Thomas Edwin Bell, Jr.

Thomas “Tom” Bell, Jr., a resident of Kennett Square, passed away peacefully on Jan. 8, in Chester County Hospital. 

Born April 19, 1928, he grew up in Perth Amboy, NJ before moving to Philadelphia. He was pre-deceased by his wife of 64 years, Katherine Virginia Bell, who passed away in 2013.

A graduate of Carson Long Military Institute in Carlisle, Pa., he was a Pennsylvania All-State baseball player and football player, and he remained an avid fan of the Phillies and Eagles. 

Upon graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Nara, Japan as part of the military occupation force from 1946 to 1948. After being honorably discharged, he attended Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University) where he was also active-duty for the Army Reserves while there. 

After receiving his degree in business and accounting, he had a long and successful management career working in the aviation and automotive industries before moving to Kennett Square and becoming a general manager in the mushroom growing and canning industry. He finished his business career serving as president of Oxford Royal Mushrooms, Inc. before retiring.

Those who knew him came to love his sense of humor, kindness and sharp business mind. In his final days, he was reading about self-driving cars, hoping the Phillies will do better next season and telling his sons not to get their hopes up about the Eagles.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Guttierez of San Diego, Calif., a son, Jeffrey Bell and daughter-in-law, Lisa of Kennett Square and a stepson, Richard Haviland and daughter-in-law, Linda, of West Chester.

Funeral services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to contribute to the Wounded Warrior Project in his name.

https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org.  

Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square. Please visit Mr. Bell’s online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Betty Lou Griffith

Betty Lou Griffith, originally from Kennett Square, passed away on Jan. 16 at Twin Pines Health Care Center in West Grove. She was 84.

She was the wife of the late James E. Griffith, Sr., who died in 1998 and with whom she shared 43 years of marriage.

Born in February 1937 in Chatham, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Joseph R. and Elsie Walker Pennington.

She was a graduate of Kennett High School. She was a homemaker and seamstress known to many residents of the Kennett area.  She was previously a member of the Kennett Square Presbyterian Church and actively participated in, or chaired many events, including the annual Strawberry Festival and White Elephant Sale.  She was Cookie Chairman for the local Girl Scout troop for many years during her daughter’s participation in scouts.  She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, including her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and loved watching all the Philadelphia professional sports teams.

Betty was predeceased by two sons, James E. Griffith, Jr. and Michael J. Griffith, one brother, Joseph, and one sister, Marge.  

She is survived by one sister, Carol, her four daughters, Marlene Wilkinson (John) of Landenberg, Sharon Roman of Nottingham, Susan Crossan of Avondale, and Sandra Petro, of Manheim, Pa.; twelve grandchildren, John, Jr., Silas, Angelique, John Thomas, Nicholas A., Ashley, Tacara, Nicholas J., Michael, Jr., Andrew, Cassandra and Dylan and twenty-seven great-grandchildren.

A private visitation was held on Jan. 20  at the Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square. The interment was at Union Hill Cemetery in Kennett Square.  

Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo Funeral Home. Please visit Betty’s online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

Maria Provina Angelucci

Maria Provina (Mastrangelo) Angelucci, of Kennett Square, passed away on Jan. 16 at her home while surrounded by her family. She was 67.

She was the wife of Ernesto “Ernie” A. Angelucci, with whom she shared 43 years of marriage.  Born in Lama Dei Peligni Italy, she was the daughter of the late Attilio Mastrangelo and the late Trevilina Angelucci Mastrangelo.  

She lived in Lausanne, Switzerland for ten years before moving to the United States and was fluent in Italian, French, and English languages. 

Maria was gifted with “healing hands.” She helped many people as a licensed massage therapist at Picone Beauty and Wellness Spa in Kennett Square for many years.  She was a longtime member of St. Patrick Church in Kennett Square.  She was truly a special person at the core of our family, loving wife, wonderful mother and mother-in-law, caring grandmother, and an inspiration to all. She enjoyed planning family events, cooking, and spending lots of time with her grandchildren, who referred to her as “Nonni.”  With her charm, simple elegance, kindness, and generosity she touched many many people all around the world.  She always put others before herself and wanted to be sure everyone was taken care of.  

