Francis Charles Thomson

Francis Charles Thomson died peacefully at home after a long illness. He was 85.

He was born at home in West Chester. His parents were Charles Levis Thomson and Alice Osborne Thomson. He attended school at Saint Agnes Catholic Church, and then immediately joined the U.S. Marines in 1956.

His first career after serving in the military was as a machinist and supervisor at JM Schmidt Precision Tool Co, while also working as a night manager at Bevan’s Cold Cuts, where he enjoyed working with his daughters, Brenda and Patty. Following his retirement at Precision Tool, he worked for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Fran lived a life rich in service to others. While his daughters were in school, he was an active member of West Chester East Band Boosters, chaperoning many band trips. He was a board member of LAPS, the Large Animal Protection Society, for 10 years, volunteering alongside his sister, Charlotte. They helped rescue horses and other large animals. Fran always had horses, and he enjoyed attending steeplechase races in the area.

He attended Willowdale Church, and when the Jennersville campus opened, he volunteered to run the coffee bar at both services for several years. He was a member and past president of the Avon Grove Lions Club, and volunteered at their Book Barn every Friday evening and Saturday morning.

He was preceded in death by his grandson, Eddie Gates. He is survived by Linda Haldeman, his beloved partner of 30 years; his sister, Charlotte (Richard) Carrigan; and his daughters, Tara Ray, Deborah (Scott) Gates, Patricia (Jim) Sullivan, and Brenda (Wayne) Clemson.

Also surviving are nephew Steve (Drew) Carrigan, 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by 7 stepchildren, Jason Haldeman, Alissa O’Hara, Jessica (Ryan) Conley, Jared (Feather) Haldeman, Amy (Daniel) Flather, Andrew (Mindy) Haldeman, Rebecca (Tony) DeRose and 16 step-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held  at 11 a.m. on June 3 at Willowdale Church, Jennersville campus, with visitation at 10 a.m. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Avon Grove Lions Club. Checks can be mailed to 600 North Baker Station, West Grove, PA 19390.

Those who touch our lives stay in our hearts forever. Fran, you are greatly loved and will be deeply missed.

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

To view Fran's online obituary and leave condolences for the family, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

Richard John Florschutz

Richard John Florschutz, age 81, of Chadds Ford, passed away on April 21, 2025 at Chester County Hospital in West Chester. He was the spouse of Karin Florschutz, with whom he shared 59 years of marriage. 

Born in Harrisburg, Pa., he was a son of Otto Florschutz and Berta Schatzler Florschutz of Elizabethtown, Pa. Richard graduated from Indiana University with a master's degree in graphic design.

He was the business owner for Graphic Design Associates, in Wilmington, Del. He is survived by Karin Florschutz (wife), Karl Florschutz (son) and Lori Florschutz (daughter-in-law), Kyle Florschutz (grandson), Casie Florschutz (granddaughter), Averie Florschutz (granddaughter), Craig Florschutz (son), Jennifer Florschutz (daughter-in-law) Nicholas Florschutz (grandson), Dylan Florschutz (grandson), Natalie Florschutz-Miller (granddaughter), Beau Miller (great-grandson), Josie Miller (great-granddaughter), and Joe Miller (grandson-in-law). 

Richard enjoyed gardening, stone carving, being the number-one sports fan for his grandchildren, and valued time with his family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Delaware Wild Lands, Inc., P.O. Box 505, Odessa, DE 19730. And dewildlands.org/make-a-contribution.

Arrangements are being handled by Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. of Kennett Square (484-734-8100).

To view Richard's online obituary and leave condolences for the family, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

Gregory Lee Mayo

Gregory Lee Mayo, of West Chester, Pa., passed away peacefully on May 1, 2025. He was 63.

Gregory was a beloved son, brother, and friend whose warmth and adventurous spirit touched all who knew him.

Gregory was predeceased by his father, Richard Mayo Sr.; his mother, Roslyn Mayo; and his brother, Richard Mayo Jr. He carried their memories with him throughout his life, honoring them through his kindness and zest for living. 

He is survived by two brothers, Brian Mayo of Exton, Pa. and Marc Mayo of Tampa, Fla.

Gregory was a systems specialist at Oracle. A true lover of music, “Greg” found joy in attending concerts, where he could lose himself in the melodies and rhythms that spoke to his soul. He was also an avid outdoorsman, happiest when mountain biking along winding trails and exploring the beauty of nature.

Greg’s legacy is one of laughter, adventure, and a deep appreciation for the simple pleasures in life. He will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

A private memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Gregory Mayo’s name to a local music organization, outdoor recreation organization, or the American Diabetes Association at P.O. Box 7023 Merrifield, VA  22116-7023.

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

Donald A. Overton

Donald A. Overton (1935-2025), Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Temple University, passed away peacefully after a brief illness at the age of 89 in Kennett Square on April 30, 2025. 

Don was born in Troy, NY, to the late Ernest C. Overton and Evangeline Smith Overton of Mechanicsville, NY. Don was an older brother to both Roger Overton (deceased) and to Ralph Overton (of Kettering, OH). Don was a loving husband to Dr. M. Kathleen Clark Gordon, and stepparent to Jeffrey A Gordon and his wife Elizabeth Fleming Gordon of Media, Pa. and step-grandparent to Travis Matthiessen Bennett of Austin, Texas.

