Alberta M. Nilan

Alberta M. “Bert” Nilan, a resident of New London, passed away January 17, at home. She was 84.

Born in Kemblesville, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Albert Raymouth and Anna Irene Hunter Mote.

Bert was an active member of the Landenberg United Methodist Church and attended New London Methodist Church where she sang in the New London Community Choir.

With her son, she owned and operated,Tim Sylmar Products in Oxford for 13 years.

In 1954, Bert was crowned May Queen of Avon Grove High School.

She received her Secretary of Student Nurses Associates of Delaware in 1957 from Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, Del.  

In 1957, she attended the International Nurses Convention in Rome, Italy and was in the audience with Pope Pius XII and attended a nurses’ convention in Chicago, IL where she saw John Wayne and Lowell Thomas.   

Bert was awarded the Kennett Professional Business and Woman of the Year in June, 1994 and in June of 1987 she received Women of the Year from the Chester County Press.

She had a love for life and was hardworking. Bert enjoyed lawn work, gardening, baking cakes and especially her grandchildren.

She is survived by her two sons, Thomas Walter Nilan, Jr and Timothy Scott Nilan; three grandchildren, Allison Elizabeth Nilan, Thomas Sean Nilan and Miranda Olivia Nilan; two great-grandchildren, Cambrie Markey and Chase Markey; and one sister, Dorothy Joan Mote Whiteside.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Florence Irene Reel.

Service and interment are 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.

Gloria J. Howarth

Gloria J. Howarth, 90, of Cochranville, passed away peacefully on Jan. 14 at Twin Pines Health Care Center in West Grove.  

She is the loving and devoted wife to the late Alfred Howarth of Las Cruces, NM (and formerly of Avondale, Pa.) who predeceased her on Dec. 31, 1997.

Born in Allentown, Pa. on July 16, 1930, not long after the beginning of the Great Depression and then orphaned at a young age, Gloria lived a remarkable life as a happily married wife, mother and grandmother.  She was always very loving, kind, patient, and generous.  She is the daughter of the late Earl H. and Lovie E. (Ahn) Ferry.

In addition to raising a family with her late husband Alfred, Gloria enjoyed both flower and vegetable gardening and loved to be busy outside working in the yard.  She enjoyed helping Alfred with all his building projects and they were always together.  Gloria also loved all kinds of music and was self-taught to play the keyboards.

She had many adventures traveling by RV across the country with her family.  Gloria loved the southwest and resided there with her late husband until his passing.

In 1998, she returned to Pennsylvania to be near her three grandchildren, whom she treasured dearly.  Gloria always had a smile for everyone and encouraged her family and friends by always being positive and helpful.  She also loved animals.

Gloria is survived by her three daughters, Christine A. Fahey of Las Cruces, NM, Frances E. Mellinger of Coatesville, Pa., and Diana M. Hendrickson-Aiello (and son-in-law Russell J. Aiello) of Cochranville, Pa., and two grandsons, Mickey D. Hendrickson Jr. and Zachary W. Hendrickson, and one granddaughter, Gloria R. Mellinger, who was named for her.

The family would like to thank all the staff at Twin Pines for their kindness, care and compassion for Gloria all the time that she was there, especially in her final hours.

Even though she will be missed very much, it is of great comfort in knowing that Gloria’s passing puts her at peace and reunited with her husband Alfred and into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The family will honor her memory privately.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to a charity of your choice.

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

Carol A. Holohan

Carol A. Holohan, a resident of West Grove, passed away on Jan. 12 at Christiana Hospital. 

Carol was the wife of the late Albert X. Holohan, who predeceased her in November of 2004.

Born in Philadelphia, Carol was the daughter of the late Charles Maggi, Sr. and the late Adelaide G. Gaynor.

Carol spent her childhood in the city before moving to the Philadelphia suburbs where she married and raised her family. She remained a south Philadelphian at heart, sharing the traditions and memories of her youth with her children: Joe’s Water Ice, New Year’s Eve dimes on the windowsills and pots and pans celebrations, the Mummers, and American Bandstand to name only a few. All the while, she was making new, treasured memories with her family: vacations at the Jersey Shore (fudgie wudgies, the log flume, Cozy Morely’s), the best Christmases any kids could have, homemade bean soup with dumplings, family dinners at Walbers on the Delaware and the Longhorn Ranch (the original in Glen Mills). 

She was the family cheerleader for swim meets, baseball games, softball games, track meets and football. Sunday night trips to BINGO were her escape when her kids were small, but all got to participate in that magic with her at one point or another.

