Obituaries March 2003

GIBSON, SAMUEL PRESTON (Age 76)
On Wednesday, March 26, 2003 of Clearwater, FL, formerly of Capitol Heights, MD. Beloved husband of JoAnn Gibson; loving father of Mark Grello of Arlington, VA, Paul Gibson of Owings, MD, Guy Gibson of Dunedid, FL, Jeffrey Gibson of Chesapeake Beach, MD, Michael Gibson of Clearwater, MD, Leslie Lyons of Port Charlotte, FL, Lisa Grimes of Chesapeake Beach, MD, and Laura Gibson of Fairfax, VA. He was the loving grandfather to 14 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Marion Howard of Hershey, PA and Violet Cavegen of Upper Marlboro, MD. Family and friends may call on Saint Nicholas Lutheran Church, 1450 Plum Point Rd., Huntingtown, MD 20639 on Monday, April 7, 2003 at 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, 2003 at 10 a.m. Interment will be held at Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, VA. Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Florida.

WACH, RAYMOND JOSEPH
US Army Veteran
On March 30, 2003. Beloved husband of Kathleen Heffernan Wach; devoted father of Raymond P. Wach, Damian Wach, Kathleen Wach Ellsworth, Marie Kokotajlo, Mara Parrish and Greg Wach; proud grandfather of 16 grandchildren. Dedicated to his faith, family and country. Served the United States for 28 years, in the U.S. Army and as a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department. Wake, 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 6, Mattingly-Gardner Funeral Home, 41590 Fenwick St., Leonardtown, MD (301) 475-8500. Funeral, 10:30 a.m., Monday, April 7, Our Lady's Church, 41348 Medley's Neck Rd. (Rt. 244), Leonardtown, (301) 475-8403. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Hospice of St. Mary's, PO Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. AMDG.

Eleanor Wilkinson Boothe, 80|
Eleanor Wilkinson Boothe, 80 of Great Mills, Maryland died on Friday March 28, 2003 at her residence. She was born on August 15, 1922 in Hollywood, the daughter of the late Joseph P. and Eleanor Well Wilkinson. She was the wife of Milton F. Boothe whom she married on August 22, 1944, the mother of Kenneth F. Boothe of Great Mills, and Mary Boothe Dean of Brentwood, TN, one brother, Joseph P. Wilkinson, Jr. of Leonardtown, and one sister, Mary R. Carroll of Frederick, MD. She is also survived by two granddaughters and two great granddaughters all of Brentwood, TN. In addition to her parents a sister, Harriet Curtain, and two brothers, Reverend James T. Wilkinson S.J., and George A. Wilkinson preceded her in death. Mrs. Boothe was a member of Holy Face Catholic Church, Great Mills, her entire adult life and served as the church organist for many years. In 1952 she commenced her teaching career at the Little Flower School and she taught there for more than 30 years. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March 31, 2003 at Holy Face Catholic Church. The Reverend Kevin O’Reilly was the celebrant. Interment followed in the church cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Parran C. Abell,
US Merchant Marines WWII Veteran
Parran C. Abell, 76, of Indian Head died March 28, 2003, of lung cancer at his home. He was a graduate of Lackey High School, class of 1943 and was a member of St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church, Indian Head. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Merchant Marines aboard ocean-going merchant ships as a fireman, oiler and watertender. He was the recipient of the Atlantic, Mediterranean-Middle East War Zone Ribbons, Victory Medal, Merchant Marine Emblem and Presidential Testimonial Letter. After receiving and honorable discharge in 1945, he worked for the A&P Tea Co. and Safeway stores. In the early 1950's, and for the next 30 years he was the owner-operator of Highs Dairy Stores in Forestville, Indian Head and Bryans Road. He then went to work for the federal government as a firefighter stationed at Fort Myer, Va. After retirement in 1991, with the rank of captain. He enjoyed woodworking, compiling his family genealogy and fishing. He was a member of the Randall W. King New Voice Club of La Plata, following a total laryngectomy in January 2000. He was a member of the Potomac Heights Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad from 1949 to 1955. In this organization he served as treasured of the board of directors for six years and held line officer positions up to and including assistant fire chief. In 1964, he joined the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad. He served on the board of directors, was president of the board from 1968-71 and was chief of the department form 1974-77. In 1972 he was appointed to serve on the Board of Fire and Rescue Commissioners of Charles County, and was re-appointed by the governor of Maryland to serve in this capacity through 1987. Born Dec. 29, 1926, in Baltimore, he was the son of the late Alexander Abell and the late Eva Jarboe of St. Mary's County. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Alexander, Francis, Ernest and Gilbert Abell. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy Jameson Abell; daughters, Patty Belknap and her husband, Dale, of Charlotte Hall, Joni Settle and her husband, Wayne, of La Plata; son, Parran and his wife, Terry, of Ninde, Va.; grandchildren, David and his wife Terri, of Shreveport, La., Scotty Belknap of Shereveport, Steve Willett and his wife, Patty, of Waldorf, Holli Settle of Indian Head, Jason Abell of Burke, Va., Kelsy, Elyse and Aldyn Abell of Ninde, Va.; and great-grandson, Owen Belknap of Shreveport. Mass wasc elebrated April 2 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Pomfret. The Rev. William F. Goode, pastor of St. Mary, Star of the Sea, officiated. Burial was at the church cemetery. Pallbearers were David Belknap, Scotty Belknap, Steven Willett, Jason Abell, Kevin Grinder and Dennis Gilroy. Honorary pallbearers are Robert Bragunier, Francis Knott, John Thomas Parran, William C. Dement, Phillip Spaulding and the charter members of the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Charles County, 105 La Grange Ave., P.O. 1703, La Plata, Md. 20646.

