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.

Frances May Piccolomini

Frances Mary Rozsa Piccolomini, of Avondale, passed away on Oct. 10 at Exton Senior Living in Exton.  She was 89.

Born April 25,1932 in Wintersville, OH, Frances or “Fran” as she preferred, was the daughter of the late Gabor Rozsa and the late Helen Vincze Rozsa. She was one of eleven siblings.

Fran grew up on her family’s farm in Wintersville, OH and attended Wintersville High School.  Her first job was at the A & P grocery store on 3rd street in Steubenville, OH.  That’s where she met her husband, Angelo, who was also employed at the store.  The two were wed on Oct. 10, 1953 and lived for a number of years in Mingo Junction, OH.  Then, due to a career change by Angelo, they began the first of many relocations that would take them to many new homes, including Two Rivers, WI, Windsor, CT, Walkersville, MD, Gilbert, MN, Litchfield Park, AZ, Boardman, OH, Tucson, AZ and Avondale. 

She continued her career in retail sales in many of these locations, enjoying the interactions with customers and coworkers, until she retired in her late 60s.

She is survived by her three children, Jeffrey Piccolomini (Amy) of West Chester, Bryan Piccolomini (Elizabeth) of Carlsbad, Calif., and Monica Piccolomini Estes (Alan) of Avondale; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one brother, Joseph Rozsa; three sisters, Margaret Rozsa Fodor, Barbara Rozsa Grantonic and Katharine Rozsa Grantonic; along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in passing by her husband, Angelo Piccolomini; her brothers, Alexander and Gabor; and her sisters, Helen Rozsa Butcher, Mary Rozsa Nemeth, Anna Rozsa Kuruc, and Elizabeth Rozsa Kuruc.  

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20 at the Mosti Funeral Home and Sunset Chapel, 4435 Sunset Blvd., Steubenville, OH 43952, where friends and family may visit from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

A luncheon and celebration of Frances’ life will be held at St. Florian Hall 286 Luray Dr., Wintersville, OH 43953 will immediately follow.

Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

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

Pauline S. MacKenzie

Pauline S. MacKenzie, 96, of Oxford, passed away peacefully on Nov. 7 at Jenners Pond in West Grove.

Pauline was born on June 9, 1925 in Lancaster County to the late Walter Chester and Mary Emma Groff Snyder.

Pauline married William H. MacKenzie on July 20, 1946 in the Oxford Presbyterian Church and she has been a member of the church since then.

William (Bill) and Pauline owned and operated The Varsity Grille Restaurant in Oxford since January of 1959.  After Bill’s passing in August of 1976, Pauline continued to run the business with the help of her two daughters until she retired at the age of 83 in 2008.

Pauline was generous in her donations to many local organizations, including Oxford Little League, The Lighthouse, Boy Scouts and many more school and town events.  

She was awarded the Oxford Citizen of the Year Award in 2008. Pauline was a kind, generous person who loved being with her family. She had many friends in Oxford, old and young, and was well-respected in the Oxford community. 

Pauline was truly one of a kind.

Pauline was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; two brothers; two sisters; and her infant granddaughter Boyd.

She is survived by her two daughters, Deborah Shortlidge (Swithin) of West Grove and Valerie Boyd (Chauncey) of Oxford; seven grandchildren, Karen Williston, Swithin Shortlidge IV, Wendy Grasty, Stefanie Gordon, Andrew Boyd, Emily Bonner and Chadwick Boyd; and fifteen great-grandchildren. She was loved by her family and will be missed.

Services are private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Oxford Presbyterian Church, 6 Pine St., 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.

Susan Cassell Heavens

Susan Cassell Heavens, of West Chester, passed away on Nov. 9, at Rosemont Center in Bryn Mawr. She was 65.

Above all else, Susan was two things: a mother and a teacher. Her deep love and devotion for both were rooted in her soul and life’s mission.

Susan was born and raised in Aston, Pa. to parents Frank and Betty Cassell, who were forever the guiding forces in her life, well beyond their days on this earth. She shared this blessing with her sister Jackie Battinieri and brother James Cassell, all three siblings united in the closeness and family bond that Frank and Betty built.

