Margaret A. “Peg” Schmidt
Wife of former Mayor of Scranton William T. Schmidt

Margaret A. Schmidt, of Doylestown, passed away on Monday, September 30, 2013 at Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, PA. She was 87.

Born in Scranton, she was the daughter of the late James and Vera Walsh Durkin, and sister to the late Anna Mae Blasi, and Joseph and Robert Durkin.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William T. Schmidt.

Peg was a graduate of St. Ann Basilica High School in Scranton, PA. Soon after graduation, she met her future husband, William T. Schmidt, and they settled down to raise their family in Lackawanna County. Peg loved being a mother and focused her attention on taking care of her home and family while her husband pursued his office as the Mayor of Scranton. She enjoyed helping her husband with his responsibilities during his term, and during this time her zeal for politics and the Republican Party came to light.

After Bill’s term as mayor was over, he pursued employment with the State of Pennsylvania, and with it came the necessity of moving his family to Camp Hill. Now that her children were older, Peg briefly worked at a bank and then joined her husband working for the State of Pennsylvania as an administrative assistant in the Department of Agriculture, where she retired after ten years of service. After retirement, she lived in Florida with her daughter Gayle for a decade and then came to settle in Doylestown close to her daughter Debbie, where she has resided for the last eight years.

Peg had a passion for all that she did, and it showed through her dedication to perfection, whether it being as small a task as making salads or larger ones, like running the Women’s Committee for the Republican Party. She loved to volunteer and did so at every opportunity, with various political organizations and hospitals throughout her life.

She was an avid sports fan, enjoying all sports but especially Penn State football. Peg had a quick wit and always had an amusing comeback accompanied by her beautiful smile. Strong willed and independent, she made people comfortable and feel at ease while in her presence. Peg will be dearly missed by everyone in her family.

She is survived by her loving daughters: Debra L. McNickle and her husband Bruce of Doylestown, PA and Gayle Boshek and her husband Jeffrey of Coral Springs, FL; her grandchildren: Jeffrey II, Wendi, Scott and William; great grandchildren: Jeffrey III, Jake and Taylor; her sister: Barbara Noto of Moscow, PA; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Services for Peg will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Del. Valley Chapter, 399 Market St. Suite 102, Phila., PA 19106 or the American Parkinson Disease Association, 6700 Eastwood St., Phila., PA 19149.

Deborah Raab of Buckingham died peacefully Sunday evening, September 29, 2013, surrounded by family. She was a loving, caring and compassionate wife, mother and friend.

Born in Doylestown on March 5, 1957, she was the daughter of Dean and Ruth Heacock Schleicher and mother of the late Jason M. Raab.

Deborah grew up in Bucks County and was a graduate of Central Bucks High School West. She had a life full of loving family and friends and enjoyed traveling, reading, caring for young children and her pets. She lived everyday with a bright peaceful smile and always had a positive attitude.

She is survived by her husband of 29 years Raymond Raab, her sons Joseph D. Raab and James D. Raab and wife Kelly,her brother James Schleicher of Michigan and her mother-in-law Barbara Raab of Furlong, as well as many in-laws, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces, Nephews and Cousins.

Her family will receive relatives and friends on Saturday, October 5, 2013, from 11:00 am until her Funeral Service 12:00pm at Salem United Church of Christ, 186 East Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901. Her interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Debbie's name to Doylestown Hospital VIA, c/o 595 West State Street, Doylestown, PA 18901.

James G. Dorko of Southampton, PA died peacefully on Saturday, September 28, 2013, at Abington Hospice at Warminster with his family by his side. He was 79.

He was the beloved husband of the late Marie Fetzer Dorko.

Born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, PA, he was the son of the late Frank A. and Marion S. Papson Dorko.

Mr. Dorko was a resident of Southampton since 1966. He attended G.A.R. Memorial High School in Wilkes-Barre, PA, graduating in 1952. He continued his education at Kutztown State College where he received his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Class of 1963, and went on to obtain his master’s degree in Administration from Temple University, Class of 1969. He was a proud Army veteran having served during the Korean War. His professional career spanned from 1960-1997 as a teacher and curriculum specialist in the Abington School District. In his leisure time, he enjoyed woodcarving, playing billiards on Wednesday nights with his “pool group”, getting together with his high school friends, and looking for bargains at garage sales. He loved using the gifts, talents, and things that he had to make other people happy. Jim was always accepting, generous, and kind. He will be sadly missed as a devoted father, grandfather, brother, uncle, brother-in-law, and friend.

He is survived by his two children, Denise Mahoney and her husband, William E. Jr, of Abington, PA, James G. Dorko and his wife, Diane, of Perkasie, PA and his sister, Dolores Woychik of Wilkes-Barre, PA. He is also survived by his two beloved grandsons, William and Patrick Mahoney.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Friday evening, October 11, 2013, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Road (at Holland Road), Richboro, PA 18954 and to attend his Funeral Mass on Saturday, October 12, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. at Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Church, 1325 Upper State Road, North Wales, PA 19454.