In addition to her husband Ernie, she is survived by one daughter, Lisa Skelley and her husband Andrew of West Grove; one son, Anthony Angelucci and his wife Ann of West Chester; one sister, Rosa Mastrangelo and her husband Carlo Aufiero of Montoro Italy; her mother-in-law, Filomena Angelucci of Kennett Square; brother-in-law, Luigi Angelucci and his wife June of Narvon, Pa, two nephews, Gennaro Aufiero of Castronno Italy and Attilio Aufiero of Rome Italy, and four grandchildren, Ava and Jaxson Skelley and Alena Marie and Anthony Dominic Angelucci.

The Mass of Christian Burial was held on Jan. 22 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kennett Square. Interment was at St. Patrick Cemetery. 

Contributions in her memory may be made to Abramson Cancer Center at Chester County Hospital at this link http://givingpages.upenn.edu/rememberingMaria.

Arrangements are by Matthew J. Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. (484-734-8100). To view her online obituary, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

Guy R. Reeves, Sr.

Guy R. Reeves, Sr. went home to be with Our Lord and Savior on Jan. 9.

He is survived by his wife, Wanda Lynn Reeves. 

He was born on Nov. 16, 1935 in Oxford, the son of the late Boyd R. Reeves and the late Rosie Belle Reeves.  

He has eight children, Darlene (Morgan) Reeves Robbins of Bel Air, Md., Tyrone Reeves of Oxford, Jerry (Janie) Reeves of Lancaster, Charlene (Bronell) Reeves Chandler of Sicklerville, Pa., Eric (Sharon) Reeves of Lincoln University, Pa., LaTricia (Adolf) Brew of Middletown, Del., Guy (Shayla) Reeves, Jr. of Baltimore, Md. and Deeborah Reeves Wright of Wilmington, Del. He has 14 and a half grandchildren and five great-grand children. 

Guy was employed in his earlier years at Phillips Florist, Oxford School District, Delaware Seat Company and later was self-employed at Reeves Used Furniture where he was semi-retired. 

He was preceded in death by three of his brothers, Joe, Paul and Bobby Reeves. 

He has two sisters, Elsie Reeves of Oxford and Florence (Bill) Dickinson of Wilmington, Del., and three surviving brothers, Sam (Sissy) Reeves of Avondale, Richard Reeves of Rising Sun, Md. and Jimmy (Donna) Reeves of Glen Mills, Pa. 

Guy was loved by many. He always had a smile on his face and a kind word for everyone. He absolutely loved the Lord. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone he interacted with. Thanks for all the love and fond memories, Dad!

Services to be held on Friday, Jan. 28, at New Destiny Fellowship, 906 E. 16th Street, Wilmington, DE 19802. A viewing will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The funeral services will follow.

 Violet E. Steele

Violet E. Steele, 92 passed away on Jan. 19 at her home in Oxford. She was 92.

She was the wife of John E. “Jack” Steele, with whom she shared 74 years of marriage.

Born in Lancaster, she was the daughter of the late Newton and Della M. Hershour McDowell.

Violet was an active member of the Oxford United Methodist Church. She enjoyed working in the church kitchen.

Violet took pleasure in cooking and baking, sewing, quilting and recently reading the books from her church library.

She is survived by her husband; one son, John E. Steele, Jr. of Oxford; one daughter, Connie Slauch and her husband Peter Slauch of Oxford; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Delmar McDowell and two sisters, Marian Anderson and Deloris McClellan.

Funeral services will be held at 2 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc., 86 Pine St., Oxford, where friends and family may visit from 1 to 2 p.m.

Interment will be in Oxford Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Oxford United Methodist Church, 18 Addison 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.

