Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Records, 1947-2010
Robert V. Pepe
Robert V. Pepe, 51, a resident of Kennett Square and formerly of Media, died on April 9th at his residence.
Born in Upland, he was the son of the late Vito and Louise Pepe. He was raised in Essington, Tinicum Township, and was a 1975 graduate of Interboro High School. He was a resident of Media for 18 years and had recently moved to Kennett Square.
He was employed as a purchasing agent for the Exelon Corp. in Kennett Square for 26 years until becoming ill.
Mr. Pepe loved to travel to warm places, but most of all, enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband and father.
He is survived by his wife, Donna Pepe; his daughter, Christie Pepe at home in Kennett Square; his sister, Diane Beatty of Aston; and his nieces and nephews.
His memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 13th, at 1 P.M. at the Griffith Funeral Chapel, 520 Chester Pike, in Norwood. His visitation will be on Sunday from 12 Noon to 1 P.M. at the funeral home. His burial will be private.
Contributions: To Creighton University, please write on the check, “PMP Research Fund”, Creighton University School of Medicine, c/o Matt Gerard, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178
George F. McCracken
George F. McCracken, 88, a longtime resident of Norwood, died on April 7th at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland.
Born and raised in Tinicum Township, he was the son of the late John E. and Marie McCracken. He was a resident of Norwood for the last 58 years.
Mr. McCracken was a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army stationed in India in the China-Burma Theater.
He was employed as a machinist at the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Plant in Eddystone for many years until it closed, then worked for Turo Machines in Folcroft until he retired.
Mr. McCracken was a member of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Essington, and was a longtime active member of the Norwood Citizens’ Fourth of July Association. He was also a founding and original member of Fox-Smith V.F.W. Post #4845 in Essington.
Mr. McCracken loved to work in his yard, and especially enjoyed cutting his grass and having his lawn look just right. He loved to fix things, and was always seen tinkering with anything he could fix or take apart and put back together again. He excelled in working with wood, and had even made a doll house for his granddaughters. He especially enjoyed taking trips to the Jersey Shore in the Villas, N.J. area with his family.
He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
He is the husband of the late Doris McCracken, who died last year. They were married for 58 years. He is also the brother of the late John E. McCracken and the late Margaret McCracken.
He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Dougherty of Glenolden; his three grandchildren; and his great-grandson.
His funeral service will be held on Thursday at 11 A.M. at the Griffith Funeral Chapel, 520 Chester Pike, in Norwood. His visitation will be on Thursday from 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. at the funeral home. His burial will be at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, PA.
Contributions: To St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 16 W. Third St., Essington, Pa. 19029 or to the American Heart Association, 625 W. Ridge Pike, A-100, Conshohocken, PA 19428
Frances S. Ryan
Francis S. Ryan, a resident of the Dock Woods Community, formerly of Swarthmore, passed away on April 2, 2008 at the age of 88. Born in New Castle, Delaware, he was the son of the late Francis P. and Florence Mills Ryan. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Alice Noden Ryan, in 2000.
Mr. Ryan was raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Darby High School in 1938. He served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific during World War II, where he received two Bronze Stars. He was employed by Atlantic Richfield Corporation for 36 years in the Quality Control Laboratory, and then worked 10 years for the Ridley School District.
The Ryans moved to Swarthmore in 1956. Mr. Ryan was a member of Christ Church in Ridley Park, where he served on the Vestry, was rector’s warden, sang in the choir and was a lector. He moved to Lansdale in 1999 and joined the Church of the Holy Spirit, where he continued serving as a volunteer. In 2003, he moved to the Dock Woods Community, where he received dignity, respect, and love from the staff members.
Mr. Ryan is survived by two daughters and their families: Isabel and Gerald Creighton, Sr. of Randolph, N.J.; Terre and Jim Musselman of Telford; grandchildren Gerald Creighton, Jr., Katherine Musselman Ford, Valoree Creighton Racanelli, Mary Musselman Creciun and Jeffrey Ryan Musselman; and great-grandchildren Hannah, Joey, Mackenzie, Theresa, and Gerald.
The family will receive callers at 10 A.M.on Saturday, April 5th, at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Sumneytown Pike and Barndt Road, in Upper Salford. A Memorial Service will follow at 11 A.M.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that Frank’s life be celebrated with contributions made to the Church of the Holy Spirit for the Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 575, Harleysville, Pa. 19438.
Mary Coupe Henry
Mary Coupe Henry, 82, a longtime resident of Prospect Park, died on August 26th at Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park.
Born in Chester, she was the daughter of the late William and Mary Coupe. She was a resident of Prospect Park since 1956.
Mrs. Henry enjoyed working on crossword puzzles in her spare time, and was an avid Phillies fan. She loved to shop with her family and friends whenever she could.
Most of all, she will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Mrs. Henry is the wife of the late George A. Henry, who died in 2005.
She is survived by her daughter, Cathy Hinkle of Lansdowne; her sisters, Audrey Miller of Folcroft, Hazel DiComillo of Florida, and Arlene Taylor of West Virginia; her brother, William Coupe of North Carolina; her two granddaughters, her four great-grandsons; and her many nieces and nephews.
Her funeral service and burial will be private. Her visitation will be on Thursday from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at the Griffith Funeral Chapel, 520 Chester Pike, in Norwood.
Contributions: To a charity of the donor’s choice.
Leroy A. "Roy" Hughes, Jr.
Leroy A. “Roy” Hughes, Jr. 85, a longtime resident of the Milmont Park section of Ridley Township, died on August 23rd at his residence.
Born in Chester, he was the son of the late Leroy and Rita Hughes. He was a resident of Milmont Park for 55 years.
Mr. Hughes was employed as a systems analyst with ConRail for 30 years until his retirement.
He was a veteran of World War II having served in the U.S. Navy.
Mr. Hughes was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Ridley Park for 45 years, having served the church as an usher for many years and assisted in the preparation and maintenance of the Church Memorial Garden for many years as well. Before joining Christ Church, he was a member of Bible Presbyterian Church in Chester where he was Superintendent of the Sunday School and taught Sunday School as well.
Mr. Hughes was a 60 year member of Prospect Lodge #578 F & A.M. in Prospect Park.
Mr. Hughes enjoyed reading in his spare time. He also had the unique distinction of not only drawing up the plans for his home in Milmont Park, but also doing much of the carpentry work himself on the house.
He will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather.
He is predeceased by his sisters, Florence, Edna, and Virginia; and his brother, Charles.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Eugenia Zaruba Hughes; his daughters, Carol Curnoles of Hackettstown, N.J. and Barbara Masishin of Glen Mills; hiss on, Lee Hughes of Powder Springs, Georgia; and his seven grandchildren.
His funeral service will be held on Friday at 11 A.M. at Christ Episcopal Church, Sellers Avenue and Nevin Street, in Ridley Park. His visitation will be on Friday from 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. at The Griffith Funeral Chapel, 520 Chester Pike, in Norwood. His burial will be in Lawn Croft Cemetery in Lower Chichester.
Contributions: To Christ Episcopal Church, 104 Nevin Street, Ridley Park, Pa. 19078.
Howard T. 'Noonie' Humphries, Jr.
Howard T. “Noonie” Humphries, Jr., 77, a longtime resident of Prospect Park, died on September 6th at Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Howard and Ida Humphries. He was a resident of Prospect Park for 50 years.
Mr. Humphries was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War and also served in the Naval Reserves for many years. He served on the air craft carrier U.S.S. Wasp, and also played championship basketball for the Navy. He later graduated from PMC College in Chester.
Mr. Humphries was a purchaser for Boeing for 25 years until his retirement, having worked for General Electric before that.
