Dolores Rose Santiago

On Tuesday Dec. 22, Dolores Rose Santiago, of West Grove,  passed away in Jennersville. She was 84.

Born on March 11, 1936 in Cochranville, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Clarence S. Bailey and Olga P. Bailey. 

Dolores married the late Richard Santiago on Nov. 17, 1956. They were happily married for 38 years and raised six beautiful children.

Dolores was a loving wife, sister, mother and grandmother who enjoyed spending time with her family. She was a wonderful homemaker and cared for all of those around her – family and friends included. Dolores enjoyed spending time with her animals, listening to country music and Elvis Presley, and having picnics while enjoying the outdoors. She spent Sundays in church entrusting her faith in the Lord. Dolores adored collecting angel figurines, penguins and glassware from all over the world.

Dolores is survived by her children Richard Santiago (Karen), Donna Oliver, Carmen Stoltzfus (Roy), Julius Santiago (Florence), and Linda Pierce (Paul); eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.  

She is preceded in death by her daughter, Robin Thompson, her grandson Jamie Thomas, three of her brothers and two of her sisters.

Services were held at the Sacred Heart Church in Oxford on Dec. 30 and interment was at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Lighthouse Youth Center or the Sacred Heart Church in Oxford.

Dawn Marie Harris

Dawn Marie Harris, 54, of Landenberg, passed away on Dec. 20 at her home. She bravely endured a three-and-half-year illness, displaying a positive outlook throughout the entire span. She was the loving wife of Richard W. Harris III, with whom she shared a beautiful marriage of 29 years. 

She was the daughter of the late James Roy Badger and the late Theresa Ann (Ioannoni) Weldin.

Dawn was a graduate of Avon Grove High School in the class of 1984. She continued her schooling at the Philadelphia Art Institute. She displayed her artistic talents teaching children's art classes, creating beautiful jewelry, painting outdoor sceneries, and decorating her loving home.  

She was a devout member of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Catholic Church in Avondale. Most of all, she was a peaceful, selfless person who loved the Lord, looked out for people, and deeply loved her family.

In addition to her husband Richard, Dawn is also survived by her children, Richard W. Harris IV, and Mackenzi T. Harris; her brother James Michael Badger and many nieces, nephews and cousins.  She was preceded in death by her sister Wendy Ann Shaw.

A mass of Christian burial took place on Dec. 29. 

Contributions may be made in Dawn's name to The National LeioMyoSarcoma Foundation https://nlmsf.org/donate/.

Kenneth Edward Pate, Sr.

Kenneth Edward Pate, Sr. passed away on Dec. 25 at home in Lincoln University, Pa. He was 76.

He was the husband of Elizabeth Hano Pate.

Born in Oxford, he was the son of the late Samuel and Mamie Johnson Pate.

Kenneth was employed with Modern Mushroom for over 30 years.

He enjoyed dancing, singing and spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife; three sons, Kenneth Edward Pate, Jr. (Carolyn), Michael Pate, Sr. (Cindy) and Thomas Pate; six grandsons, Michael Pate, Jr., Kenneth Pate, III, Kyle Osborne, John Pate and Daniel Pate, Jonah Pate; one granddaughter, Sarah Pate; and one great-grandson, Caleb Pate; and one sister, Bertie Willis Underwood. 

He was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Dawn Pate; two sisters, Elsie Willis Onks and Bessie Willis Barnett; two brothers, Chester Willis and Richard Pate; and his black lab, Missy.

Services were held on Dec. 29 at the Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery in Oxford.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

 Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Thomas E. Kriebel

Thomas E. Kriebel passed away on Dec. 25 at the Twin Pines Health Care Center. He was a 90-year-old resident of West Grove.

He is survived by his wife, Stella (Howarth) Kriebel of West Grove.  

Born on Jan. 8, 1930 in Reading, Pa., he is the son of the late Robert Wright and Mary Louise (Trostal) Kriebel.