As her family grew, so did Carol’s heart…almost bursting when grandchildren and great grandchildren arrived. She adored all of her grandpups over the years and the “diaper-free” babysitting time spent with them. She was always exceedingly generous to her family. 

QVC will surely miss Carol’s patronage, but nothing will compare to the loss her family will feel day in and day out without her in their lives. The memories called out here and many, many more that remain in their hearts will eventually bring peace. May all of Carol’s friends over the years also find the same peace when remembering the time spent together.

Carol is survived by her two sons, Anthony Holohan and Kevin Holohan (Kathya); her daughter, Cindy Kunkel (Billy); four grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.
Due to pandemic restrictions, a memorial service will be scheduled for a later date. Once service details become available, the website will be updated accordingly.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Carol’s memory may be made to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia via https://give2.chop.edu. The email [email protected] can be used for acknowledgement.

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

Norma B. Herb

Norma B. Herb, of West Grove and formerly of Mifflinburg, Pa., passed away on Jan. 16. She was 99.

She was the wife of the late Gurney Herb.

Born in Stanley, WI, Norma was the youngest of eight children born to the late Charles and Atta Quick Agin.

Norma was employed as a bookkeeper for the Naval Yard in Norfolk, VA and was formerly employed as a tax collector in Hartley Township in 1982.

She was in the United States Naval Ammunition Depot Dept. of the Navy, Lodge #39 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. 

Norma was also a member of the National Quilting Association,  and one of her quilts was hung in Gov. Dick Thornburgh’s home in 1985.

She enjoyed knitting and quilting.

She is survived by her nieces and nephews.

Norma was preceded in death by an infant son.

The family would like to thank Twin Pines Health Care Center, Brandywine Hospice and caretakers, Linda Herb Shiplet and Charles Bogus, both of Oxford.  

A service was held on Jan. 22 at the Lincoln Chapel Cemetery in Laurelton, Pa.

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

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

Rose C. Miller

Rose C. Miller (nee O’Reilly), a resident of West Grove, passed away peacefully on Jan. 17. She was 89.

She was the wife of the late Francis A. Miller, who passed away in 2013, and with whom she shared 58 years of marriage.

Born in Sharon Hill, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Francis J. O’Reilly and the late Frances Quinn O’Reilly.

She was a devout Catholic and was a member of Assumption BVM parish in West Grove.

Rose will always be remembered for her love for everyone. She treated everyone the same and warmed them with her wonderful smile. The family enjoyed hearing Rose’s childhood stories of how she was a tomboy and would scare her childhood friends—mainly the boys—with her antics. She remarked often, “I am not a sissy” and “God knew what he was doing when he gave me all boys so I never had to raise a teenage girl.”

Frank and Rose would often say, “not bad for a couple of concrete kids” at the conclusion of their stories. 

Rose’s three favorite words were “It’s all good.” Her family will miss her terribly, but they will find comfort in knowing that she and Frank are together again.

The family would like to thank the staff of Willow Tree Hospice for their care and compassion in her final days.

She is survived by her seven sons, Joseph of Phoenixville, Michael (Dale) of Parkesburg, John (Nancy) of Nottingham, Christopher (Dawn) of Gilbertsville, Stephen (Ella) of Newark, Paul (Lora) of Oxford and Robert of Avondale. In addition, she is survived by 18 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Due to the Covid 19 restrictions, a memorial mass and burial will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the charity of your choice.

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.

 

Rebekah Ann Nicarry

Rebekah Ann Nicarry passed away on Jan. 11 at the age of 42. 

She lived in West Grove for most of her life. 

She was born on July 11, 1978. Rebekah was a beloved daughter of Thomas and Phyllis Nicarry, and sister to Andrea, Anthony, Adrian, and Benjamin. 

Rebekah was preceded in death by her mother, Phyllis and her brother, Adrian. She dearly loved all her family.

Rebekah fought diabetes her whole life, and sadly, in 2009, she found out that her kidneys were no longer functioning. This required her to undergo dialysis until, in October 2010, her cousin, Kristen Nicarry Salter, lovingly donated one of her kidneys to Rebekah. The transplant provided her with several years of relief, but unfortunately, she lost her battle on Jan. 11.

She graduated from Avon Grove High School in 1997 and then attended Lincoln University to pursue her goal of becoming a teacher. After graduation, she worked at Kendal-Crosslands in the human resources department. She also cleaned offices, and did landscaping, but most of all she was a caregiver. She loved her work as a caregiver and continued doing this for as long as she was physically able, even volunteering to sit with elderly family members of several friends in her church’s congregation. Despite her poor health, she loved to care for others, preparing many meals, which she really enjoyed doing.

