Archive for January, 2019

William “Billy” Bowser (Age 57)

On Sunday, January 27, 2019, of Rockville, MD.  Beloved son of the late Calvin and Jane Bowser; brother of the late Bob Bowser, the late Chuck Bowser, Rick Bowser, Ruth Bowser, Pat Bowser, Marjorie Hewitt, Gregory Bowser and Catherine Mabry; nephew of Mary Nisson.  Also survived by 14 nieces and nephews, hundreds of cousins and many friends. Bill was a 1980 graduate of Robert E. Peary High School.  Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Friday, February 1, 2019, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Shrine of St. Jude, 12701 Veirs Mill Rd, Rockville, MD 20853 on Saturday February 9, 2019 at 10 AM. Interment private.

FRIEDA MARIE SHERIDAN (Age 89)

Frieda Marie (Sharp) passed away on January 22, 2019, at the age of 89. Frieda is predeceased by her devoted husband, John Sheridan and her sons Charles and Daniel and grandson, Brian Hisamoto. She is survived by children, Suzanne Sheridan, Ellen Hisamoto, Carol McCoy, Gail Snyder, Tim Sheridan, Steve Sheridan, and seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Born in Washington, D.C. on February 9, 1929, to Charles and Grace Sharp, she attended St. Dominic Grammar School, Holy Cross Academy and The Washington School for Secretaries. She worked as a secretary for a Washington advertising agency and for the Prince George’s County Fire Department (Apparatus Maintenance Department). She enjoyed dancing, crafts, reading books, and doing the daily Washington Post crossword puzzle. An artist at heart, she spent many years creating elaborate dioramas in eggs and designing and sewing beautiful quilts. Her talent for sewing, quilting, and knitting was well known and appreciated by those with whom she shared what she made, including many family members, friends, homeless shelters, priests, HIV positive and premature infants, and orphans in Haiti. She traveled extensively with her husband and later on her own, visiting 47 states and four continents and fulfilling her lifelong dream to visit Antarctica at the age of 75. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Monday, January 28, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mark the Evangelist Church, 7501 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD, on Tuesday, January 29, at 10:30 a.m. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice in her honor.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

Michael T. Kitsoulis

Michael T. Kitsoulis Of Silver Spring, MD, passed away on Wednesday, January 23, 2019. Michael was a partner in the law firm of Greenstein, DeLorme and Luchs in Washington, DC until his retirement in 1994. He represented lenders both locally and nationally in the financing and development of multifamily rental housing units, assisted living facilities, elderly housing, and nursing homes, and in refinancing of existing multifamily rental housing units through federally insured construction loan and permanent loan programs and securities.

In addition to his Lender clients, Mr. Kitsoulis counseled non profit organizations dedicated to providing housing for the elderly and the needy which included, the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, whom he represented in the late1970’s in federally insured construction financing for the development of three senior rental housing facilities in Montgomery County; Bauer Park Apartments on Bauer Drive in Rockville, Town Center, in downtown Rockville, and Leafy House in Forest Glen, Maryland; the Lutheran Church in Arlington, Virginia, in the financing and development of Culpepper Gardens I and II both senior housing facilities; the Episcopal Archdiocese of Washington in the financing and development of St. Mary’s senior housing in Washington, D.C.; the Salvation Army in the financing and development of multifamily senior rental facilities in Baltimore, Maryland and in Parkersburg ,West Virginia, and the Church of Christ in Rockville, Maryland in the development of the Rockville Nursing Home. He served on the Federal Housing and Government National Association insured loan subcommittee of the Mortgage Bankers Association for many years.

Mr. Kitsoulis was born in Washington D.C. in 1930. He graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School as senior class President in 1949, and attended George Washington University where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the Gate and Key Society, and was elected president of his social fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Government from GW in 1953.

Following a two year tour of duty in the Army from1953 to 1955, he returned to George Washington University where he earned his law degree in 1957. He was a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the Maryland Bar, and the American Bar Association.

Mr. Kitsoulis served as Assistant General Council of Land Disposition for the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency in the early and mid 1960’s. Thereafter, he joined the Government Programs Division of Associated Mortgage Companies Incorporated in Washington, D.C., a national lending institution, with construction loan activities in twenty six states and Puerto Rico. He served as General Council and Director of Operations for seven years before entering the private practice of law.

