03/06/09

~

Mary Siwik, Sussex homemaker
Mary Siwik, 93, of Georgetown, passed away Wednesday, March 4, 2009, at the Beebe Medical Center in Lewes. She was a homemaker and worked as a children’s companion for different families throughout the years. She is survived by a daughter, Elsie Kristina Smock (Jack), with whom she lived; a son, Charles John Siwik (Laura); daughter, Patricia Wasik (Bill); grandchildren, Karen Smock Warren (Keith), Kathy Smock, Gregory Smock (Melva) Chuck Siwik (Lori), Michelle Siwik Farally (Bud), Dan Wasik (Sue); great-grandchildren, Kristina Warren, Olivia and Ben Siwik, Nick and Andy Wasik. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to any veteran’s cause.

~

Mary Kathryn Hartle, Rehoboth homemaker
Mary Kathryn Chamberlin Hartle, 89, of Rehoboth Beach, died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009, at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Seaford. Mrs. Hartle was born Dec. 28, 1919, in Winchester, Va., daughter of the late Moddie Garfield Chamberlin and Mary Fidelia Metz Chamberlin.
Mrs. Hartle’s husband of 70 years, Scott C. Hartle, preceded her in death in July 2008. She is survived by her daughter, Beverly Sanderson and her husband Walton W. “Hank” Sanderson of Rehoboth Beach; a grandson, Walton W. Sanderson Jr. of Georgetown; a granddaughter, Kathryn Anne Blakeman of Miami Shores, Fla.; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Delia Metz Shrader of Waynesboro, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews. All services will be private. Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to a charity of choice. Arrangements are by Parsell Funeral Enterprises Inc., in Lewes.

~

Stanley J. Lackus, retired boilermaker
Stanley Joseph Lackus departed this life Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, at home in Milton.
He recently moved from Springfield, Pa. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth; son Christopher; daughter Nicole; and grandson Kevin; sister Joan Elder; and brother Albert.
He fought a valiant battle with cancer after retiring from 35 years in the Boilermaker Local 13 union. Stanley approached his work as a challenge and held his “brothers” in the highest esteem. He was a true and loyal friend. He was an aquarist, metal detector, Civil War historian, Harley rider, and especially loved playing banjo and guitar. A memoriam was held in Pennsylvania.

~

Nancy O. Bestwick, active in church
Nancy Oberlin Bestwick, born Oct. 1, 1958, in Richmond, Va., died suddenly Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009, in Newark.
Nancy graduated from Old Dominion University in 1981 with a BA in French and in 1982 with a degree in computer science. She received her MBA with honors with a concentration in human resources from Goldey-Beacom College in 1999. During that time, she held a leadership position in the Graduate Student Association. Nancy worked for Computer Sciences Corporation (previously DuPont) for 27 years, part of her career in South Carolina and later in Delaware. Nancy served on the condominium council at Birch Pointe Condominiums, her residence for many years, and more recently helped found the neighborhood association for her new community, Traditions at Christiana.
Nancy was a member of the Wilmington Junior League and served on the board of directors for the Delaware Society for Human Resources Management. She also volunteered her time with the Opportunity Center Inc. Nancy and her husband, Al, were Eucharistic ministers and members of the Liturgy and Parish & Family Life Committees at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Wilmington. They were both actively involved in the annual St. Anthony’s Italian Festival. Previously, Nancy was a long-standing member of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Hockessin.
Nancy is survived by her beloved husband, Al; her parents, Robert and Nadine Oberlin of Sarasota, Fla.; her stepchildren, Alissa and Robert Bestwick of Delaware, and William Bestwick and his wife Denise of Elizabethtown, Pa.; her sisters, Cathy and her husband Brad Berkley of St. Louis, Mo., and Barbara and her husband Keith White of Milton; her nieces, Alex and Jenna Berkley and Melissa and Audrey White; and her stepgrandchildren, Ben, Rebecca and Angelina Bestwick. She is also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins. Nancy was predeceased by her grandparents, Paul and Caroline Oberlin and Helen and Douglas Dunn.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 9th and DuPont sts., Wilmington, at noon, Friday, March 6. Entombment will follow in Gracelawn Memorial Park, New Castle.
Donations in memory of Nancy may be made to the A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children through the Nemours Partnership for Children’s Health, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803; or The Ronald McDonald House, 1901 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803.

~

Anna M. Crowe, loved needlework
Anna M. Crowe, 88, of Wilmington, died peacefully Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at Foulk Manor North.
Born in Cecilton, Md., Anna moved to Wilmington after graduation from high school to study hairdressing. She married Russel F. Crowe, and together they raised a family of four children. Russel predeceased her in 1981. Anna’s passion was sewing and other needlework. She also loved working in her beautiful flower garden, prizing her roses the most. She rooted faithfully for the Phillies. Anna also was a member of the Eastern Star Five Points chapter for 61 years. She was active in the Richardson Park United Methodist Church and led a circle of United Methodist Women.
Anna is survived by her daughter, Mary Ann Gordon of Georgetown; son, Franklin R. Crowe and his wife Linda of Townsend; daughter, Jane E. Gaudioso and her husband Charles of Chadds Ford, Pa.; and daughter, Phyllis C. Thomas and her husband Robert of Lewes. She is also survived by nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and siblings Russell Price, Ruth Ingle and Catherine Groves. Her brothers Harry, George and William Price predeceased her.
Her family appreciates the efforts of the caring staff at Foulk Manor North and Odyssey Healthcare.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, March 9, at Richardson Park United Methodist Church, 11 North Maryland Ave., Wilmington DE 19804-1305, where friends may call after 10 a.m. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to the church’s Endowment Fund at the address above.
Arrangements by McCrery Funeral Homes Inc.

~

Carl Ernest Ercole, landscape designer
Carl Ernest Ercole, 79, passed away at the Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009, with his loving wife Josephine, his devoted daughter Karen, and his special son-in-law Steve by his side.
Carl was born Jan. 28, 1930, in Beckley, formerly known as Mabscott, W.Va., son of the late Andrew Sr. and Emily Resine Ercole. He moved to Wilmington with his family in August 1944. He was a graduate of Brown Vocational Technical High School as a radio and electronics technician, and was captain of the baseball team.
He loved baseball and went on to play second base for the championship Post No. 1 American Legion team, and then on to the Delaware semi-pro baseball team of Sterling Printing. Carl was proud of his time in the Army, where he served in Germany during the Korean War from March 1951 to March 1953. When he returned home, he became a professional landscape designer and managed stores for Gaylord’s Garden Mart for 20 years, then ran his own landscaping business, and finally worked at Wilmington Country Club for 10 years prior to his retirement in 1992.
No one could design your lawn and then complete the landscaping work like he could. Carl and Josephine moved to San Mateo, Calif., in July 2000 to be closer to their only daughter, Karen, and her husband Steve. Over the years, acquaintances first noticed Carl’s sparkling blue eyes, and that was followed by getting to know his kind, generous and compassionate personality.
His family and friends called him “Sparky” because he always had a smile, a joke and a nice thing to say to make you smile. He was always called “a kind and gentle man” and showed his selflessness to all that he met. He will be remembered in our hearts forever.
He is survived by his wife Josephine, his daughter, Karen Riley and his son-in-law, Steve Martello in Hillsborough, Calif.; his brother, Andrew Ercole Jr. in Rehoboth Beach; and his sisters, Josephine Paoletti and Mary DiAngelo in Wilmington; as well as many wonderful nieces, nephews and cousins.
A funeral liturgy will be celebrated at 2 p.m., Friday, March 6, in the chapel of Sneider, Sullivan and O’Connell’s, El Camino Real and 10th Ave., San Mateo, Calif., where friends and family may call from 1 to 2 p.m. Interment will follow at 3 p.m. in Skylawn Memorial Park.
Flowers can be sent to the funeral home, or in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to American Heart Association, Data Processing Dept., 1710 Gilbreth Road, Burlingame, CA 94010, in honor of Carl Ernest Ercole.

~

Miriam Akers Swayze, loved music
Miriam Hetty Akers Swayze, 83, of Lewes, died Sunday, March 1, 2009, in Wilmington Hospital.
She was born June 9, 1925, in Rock Hall, Md., the daughter of the late Hillry Bogle and Kitty Smith Akers. She graduated from Shenandoah Valley Academy and Towson University and attended Columbia Union Seventh Day Adventist College in Tacoma Park, Md. Mrs. Swayze was married in 1943 to John A. Swayze. Due to their involvement in teaching in the Seventh Day Adventist school system they resided in several locations, settling in Newark.
She worked as an executive administrator for Head Start, DuPont, Hercules and later at the Pentagon from which she retired. She was later married to Theodore Delecki, who predeceased her. Mrs. Swayze resided in Ocean City, Md., for 15 years where she worked as a realtor and most recently in Lewes for eight years. She was a member of the Rock Hall Seventh Day Adventist Church in Rock Hall. Mrs. Swayze loved music, playing piano, singing, Washington Cathedral, big band, dancing, traveling, movies and was very devotional. Her dynamic personality and considerate demeanor led her to befriend many.
She is survived by three sons, David Swayze and his wife Debra of Warwick, Md., Lee John Swayze of Dover, and Arthur Swayze and wife René of Snohomish, Wash.; a sister, Eolin Ann Tripp and husband Donald of New Market, Va.; a brother, George Akers and wife Imogne of Ooltewah, Tenn.; grandchildren, Stephanie, Shaun, Christopher, Danielle, Devon and Derek; and one great-grandchild, Madison.
Services will be held 2 p.m., Saturday, March 7, at Rock Hall Seventh Day Adventist Church in Rock Hall. Burial will be in St. Paul’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Rock Hall Seventh Day Adventist Church, PO Box 477, Rock Hall, MD 21661. Arrangements by Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, Rock Hall.