He was a graduate of Media High School in the class of 1948. Following high school, he served as a Merchant Marine for 7 years.  He then began his career working in the instrument department as a mechanical engineer for Sun Oil in Marcus Hook and later transitioned to being an electrical engineer working in the instrument department at the DuPont Experimental Station.  In his free time and in retirement, he was a farmer, he could fix almost anything you could think of, and he enjoyed hunting and the outdoors.

Thomas is survived by his children, Debbie Wheatley (Dave), Barbara Lebidine, Robert Kriebel (Cheryl), and Mary Steal, 13 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.  

He was preceded in death by his son, Thomas Kriebel.

All services will be private.  

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

ARTHUR A. Cox

Arthur “Ottie” A. Cox, age 77, of West Grove, passed away on Dec. 23 at his residence.  He was the husband of Judy Wayne Cox, with whom he shared 54 years of marriage.

Born in West Grove, he was the son of the late Orville Cox and the late Alice Hipkins Cox.

He was a locksmith and worked at the University of Delaware. He retired in 1991 after 30 years of service.

He was an Eagles and Phillies fan, and he enjoyed watching NASCAR. In earlier years, he played baseball and racquetball. 

He loved being with his family, and he enjoyed their trips to the mountains. He also enjoyed, along with his son, entering their tractor in the John Deere tractor-pull competition.

He was a member of the Hockessin VFW and the Rough & Tumble Waterloo Boys.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Dawn Cox of West Grove;  one son, Kevin West (and his wife Rose) of Casa Grande, AZ; one sister, Joan Gresham of Vero Beach, FL, and one grandson, Steven West.

He was predeceased by one brother, Bill Cox and one sister, Grace McLimans.

His services and burial will be private.

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

Arrangements were handled by the Foulk Funeral of West Grove.

 

Gretchen Ramona Walker Jones

Gretchen Ramona Walker Jones, a resident of Jennersville, died on Dec. 27 from complications of progressive supranuclear palsy. She was 86.

Gretchen was born in Plain City, OH to Grace Headlee Walker and Holly Walker, a banker and civic leader. The third of five children, Gretchen was an outstanding student and athlete. 

As a child, she could be found playing basketball with the boys, gardening with her dad, riding her beloved pony, Billy, and catching fish, frogs, and turtles with her cousins. She played drums in the high school band and participated in all aspects of small-town life.

Gretchen attended The Ohio State University in nearby Columbus and graduated in 1956. She majored in physical education and competed in intercollegiate basketball.  She was elected to Mortar Board, the senior women’s honorary society at Ohio State.  During her senior year, she met her future husband, Allan Jones, on a blind date, and they married after his graduation in 1957. 

In 1964, after Allan’s military service and graduate studies, he accepted a job with the DuPont Company and they settled in Wilmington, Del.

By that time, the family had grown, with Carolyn, born in 1960, and Steve, in 1962.

As a young mother, Gretchen focused on homemaking, and she became an accomplished seamstress, cook, and hostess. She loved hosting dinner parties and bridge nights with friends, and she enjoyed spending time at the family’s mountain cabin at Coolfont, near Berkeley Springs, WV. 

She was active in the Episcopal Church as a choir member and church leader, and she was an enthusiastic volunteer for many causes, including supporting daycare centers in downtown Wilmington, volunteering for the American Cancer Society, in Wilmington hospitals, and counseling troubled girls at Woods Haven Kruse School.

In 1975, Gretchen returned to college as a full-time nursing student at the University of Delaware. During her senior year, she visited a hospice in Sheffield, England, one of the first in the world, and this experience had a profound impact on the direction of her career. After she graduated in 1978, Gretchen worked as an oncology nurse at the Wilmington Medical Center and was instrumental in working with the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware to create Delaware Hospice in 1982. It was one of the first hospice programs in the United States.