He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed coaching Little League Baseball and Football for many years. After retiring, he enjoyed working on his fish pond and “hanging out” with his faithful companion, “Cotton”.
He was affectionately known as “Noonie” to his family and friends.
He will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Mr. Humphries is the husband of the late Emma M. “Chickie” Humphries, who died last year, and is the father of the late Gary Humphries.
He is survived by his daughter, Cherie Weindel of Glenolden; his son, Wayne Humphries of Prospect Park; his son-in-law who helped cared for him, Charles Weindel; his granddaughters, Heather and Lindsay; and his great-grandsons, Jordan and Christian.
His funeral service will be held on Friday at 11 A.M. at St. James Episcopal Church, 11th & Lincoln Avenues, in Prospect Park.His visitation will be on Friday from 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. at the Griffith Funeral Chapel, 520 Chester Pike, in Norwood. His burial will be in Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, Upper Darby Township.
Contributions: To the Memorial Fund of St. James Episcopal Church, 11th & Lincoln Avenues, Prospect Park, Pa. 19076.
Anthony Vitale
Anthony Vitale, 71, a Collingdale resident who owned an exterminating business, died on September 6th at Vitas Hospice at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Domenick and Elizabeth Vitale. Mr. Vitale was a varsity basketball player while attending Overbrook High School and was a teammate of the late Wilt Chamberlain on that team.
Mr. Vitale was a resident of Collingdale for over 35 years. He was the owner and operator of Eagle Exterminating for 20 years until becoming ill.
He was a Republican Committeeman in Collingdale for 15 years.
Mr. Vitale was a skilled marksman who enjoyed rifle range shooting, enjoyed bowling, and listened to opera with his wife for relaxation, especially the music of the Three Tenors. He had a keen interest in Italian genealogy and tracing his family heritage.
He will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
He is survived by his wife, Eileen Vitale; his three daughters, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. His funeral service and burial will be private.
Contributions: To Vitas Hospice, 1740 Walton Road, Suite 100, Blue Bell, Pa. 19422.
Robert W. 'Bob' Forsyth
Robert W. “Bob” Forsyth, 87, a longtime resident of Folsom, died on August 31st 2009.
Born in Philadelphia, PA, he was the son of the late William and Helen Forsyth. He was a resident of Folsom since 1952.
Mr. Forsyth was a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army as part of the 1st Battalion, 533rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment.
He was employed by Atlantic Richfield Corporation in Philadelphia for a number of years until his retirement in 1982.
He was also predeceased by his son, Barry Forsyth.
He is survived by his sons Robert Forsyth of Amissville, VA. and Colin Forsyth of Havertown, PA. and daughter Christine Pettit, of LaFollette, TN, and his 7 grandchildren Travis Forsyth, Matthew Forsyth, Kelli Forsyth, Colleen Smith, Cara Pettit, Elisabeth Forsyth, and Kathryn Forsyth.
His funeral service and burial will be private.
Contributions may be made to the VFW Home for Children, 866-483-9642, www.vfwnationalhome.org.
Jeanne E. Price
Jeanne E. Price, 76, a resident of Prospect Park, died on August 26th at the Prospect Park Health & Rehabilitation Residence in Prospect Park, Pa.
Born and raised in Shamokin, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Edward and Kathryn Thew. Mrs. Price was a resident of Prospect Park since 1996, having lived in Swarthmore, Pa. and West Chester, Pa. prior to that.
Mrs. Price came to the Philadelphia area to attend Women’s Medical College, where she met her late husband, David.
Mrs. Price was a life member of the Cowanesque Chapter #33 of the Order of the Eastern Star in Westfield, Pa.
She will be remembered as a woman who was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who attended to her family’s every need over the years.
Mrs. Price was the wife of the late David H. Price to whom she was married for 39 years. Mr. Price died in 1990.
She is survived by her son, David Price of Prospect Park, Pa.; her daughter, Amanda Butler of Ulysses, Pa.; her son-in-law, Ed Blake and grandson, Jeremiah Blake both of Ulysses.
