Marlene Elaine Kennedy

Marlene “Marty” Kennedy, a resident of North East, Md., passed away on June 18 at home. She was 59.
She was the wife of Scott Kennedy, with whom she shared 34 years of marriage.
Born in Homeville, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Sid and Helen Cohen.
Marty grew up in Oxford and as a young girl she spent a lot of time at her family’s cabin in Cross Forks, Pa.
She was a hard worker all her life. She was formerly employed with S&S Deli in Oxford, W.L. Gore, Jennersville Hospital and Kendall at Crosslands, just to name a few.
Marty enjoyed riding her Harley and made many trips to Daytona, Sturgis, the Poconos and Wildwood. She was a longtime volunteer for 4-H and the Cecil County Fair. Marty also enjoyed baking and cooking way too much for her friends.
She is survived by her husband; a daughter, Samanda Sky Davis and her husband, Phillip of North East, Md.; and four grandchildren that she loved with all her heart: Karson, Karter, Kason and Kamden Davis.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Nicole Breeze Kennedy and a brother, David Cohen.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7 at Nottingham Park Pavilion 6, 150 Park Road in Nottingham.
Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc., in Oxford.

Dennis Keith Cox

Dennis “Denny” Keith Cox, a resident of Cape Canaveral, FL and formerly of Parkesburg, passed away on June 6 at LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville, TN. He was 65.

Born in West Chester, he was the son of Margaret Knapp Cox and the late Willard Cox.

Denny was employed with the Pillsbury Company in Parkesburg before retiring as a fork lift operator.

He enjoyed fishing and farming.

He is survived by his mother; two sons, Dennis Keith Cox, Jr. of New Jersey and Brad Cox of Philadelphia; one daughter, Laura Eller (Kevin) of Nottingham; two grandchildren, Julia Eller and Josie Tatella; two brothers, Jerry Cox of Delaware and Richard Cox of Coatesville; and three sisters, Sharon Cox, Robin and Darlene.

A Memorial Service was held on June 26 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

Interment will be private.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Dawn Marie Bryant

Dawn Marie Bryant, 50, of Conowingo, Md., has been called home by her father, Archie Dean Sturgill, Sr. and her brother, Archie Dean Sturgill, Jr. on June 17.

She was the wife of Tommy Joe Bryant, with whom she shared 25 years.

Born in West Chester, she was the daughter of Rose Chapman Sturgill of Wakefield, Pa. and the late Archie Dean Sturgill, Sr.

Dawn enjoyed shopping, going to the casinos, riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Her legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone she interacted with.

She is survived by her husband; mother; one son, Travis G. Bryant (Chelsea) of Conowingo, Md.; two daughters, Amanda Campbell (Jonathan) of Rising Sun, Md. and Destiny Rose Bryant of Conowingo, Md.; three grandchildren, Jace Campbell, Kinsley Campbell and Deklan Bryant; and one brother, Timothy Sturgill of Wakefield, Pa.

She was preceded in death by one brother, Archie D. Sturgill, Jr.

Funeral services were held on June 25 at the Edward L. Collins Jr Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

Interment will be in Union Cemetery in Kirkwood.

A fellowship meal will be held at Conowingo Baptist Church, 151 Rock Springs Road in Conowingo, Md. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the funeral home to offset funeral costs.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Karen STEWART Perrone

Karen Stewart Perrone passed away peacefully in her beautiful home in Crystal Beach Manor in Earleville, Md. on June 19. She was surrounded by her loving family. Despite her struggle with cancer, she lived her life to the fullest with her husband Albert, and her friends and family.

Her determined spirit and strong will took her on many adventures while enduring treatment, including skiing on the slopes of Okemo, Vermont, zip lining in the canopy of Cancun, Mexico, and hiking the natural wonders of the southwest.

Karen was born on March 6,1961 in Princeton, NJ. The eldest daughter of Robert and Carol Stewart, she grew up in Hopewell NJ. 

She graduated from Hopewell Valley Central High School in 1979 and in 1983 graduated from Ohio Wesleyan with a bachelor of fine arts degree. Soon after graduation, she started a family and was a devoted and loving mother to her three sons and doting grandmother to her two grandchildren. Her children were her proudest accomplishment.