Gretchen’s work as Patient Care Coordinator with Delaware Hospice led her to pursue a master’s degree in nursing. After obtaining her degree in 1990, Gretchen co-founded and directed the Delaware Cancer Pain Initiative. She was a pioneer in the movement to give patients with cancer more control over the management of their pain. In 2001, she also co-founded the Cancer Care Connection, which was a community-based clearinghouse for up-to-date information about cancer treatment and care. In 2002, she was awarded the American Alliance of Cancer Pain Initiatives Distinguished Service Award.

Gretchen was a devoted and proud wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved gatherings of family and friends and any occasion to cook, tell stories, and laugh. Later in life, she cherished traveling with Al, and she doted on her grandchildren near and far, attending as many grandparents’ days, recitals, swim meets, games, and plays as possible. She also regularly sent small packages and notes of encouragement to those in her orbit who were suffering or sad.

Gretchen is survived by her husband of 63 years, Allan Jones, of Jennersville, daughter, Carolyn Hendrix (Bill), of Port Deposit, Md., son Steve Jones (Sara Dougherty-Jones), of Arlington, VA, and four grandchildren (Katelyn and Erin Hendrix, and Andrew and Ella Jones). She was predeceased by her brother Alvin Walker and sister Marynell Graber, and she is survived by her brothers Ross Walker, of Dublin, OH, and Chris Walker, of Columbus, OH.

A virtual celebration of Gretchen’s life will be held at a date and time to be determined. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to CurePSP, Inc., www.psp.org.

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

                                          

Zissimos A. Frangopoulos

Zissimos A. Frangopoulos passed away on Dec. 19 at the age of 76.

He was born to Iannis and Thalia in Athens, Greece, during an air raid on Dec. 16, 1944.

Ziss graduated from Athens College in 1963, making his way to the United States by boat at age 18 to attend Yale University where he graduated in 1967. Shortly thereafter he earned his MBA from Columbia University in 1969.

Zissimos worked in banking at Chemical Bank in New York City and London. He retired from Chase Manhattan in 1999, after which he moved to Chadds Ford with Ruth (Hoopes) Frangopoulos, his wife of 31 years.

Ziss was passionate about banking, and after retiring he joined the board at the Christiana Bank & Trust, becoming the CFO, president and CEO. He was a treasured member of the Vicmead Golf Club, serving as president for a period of time.

Ziss was a lovable guy who would light up any room and loved to laugh. His life could truly be described as the American Dream. He will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Ziss is survived by his brother Karolos of Athens, Greece and his partner Jennifer Meadows.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no services are planned at this time.

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

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

Ann K. Buchanan

Ann K. Buchanan passed away on Dec. 22 at her home in Landenberg. She was 83.

Ann was born on Aug. 17, 1937 in Wilmington, Del. to James and Gladys Walker. Later, her family moved to their dream home in Alapocas.  

She graduated from PS Dupont High School in 1955 and she started her career working for Snelling and Snelling employment agency and also gave her time to an animal shelter in Newark, Del. She later worked for the Department of Welfare for 21 years and retired at age 61.

Ann’s passions were her beloved husband Herkie, and world travel, especially to Asia, Europe or any place she could find an adventure around the globe.  She enjoyed living dangerously, taking taxi rides to places that filled her heart with intrigue. Her favorite pastime was going to yard sales and finding treasures.  

She loved renovating houses, and working in the flower gardens. She had a menagerie of pets, horses, ponies, goats, chickens, pigs, foxes, raccoons, skunks, dogs, cats. To her last day she fed all the wild animals that came to her back door. She adored her three kitties who brought her so much joy. She loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She hosted all of the family gatherings, holidays and annual picnics, but Christmas was her favorite. She prepared for Christmas all year. Christmas was magical at her house with so many presents for all the kids, big and small.

