William Charles Haid, Jr.

William Charles Haid, Jr., a resident of Avondale, passed away on Oct. 25 at Christiana Hospital after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.

Bill was the loving husband of Joanne Mary Haid (Madden) and they shared 54 years of happiness together.

In addition to his wife, Joanne, Bill is survived by his son William Charles Haid, III and his wife Susan Haid (Carman). 

Bill was the doting grandfather to Amanda Haid and Thomas Haid and never missed an opportunity to spoil them.

Born in 1943 in Philadelphia, Bill was the son of the late William Charles Haid, Sr. and Dolores Haid (Cavanaugh).  

Bill was predeceased by his brother Terence and his sister Teresa.  He is survived by his three sisters, Jane Wisniewski, Andrea Thomas and Susan Brennan and many adored nieces and nephews.

Bill graduated from Father Judge High School and continued his education at Villanova University.  After college, he served in the Army National Guard for six years.  His studies led him to a career as a recreation therapist for the state of Pennsylvania.

Bill loved watching his Philadelphia sports teams and was an avid fan of Villanova basketball.  He also enjoyed many hobbies including model trains, stamp collecting, genealogy research and reading about history.  He traveled all over the world with his wife Joanne and especially enjoyed visiting Normandy, France.   Above all, he loved spending time with his family and friends and he will be sorely missed.

A mass was held on Oct. 30 at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in West Grove. 

Interment followed at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square.  

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Father Judge High School, 3300 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19136.  

Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square. 

Please visit the online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Jacob J. Orbon Sr.

Jacob J. Orbon Sr. passed away quietly while in hospice care in West Chester on Oct. 20.

He is the son of Jacob Edward Orbon and Constance (Wobles) Orbon.  

He was surrounded by family during his last days.  He was a resident of Pocopson Home since 2017.  

Jacob was born in Nanticoke, Pa. and lived there until he joined the Armed forces in 1947.  He served in Alaska as a sergeant in the U.S. Army. He married Kathryn in 1954 in Plymouth, Pa.

 He spent the years of 1957 to 1964 in Hellertown and Bethlehem, Pa.  Then he moved with his family to Towson, Md. in 1964 and stayed there until 1976.  At that time he moved to Kennett Square and lived out the rest of his life with brief interludes of management positions in steel companies in the U.S.  He then started an executive placement business in Kennett Square.

He is predeceased by his parents and three siblings and the mother of his 5 children, Kathryn Orbon.  

He is survived by two sisters, Martha Orbon, and Rita Pitrelli of Sydney, OH. He is also survived by five children, Karen Lane of Philadelphia, Jay Orbon of Los Gatos, CA, Michael Orbon of Bynum, N.C.,  Jan Orbon of Wilmington, Del., and John Orbon of Berkeley, CA. 

There are 12 surviving grandchildren and one great-grandson and a partner of 20 years, Guille Opdenaker.

Jacob studied chemistry at Scranton University and concentrated with special studies in metallurgy. He earned graduate credits from UMBC and Loyola College in Maryland in both science and business courses. He was a top student and therefore gained access to the loop course in metallurgy at Bethlehem Steel.

He was employed by numerous steel companies, including Bethlehem Steel, Lukens Steel, and Lone Star Steel.

Jacob took great pride in the accomplishments of his children. He always expressed that, “You can be whatever you want to be” because he knew what it was like to start as the son of a coal miner, choose to be educated, and then pursue a new path.  

Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square.

Please visit Mr. Orbon’s online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Brenda Lee Stewart

On Oct. 22, Brenda Lee Stewart, a loving wife and mother, passed away at the age of 58 after a long battle with various cancers. 

Brenda was born on June 27, 1962, in West Chester, Pa., to James Wesley and Joyce Nell (Cox) Martin. Brenda attended Oxford Area High School and graduated from Kennett High School. Brenda worked at Hank’s Place in Chadds Ford as a waitress, where she eventually met her loving husband, Allen. 

Brenda graduated from Keystone School and worked as an office manager at Media Fuel for several years. Brenda went back to waitressing and worked at Fast and Fancy in Media. She was known for her kind and hardworking attitude and could treat the best and the worst with grace. 

Brenda worked at Walmart in Kennett Square as part of the deli and bakery team. She enjoyed decorating cakes and giving children a free cookie or two.

Brenda loved reading and watching television, especially “Downton Abbey.” She shared her love of “Downton Abbey” with her then-12-year old daughter, and they watched new episodes every Sunday night. Brenda loved to drink Taster’s Choice instant coffee and wash it down with an icy Coke. Brenda judged her husband and daughter for drinking too much Starbucks. 

Brenda loved to cook and bake. She was the Martha Stewart of American comfort foods—meatloaf, grilled cheese, crab soup, chicken and dumplings. Her banana bread was always a crowd-pleaser.

Brenda had a soft spot in her heart for animals, especially cats. She always had a cat by her side and never would let an animal go hungry. Brenda also had a deep caring for the needy and participated in many acts of giving. Each year, she loved to provide needy children with clothes and toys through the Salvation Army Angel Tree program. She frequently volunteered at Bethany Christian School and helped young students with reading and math. 

Brenda was preceded in death by her father, James, and her mother, Joyce. Brenda was also preceded in death by her loving nephew, Bobby, who she had held near and dear to her heart.

Brenda is survived by her husband, Allen and her daughter, Emily; her brother, Robert Cox; her sisters, Sylvia Jean Norris; Judy Martin Swisher and her husband, Robert; Jacqueline Giobbe and her husband, Jesse; Barbara Ann Holcomb and her husband, Ronald and one daughter, Stephanie. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

A contactless celebration of life will take place on Nov. 7 at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 2483 Baltimore, Pike, Oxford. Visitation will take place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., and the service will start promptly at 11:30 a.m. Please wear face coverings and follow CDC recommendations. Those who feel unwell or uncomfortable are encouraged to attend the service over Livestream.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Please visit http://givingpages.upenn.edu/RememberingBrenda.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. To view the online tribute, visit www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.