11/17/09

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Samuel ‘Bob’ Platts, retired conductor
Samuel Robert “Bob” Platts, 82, of Millsboro, formerly of York, Pa., passed away Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, at Milford Memorial Hospital in Milford.
Bob was born in York, the son of the late George Robert and Sally Frances (Eaton) Platts.
He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a freight conductor for the Pennsylvania Railroad, currently ConRail, retiring after 30 years of service. Bob was a member of American Legion Post 28 in Millsboro. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and boating. He was also a member of the United Transportation Union.
He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Treva Mae Platts; his daughter, Robin Platts; stepson, Duane Jacobs; his sister, Helen Andrews; two brothers, Harry and Stewart Platts; grandchildren, Melissa Schlenker and Shannon Jacobs; four great-grandsons; and many nieces and nephews. Service and burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Delaware Veterans Home, 100 Veterans Blvd., Milford, DE 19963.

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Patricia Ellen Harmon, retired county clerk
Patricia Ellen Harmon, 68, of Millsboro, passed away Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, at the Delaware Hospice Center in Milford after a courageous fight against cancer.
Mrs. Harmon was born Oct. 12, 1941, in Lewes, to the late Mannie Harmon and is survived by her mother Delema Harmon, also of Millsboro.
Mrs. Harmon was employed by the Sussex County government administrative offices as a deed clerk for 26 years until her retirement in 2006. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother and mom-mom. She took great pride in supporting and nurturing friends and family and never met a stranger.
She cherished the time she spent with friends and family but treasured every moment with her husband, son and granddaughter. Mrs. Harmon attended the Israel United Methodist Church in Lewes.
She is survived by, in addition to her mother, her husband of 46 years, Clinton Harmon; a son, Chad Harmon and wife Sherrie of Milton; a sister. Marlene Harmon and husband Conrad Harmon of Millsboro; one granddaughter, Kyla Harmon; four step-grandsons, George, Cody, Cole and Nicholas Jackson; two nieces, Karen Jackson and Michelle Hitchens; one nephew, Bryan Harmon; and many other nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services will be noon, Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Watson Funeral Home, 211 S. Washington St., Millsboro, where friends may call from 11 a.m. to noon. The Rev. Gary Meekins will officiate the services. Interment will be at the Israel U.M. Church Cemetery, Lewes.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Israel U.M. Church, c/o Anthony Street, Treasurer, P.O. Box 482, Nassau, DE 19969 in memory of Patricia Harmon.

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James E. McClain, retired businessman
James E. McClain, 87, of Lewes, passed from this earth Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, after a debilitating illness.
He was born July 2, 1922, in Wildwood, N.J.
He leaves a wife, Norma McClain; sister, Elizabeth Murphy and her husband Mickey; two sons, James E. McClain Jr. and his wife Beth, and Michael F. McClain and his wife Susan; and two stepchildren, Curtis M. Taylor and his wife Mimi, and Karen L. Taylor. He also leaves several grandchildren; great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.
He graduated from Wildwood High School in 1940 and went into the Army. He served in China, India and Burma. He was honorably discharged in November 1946. When he returned, he enlisted in the National Guard where he served several years.
He joined the Loyal Order of the Elks and had been an active member for approximately 50 years. He went into real estate, became a broker and started his own real estate business. Later his interests became the trucking industry as president of Tri State transportation, serving the entire East Coast.
He will be sadly missed by so many that loved him.
A funeral service will be held at noon, Thursday, Nov. 19, at the chapel of Melson Funeral Services, 32013 Long Neck Road, Millsboro, where a visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to noon. Committal service will be in the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery off Route 113 at 26669 Patriots Way, Millsboro.

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Casimir Gorecki Jr., generous provider
Casimir John Gorecki Jr., 66, of Lewes, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, at his home.
Born in Baltimore, Md., he was the son of the late Casimir John Gorecki Sr. and Eugenia Gorecki. He was a loyal employee of Crown Cork and Seal Company, retiring after 38 years of service.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Joanne Miller Gorecki; sister, Janice Gorecki of Wilmington; son, John Gorecki and his wife Susie, their sons, Andrew and Adam and daughter, Allison of Milton; daughter, Lauren Jones and her husband Scott and their daughter, Claire of Langhorne, Pa.; stepmother, Marie Ewing of Bridgeville; two aunts, Sister M. Tiburtia Gorecki of Hamburg, N.Y., and Anne Gorecki of Towson, Md.
Cas enjoyed work, traveling, movies, reading and his second home in Jupiter, Fla. He was a very generous person and provider to his family and will be deeply missed.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, at St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church, 5401 Loch Raven Blvd., Baltimore, Md. Friends may visit with the family one hour prior to the Mass. Ruck Funeral Home, Harford Road, Baltimore, is making arrangements.