Don’s greatest scientific achievements encompassed state-dependent learning and drug discrimination studies, but his life’s impact went far beyond this in the people whose lives he entered and affected. One of Don’s former trainees shared “Under Don’s tutelage, I learned the value of understanding complex individual differences in behavior, the heart of the scientific method, the advantages of surrounding yourself with people with different experiences than yourself, and that kindness and empathy can easily coexist with devotion to hard work and scientific excellence.”

Don’s graduate work at McGill University (“Control of learned responses by drug states,” 1962) was later published in several seminal publications on state-dependent learning, a phenomenon where information is better recalled when one’s mental state is the same at time of encoding and time of recall. He added to this work for the bulk of his scientific career, with positions at the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute and Temple University (Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry). Don was the principal organizer and first President of The Society for Stimulus Properties of Drugs (SSPD), in 1978. He was also highly involved with what was then referred to as Division 28 of the American Psychological Association, the division of psychopharmacology and substance abuse. This was an age when experimental psychology, behavioral pharmacology and cellular neuroscience were competing and often at odds with one another, and SSPD was a major influence in bringing scientists from these fields together. Drug discrimination served for decades as the gold-standard for measuring the subjective effects of drugs and contributed to academic and private industry attempts to better understand the effects of psychoactive compounds. Don’s observations were most often recorded by his trusty Dictaphone, to be transcribed later, sometimes briefly interrupted by a zesty bite of his lunch, usually obtained from the Szechuan food truck just outside of Wilson Hall in the Temple University campus.

When asked about his scientific work, Don’s humility always was forefront. He typically answered very quickly and simply, saying “I train rats.” And he did train rats—with incredible creativity, rigor, insightfulness, and care. But he also did so much more.

Don was fascinated with understanding the neural bases of emotion and empathy, especially later in his career. This culminated in the founding of the Good Nature Institute in 2005, with his wife Kathleen Gordon. Their nonprofit provided small pilot funds for emerging investigators. Don could often be found in the poster sessions of the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, engaging with trainees and young faculty, and offering support.

“The Donald.” as he was lovingly referred to by Kathleen, was a thoughtful and impactful scientist, mentor, and benefactor—and a truly amazing human being. He will be deeply missed. The Donald will be remembered for his warm and supportive, even if sometimes awkward, spirit, his unwavering love for Kathleen, for his truly incredible scientific accomplishments and his zest for life and experiences. 

Interment services for Donald Overton will be held privately. A memorial service to celebrate Donald’s life at Kendal Community will be announced at a later date. Contributions in his memory may be made to AFSC, (American Friends Service Committee), 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. 

This obituary was lovingly created by former student, Gregg Stanwood.

All arrangements are being handled by Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. of Kennett Square (484-734-8100). 

To view the online obituary and leave condolences for the family, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

Harriet Honer

Harriet Rose Honer (née Latissa), of West Chester and formerly of Philadelphia, passed away on April 3, 2025 at the Chester County Pocopson Home in West Chester. She was 93.

She was married to the love of her life, the late Albert Harry Honer, whom she met on a blind date which would go on to change their lives forever. Harriet and Albert were blessed with five sons and one daughter, and shared 67 years of marriage up until his death in 2020. Albert’s sister Ginny, a co-worker of Harriet’s, was the one that set them up. She and Harriet were close friends who grew into sisters, sharing much time together and having their kids grow up together while forming strong family bonds that continue with many family reunions to this day.

Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Pasquale and Lois Latissa.

During Harriet’s earlier years, she graduated from the prestigious Philadelphia High School for Girls and was employed with the Bell Atlantic Telephone Company.

As a child of the Depression era, she was fiercely frugal, making sure that her family never went without even when things were tight. With her husband’s career taking him away for days at a time, she was a strong presence in her children's lives. She firmly taught them right from wrong regardless of the fact that she had such a soft heart and was prone to breaking out in tearful expressions of joy and love.

Harriet's love for music began at a young age. She didn't need to read music to be able to play anything she heard beautifully. She enjoyed playing the piano for her family as well as for residents at several nursing homes in her later years. She and Albert would be excited to discuss their favorite TV show, “The Sopranos,” and their love for gardening. Throughout the years, they hosted many epic pool parties with lines of fresh towels hanging on the fence, a kitchen full of extra meat hoagies and Entenmann’s pastries, and a garage full of diet sodas.

Her proudest accomplishments were undoubtedly her family. She cherished her role as a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, finding immense joy in the company of her children, grandkids, and great-grandkids. She valued her independence above all else, and maintained it throughout most of her life.

She is survived by one sister, Lois; a sister-in-law, Joanne; four sons, Albert Jr. (Joan), Raymond (Rosemary), John (Sharon), and Carl (Betsy); one daughter, Linda; and ten grandchildren, Lisa (Micah), Elizabeth, Tricia (Ryan), Thomas, Stacey (Michael), Christian (Valenti), Nicholas, Kenneth, Nathan and Cathy. Also surviving are nine great-grandchildren, Ryan, Isabella, Zachary, Ariel, Owen, Hazel, Sophia, Ivey, and Naomi, and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, her brother Anthony, sisters Lynn and Marcy, and a son, Kenneth.

Her memory will be held dear by all who were fortunate enough to experience her unique spirit and unwavering love.

Harriet’s family wishes to show their appreciation to everyone at Chester County Pocopson Home in West Chester for the loving care shown to her throughout her time there.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13 at Wagontown Union Chapel at 469 W. Kings Highway in Coatesville, Pa. Friends and family are invited to visit from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.