She had a great love for animals, and her favorites were birds.  She had several ducks and chickens that she named after her family and friends. She was very creative and loved to paint, to craft, and make greeting cards, which she generously shared with her many friends. 

The love she had for her family, friends, and animals, was only surpassed by her love for her Creator, Jehovah God.  This love moved her to dedicate her life to him and she was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on May 9, 2004. As her love for Jehovah and people grew stronger, she became a regular pioneer, devoting more time to the ministry. Her love motivated her to talk to everyone she could about the hope of a better life in the new world, where sickness would be no more.  As her health declined, she took advantage of the opportunity she had to preach to all the medical professionals and patients she met while receiving her treatments. 

Rebekah always kept a smile on her face, no matter how she was feeling.  She loved to entertain the friends in the congregation by organizing gatherings of all kinds—to share a meal, to play games, to go on train rides, to visit museums, and more.  

You are warmly invited to the memorial for Rebekah Nicarry on Jan. 30. A slideshow presentation will begin at 2:30 p.m., and the discourse will start at 3 p.m.

The Zoom Code is 895 2022 5083, and the Passcode is 751601. The call-in number is 312-626-6799

If possible, when signing into Zoom, please include your name so the family can have a record of your attendance. Thank you.

Kevin Clyde Tennant

Kevin Clyde “Buck” Tennant, 71, of Oxford, passed away Jan. 22 at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del.

Born in Morgantown, WV he was the son of the late Clyde and Helen Moore Tennant.

He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany.

Buck was employed in the automotive field.

He is survived by his companion, Linnea Raffaele of Oxford; one brother, Kenny Ralph Tennant of WV; and nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers.

Services are private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Union Fire Co. No. 1 Oxford, 315 Market St., Oxford, PA 19363 or Medic 94, Southern Chester County-EMS, PO BOX 8012, West Grove, PA 19390.

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

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

Benny Pizzini

Benny Pizzini, a resident  of Wilmington, Del. and formerly of Landenberg, passed away on Jan. 21 at his residence. He was 84.

He was the husband of Mudite Legzdina Pizzini, with whom he shared 20 years of marriage.

Born in Landenberg, he was the son of the late Stefano Pizzini and the late Guditta Pizzini.

Benny was a mushroom grower in the family business, S. Pizzini and Sons of Landenberg.

He was a member of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church in Avondale.

Benny enjoyed bowling, watching football, cowboy movies and being with his family and friends. In earlier years, he enjoyed playing soccer and basketball.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Teresa Pizzini (and her husband Steve Lafferty) of Hockessin, Del.; one son, Ben-Joseph Pizzini (and his wife Susan) of Landenberg, PA; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Carol Mahoney Pizzini, who passed away in 1997, and with whom he shared 39 years of marriage, and two brothers, Lucio Pizzini and Stephen Pizzini.

A funeral mass was held on Jan. 26 at the Sorrowful Mother Church. Burial was in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church, PO Box 709, Avondale, PA 19311.

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

Clarence ‘Pat’ Waller

Pat Waller, age 83, was called from this life on Jan. 19 while he was at his home and surrounded by his family.

He was the husband of Teresa Zunino Waller, with whom he shared 57 years of marriage.  

He was the son of the late Roctor Waller and Mazzie Vaughn Waller.  Born in Galax, VA, his family moved to Elkview, Pa. as a young boy.  

After graduating from Avon Grove High School in 1956, Pat enlisted in the U.S. Army and served from 1957 to 1959.  At the time of his discharge, he was a specialist (E-4), part of the 101st Airborne division. When he left South Korea to fly home, he stopped over in Hawaii on the day it became the 50th State in 1959.  

He bought the Pacific Gas Station in Avondale in 1961, which is where he met his wife, Teresa.  Pat enjoyed hunting and fishing, especially with his nephews.  

He worked for General Motors for over 30 years and he never once took a sick day. He became a Catholic on April 7, 1996.  He enjoyed being a part of the Building and Maintenance Committee at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church in Avondale, and served as an usher on Saturday evening Mass.  

A self-taught handyman, Pat liked painting as well as doing various projects around the house.  He also enjoyed helping others.  In recent years, he enjoyed visits with his friend Mike Testerman at his auto shop.

He was predeceased by his daughter, Christina Marie Waller, and his sisters, Hazel Waller, Helen Edwards, Lucille Paisley and Glenna Osborne.  

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Patrice Leonard and Catherine (Larry) Tornari, and his grandchildren, Mazzie Rose and Joshua David Miller.

Services and burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church, P.O. Box 709, Avondale, PA 19311.

Arrangements are being handled by the Longwood Funeral Home & Cremation of Matthew Genereux (www.longwoodfuneralhome.com).