Mr. Kitsoulis served as General Counsel and Secretary of the Rockville Nursing Home and was a member of its Board of Governors for thirty years. He also served on the Board of the Metropolitan Washington Orthodox Senior Housing group and was a member of the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was a past member of the Parish Council and the executive committee.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, of 62 years, and their four children, Stephen Kitsoulis and his wife, Christine, of Olney, Maryland; Sandra Olson and her husband, Thomas, of Vienna, Virginia; Mark Kitsoulis, and his wife, Regina, of Rockville, Maryland; and Pamela McHugh, and her husband, Peter, of Rockville, Maryland, eight grandchildren, Daniel Kitsoulis, Lynne Stratton, Lauren Olson, Kearsten Olson, Paul Kitsoulis, Keith Kitsoulis, Sean and Claire McHugh, and two great-grandchildren, Joseph and Cecilia Stratton. Contributions in his memory may be made to St. George Greek Orthodox Church Building Fund or to Montgomery Hospice.

Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Monday, January 28, 2019, from 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, 7701 Bradley Boulevard, Bethesda, MD, on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 11 a.m. with family receiving friends at 10 a.m. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

HERMES ALCIDES ARGUETA, Sr. (Age 67)

Passed away on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, of Upper Marlboro, MD. Beloved husband of Reina Argueta; loving father of Hermes Argueta, Jr. and Karen Argueta. Grandfather of Lily and Anthony. Brother of Daisy Danku. Also survived by many loving family and friends.

Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), on Sunday, January 27, 2019, from 2 to 4 PM and 7 to 9 PM. Mass of Christian Burial at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Crypt Church, 400 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, 20017 on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 10:00 AM. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

George “Rupie” Daniel Campbell (Age 79)

On Sunday, January 20, 2019, of Silver Spring, MD. Beloved son of the late Arthur Campbell and Elsie Greaves Campbell.  Beloved brother of Betty Campbell and the late Lucilla Helena Campbell-Taylor “Judy”. He is survived by his older brother Donald Greaves, many cousins, nieces and nephews, and many loving family and friends.  A memorial in celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd. West, Silver Spring, MD 20901 at 1 p.m.

Cornelia Mata Rivera (Age 78)

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, of Gaithersburg, MD. Beloved wife of  the late Juan Rivera; mother of Alexander Rivera, Lalaine Femrite, Cherry Rivera, Ferdinand Rivera and the late Delfin Rivera. Also survived by 21 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Wednesday, January 30, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and on Thursday, January 31, from 11 to 11:30 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Church, 9705 Summit Ave, Kensington, MD, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

MARGARET MARY GILDER (Age 95)

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, of Silver Spring, MD.  Beloved wife of  the late John Wayne Gilder; mother of Christine Hintz, Mark Gilder, Anne Overton, Kathleen Edquist, Lawrence Gilder, Margaret Black and the late James Gilder; sister of Rockne May and Therese Benson; grandmother of 16 and the late John Gilder; great-grandmother of two.  Mass of Christian Burial at Church of the Resurrection at Riderwood Village, 3110 Gracefield Road, Silver Spring, MD, on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 11 am.   Interment Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to Catholic Charities of Washington, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or the Women In Military Service For America Memorial.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

HELEN CHRISTINE HERMANSON MARTIN

Helen Christine Hermanson Martin, (age 100), passed away peacefully on January 2, 2019, in Silver Spring, MD.  She was born May 5, 1918, to parents Harold and Christine Hermanson, in New Mexico.  Although born in New Mexico, the family moved to Minnesota where they raised their six children before moving to Washington, DC in 1937.

Helen married Clyde Wilson Martin October 1, 1939 and had two children:  Robert and Claudia.  Helen became a single mother after Clyde’s passing in1947, and immediately went to work to support her children.

Helen’s career of 34 years was spent at Army Mutual Aid Association, located at Ft. Myers, Arlington VA.  In her “spare time” she was an active member of the Eastern Star, holding many of the top offices.  Also, her love for her Norwegian heritage led her to join Sons of Norway and “dove in” to help the organization grow.  But, her real love was cooking, especially in the kitchen of her local Lutheran church, catering, and opening her home to family, friends and acquaintances!

Family was an extremely important part of Helen’s life.  The Hermanson family got together for any and all occasions:  holidays, birthdays, Sunday chicken dinner at Granny Hermanson’s, etc.

Fun-filled fellowship with a lot of food, laughter and dancing!  A closeness that defines family:  caring for one another with unconditional love and sacrificial giving, through thick and thin; sharing each other’s victories and disappointments.

Traveling was also a great adventure for Helen:  road trips with sister Mary; family trips back to Minnesota to visit relatives; cruises through the Panama Canal and Baltic Sea; or crossing the country for Eastern Star conventions.  There are a lot of stores, followed with laughter, to be told about the “adventures of Helen!”