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William ‘Bill’ Rounds Sr., loved Lewes
William P. “Bill” Rounds Sr., 85, died Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, at Taylor Hospice Residence in Ridley Park, Pa.
Bill was raised and educated in Chester, Pa., and lived in the city his entire life. He was a 1942 graduate of Chester High School and then graduated from Temple University.
For the last 30 years, Mr. Rounds shared his time between his home in Lewes and in Chester. He retired from Scott Paper Co. in 1987 after 33 years of service. Bill was a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served in the South Pacific during World War II. Mr. Rounds was a longtime parishioner at St. Rose of Lima Church in Eddystone, Pa. His hobbies were fishing, crabbing, boating and watching the birds at his home in Lewes. He was the son of the late George P. and Margaret Irwin Rounds. He was the brother of the late Betty Erb and Dorothy Doyle; and grandfather of the late Vincent DePrinzio. He was uncle of the late Mary Jewline Doyle Chadwick.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Sara Jane Dodds Rounds; a son, William P. Rounds Jr. (Denise) of Atlantic City, N.J.; three daughters, Linda DePrinzio of Chester, Sally Smith (Vic) of Morganton, Ga., and Beth Magnin (John) of Aston, Pa.; four grandchildren, William, Timothy (Amanda), Sara (Michael), and Kelly; three great-grandchildren, Ashley, Ryley and Abigail; nephews, Chester Erb, Kenneth Erb (Vicki), Barry Doyle; and nieces, Margie Eusden and Diane Erb.
Funeral Mass was held at St. Rose Of Lima Church, with burial in Lawn Croft Cemetery, Linwood. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Rose of Lima Church or Taylor Hospice, PO Box 147, Ridley Park, PA 19078.

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Shane C. Zinser, Del Tech student
Shane Christian Zinser, 19, of Rehoboth Beach, died Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident that evening.
He was born Thursday, April 19, 1990, in Washington, D. C., son of Ernest J. Zinser and Mary Quirk Zinser.
Shane was currently attending the Owens Campus of Del Tech, Georgetown, where he was majoring in nursing. He was an avid video game enthusiast, enjoyed drawing and was very interested in writing music.
In addition to his parents he is survived by three brothers, Sonny Zinser, Braedon Zinser and Evan Zinser and sister, Summer Zinser, all of Rehoboth Beach; and maternal grandmother Mary Quirk of Temple Hills, Md. He was predeceased by his maternal grandfather Vincent Quirk.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday Nov. 21, at the Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes, where the family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. Memorial contributions may be sent to Beebe School of Nursing, 424 Savannah Road Lewes, DE 19958.

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David Manning Gray, retired newspaperman
David Manning Gray, 75, of Milton, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, at Delaware Hospice Center in Milford, from complications due to peripheral vascular disease. He was born Nov. 19, 1933, in Brooklyn, N.Y., son of the late David Howard Gray and Phoebe (Field) Gray.
Mr. Gray enjoyed a long career with the Wall Street Journal newspaper, retiring after 35 years as the manager of the Customer Service Department. He was a graduate of Garden City High School and received his degree in English from Rutgers University where he was a member of the varsity swimming and sailing teams. He was also a member of Phi Delta Fraternity.
David was a skilled photographer, portraits were his specialty; he also loved covered bridges. He was well known for making mischief, his dry sense of humor and for making puns. He easily recited Shakespeare and Kipling verbatim. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and uncle who will be missed by so many.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Susan Chamberlain. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carol Stobbe Gray; his second mother Florence Gray; his son David Jr. and his wife Yoshiko Gray of North Andover, Mass.; and his daughter Penelope and her husband Robert "Bob" of Glen Burnie, Md.; grandchildren Laina and Douglas Gray and Alina and Jeremiah Jurick; and four nieces, Lisa Chamberlain Schimmel, Cynthia Chamberlain, Stephanie Chamberlain Scott and Heather Chamberlain McLoughlin. A memorial service will be held in Wilbraham, Mass., at a later date. There will be a private family graveside service at Woodland Cemetery, Bellport, Long Island, N.Y. Saturday, Nov. 21. The family wishes to express its gratitude to the the Beebe Medical Center, Cardiac Care Unit. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Delaware Hospice Center, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19947.