As a young girl, Karen learned to sew and quilt from her grandmother and as a teen made her own clothes and prom dresses. She continued to develop her sewing talent and artistic creativity which launched a career designing and crafting custom bridal gowns and evening wear. She also started Stewart Custom Design, a line of custom fleece outer wear and accessories. One of her clients included the US Olympic Bobsled team. She worked at various bridal boutiques, custom fitting and altering dresses for many happy brides in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Karen loved hiking in the White Mountains and enjoyed summers with her sons on Kezar Lake in Lovell, ME. 

She was an avid runner, skier, and played on the team, Chicks with Sticks, an all-women’s ice hockey league from Kennett Square. She was a member of the Four Seasons Motorcycle Club with her husband Albert and Newark area friends. Karen’s happy place was cruising the rivers of the North East Chesapeake with all who visited. You could often find her on sunny afternoons seated on the bow of her boat, the wind lifting her blond curls, and a big smile on her beautiful face.

Karen is survived by husband Albert Perrone; a son, Benjamin Schluter, and his children Birchal and Bethani; a son, Robert Schluter and his wife Caitlyn; a son, Samuel Schluter, and his stepson Jeffery, stepdaughter Lauren Lyon and her husband Patrick and their children Harrison and Grayson; sweet mother Carol Stewart, sister Celia Shafer and husband Mark, sister Alison Batman and husband William, sister Emily Stewart and husband Drew, and her best friend in the whole world, Mary Dougherty Johnson. 

Karen leaves behind an extended family and many, many friends who will all miss her dearly.

Services were held on June 25 at the Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square.

Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to  Kezar Lake Watershed Association, P.O. Box 88, Lovell, ME 04051 or online at https://kezarwatershed.org/donate.

To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Brian Casassa

Brian Casassa, age 31 of Landenberg, passed away on June 17 at his home.

Born in 1990 in Newark, Del., Brian was the son of John W. Casassa and Ruth M. Casassa.

Brian graduated from Avon Grove High School and transitioned into a career as a plumber.

Brian loved sports, especially the Philadelphia teams. Whether it was the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers or 76ers, Brian could recite the player’s statistics at the drop of a hat. He enjoyed annual vacations to the Outer Banks, NC with his family and ski trips to Vermont with his father, brother and close friends. 

Brian also appreciated amusement parks and enjoyed the thrill of rides.

Brian was a likable person with a great attitude. He was friendly and respectful to anyone he came across. Brian was always willing to help others, even on short notice. He helped his brother install a new water heater and his sister move into a new apartment, and he would lend a hand to his parents around the house or help any friend in need of a plumber.

Brian was charismatic and full of charm. He had an extraordinary ability to have meaningful conversations with people from all walks of life. All who had the pleasure of knowing Brian will deeply miss his presence in their lives.

In addition to his parents, John and Ruth; Brian is survived by his brother, Jake Casassa; and his sister, Amy Casassa.

Services were held on June 24 at Foulk Funeral Home in West Grove.

Interment will be private.

Arrangements are being handled by Foulk Funeral Home in West Grove. 

To view Brian’s online tribute and to share a message with his family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Greta Jewett

Greta Jewett was born on Thursday, Jan. 2, 1936 and died on June 18, 2021. Greta lived all of her life in Kennett Square with her family of grandparents, her mom, aunts, uncles and cousins.

She attended Kennett Square High School where she graduated in 1954. Greta always was proud of that accomplishment.

After graduating, she got a job at NVF in Kennett and worked alongside her aunt Hazel and cousin Charles until her retirement in 1991 after 35 years.

While at NVF, she had a devastating accident that was reported about in the local papers on Jan. 9, 1956. A two-foot steel rod broke off her machine and pierced her head 8 1/2 inches into her skull downward into her neck. She never lost consciousness, never complained and walked to an employee’s car with her aunt and they drove to Chester County Hospital as quickly as possible over icy roads. In West Chester, the car broke down and they called the police and she had to walk to their car to complete the trip. The surgeons operated and said less than a quarter inch either way and she would have died. Miraculously, she survived with no permanent injuries, no blindness or disfigurement. Greta had just turned 20 at the time of the incident.

Even after the accident, Greta always considered herself lucky (by surviving) and in 1983 she hit the Pennsylvania Instant Lottery for $1,000 a month for life and has been receiving payments for 38 years. 

After moving closer to the Kennett Square Senior Center with her cousin Charles in 2000, she attended Friday night bingo and continued her winning ways. She loved the Senior Center and attended almost every day it was open morning, noon and evening, along with many sponsored day trips. Every chance she got, she went to Atlantic City or Delaware Park and always won frequently at slots.

