Archive for January, 2020

Jeanne L. Parker (Age 94)

On Saturday, January 11, 2020, of Silver Spring, MD.  Beloved wife of James (“Ace”) Parker; mother of Eric C. Parker. Also survived by daughter-in-law Rebecca Sedam, grandson Charles Parker, nephews Ken Crissman, John Crissman, Michael Berg, Paul Cutler, Charles Cutler, and niece Carol Linder.  Preceded in death by her beloved parents Wallace and Belva (Day) Linderman, and by her beloved sisters Lavonne Crissman, Ruth Berg, and Naomi Cutler.

Jeanne Linderman was born on Dec. 2, 1925, in Doland, SD.  Her family moved to Stewartville, MN, in the early 1930s to take over a family farm that had been homesteaded in the 1850s.  Jeanne graduated valedictorian of Stewartville High School’s class of 1942.  She came to Washington, DC with the rest of the family during WWII, finding work in the Department of the Navy, where she worked for over 40 years until retirement.

Jeanne married James (“Ace”) Parker in 1947.  The couple moved from Washington to Silver Spring in 1951.  Despite her long residence in Maryland, Jeanne maintained her connections to and love for southeastern Minnesota, visiting nearly every year.

Jeanne enjoyed gardening, needlepoint, and traveling, particularly in retirement.  She volunteered for many years at the front desk of Holiday Park Senior Center, and was involved in various activities there.  She was an active participant for many years in the “Rockettes of Ages” dancing group led by Anne Berk, performing at various senior centers and nursing homes.

Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Friday, January 17, 2020, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Funeral Service at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, on Friday, January 17, 2020 at 11:00 AM.  Interment Parklawn Memorial Park.

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Noe Mejicanos (Age 74)

On Sunday, January 12, 2020, of Hyattsville, MD. Beloved husband of Concepcion Mejicanos; Brother of Celso, Saul, Estella, Salvador, Merida, and the late Blanca Mejicanos. Also survived the rest of his Mejicanos family. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Thursday, January 16, 2020, from 7 to 9 pm. Graveside Service and Interment at Columbia Gardens Cemetery, Arlington, VA, on Friday, January 17, 2020 at 2 pm.

Ralph Marshall Smith (Age 79)

On Friday, January 10, 2020, of Mount Airy, MD formerly of Silver Spring MD.  Beloved husband of Betty Rose Smith for 57 loving years; father of Cathryn Marie Wolf (John Richard), Marguerite (Margie) Smith McLister (Thomas Brian), Amy Rae Gough (Daniel Joseph), and Jennifer Lynn-Smith Gonzalez (John Louis);  grandfather of John, Meaghan, Chelsea, Ashley, Kelly, Caitlin, Frankie, Sean, Skylar, Rylee, and Emma Grace;  great-grandfather of Vincent, Caroline, Makenzie, and Carter;  brother of Russell, Frank, Ray, Jean, Audrey, Jim, and twin sister Alberta (Cissy); Also survived by many loving family members and friends.  Relatives and friends may gather at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 10103 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 20902, Wednesday, January 15, from 10 to 11 am. for viewing, a Christian Mass will follow at 11 am. Inurnment Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Jackie Hagner Maphis (Age 60)

On Thursday, January 9, 2020, of Rockville, MD. Beloved daughter of Josia Hagner and the late Walter Hagner; mother of Christopher Maphis, Michael Maphis, Jesse Maphis, Sydney Gertz Graf and the late Jeremy Hagner; sister of Elaine Graf, Diane May, Kit Unger and the late Janine Thomas. Also survived by many grandchildren. Relatives and friends may call at Millian Memorial United Methodist Church, 13016 Parkland Drive, Rockville, MD, Tuesday, January 14, from 10 to 11 a.m.; where the Funeral Service will follow at 11 a.m. Interment Parklawn Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850 or Millian Memorial United Methodist Church.

MARIA SOLEDAD FUSTERO (Age 86)

On Friday, January 10, 2020, of Olney, MD. Beloved wife of the late Frank Fustero; mother of Maria and Elizabeth Fustero; sister of Simon Sabroso and the late Ursula Monserrate and Octavio Sabroso; grandmother of Alejandra and Benjamin Moore. Also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Graveside Service and interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, on Tuesday, January 14, at 10:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be to Best Friends Animal Society, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741.

