Category: Obit

R.I.P. Rudy Raphelson

Rudolph Raphelson, a long-time resident of Marple Township Pa., died June 13 at the Broomall Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. He was 98.

Mr. Raphelson — who served in the Army Air Corps in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II — was instrumental in organizing color guards for graveside services for Delaware County veterans  as a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7390 of Broomall where he served eight years as its commander. 

As membership of the post declined due to deaths he had the post join in 1998  with The Gen. Smedley D. Butler Detachment of the Marine Corps League to continue providing the services. Mr. Raphelson was a participant in them until about two years ago.

Mr. Raphelson worked at the Pennsylvania Bureau of Employment Security eventually becoming manager of the bureau’s office on Woodland Avenue in West Philadelphia.

He met his wife, Helen, on the job and they retired on the same day in 1973. Mrs. Raphelson died in March.

Mr. Raphelson is survived by a brother, Morton; a nephew, Bruce and nieces Bernice Gelfont, Harriet Rudolph, Nancy Bush and Jean Piacentini.

A graveside service with military honors was held today, June 16, at Har Jehuda Cemetery in Upper Darby.

Gar Raines R.I.P.

Gar Raines R.I.P.

A service was held this morning, April 16, for the gentle and decent Garland C. Raines at The Church of the Redeemer in Springfield, Pa.

Gar, a veteran of World War II, live a long and full life. He was a editor and writer and ended his professional career at the County Press in Newtown Square where he worked for 12 years.

Gar lived in Springfield and is survived by his wife, Ruth; son, Blake, and family.

 Gar Raines R.I.P.

Ron Pritsch’s Legacy

Ron Pritsch’s Legacy — The lead story in last week’s Springfield Press concerned the gift bequeathed by writer and anthropologist Ron Pritsch to the Springfield (Pa) Library.

The money was used to replace the 48-year-old circulation desk with one more suitable for the computer era.

Ron died Jan. 19, 2009 of a heart attack which was quite unexpected. He was either 55 or 56.

I knew Ron. He was a fine writer and a decent man and the community still mourns his passing.

 

Ron Pritsch’s Legacy

Dr. Bernard N. Nathanson, R.I.P.

Bernard Nathanson R.I.P. — Dr. Bernard N. Nathanson, one of the founders of the NARAL ProChoice America before become a leading pro-life advocate, died this morning (Feb. 21, 2011)  in New York. The cause of death was cancer. He was 84.

Dr. Nathanson’s first experience with abortion came as a student at McGill University Medical College in Montreal when he paid for one his girlfriend after getting her pregnant.

After becoming an obstetrician, he got another girlfriend pregnant during the 1960s and performed the abortion himself. He became an advocate for legal abortions, and was instrumental in overturning New York State’s century-old abortion law in 1970 which was signed by Republican Gov. Nelson Rockefeller.

He said he and other abortion advocates knowingly lied about the number of women who died from illegal abortions claiming it to be 10,000 rather than the actual few hundred, and vilified the Catholic Church for it’s pro-life teachings as a premeditated attempt to get media attention.

At the height of his success the new technology of ultrasound convinced him everything he had believed was wrong. He came to understand that from the time of conception the unborn child has a self-directed force of life that, if not
interrupted, will lead to the birth of a human baby; and that the United States  Supreme Court got it horribly wrong when it ruled that it was simply “potential life” in Roe v. Wade.

Dr. Nathanson performed his last abortion in 1979 and declaried himself to be pro-life. In 1985 he made the earth-shaking film The Silent Scream, which shows sonogram images of a child in the womb shrinking from an abortionist’s instruments, and was one of the lest talked about but most influential films of the decade.

For about 15 years after declaring himself to be a pro-lifer, Dr. Nathanson described himself as a Jewish atheist. In December 1996, he was baptized into the Catholic Church by Cardinal John O’Connor at a private Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

“I was in a real whirlpool of emotion, and then there was this healing, cooling water on me, and soft voices, and an inexpressible sense of peace,” he said. “I had found a safe place.”

Dr. Nathanson was divorced three times before being married in the Church. He is survived by his wife, Christine, and a son, Joseph, from a previous marriage.

A more detailed obituary can be found at the National Catholic Register.

 

Bernard Nathanson R.I.P.

Bernard Nathanson R.I.P. -- Dr. Bernard N. Nathanson, one of the founders of the NARAL ProChoice America before become a leading pro-life advocate,

R.I.P. Cliff Rainey

Clifford Rainey died Jan. 29. The one-time editor of the Chester Times was a true journalist and community servant. He is survived by his wife, Judy; son David; son Michael and daughter-in-law Katie; and grandson James.

There will be a service of remembrance, 11 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 8 at the Cavanaugh-Patterson Family Funeral Home, 43 E. Baltimore Ave., Media, Pa. 19063. Family will receive visitors after 10 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Delaware County Press Club Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1682, Media, Pa. 19063 or the Heartland Hospice, 5 Christy Drive, Suite 103, Chadds Ford, Pa. 19317.