She finally had to enter Pocopson on April 17, 20015 and she tried to adapt by going on day trips to Longwood Garden and nearby Chester County as well as her frequent bingo playing times. She discovered she had a talent for poker and though she might have been the only woman playing, she enjoyed beating the men and receiving her award certificates she proudly displayed. She did enjoy going to Lenape Park and nearby Nixon Park where she won many medals for various sports activities and had dozens hanging in her room. She even got to attend two Kennett class reunions, the last on July 14, 2018 at Jenner’s Pond. She went to several Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties at Mendenhall and The Farm to see her old Senior Center friends. She never completely accepted her final place, where her mother had spent many years before she died, but she did the best she could under the circumstances she found herself in her later years. Greta was always single and unique in her own way.

Greta is truly the last of the Malin family. She was predeceased by her grandparents, Arthur and Annie Malin; her mother, Ethel Malin Jewett; her aunts, Ruth, Hazel and Blanche, all Malins; and her cousins, Janet Malin and Charles Malin, with whom she lived almost her entire life together in Kennett Square.

She is survived by only two (non-Kennett) cousins, Roy (Sam) Thompson and Doug Thompson. A cousin Ronnie chose to retire to Hawaii many years ago and she always asked about him, but never heard anything.

The funeral was held on June 26 at Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square.  

Burial will be at New Garden Friends Cemetery in New Garden Township, where she will be united with all of her Malin family.

Online condolences may be made by visiting www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Donald Roberts

Donald “Donnie” Roberts passed away peacefully on June 18 after a heroic, 10-year battle with lung cancer. He was 77 and lived in West Grove.

Donald was the husband of Linda (Picciano) Roberts, with whom he shared over 50 years of love and marriage.

Born 1944 in Lancaster, Pa., Donald was the son of the late Charles Arthur Roberts and the late Jeanette (Musser) Roberts.

In addition to his wife, Linda, Donald is survived by his sister, Sondra “Sandi” Waibel; his loving nieces, Suzanne Plunkett, Wendy Fries, Pauline Waibel and especially, Lisa Soto and her husband Ike Soto, who have been a source of strength throughout this difficult time.

He is also survived by his goddaughter, Courtney Casale Angerstein; five grandnieces and two grandnephews; and two great grandnieces and four great grandnephews. 

Linda would like to thank all of Don’s friends for their love and support, especially Marc and Nancy Simmons.

Donald was retired from U.S. Air after 25 years of service. He enjoyed working as a golf ranger at Springfield Country Club and Loch Nairn Country Club. Donald also served our country as a member of the U.S. Navy for four years.

Don was an avid golfer who also enjoyed traveling, cars, motorcycles, Nascar, football, puzzling, cards and Rummikub. 

Donald was an optimistic man; he always had a smile and never a complaint. The love and kindness Don brought to the world will be truly missed.

A reception of remembrance will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be mailed to Penn Medicine Hospice, PO Box 824406, Philadelphia, PA 19182-4406.

Arrangements are being handled by Kuzo Funeral Home. To share condolences with Don’s family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Charles S. Ferraro

Charles S. Ferraro, or Charlie as he was affectionately known, passed away March 26 at Paoli Hospital.

Born 1949 in West Grove, Charlie was the son of the late Charles J. Ferraro and Millie Daddario Ferraro.

Charlie had many talents. His main occupation was plumbing and he was also known as a “Mr. Fix It.” He was highly skilled in many areas and whether you had an issue with your vehicle or with your home’s plumbing, Charlie could (and would) fix it.

Charlie has always enjoyed motorcycles, ice hockey and ice skating, tennis and old cars. Sports were a great joy of his (Charlie always rooted for the Phillies or the Eagles, of course). Charlie also enjoyed growing mushrooms.

He was a genuinely giving person and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was a true jokester and all-around nice guy. Charlie will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Charlie is survived by his mother, Millie Ferraro; his sisters, Judy Ferraro, Charlotte Ferraro, Annette Marini and her son, Andrew, his nephew; Mary Lou Drumheller and her husband, Rusty; his nephew, Matthew Drumheller, his wife Nina and their son, Ryan; his niece, Kelly Klapcuniak and her husband, James.

In addition to his father, Charlie was predeceased by his niece, Victoria “Tori” Marini.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on July 17 at St. Patrick Cemetery, 460 N. Union Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348.

In lieu of flowers, Charlie’s family kindly requests that donations be made to the American Kidney Fund, 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20852.

To view Charlie’s online tribute and to share a message with the family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Arrangements are being handled by Kuzo Funeral Home of Kennett Square.