Dorothy Louise DeLuca (Age 91)

Dorothy DeLuca born on August 2, 1928 in Bentleyville, PA, a longtime resident of Wheaton, MD, peacefully passed away on January 6, 2020 at the age of 91. Beloved wife of 51 years to the late Joseph DeLuca; loving mother of JoAnn (Barry) Frazier, Nita (Kevin) Knighton, Joe (Barbara) DeLuca, Gina (Randy) Modesitt, John (Annabell) DeLuca, Dorothy (Tom) Belcher, Ruth (Frank) Jenkins and Charlie (Lisa) DeLuca; proud grandmother of Brian, Brad and Ben Frazier, Shannon, Shawn and Sheana Knighton, Matthew, Joe and Theresa DeLuca, Christopher, Buddy and Jamie Modesitt, Robbie Sofley, John Michael and Jenna DeLuca, Cory, Joseph and Katelyn (Benton) Belcher, Collin, Amanda (Seested), Casey and Cody Jenkins, Ashley (Delashmutt) and Brittany DeLuca; also survived by 28 great-grandchildren. Sister of the late John Tokar, Mary Watkins, Betty Tokar, Martha Squitero, Knute Tokar and Irene Mazza, and aunt to many wonderful nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Tuesday January 14, and Wednesday, January 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Catherine Laboure Church, Veirs Mill and Claridge Roads, Wheaton, MD, on Thursday, January 16, at 10 a.m. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery, followed by a celebration of her life at Knights of Columbus, Rosensteel Ave, Silver Spring, MD. Memorial contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice Casey House, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850.

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OBITUARY:

Dorothy L DeLuca, wife of the late Joseph Raymond DeLuca and daughter of the late Anna and Joseph Tokar, grew up in Bentleyville, PA, where her family owned and operated the very popular Tokar’s Restaurant.    Dorothy learned at a very young age how to socialize, dance, cook, and most importantly, how to give of herself to others.

She came to the Washington, DC area to help her sister-in-law ‘Carmie’ who owned a beauty salon.   It was there that she fell in love with this area and was asked again to help her sister ‘ Marty’ when she went on maternity leave.    It was because of this gift to talk that she met a friend at work who set her up on a blind date, and that is how she met the love of her life, Joe DeLuca, and never returned to live in Bentleyville. Thus began their love story. Within six months she was married and ready to start her family.      Dorothy had eight children – JoAnn Ruth (Barry) Frazier, Nita Louise (Kevin) Knighton, Joseph Raymond (Barbara) DeLuca, Gina Marie (Randy) Modesitt, John Frances (Annabell) DeLuca, Dorothy Louise (Tom) Belcher, Ruth Elizabeth (Frank) Jenkins, and Charles Roger (Lisa) DeLuca.  Her children blessed her with 24 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren whom she adored.  Her family meant the world to her and were always her first priority.

When not fully immersed in the raising of her family, she took on many volunteer roles for organizations such as Cystic Fibrosis, School PTAs, church and school fundraisers, Camp Fire Girl troupe assistant, and cared for children of parents in crisis.  She enjoyed her role with the local National Democratic Party and on several occasions had the opportunity to attend the Democratic National Convention.  She was actively engaged in several clubs which were dear to her heart, specifically the Roma Lodge Women’s Auxiliary, bowling with her Catholic friends, and later in life she could be found down at Holy Cross Hospital working in the basement to unpack and stock the shelves of the gift shop.

Dorothy also worked very hard outside of the home.   After moving from Bentleyville, PA, she worked at St. Paul’s Mercury Indemnity Insurance Company, Lucia’s Italian Deli, and was the hostess at Pop’s Pizza in Wheaton, MD, where she could be found every Friday and Saturday evening greeting guests and meeting and making new friends.  In her spare time she watched over the children in the neighborhood. (At the height of the sixties, there were some 99 children on the street, and she was known to bring the hibachi out late on a summer’s night to cook hotdogs for those children still out playing and enjoying the beautiful weather.)  She was both a disciplinarian and a strong beating heart to all of the children, and they truly idolized her.

Dorothy was an extraordinary cook and loved entertaining.   She could take a Sunday family dinner, holiday celebration, or dinner party and turn it into a five course meal, on her own, and over the top.     Everyone who had the opportunity to enjoy a meal hosted by her was always ready to be invited back or look forward to the next opportunity to enjoy her company.

In retirement, Dorothy and Joe spent their time between Berlin (Ocean City), MD and Silver Spring.  It was at the beach that she was able to share her home with her children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, dear friends, and extended friends who were now family.  She had a love of the ocean breeze, seafood, and relaxation.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her siblings, John Tokar, Mary Watkins, Elizabeth (Betty) Tokar, Knute Tokar, Martha “Marty” Squitero, and Irene Mazza.

She will be sorely missed by her family, many friends, and relatives.