Muriel Yost Fadeley
Muriel Yost Fadeley died Thursday, March 27, 2003 at home following a long courageous bout with lung cancer.
Born February 1, 1925, in Portsmouth, VA, she was the daughter of the late retired Lt. Col. Clarence H. Yost, USMC, and Laura Gano Yost. She was the wife for 56 years of retired LCDR Charles Fenton Fadeley, USN whom she married November 14, 1946 in the Navy Yard Chapel, Portsmouth, VA. In addition to her husband she leaves her five children, Charles Fenton Fadeley, Jr., of Green Cove Springs, FL, Robert Stuart Fadeley of Winter Park, Fl, Stephen Malone Fadeley and William Bradford Fadeley of Drayden, MD and Diane Carroll Fadeley of Lexington Park, MD, she is also survived by one grandson, Robert Shaun Fadeley of Winter Park, FL and by her brother, Stuart Henri Yost of Philadelphia, PA, and last but not least she leaves many wonderful friends whose kindness and love shall not be forgotten.
Mrs. Fadeley graduated from Upper Darby High School in PA in 1943 and received an Associates Degree in business from Elmira College, NY in 1945. She was employed as a secretary for Firestone in Philadelphia when she met and later married her husband.
She lived a very interesting and exciting life growing up as a Marine Corps junior. When five years old she and her mother took a steamship to Nicaragua to join her father while he was intermittently engaged in military operations with the Second Nicaraguan Campaign. In 1934 the family took a long voyage via the Panama Canal to Shanghai, China, where the then Captain Yost was Provost Marshall for three years. They were able to leave just shortly prior to the invasion of Shanghai. Upon returning to the United States the family moved to Lakehurst, NJ, where her father was assigned to the Naval Air Station very shortly after the Hindenburg disaster, later Col. Yost was in charge of the Marine Detachment, NAD, Iona Island, which afforded Mrs. Fadeley the opportunity to take riding lessons in the world’s largest indoor riding facility at the USMA, West Point, NY. Although her life as a Navy wife was not as worldly as that of her childhood, she followed her husband's ships from Key West to Nova Scotia which provided many exciting experiences. In addition, Mrs. Fadeley and her family resided at Annapolis and West Point where LCDR Fadeley was an instructor.
Mrs. Fadeley was a member of the Church of the Ascension in Lexington Park for over 38 years where she did volunteer work for HOPE and was in charge of the United Thanks Offering Program until very recently. For 43 years she knitted baby clothes for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, accumulating over 4000 volunteer hours. For 19 years she was “president” of her local needlework/craft group and although not a sailor she was a longstanding member of the Southern Maryland Sailing Association, in addition to these activities she was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling and visiting old homes and historic places. Her greatest love besides her family and church were people. She “never met a stranger” and was known by so many if not by name then by her sparkling blue eyes and friendly smile. She lived a full and active life.
A Funeral Service was held April 2, 2003. in the Church of the Ascension, with Reverend Rona Harding officiating. Interment followed in Trinity Church Cemetery, St. Mary’s City. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her name to Hospice of St. Mary’s, Inc., P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or the Church of the Ascension, 21641 Great Mills Rd., Lexington Park, MD 20653

Jamaal Eric Gross
Jamaal Eric Gross, 22, of Great Mills, MD died on March 30, 2003 at the St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown, MD.
He was born on March 22, 1981 in Prince Frederick, MD, the son of Belinda Isabelle Gross and stepfather Leonard Berry of Lexington Park, MD and the late Robert Carroll Quarles.
In addition to his mother and step-father, he is survived by two brothers, Jody Johnson of Dowell, MD, and Lynquawn Berry of Lexington Park, MD, six sisters, Sharita Gross, Markquita Gross, Sykeeta Gross and Jiakeeta Berry all of Lexington Park, MD, Letitia Quarles and Erina Quarles both of Dowell, MD, step-sister, Tanar Scriber of Great Mills, MD and godmother, Elaine White of Alexandria, VA. A Funeral Service was held at St. Mark’s UAME. The Reverend Dr. Rudy C. Brooks officiated. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Pallbearers for Jamaal were Eric Gross, Michael Gross, Eugene Gross, Andrea Gross, Darnell Gross and Calvin Gross. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark’s UAME, P.O. Box 216, Valley Lee, MD 20692.

Margaret Florine Miles (Aunt Rine, 91)
On Friday , March 28, 2003. She was born in Compton, Maryland. Departed this life peacefully at her residence in Suitland, MD., on Friday March 28, 2003. She is survived by three sisters: Henrietta F. Young, Catherine L. Jordon (Lewis), Agnes I. Barber, and one brother, G. Purnell Fredrick, (Rita), along with a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.