She is survived by her three children and three step children, Linda A. Ellingsworth (Mark) of New London, James P. Kerrigan (Brigid) of Wilmington Del., John W. Kerrigan (Tammy) of Greenville Del., Kelly Mark (Howard) of West Grove, Robin Mangini (Bruce) of New London, Carl Buchanan of West Grove; a sister, Susan Toennies (Ralf) of El Lago, TX, 17 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was predeceased by her parents, James and Gladys Walker, her husbands, James P. Kerrigan and Henry C. Buchanan, brother, James Henry Walker, stepson, Michael T. Kerrigan, and granddaughter Amber L. Pusey 

The graveside service will be held at New London Presbyterian Church Cemetery, 1986 Newark Rd., New London PA. 19360 on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 11 a.m. There will be a short ceremony at graveside and a luncheon to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Smile Train (www.smiletrain.org).

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

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

 

Manuel Gutierrez Villalobos

Manuel Gutierrez Villalobos, age 88, of Lincoln University, passed away on Dec. 29 at the Jennersville Hospital.  He was the husband of Cirila Gutierrez, who passed away in 2003, and with whom he shared 52 years of marriage.

Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, he was the son of the late Francisco Gutierrez and the late Amelia Villalobos.

Manuel worked as mushroom laborer for Antonio Fazio in Kennett Square and also had worked for South Mill Mushrooms.

He was a member of St. Rocco Catholic Church.

Manuel enjoyed fishing, music, singing, dancing, doing crossword puzzles, Soccer and being with his family and friends, especially his grandchildren.

He is survived by seven children, Nellie Manuel (Wayne) of Kennett Square, Ricardo Gutierrez (Marina) of  Mexico, Rosa Herrera (Carlos) of Lincoln University, Maria Herrera (Luis) of Cochranville, Laura Gutierrez of Mexico, Imelda Herrera (Fidel) of Lincoln University and Mayra Gutierrez (Roberto) of Cochranville;  17 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by four daughters, four sisters, two brothers.

You are invited to visit with his family and friends from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Jan. 7 at St. Rocco Catholic Church, 313 Sunny Dell Road, in Avondale. 

His Funeral Mass will follow at noon. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Route 82, in Kennett Square.

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

George A. Finn

George A. Finn, age 93 of Chadds Ford, passed away on Dec. 25 at his residence.  

He was the husband of the late Anne Marie (Arnold) Finn, who passed away in 2017. They were married 64 years. 

He was born on June 28, 1927 in Brooklyn, NY and was the son of the late Herbert and Agnes (Fillot) Finn.

He was a graduate of St. Peter’s Preparatory School in Newark, NJ where he was captain of the track team.  He continued his track career and education, attending the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA where he graduated with a degree in chemistry.  He did his postgraduate  work at Notre Dame, completing his Ph.D in chemistry in 1953.  

He worked as the technical director at Dupont Corporation for 20 years. He then continued his career as the general manager of McGee Industries in Aston, Pa., retiring in 1995.  

In his free time, he was a big Notre Dame sports fan, enjoyed golfing with his wife, traveling, and enjoying his retirement at his home in Lewes, Del.  Throughout his life, he actively worked with the Catholic Church to fundraise for local charities.

Mr. Finn is survived by his children, Mary Jo Volpicelli (Vincent), Tom Finn (Mary Pat), and Patricia Finn-Smith, and daughter-in-law Linda Finn; 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren and brother Edward Finn. 

He is preceded in death by his son Mark Finn and sister Claire Finn.

A private memorial service will be held on Friday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 212 Meredith St. in Kennett Square. The service will be private to family, but will be live-streamed via the St. Patrick’s Church website. 

The burial of his cremated remains will take place at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Bear, Del.  

The family would like to thank the staff at the Brandywine Living at Longwood, Home Instead Senior Care, and Penn Medicine Hospice for their loving care.  

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, 401 W. Johnson Highway, Norristown, PA 19401 or by visiting https://svdp-phila.info.

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