Rajendra Bernard Edwards

Rajendra Bernard Edwards was born in Jabalpur, M.P. India on October 30, 1938.  He was the 3rd of 6 children born to  Doris Mary and Seth Edwards. The children: Seth, Premala, Raj, Kamala, Dilawar, and John spent their early years travelling all over India with  their father who served in the Royal Indian Airforce (1942-1948). At age 9 (1947), India and Pakistan were split into two different countries, and the military pulled out all  military families into Indian territory.  Seth Edwards, Sr. and his family returned to Civilian life in Jabalpur, MP India. In Jabalpur, Raj attended Model High School, where he skipped grades with double promotions. He was captain of the cricket team. During those years, the family would vacation during the summer holidays at Sattal– a hill station with seven lakes in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains where they attended the Christian Camp at the lakeside, organized by the renowned American missionary, Dr. E. Stanley Jones. Raj and siblings sang every evening at the revival services as the “Edwards Quartet” where he sang Tenor and Baritone.

After high school, Raj began his study of engineering, a field that he would specialize and excel in his entire life. After completing Intermediate College at  St. Aloysius College, he was admitted to the prestigious Government Engineering College in Jabalpur.  Although he was underage at the time, Raj was offered admission after he impressed the admissions committee  by building a radio out of a can and describing its construction during his interview. He excelled in engineering college, earning the highest grade point average in each of the engineering departments (mechanical, chemical, and electrical telecommunication), and was awarded a gold medal for being the first student ever to accomplish such a feat. Raj then got admission  to India Institute of Science and Technology in Bangalore, India. He received his Master’s in Engineering (Honors) degree there, and later sat for the prestigious ICS exam a national competition, where he was named one of India’s top 10 brains. During his school years, he also served as an officer in the NCC (National Cadet Corps). After graduation, Raj’s professional success continued in his work as a telecommunications engineer. He started out as an Assistant Professor in electrical engineering at the University of Punjab, before transitioning to industry. At the young age of 21, he began his first job as Director of the Post and Telegraph department for the state of Uttar Pradesh.  In doing so, he skipped five ranks in the Indian government to become an Executive Level (Class 1) officer, the highest rank in the Indian Civil Service.

Raj’s position in the Indian government afforded him the influence to help obtain and sponsor student visas for his younger brothers (Dilawar and John) to come to the United States.  In 1970, Raj immigrated to the U.S. He attended Harvard University and completed all coursework  for a PhD in Engineering. He later attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and conducted work at the prestigious MIT Lincoln Laboratory.  He eventually came to the Washington D.C. area to work for a large defense contractor, TRW, Inc., as a telecommunications engineer.  After living in Maryland with his sister Premala and her son Ravi for a few months, he settled in Vienna, Virginia. He regularly attended Fourth Presbetyrian Church, occasionally bringing Premala and Ravi to church with him. Raj would sometimes help babysit Ravi, and when his younger sister Kamala visited from Florida, he would purchase tickets for Premala & Kamala to attend concerts at Wolf Trap.  Kamala moved to Maryland in 1985, and the three siblings would sometimes get together for family events.

Raj eventually left a prestigious position at TRW after he acted as a whistleblower over company practices, and started his own company: Edwards Communications and Electro Optics, which were awarded several government military contracts. He also continued postgraduate work at Harvard, MIT, and other universities, where he worked on digital signal processing, sonar, and laser systems. During these years, Raj devised a system of protecting naval assets from technological and environmental threats. After several years, his consultancy eventually shuttered after failing to win a critical grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Raj then took some time to go back to India to represent the family in ongoing legal matters related to the Ancestral Family property in India.  When he returned to the U.S., he completed his government contract work, and taught at MIT as an Assistant Professor for mathematics and electronics. Raj was an avid tennis player like his father, and would also coach youth tennis for family members and children that attended Fourth Presbyterian Church.  In the early 2000s, Raj left Virginia for North Carolina, where he helped his brother John, a dentist, take care of their mother, who was in her early nineties. Doris Edwards, who inspired Raj’s interest in natural and alternative medicine, passed away in 2005.

As an independent scientist, Raj completed several Phase 1 & 2 Small Business Innovation & Research contracts (SBIR) contracts awarded by the US Army and Navy and continued to work on patenting innovations in digital signal processing. Through his research, he conceptualized solutions for current, water, and wind energy extraction. He was self-taught in biophysics and medical diagnostics, and his appetite for reading and learning would often lead him to contact the authors of research publications to discuss the latest innovations. Raj worked out of his home office, spending most of his time meeting with leading researchers/practitioners of cutting edge innovations and working with private clients, many of whom he helped free of charge. He has consulted with many leading medical professionals, and actively represented patients and their families at such facilities as the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Institutions.

