Ursula Kretschmaier

Ursula Kretschmaier (nee Lubcke), a beloved mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully in Oxford on Oct. 25.

Ursula was an amazing warrior who has been battling illness for many years.

Born May 16, 1936 in Hamburg, Germany, Ursula’s early life was not simple, as she grew up as a young girl in World War II Germany. 

In her late teens, she emigrated to the United States and quickly met and married the love of her life, Rolf Kretschmaier, also an immigrant from World War II Germany. Rolf and Ursula’s fortunes turned, as they were happy, truly loved each other, and enjoyed their life together for over 50 years.

Ursula especially enjoyed cooking, the beach, fishing, family get-togethers, weekend trips, vacations, and outings as a family.

Ursula’s loving husband passed away in 2008, and she was also preceded in death by her sister, Karen Steputat, and both her mother, Karla and father, Otto.

Ursula loved, and was close with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Ursula is survived by sons, Michael (Anne), Thomas (Renee) and Richard (Kristine). She is survived by grandchildren, Rebecca (Matt), Douglas (Lori), Thomas John (Alana), Christine (Kyle), Megan (Frank), and Emily; and great grandchildren, Benjamin, Olivia, Lukas, Aubrey, Alyssa, and Kamryn.

Ursula was loved and will be missed. May she find comfort and peace.

A memorial service for Ursula will be announced at a later date.

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

Darlene Jeane Rhoads

Darlene Jeane Rhoads, a resident of West Grove and formerly of San Diego, Calif., passed away on Oct. 27 at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del. She was 73.

Born in Coatesville, she was the daughter of the late George Robert and Marjorie Ruth Deatrich Rhoads.

Darlene resided in the West Grove area for 20 years. She was an active member of the Christian Life Center in New London. She volunteered in the hospitality committee and helped serve soup for the seniors.

Darlene had fun wherever she was and loved her church, family and life.

She is survived by nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20 at the Christian Life Center, 125 Saginaw Road in New London Township.

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Christian Life Center.

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

Bessie H. Boddy

Bessie H. Boddy, an amazing angel, entered into the gates of Heaven to be with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Oct. 28. She was 90.

She was the wife of the late Leonard L. Boddy. 

Bessie was born in Avondale on March 7, 1931 to the late Sylvester and Louise Beatrice Thompson McKim.

She was a retiree of Herr Foods, Inc.

She enjoyed life to the fullest, recording her grandchildren’s school programs while never missing one, and spending much time with her grandchildren, traveling, gardening and cooking. She looked forward to the girls’ Christmas lunch, which she always prepared, and she really liked decorating her home for the holidays.

She is survived by her children, Esther Curry (Stacy), Frances E. Wolf, Lonnie Boddy (Hope) and Angela L. Walls (Alfonzo).

She also leaves to cherish her grandchildren; her great-grandchildren; a niece, Sharon Miller; a godchild, Elsie Sampson; and a host of nieces and nephews; as well as her beloved longtime neighbors, who delivered meals, fresh vegetables from the garden, and helped her with her flower garden and lawn work.

Services 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.

Philip R. Fling

Philip R. Fling, a resident of Honey Brook who was formerly of Kennett Township, passed away on Oct. 30 at the age of 87.

He was the widower of Elizabeth (Sandy) A. Nordheim, who died Dec. 24, 1976 and Elaine R. Kellogg (Daly), who died May 18, 2016.
Phil was born at home in the village of Wawaset in Pocopson Township, on Aug. 11, 1934 to Edwin D. Fling and Verda D. McAllister. He attended Unionville School all twelve years. After that, he attended Drexel Institute of Technology before entering the U.S. Air Force. After Tech School he spent nine months on Long Island before going to Japan where he flew on an RB-29. He flew top secret spy missions against Russia and China.
He met Sandy on a blind date, and they married in 1960, living in Thorndale before building a house in Kennett Township where he lived for 49 years. They adopted two children before Sandy passed away from Leukemia on Christmas Eve in 1976. Phil remarried Elaine Daly in 1981. They subsequently retired to Tel Hai Retirement Community in 2011. Elaine passed from complications during cancer treatments in 2016, after which Phil lived independently at Tel Hai.
Phil worked for IBM, as a field engineer and an installation planning representative for 38 years. During this period, he enjoyed traveling in his Airstream travel trailers, going throughout the United States and Canada. 

He loved working in his yard and garden, hunting and fishing with his family and friends, and doing genealogy research of the Fling family and other prominent families in the region.
His survivors include his son, Steven (Beth); his daughter Valerie (Rob) Tolentino; his stepson, Russell Daly (Joan); and his stepson, Kevin Daly. He has five grandsons and five granddaughters. He is also survived by a younger brother, Richard (Carol) Fling. 

He was predeceased by his brothers, Samuel and Robert, and his sister, Rebecca.
Philip's memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11 at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 109 East Doe Run Road Unionville, PA 19375. 

Friends may visit with the family from 10 to 11 a.m. before the service. 

Interment will be in Union Hill Cemetery in Kennett Square.
Contributions in his memory can be made to 'The Care Assurance Fund' at Tel Hai, P.O. Box 190, Honey Brook, PA 19344. 

Arrangements are being handled by Matthew J. Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory (484-734-8100).

Condolences may be shared at www.griecofunerals.com.

Joseph Edwin McBride, Sr.

Joseph Edwin McBride, Sr., of Kirkwood, passed away on Nov. 1, at Reading Hospital in West Reading. He was 83.

He was the husband of Flora Shields Herr-McBride.

Born in Coatesville, he was the son of the late Joseph McBride and Mary Stanley McBride Nuse.

Joseph was affiliated with Oxford Church of the Nazarene.

He was employed with Beloit, Schramm, AC Miller, Dutchland, D’Ambrosio and Walmart, all in the southeastern Pennsylvania area.

Joseph was a loving husband and grandfather and a hard-working man. He loved motorcycles and cars and talking about his days on the race tracks. He had been a member of the Lewistown Country Club where he enjoyed golf. He loved to dance and especially country line dance. He was a great friend to many and was always willing to lend a hand or offer advice. He could light up your day with his smile and his stories. He spent his free time fishing with his family or “chewing the cud' with his friend, Bill Freese, down at The Post-House. Joe had been an avid bowler on a league in Downingtown for many years. His personal best score was an unbelievable 298. He had been a boxer in his younger years and had the spirit of a fighter in him, yet he was the ever-gentle giant.

He is survived by his wife, Flora, her seven children, Crystal Messaros (Dave), Tanya Parry (Benjamin), April Herr, Amanda Trout (Brian), Jared Herr (Lianne), Jonathan Herr (Jaclyn), Rebekah Herr; 17 grandchildren and a great-grandson. He is also survived by his three children, April Roland (Frank) of TX; Joseph Edwin McBride, Jr. of Baltimore, MD, James McBride of Honey Brook; their mother, Bonnie Knapp; 6 grandchildren, Mary Jo, Joey, Jamie, Jerre, Ryan, Emma; five great-grandchildren, Ava Maria, Riley, Caylee, Trina, and Tambre.  He is also survived by two step-children, Dena Capuito Huffman, Anthony Capuito (Jacque); their mother, Jennifer McBride; 5 grandchildren, Alexis, Katie, Megan, Hailey, and Collin.

He was preceded in death by his stepfather, James Nuse; his sister, Grace Nuse; and a grandson, Zachary Allen, son of Dena.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Oxford Church of the Nazarene in Oxford.

Interment will be in Oxford Cemetery.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Chesapeake Bay Foundation or the SPCA.

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

James Christopher Peterman

James Christopher Peterman, 22, of Oxford, passed away on Oct. 31.

Born in Darby, Pa., he was the son of Kevin Charles and Christi Johnston Peterman of Oxford.

James was an honor student at Temple University and majored in tourism. 

He was an avid Philadelphia sports fan who loved his family and looked forward to traveling. James was a wonderful brother and son.

He is survived by his parents; three brothers, Robert Peterman, Shane Peterman and Ryan Peterman, all of Oxford; paternal grandmother, Patricia Peterman of Greenville, Del.; maternal grandmother, Mary C. Johnston of Newtown Square; and many cousins, uncles and aunts.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, James Peterman and maternal grandfather, Robert Johnston.

A memorial mass was celebrated on Nov. 6 at Sacred Heart Church in Oxford.

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sacred Heart Church, 203 Church Road., Oxford, PA 19363. 

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

Nicholas W. Giusti

Nicholas W. Giusti, of West Grove, passed away on Nov. 5 at Ware Presbyterian Village. He was 85.

He is survived by his wife Bernadette M. (Nicholson) Giusti.  

Born on May 18, 1936, he was the son of the late Francis and Mary (Passivo) Giusti.

Nicholas was a graduate of John Bartram High School in Philadelphia. He worked a number of jobs, always working his way into something better for himself. Most notably, he worked for the Philadelphia Police Department, Emery Air Freight, and he finally retired in 1995 from Steamfitters Local Union 420 of Philadelphia.  

When he wasn’t working, he played semi-pro football for Tinicum AC Football Team and was a self-taught artist.  He loved painting all the neighborhood pets.  He also enjoyed playing cards, doing crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, crabbing and traveling with his family.  

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Diane M. Walls (Jack), Nicholas F. Giusti (Kim), and Maryann M. Brown (Tom); grandchildren Andrew Walls (Valerie), Stephen Walls (Beth), Jaclyn Mantell (Tad), Christina Giusti Shaffer (Matt), Devon Brown (James), and Nicholas J. Giusti; and great-grandchildren Kaname, Jackson, Ellie, Henry, Juliana, and Celeste.  He is also survived by his sister, Rosemarie Skyler, brother-in-law Tony Caruso and many nieces and nephews.  

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his sister, Josephine Caruso, brother-in-law, Bob Skyler and a nephew, Anthony Caruso Jr.

Friends will be received on Monday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Kuzo Funeral Home, 250 W. State St., Kennett Square, where a memorial service will begin at 11 a.m.  Masks are required for all those wishing to attend.  

Contributions may be made in Nicholas Giusti’s name to Alzheimer's Association, alz.org or Alzheimer's Foundation, alzfdn.org.   

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