We will miss you Cliff. R.I.P.

R.I.P. Frank Videon

Businessman Frank Videon died Monday. He was 88.

Over the last six decades, he founded a funeral home in Marple, Pa. and car dealerships in neighboring Newtown and Edgmont. He served on the boards of hospitals, started retirement communities and was involved in numerous charities especially the Garrett-Williamson Foundation.

He never failed to give when asked.

He is survived by his wife Edna; sons Frank Jr. (Carol), David  (Lynn),  Wayne (Julie), Steven (Nancy); daughter Vicki Kline (Steven); 18 grandchildren and 21 great-grand children.

A viewing will be held 6-9 p.m., Friday at the Frank C. Videon Funeral Home, Sproul and Lawrence roads, Broomall, Pa 19008; which will be preceded by a Masonic Service at 5:45 p.m.

A funeral service will be held 11 a.m., Saturday at Marple Presbyterian Church, 105 N. Sproul Road, Broomall, Pa. 19008. Friends may call after 10 a.m.

Memorial gifts may be sent in his name to the Garrett-Williamson Foundation, 395 Bishop Hollow Road, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073; or the Marple Presbyterian Church–Military Overseas Mission at the above address.

We will miss you, Frank. R.I.P.

R.I.P. Major Dick Winters

Richard D. Winters, the quiet, religious, teetotaling warrior made famous by the Stephen Ambrose book Band of Bothers died Jan. 2. He would have turned 93 on Jan. 21.

The book would be turned into a widely watched mini-series on HBO in 2001.

Winter’s death was announced after a private funeral service that was held on Saturday.

Winters was born in Ephrata, Pa. He lived much of his life after World War II in Hershey from where he ran a state-wide business selling animal feed products to farmers.

Band of Brothers is the story of  Easy Company or Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, which saw near constant action from D-Day until the surrender of Germany.

Winters would rise to be company commander then to battalion acting commander leaving service with the rank of major.

Winters received numerous medals including the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military honor. The Distinguished Service Cross was bestowed for destroying a German battery of 105 mm howitzers during the Battle of Normandy in what is know as the Brecourt Manor Assault and is used at West Point as an example as to how small-unit tactics can overcome a larger enemy force.

An attempt is being made to upgrade Winters medal to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

 

R.I.P. Major Dick Winters

Bill Naulty, R.I.P.

William P. Naulty died Thursday of complications from an infection at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. He was 73 and lived in Cinnaminson, N.J..

Mr. Naulty joined the Army after graduating from West Philadelphia Catholic High School. After his discharge, he joined the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin as a copy boy. He would become a police reporter then cover Burlington County, N.J. until the paper closed in 1982. His next career was as  a legislative aide to Republican Assembly members and senators in New Jersey’s 8th Legislative District, a post from which he retired in 2003.

Mr. Naulty was  secretary for the Philadelphia Press Association until his death.

He is survived by a son, William Jr., a daughter, Marie Ritchie, and grandchildren. His wife of 41 years, Marie Newman Naulty, died in 2007.

Friends may call 6 to 9 tomorrow eveing at Perinchief Chapels, 438 Hight St., Mount Holly, N.J. and at 10 a.m., Monday, before a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Chuerch, 103 Fourth St., Riverton. Burial will be in Lakeview Memorial Park, Cinnaminson.

 

 

Bill Naulty, R.I.P.

Ida B. Fine R.I.P.

I just returned from the funeral for a very sweet lady. Ida B. Fine died Nov. 24 at the age of 75. She lived in Rose Valley, Pa. and was a long-time reporter for the County Press and it’s sister publications. She covered Upper Darby courts and municipal events for many years and most recently had the excellent All Around Town community column.

Services were held at Beth El-Ner Tamid in Marple with burial at Mount Sharon Cemetery in Springfield.

She is survived by her husband, Samuel, daughters Cindy Williams and Deborah Fine and two granddaughters.

R.I.P. Ida

Irv Homer R.I.P.

Talk Radio great Irv Homer died Wednesday after collapsing while speaking at an event at Eastern University regarding the Federal Reserve System and how money works. The featured speaker was G. Edward Griffin, author of “The Creature from Jekyll Island”. Mr. Homer was responsible for introducing Griffin to thousands in the Philadelphia area. Irv Homer R.I.P.

I have fond memories of Mr. Homer. Circa 1994 I was managing editor of most of the papers in the Press newspaper chain and we carried a column criticizing the IRS. A short time later, we were subject to an audit.

A young lady named Pat Toddy was working for us part-time as a writer and sales rep and working part-time screening calls for Mr. Homer at WWDB-FM. She told Mr. Homer about our plight and Mr. Homer stuck up for us via his mike.

R.I.P. Mr. Homer.

Pat, btw, has done pretty well for herself and has a slot on the anchor desk at KYW Newsradio.

Irv Homer R.I.P.