Over the last several years, Raj expanded his scientific attention to focus on various disciplines of main-stream and alternative medicine, including research related to health-related commands in The Bible, which he called “Christo Synergistic Therapeutics”. A devout Christian, Raj also began attending McLean Bible Church and Vienna Presbyterian Church in his later years.  He loved listening to Fox News on the radio, and was devoted to many causes including the eradication of leprosy and child poverty in India, and suicide prevention for U.S. military veterans. Friends and family will remember him as a brilliant man– an innovator, tinkerer, and big thinker– but most of all as a caring gentle brother, uncle and friend, who was always generous with his resources, and willing to share his knowledge to help others. He will be greatly missed!

Raj is survived by his sister Dr. Premala Brewster Wilson and brother, Dr. John Edwards. He is also survived by nephews Ravi Brewster, Mark Edwards, and Dileshu Edwards, and nieces Karuna Bowen, Anugraha Edwards, and Jaya Ghildiyal. He was preceded in death by his father, Seth; mother, Doris; brother Seth Jaivant; brother Dilawar; and sister Kamala.

Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd, W., Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, January 10, 2020 from 10-11 am, where service will be held at 11 am.  Interment Ft. Lincoln Cemetery.

JOSEPH JAMES HEALY

Joseph James Healy “Papa Joe”, age 69, passed on peacefully Sunday, January 5^th 2020, surrounded by his beloved wife, four children, and ten grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Chantal; his son Jonathan and wife Yemi; his daughter Joelle and husband William; his daughter Cassandra and husband De; his daughter Claire and husband Justin; his ten grandchildren: Kevin, Emily, Amar’e, Madison, Faith, Derek, Adrian, Caleb, Chloe, and Kendall; his siblings John and wife Marianne, Kathleen and husband John, Daniel and wife Eileen, and Noreen and husband Bob; his many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family; and countless close friends.

Joe was born April 26^th 1950 in Chicago, Illinois to John and Nora Healy whom emigrated from Ireland.  He was the youngest of five children and enjoyed bringing lots of laughter to his family.  In addition to his sense of humor, he was always a hard worker, starting at a young age with several paper routes.  His favorite stories always seemed to revolve around his jobs, from the many paper route adventures to his college job at Continental Bank.

After four years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, he headed off to Ireland in search of purpose and meaning. He began his journey staying with relatives and working on the family farm where he had many fond memories. From there, he traveled through Europe. While in Germany, he met the Unification Church where he found meaning and passion through God and missionary work. He also found his wife, Chantal, through the church where they were blessed in marriage.

They began their family in California and then moved to the East Coast where they settled in Montgomery County, Maryland and raised their four children. Throughout Joe’s life, he worked hard to take care of and provide for his family. He worked as a route driver for over 25 years while also selling flowers every weekend. In addition to his six-day work week, Joe reveled in sharing his love of God by teaching Sunday School every Sunday throughout his life.

In his later years, he loved playing and taking care of his grandchildren and even opened “Papa’s Daycare” for a few years. Joe always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. His kind heart touched everyone. Anyone that knew Joe loved him, because he loved everyone and made sure that everyone around him was happy and having fun. He will be missed by so many.

Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD on Thursday, January 9th, from 7 to 9 pm and on Friday, January 10th, from 10:30 to 11:00 am at Cedarbrook Community Church, 23700 Stringtown Road, Clarksburg, MD, where Funeral Service will follow at 11:00 am.  Interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Due to Joe’s sudden passing, the family is asking that in memorial contributions may be made to the Healy Family to help offset funeral and medical costs.

Wesley Alan Davis

Wesley Alan Davis of Wheaton, Maryland passed away on January 3, 2020.  He is survived by his loving parents Roger T. Davis and Mariana Davis, his brothers M.P. Davis, Chris Davis (Rushika) and Tony Davis, his nephew Keshav Davis, his niece Meera Davis and his grandfather Roger A. Davis, as well as his family members and countless friends.

Wesley was a dedicated scientist as well as a gifted guitarist and composer with an avid love of rock music.  He obtained his Bachelor of Sciences degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and was a graduate student at Hood College.  He was loved for his wry sense of humor and genuine good nature.

Viewing begins at 10:00 AM, funeral service at 11:00 at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd West, Silver Spring, MD on Friday, January 10.

A reception will be held directly following the funeral service at the American Legion, 11225 Fern St, Wheaton, MD.