Her funeral service and burial will be private.
Emily Middleton
Emily Middleton, 60, a resident of Folcroft, died on August 22nd at Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park.
Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Leo and Emily Fishburn. She was a resident of Folcroft for the last 20 years.
Mrs. Middleton was employed as a tax accountant with the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company in Philadelphia for 30 years. Currently she was working at B.J.’s Wholesale Club until becoming ill.
Mrs. Middleton thoroughly enjoyed movies and especially musical productions and Broadway theater productions. She recently enjoyed the musical, “Mama Mia”. She will be remembered as a loving and devoted mother and sister, and loyal friend.
She is survived by her sons, Rory Middleton and Blake Middleton both of Folcroft; her sisters, Ann Norment of Elizabethtown, Rosemarie Reilly of Norwood; and Alice Vain of Bridgeton, N.J.; her brothers, Leo Fishburn of Ocean City, N.J., James Fishburn of Ocala, Florida; and Thomas Fishburn of Ohio.
Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 29th, at 11 A.M. at the Griffith Funeral Chapel, 520 Chester Pike, in Norwood. Her visitation will be on Saturday from 9 A.M. to 11 A.M. at the funeral home. Her burial will be private for the family only.
Contributions: To the American Diabetes Association, 150 Monument Road, Suite 100, Bala Cynwyd, Pa. 19004.
Irving 'Irv' Krant
Irving “Irv” Krant, Esquire, 72, an attorney who practiced law in Media for many years and a resident of Chester, died on August 14th at his residence.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Louis and Jeannette Krant. Mr. Krant was a resident of Chester all of his life. He was a graduate of Chester High School and was a graduate of Temple University and the Temple University School of Law. While at Chester High School, he was an outstanding basketball player and was one of the starting five that took Chester High to the Pennsylvania State Championship game in 1954 and 1955.
Mr Krant was an attorney and maintained a law practice in Media for many years.
He was an avid reader and followed all of the area sports teams. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his friends.
He is survived by his sister, Jo Ann Geller of Rome, N.Y.; and his nephews, Jeffrey Geller and Theodore “Ted” Geller.
His funeral service and burial will be private.
Contributions: May be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Donald P. 'Don' Irey
Donald P. “Don” Irey, 77, a longtime resident of Norwood, died on August 3rd at his late residence.
Born in Drexel Hill, he was the son of the late Frank and Hazel Irey. He was a resident of Norwood since 1960.
Mr. Irey was a veteran of the Korean War having served in the U.S. Army.
He was employed as an air compressor mechanic at Fiduks Industrial in Wilmington, Delaware for a number of years until his retirement.
He was a former member of American Legion Post #507 in Norwood .
Mr. Irey enjoyed doing woodworking projects and was known for his various types of lawn signs that he made. He also loved to work in his garden in his spare time.
Mr. Irey was predeceased by his brothers, Buzzy and Carl Irey, and his sister, Shirley Crawford. He was also predeceased by his former wives, Elizabeth Irey and Jeannette Irey, his son, Bobby lloyd, and his grandson, William N. Stief.
He is survived by his daughters, Donna Stief of Norwood, Tina McKnight of Prospect Park, and Sharon Towey of Glenolden; his sons, Donald N. Irey and Louis Lloyd of Norwood ; his brothers, Bobby Irey of Media, Freddy Irey of Aston, and Charles Irey of Prospect Park ; his sisters, Emma Rodia of Holmes, Gerry Crews of Boston, Mass., Carol Cantenesse of Glenolden, and Debbie Irey of Glen Mills; his 13 grandchildren; and his 7 great-grandchildren.
His visitation will be held on Saturday, August 8th, from 2 P.M. to 4 P.M. at the Griffith Funeral Chapel, 520 Chester Pike, in Norwood . His burial will be private.
Contributions: To Taylor Hospice, P.O. Box 147, Ridley Park, Pa. 19078.