Helen has certainly left an indelible mark on those who came in contact with her:  a love for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; a winning and warm smile; kind heart; loving words and a genuine interest in each person she met.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Martin; son, Robert Martin; her two sisters, Mary Schwenker and Doris Huffman; three brothers, Lloyd Hermanson, Harold Hermanson and Robert Hermanson and grandson, Hans Jacobson.

Surviving is daughter, Claudia Jacobson and her husband, Herman; daughter-in-law Bonnie Martin; five grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

CHRIS VADALA, JAZZ LEGEND, SCHOLAR AND EDUCATOR DIES AT AGE 70.

One of the country’s foremost saxophonists shared his love for jazz at University of Maryland’s School of Music for 25 years.

Chris Vadala was a jazz legend.

He was also a University of Maryland distinguished scholar-teacher (2010-2011), director of Jazz Studies and professor of saxophone in the School of Music. Even while battling cancer for the past 10 years, he never missed a single performance or university obligation and continued teaching up to his death. Vadala passed away on January 17, 2019 at age 70.

One of the country’s foremost saxophonists and woodwind artists, Vadala was in high demand as both a performer and educator. He was a rare example of someone highly proficient in both jazz and classical music.

He appeared on more than 100 recordings playing saxophone, flute and clarinet. Vadala was featured in innumerable jingle sessions, film and TV scores including “Criminal Minds,” “Zombieland,” “Life After Beth,” “Avalon,” “The Children of Sanchez” and “Saturday Night Live.”

“Chris’ musical brilliance was heard by millions of people worldwide,” said Chris Gekker, professor of trumpet. “As a jazz improviser, he could pierce your heart with tenderness.”

Throughout his career, Vadala performed and recorded with such greats as Diana Ross, B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Frankie Valli, Kendrick Lamar and Patti LaBelle to only name a few.

Most notable was his long tenure as standout woodwind artist with the internationally recognized Chuck MangioneQuartet. With this band, Vadala held performing credits on five gold and two platinum albums and won two Grammys, two Emmys and one Golden Globe Award. The quartet’s 1977 hit single “Feels So Good” featured Vadala’s famous saxophone solo and reached No. 4 on U.S. charts.

In 2018, he celebrated 20 years as the first call saxophonist with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and NSO Pops. He regularly performed on the Memorial Day and Fourth of July concerts from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

A native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Vadala graduated from the Eastman School of Music, earning the honor of a Performer’s Certificate in saxophone as well as a B.M. in Music Education. He received an M.A. in clarinet from Connecticut College and pursued postgraduate study in woodwind doubling at Eastman.

His expertise in woodwind doubling – the skill of playing more than one woodwind instrument – appeared regularly in the “Saxophone Journal” for over 10 years. His book “Improve Your Doubling” is acclaimed as a valuable contribution to the field.

In addition to his many accomplishments as an artist and a scholar, he is remembered as a generous and caring teacher.

“The list of household names Chris performed with is astounding, but he was just as committed to working with young jazz students,” shared Mark Hill, coordinator of winds and percussion. “His tireless dedication and success at creating a high-level jazz program was an inspiration to all of us.”

In his 25 years as director of Jazz Studies, Vadala completely transformed the university’s jazz program.

“He created a world-class program from almost nothing, energized the wind and percussion division and was a driving force in the development of the band program,” said Michael Votta, director of bands.

Vadala and the graduate students he trained conducted all of the UMD jazz ensembles. Under his tenure, he grew the program from two to five jazz degree offerings.

“Chris brought tremendous devotion, passion and artistry to his work at UMD, along with an unfailing generosity of spirit as a teacher, mentor, colleague and friend,” said Jason Geary, director of the School of Music. “Under his leadership, the jazz program rose to new heights and gained the national reputation that it enjoys today.” 

Chris is survived by his wife of 44 years, Kathleen Cooper Vadala, his daughters, Nicole Vadala Sullivan and Juliana Christine Vadala, his sister Mary Gadler, his brother Joseph Vadala, beloved cousins, nephews, and nieces, and the many students and colleagues he worked with. 

Sound bytes, CD purchases, full discography, publications, and more information about his life can be found at chrisvadala.com.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

Ernest C. Johnson (Age 78)

On Saturday, January 19, 2019, of Smyrna, DE, formerly of Silver Spring MD. Beloved husband of Maxine Johnson; father of Michelle Johnson Thomas (Kenneth), Kim Smith, and Lamar Johnson (Terry); brother of Yvonne Johnson; Grandchildren Sylvia, Jordan, Jada, Kayla,and Madison; Also survived by sisters-in-law June, Evangeline,and Pauline, Great-Aunt Gladys Weathers and many other nieces and cousins. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD (Valet Parking), Saturday, February 2, 2019, from 10 to 11 am where funeral services will be held at 11 am. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery.