03/20/09

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Virginia R. Fenick, Red Hatter
Virginia R. Fenick, 84, of Millsboro, passed away Tuesday, March 17, 2009, at the Delaware Hospice Center in Milford.
Born June 5, 1924, in Coaldale, Pa., to the late Milton E. Leininger and Elizabeth Leininger. Mrs. Fenick was the owner and operator of Mother Goose Dairyland in Leighton, Pa., for 12 years until she retired in 1986. She and her husband enjoyed traveling throughout the country. When not traveling she would spend countless hours in her garden. She also was a member of the Red Hat Society.
She was preceded in death by her husband Vincent in 2007; and her daughter, Kathleen Fenick in 1968. She is survived by her son John Fenick; and a grandson Shane Fenick; one sister, Kathryn Kuntz of Middletown; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, March 23, at Watson Funeral Home, 211 Washington St., Millsboro, where friends may call at 9 a.m. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.

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Louise H. Meiklejohn, retired secretary
Louise Hunt Meiklejohn, of Laguna Woods, Calif., passed away Friday, March 13, 2009, at her home after a long illness.
She was born Jan. 12, 1920, to Ethel and Morris Hunt in Federalsburg, Md. Louise graduated from Bridgeville High School in Delaware and attended Banks Business College in Philadelphia, Pa. After graduating, she worked in the insurance business for several years. She and Bill Meiklejohn were married in 1950 and relocated to Santa Ana, Calif. She worked for the Orange County School District as a secretary and bookkeeper for many years until her retirement. After retirement, she and Bill traveled the world extensively. She was a self-taught seamstress and enjoyed knitting and needlework as well. Bill and Louise taught square and round dancing. Louise designed and made all the matching outfits for both of them. In their later years they were philanthropic and donated millions of dollars to the University of Pennsylvania, Bill’s alma mater, and Saddleback Hospital as well as supporting the Table Tennis Club in Laguna Woods.
Louise was preceded in death by her husband in 2007. She is survived by her sister, Rosalie Mitchell and her husband Earl of Milton; nieces Susan Hopper and her husband Gerry, Linda Stromer and husband Steve, and Janet Mitchell; nephews Earl Mitchell Jr. and Benjamin Mitchell II and wife Kristen; and many great-nieces and -nephews. Services were entrusted to Melrose Abben Memorial Park & Mortuary, Anaheim, Calif.

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Rodger A. Milotte Sr., master carpenter
Rodger Arthur Milotte Sr., 50, of Lewes, passed away Sunday, March 15, 2009. Rodger will be remembered by many friends and his family as a good friend. He worked in construction as a master carpenter. Rodger enjoyed surf fishing from the inlet and barbequing every night at his home in Angola Park.
Rodger is survived by his son, Rodger A. Milotte Jr. and his wife Dana L.; a brother, John T. Milotte and wife Denise; sister, Mary Eva Ross; sister-in-law, Elizabeth J. Milotte; and a host of loving nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother, Ernest E. Milotte Jr; and parents, Ernest Sr. and Mary Milotte.
Friends may visit with the family from 11 to 11:30 a.m., Monday, March 23, at Community Vision Fellowship, 34 King Ave., DuRoss Heights, New Castle, followed by a service in celebration of Rodger’s life at 11:30 am. Burial will be private.

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Howard A. Leishman, retired Wilmington cop
Howard A. Leishman, 85, of Lake Wales, Fla., passed away Sunday, March 8, 2009, at The Groves Center.
He was born Dec. 8, 1923, in the Bronx, New York City, N.Y., to the late Howard A. and Josephine R. Kennedy Leishman and moved to Florida in 1997 from Millsboro. He was a retired police officer from the City of Wilmington. He attended the Lake Wales Alliance Church and the Tower Lakess Chapel and was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and a life member of the VFW Post 7422 in Millsboro. He enjoyed making stained glass art, solving crossword puzzles and watching old Western movies.
Howard was preceded in death by his first wife, Selma Marie Leishman. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy M. Leishman; daughters, Marianne Havens of Wilmington, Suzanne Hoedl of Princeton, N.J., and Karen Lynn Quisenberry of Troutville, Va.; five grandchildren; a stepdaughter, Beverly Bader of Richmond, Va.; and a stepson, Tom Hosack of Lake Wales.
Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. followed by a service, Friday, May 15, at Beeson Funeral Home, 2053 Pulaski Highway, Newark. Burial will be in Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Tower Lakes Chapel, c/o Rev. Gerald Williams, 2146 Heron Drive, Lake Wales, FL 33859.

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Lorraine M. Johnson, avid bridge player
Lorraine M. Johnson, 80, of Wilmington, passed away Tuesday, March 17, 2009.
Born in Bristol, England, Lorraine moved to the United States in 1945 with her American husband as she was a World War II bride. She was a devoted and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Lorraine was also an avid bridge player.
Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents, Gertrude and Percy Miles; and her husband, Walter S. “Wally” Johnson Sr. She is survived by her five children, Walter Scott Johnson Jr. of Rehoboth Beach, Miles F. Johnson of Wilmington, Cary P. Johnson and his wife Beth of Albany, N.Y., Christopher W. Johnson and Victoria Johnson Boyer, both of Wilmington; her grandchildren, Kimberly Johnson Jamison and her husband Peter, Heather Johnson Dwyer and husband Ted, Timothy A. Johnson and wife Beth, Betsy Johnson Kranz and husband Rick, Sara Johnson, Brandon L. Boyer and April Johnson; and 12 great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held from 10 to 11 a.m., Friday, March 20, in the McCrery Memorial Funeral Home, 3924 Concord Pike, Wilmington, followed by a service at 11 a.m. Entombment will be in Cathedral Cemetery, Lancaster Pike, Wilmington. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Delaware Humane Society, 701 A St., Wilmington, DE 19801.
Christine E. Miller, bookmobile lady
Christine Elizabeth Miller, 90, of Rehoboth Beach, formerly of Dover, died Monday, March 16, 2009, at Beebe Medical Center, Lewes.
Mrs. Miller was born April 18, 1918, in Philadelphia to the late Richard Groeschen and Barbara Cherwich Groeschen.
She worked at the Delaware State Museum located in the Old Presbyterian Church in Dover for five years, then for 25 years she served the public on the Kent County Bookmobile. She was formerly a member of the Presbyterian Church of Dover, and then joined the Presbyterian Church of Lewes. Mrs. Miller enjoyed reading and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Harry C. Miller, in 1991. She is survived by her two daughters, Judith Yeager and her husband Herb of Rehoboth, and Barbara Mowles and her husband Walter of Blandon. Pa.; four grandchildren, Christine Markley, Susan Eugenis, Mike Mowles and Jennifer Tarr; and five great-grandchildren, Betsy, Katie, Caspar, Angie and Harry. Services will be private.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the American Diabetes Association, 100 W. 10th St., Suite 1002, Wilmington, DE 19801.

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Roberta Baxter Holt, noted psychotherapist
Roberta Baxter Holt, 68, of Chevy Chase, Md., and Rehoboth Beach, whose keen intellect, wry humor and impeccable social graces brought her a lifetime of professional success as well as enduring and enriching personal relationships, passed away Sunday, March 15, 2009, at Talbot Hospice in Easton, Md.
Dr. Holt had a long and successful career as a psychotherapist with a family-oriented practice in Chevy Chase, an affiliation with the Groome Child Guidance Center of Sibley Hospital and the Georgetown University Medical School. In 1990 she became a faculty member of the Georgetown University Family Center Inc., now the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, remaining there until the time of her death. As one of the first people to be part of that then-young organization, Dr. Holt found great satisfaction in helping it grow and flourish.
Born March 14, 1941, in Federalsburg, Md., she was the daughter of the late Mary Baxter and Robert W. Holt of Federalsburg. She graduated from Federalsburg High School class of 1959 where she was president of her class. Over the years, Dr. Holt remained connected to her Federalsburg roots. She served as chairwoman of class reunions held every five years since graduation; her class was the only one to have continuous reunions. She received her B.A. in sociology at the University of Delaware in 1963. In 1966, she completed her master’s degree in social work at the University of Minnesota whose Freudian atmososphere at that time intrigued her. She then moved to Washington where she was a longtime D.C.-area resident. She entered the postgraduate course in family systems theory and family psychotherapy at Georgetown University, Department of Psychiatry. In 1977 she was a research associate in the Laboratory of Brain Evolution and Behavior at the National Institutes of Mental Health. She received her doctorate in social work at the Catholic University of America in 1986. She leaves behind her brother, Haines Baxter Holt and his wife Nancy of Easton; and nephews Travis and Cameron Holt, both of Easton; and legions of admiring and affectionate friends and colleagues.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Friday, March 20, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 100 Peach Blossom Lane, Easton, with the Rev. Gary Moore officiating. Interment will take place in her family’s lot at Hillcrest Cemetery in Federalsburg. Bobbie Holt exemplified her personal philosophy of doing something productive every day to further yourself or humankind. Not one to suffer fools lightly, she was a warm, considerate and generous friend, family member and colleague. The family requests donations in her memory be made to the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, 4400 MacArthur Blvd. N.W. 103, Washington, D.C. 20007; or The Rehoboth Yoga Studio, 20245 Bay Vista Road, Suite 101, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Williamson Funeral Home, Federalsburg.