Dr. John J. Hurt

Dr. John J. Hurt, enfolded in the love of his family, passed away at his home in Kennett Square on January 15. He was 83. He had been in good health until Jan. 12, when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Joyce Ash Hurt; his daughter, Christiane Hurt and her husband Blake Rahn of Chapel Hill, NC; his son, Charles Hurt and his wife Trisha Hurt of Seattle, WA; and his brother, Robert H. Hurt and his wife Virginia Armat Hurt of Washington, DC.  Other survivors include his grandchildren, Griffin Rahn, Calder Rahn, Carson Hurt, and Annalea Hurt; as well as his sister-in-law, Elaine Robey and her husband John Robey of Virginia Beach, VA.  His first wife, Anne Phelps Griffin of Troutville, VA died in 1986.

John joined the faculty of the Department of History at the University of Delaware in 1969 and taught there until his retirement in 2015, when he became Professor Emeritus. He served as Chair of the History Department from 2008 until 2013, served the University in several additional administrative appointments, and always enjoyed teaching students.  

John’s skill as a classroom teacher and his insatiable appetite for reading made him a popular lecturer during his and his wife’s years living in the West Chester area and later at the Kendal-Crosslands Community in Kennett Square.   His book reviews blended teaching with a generous helping of his trademark dry humor and quick wit.

His academic focus was European history with a specialty in seventeenth and eighteenth century France. He also taught courses on the French Revolution and Napoleon.  However, later in his career he focused on military history and World War II.  He taught a survey course on military history, and an upper-level course on World War II.  He led frequent student tours to Europe with regular visits to Normandy and other World War II and World War I battlefield sites. 

With coauthor Steven E. Sidebotham, he published in 2014 a widely reviewed book, Odyssey of a Bombardier: The POW Log of Richard M. Mason. The book recounts Mason’s arduous experiences and includes his talented drawings from his time as a prisoner of the Germans after his B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber was shot down over France in 1944.  

John also published Louis XIV and the Parlements, the first scholarly study of the political and economic relationship of Louis XIV to French judicial bodies: the parlements of Paris and provincial tribunals.  John conducted his research in France over a period of years by locating and analyzing original 17th and 18th Century texts. His work upended some theories of how King Louis XIV’s actions shaped the history of early France and the monarchies of Europe.

A native of Atlanta, John was a summa cum laude graduate of Mercer University in Macon, GA, and earned both his M.A.  and Ph.D. degrees in history as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He served on active duty as a Military Intelligence officer in the U.S. Army in Washington, and in Europe, from 1962 to 1964, in between his M.A. and Ph.D. studies at Chapel Hill.  

John and Joyce were longtime parishioners of Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Chester.  John served as an usher, was an active member of the Tuesday Fellowship group where he gave frequent talks, and led classes for the adult Sunday School.

More than anything, John was a family man.  He loved traveling with Joyce, visiting his grandchildren, learning about new parts of the world, and was continuously working to master his German language skills.  He will be remembered for his “zapping” game that made children squeal, his constant newspaper reading, and his endless love of books.  He is leaving a deep legacy of curiosity and learning for all who knew him.  He was deeply loved and will be remembered always.

A memorial service will be delayed until people can safely assemble. The family will notify friends and loved ones when details of a future service are available.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the University of Pennsylvania Hospice Friends Fund or the Crosslands Residents’ Association, stipulating the “Crosslands Library Fund” at address 1660 East Street Rd, Kennett Square, PA 19348, in honor of John.

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

For online condolences, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

Paul L. Smyth

Paul L. Smyth, a longtime resident of West Grove, passed away on Jan. 17 at the Pocopson Home. He was 89.

He was the husband of the late Martha Jean (Kelly) Smyth, who passed away in 1993. Born on Sept. 14, 1932, he was the son of the late Oswald and Dora (Drennon) Smyth.

Paul worked on a dairy farm and later became the caretaker for Camp Saginaw. He loved watching the Philadelphia sports teams and golf. In his free time, he enjoyed fishing.

He is survived by his three grandsons, Mathew Peterson of Pensacola, FL, Tim Peterson (Dorothy) of West Grove and James Peterson of West Grove. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren, Victoria, Jacob, Ashley and James.

A private burial is planned in Faggs Manor Cemetery.  Arrangements by the Foulk Funeral Home of West Grove; please visit Mr. Smyth’s online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.