Susan would grow up to be feisty and independent – and she definitely knew how to have fun. Her childhood and teen years in Delco would lead to lifelong friendships she’d carry through to the rest of her life. A 1974 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Moylan, Pa., she’d take her best Irish girlfriends well into adulthood – always together, dancing their way through all of life’s chapters by each other’s sides.

Graduating from Penn State University in 1978, Susan went on to build a career in education. She held a number of positions over the years, teaching children of all ages, and impacting the lives and educational journeys of countless students along the way. 

A particular career highlight includes her time as preschool director at the Southern Chester County YMCA, where she fully developed the program’s early childhood curriculum from the ground up, and vastly expanded the preschool program in both size and breadth. Her final professional role was as a teacher at St. Joseph’s School in Downingtown, where she brought the joy of writing and reading to her 7th and 8th grade students who adored her.

Susan instilled that same love of learning in her own children, Patrick Heavens and Colleen Heavens, who were her absolute pride and joy. Susan and Matt Heavens raised them in West Grove, where they shared so many happy memories as a family: Christmas mornings, Susan’s delicious cooking and baking, Kisses the dog, the piano being played and music always on. Their home was filled with a profound love that Susan fostered and treasured. 

In addition to her children, Susan was passionate about many of the things she held dear. She was a fiercely loyal friend and an unabashed, untamed Irish woman. The beach was her favorite place in the world, and the sound of the ocean brought her peace and clarity. Her sense of humor was off the charts.

She loved live music and grew up playing the piano. Her other favorite place to dance was at the annual Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and she also brought all of that spunk and creativity into her classroom.

Susan was a deep thinker. She loved reading and philosophy, and had a great gift for writing. This was matched with her emotional intelligence – always feeling deeply, and like her own mom, standing solid in her identity as someone who wore their heart on their sleeve. 

She looked at the world with curiosity and wonder. She loved traveling and seeing new places with fresh eyes, with an openness and beautiful mind for understanding that we’re part of something bigger. And she wove this into how she educated and how she raised her children. In addition to being survived by her children Colleen and Patrick (Alison Heavens), she is also survived by three beautiful grandchildren, Connor Heavens, Madelyn Heavens, and Kennedy Heavens.

Her life was beautiful and joy-filled. But Susan would never shy away from the honesty of where we gain our strength – in life’s hardest moments. When it came to strength, she had no shortage of it. Susan was a fighter. Even after a diagnosis of dementia that would eventually take her from her family, Susan’s love for her children, music, and her smile never waned. But now, in her passing, it’s finally time for her to receive the peace she has long deserved.

Her Mass was held on Nov. 16 at Assumption BVM Church in West Grove. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Kennett Square.  

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

Joan Ann Eldreth

Joan Ann Eldreth, of Genesee, Pa. and formerly of Landenberg, went to be with the Lord on Nov. 6. She was surrounded by family at the time of her passing after a long illness. She was 77.

Born on Feb. 19, 1944, she was the daughter of the late Archie R. Madron and Elizabeth Marie Pate Madron.  On June 18, 1960, she married the love of her life, Bryan J. Eldreth, who passed away in 2019.

Joan worked many years at the Kennett Diner. She was part-owner of the Bobbie Jo Florist, where she used her creative skills making beautiful flowers.  She was best known for her job at Pyle’s Home and Supply, where her creative talents came alive in the Christmas display every year.  

A member of the Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene since 1977, Joan took part in many church activities, including outreach with The Bridge, and she was naturally part of the decorating committee at the holidays. 

Along with decorating, Joan loved cooking, flower gardening, and the beach.

Joan is survived by her two beloved daughters, Suzan Paisley (Dennis) and Cynthia Eldreth; two cherished grandchildren, Elizabeth Paisley and Adam Paisley; and four treasured brothers, A. Robert A. Madron (Donna), of Melfa, VA; Thomas K Madron (Ellen), Daniel J. Madron, and Donald R. Madron (Lorraine), all of Rising Sun, Md.  

Services will be private at Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square. 

She will be laid to rest along side her husband at the Union Hill Cemetery in Kennett Square.

To view her 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. Local assistance  in Genesee, Pa. was provided by Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home.