~

Shirley A. Johnson, New Jersey native
Shirley A. Johnson, 69, of Millsboro, passed away at her home Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009.
She was born in Camden, N.J., daughter of the late Clarence and Helen Elizabeth Whirlow Ziegler.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel A. Johnson, in 1994.
She is survived by her son, James Johnson; three brothers, William Ziegler, G. Robert Ziegler and Clarence Ziegler; three sisters, Mary Scott, Helen Comley and Doris Dick; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
A funeral will be held at noon, Friday, March 6, at the chapel of Melson Funeral Services, 32013 Long Neck Road, Millsboro, where friends may call after 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Henlopen Memorial Park in Milton.

~

Donna Steinmacher, hospice nurse
Donna Steinmacher of Long Neck passed away Saturday, Feb. 28, suddenly, in her home.
She was born in Watertown, N.Y., the only child of John and Louise Steinmacher. Donna was a nurse for 33 years; she most recently worked at Coastal Hospice in Salisbury, Md. Donna is survived by her partner, Joyce Miller; and her son, Joshua Miller, 18.
A celebration of life ceremony will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 14, at the Millsboro Fire Hall for anyone who would like to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the family to help at this time of great need. Send donations to Steinmacher family in care of Joyce Miller, 35168 Seahawk Lane, Millsboro DE 19966.

~

Linda Gulyas Carmean, Lewes high graduate
Linda Gulyas Carmean, 64, of Bowers Beach, died Sunday, March 1, 2009, at Delaware Hospice.
She was born Dec. 7, 1944, in Millsboro, the daughter of the late Mitchell and Myrtle Gulyas.
Linda was a graduate of Lewes High School. She was a homemaker and enjoyed writing poetry, some of which has been published.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Kip Carmean; and former daughter-in-law, Colleen.
She is survived by her longtime companion, William W. Hall of Bowers Beach; and sons Keith Carmean and Michael Dohrn of Dover; a brother, Mitchell Gulyas Jr. of Georgetown; and sisters, Genevieve Marvel of Gumboro, Cathern and David Joiner of Dover, Diane and Dennis Nelson of Millsboro, Elizabeth Mullinax of Milford; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 7, in the chapel of Berry-Short Funeral Home, 119 NW Front St., Milford, where friends may call after noon. Interment will be held in Barratt’s Chapel Cemetery, Frederica.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.
The family would like to thank Lynn Hangstefer for the time and care she gave her aunt, all the nurses and doctors at Milford Memorial and a very special thanks to Delaware Hospice for all the comfort, kindness and care they gave Linda and her family.

~

Patricia Ann Gargano, Rehoboth native
Patricia Ann Martin Gargano, 71, of Whiting, N.J., passed on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009, at the University Hospital of New Jersey, Newark.
Born in Rehoboth Beach, she moved to Monmouth County in 1955 and Whiting 10 years ago. 
Ms. Gargano was a retail clerk for the Wawa in Lakehurst, N.J., and CVS in Whiting for the last five years.
She was the daughter of the late Ralph and Elsie Martin; she is also predeceased by her brother Ralph Jr.
She is survived by her stepmother, Ina Martin; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Gary Sage, Kevin and Linda Sage, and Michael and Dawn Sage; four brothers and sisters-in-law, James and Joan Martin, Robert and Gywen Martin, William and Peg Martin, and Charles and Carolyn Martin; and two sisters, Betty Craven and Dawn Martin.
She was the loving grandmother of Melissa, Michele, Chris, Michael, Ryan, Thomas, Bryson, Kayden and Hunter; and great-grandmother of Devin and Sage. Ms. Gargano was most happy with her family, cats and gardening; she loved life completely. She will be missed by all who knew her.
A memorial service will be held at a later date, to be announced. Silverton Memorial Funeral Home, 2482 Church Road, Toms River, N.J., is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Jersey Shore Animal Center, 185 Brick Blvd., Brick, NJ 08723-7124.