Funeral Home in Clinton. A memorial event will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in her name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Visit www.leukemia.org. Francis Harold Wilkinson Francis Harold Wilkinson of Baden died May 16. He was the husband of the late Nina Frances Tolar Wilkinson; father of Nina Wilkinson Voehl; and father-in-law of Hugh F. Voehl Jr. He is survived by two grandchildren, Vanessa V. Johnson and High F. Voehl. A funeral service was held May 23 at Immanuel Methodist Church in Baden. He was laid to rest in the church cemetery. Frank S. Pellegrini Frank S. Pellegrini, 87, who had a medical practice in Hillcrest Heights for 40 years before retiring in 1986, died of heart failure May 6 at his home in Fort Washington. He was past president of the D.C. Medical Society and of the Washington chapter of the American Academy of General Practice. He served on the founding committee for Greater Southeast Hospital and was medical staff president there from 1965 to 1968. He also chaired the general practice department at Providence Hospital from 1950 to 1953. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Gloria; daughters Pat Kaufman, Pam Oetgen and Barbara Dougherty; eight grandchildren; and three great- grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial was at St. Mary's Church in Piscataway, with burial at Cedar Hill. Elizabeth Aley Elizabeth L. Aley, 105, a longtime area resident and matriarch of a huge family, died April 16 at the home of her daughter, Florence. She was born Aug. 17, 1897, in New Jersey, but lived most of her life in Camp Springs in a big brown house on Aley Road. Her husband, John B. "Jack" Aley, died in 1972, and her son Clifford also predeceased her. Survivors include three children: Wallace and his wife Marie, Florence Meyer and her husband Raymond, and Walter and his wife Shirley. She was also survived by 16 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and 56 great-great- grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Father Bullock at St. John's Church in Clinton, where Aley had been a member since 1927. Burial was at Resurrection Cemetery. Christine Finnerty Christine Finnerty, 57, a retired county high school teacher, died May 18. She lived in Alexandria. She graduated from Suitland High School, earned a bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Maryland, and for 30 years taught social studies in the county schools, including Suitland and Eleanor Roosevelt. Survivors include her husband, Francis; father, Hugh Loweth; and two brothers.