Interment will take place at St. John Neumann Cemetery, Chalfont.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Abington Hospice at Warminster, 225 Newtown Road, Warminster, PA 18974.

Lucy M. Picciani Sklodowski of Richboro died peacefully on Friday September 27, 2013 at St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne. She was 81.

Born in Philadelphia she was the beloved wife of 54 years to the late Matthew G. Sklodowski, Sr., daughter of the late Herman and Agnes Picciani and sister of the late Jean Rossi.

Lucy was a graduate of Little Flower High School for Girls, class of 1950. She worked for Medical Products Laboratories/ Sorbee International for over 25 years in the payroll department. After retirement, Lucy who was full of energy went to work for J.D.M., Materials Co. Inc. of Southampton as a payroll clerk and worked there for over 7 years.

Lucy was a faithful communicant of St. Bede the Venerable Church in Holland and also a greeter on Sundays. Her family was so very important to Lucy. She was the proud grandmother of 3 and just recently took a breath taking trip to Dubai to visit Jessica one of her granddaughters who is teaching school in Dubai.

Lucy also volunteered her time at St. Mary Medical Center. She was an avid reader and enjoyed working in her garden. Her home was meticulous as was her personal appearance.

Lucy will be sadly missed by her loving and devoted family and all of those she befriended.

Surviving Lucy is survived by her son and daughter; Matthew G. Sklodowski, Jr and his wife Deborah and June Sklodowski her 2 brothers; Louis Picciani and John Picciani and his wife Nancy. Also surviving are her 3 devoted grandchildren; Jessica M., Justina R., and Matthew G. Sklodowski, III.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing on Sunday evening October 6, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm and on Monday from 9:30am to 10:30am in the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd.(at Holland Rd.) Richboro, and to her Funeral Mass 11:00 am at St. Bede the Venerable Church, Holland.

Interment will follow in Washington Crossing National Cemetery, Newtown.

In lieu of flowers contributions in her memory may be made to St. Mary Medical Center Foundation, One Summit Square, 1717 Langhorne-Newtown Rd. Suite 300, Langhorne PA. 19047.

Frank J. Weber of Doylestown, PA died on Thursday, September 26, 2013, at Doylestown Hospital after fighting a courageous battle with cancer. He was 81.

He was the beloved husband of Gail Knapp Weber for 55 years.

Born in Baltimore, MD, he was the son of the late Frank Weber and Gertrude Lever Weber and brother of the late Marie Weber.

Mr. Weber was a resident of Doylestown since 1978. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with his bachelor degree in Medical Illustration, Class of 1954. He was a proud Army veteran having served as a medic corpsman during the Korean War. In 1980, he started his own business, Custom Ultrasonics Inc. located in Ivyland. He was still working full time as president of the company. He enjoyed boating, model trains and building boat models. Being creative with his hands, he built a scale model home, took the model to an architect and had his personally designed summer home built in Avalon, NJ. In his leisure time, he enjoyed following golf and watching football games. He will be sadly missed as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle.

In addition to his beloved wife, he is survived by his son, Craig M. Weber and his wife, Brandi, of Chalfont, his daughter, Alicia Strouse-Nakonetschny and her husband, Michael, of Buckingham, and his two sisters, Patricia Doyle of Coatesville, PA and Jeanette Rogers of Newtown, PA. He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Amber Strouse, Austin Nakonetschny, Chloe Weber, Meadow Weber and several nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Tuesday, October 1, 2013, from 9:30 AM until his Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 5175 Cold Spring Creamery Road, Doylestown, PA 18902. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Richard Thi, of Holland, died peacefully on Monday, September 23, 2013 at Langhorne Gardens Health Care. He was 83.

Born in China, he was the son of the late Simon and Rose Thi.

He was the beloved husband of 50 years to Lisa Chan Thi.

In addition to his wife Lisa, Richard is survived by his loving children; Fawn Spera and her husband Joseph of Wrightstown, Theresa Gemerek and her husband Ken of Langhorne, Phillip Thi and his wife Wei of Holland, Joanne Liu and her husband Stephen of Holland, and Tom Thi and his wife Shannon of Philadelphia. He is also survived by his two brothers Howard Thi and his wife Mary, and Rev. Andrew Thi, and six loving grandchildren; Madeleine, Christopher, Matthew, Josephine, Joseph Jr., and Noah.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Wednesday evening, September 25 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd. (at Holland Rd.) Richboro, PA 18954, and at St. Bede the Venerable Church on Thursday, September 26, 1071 Holland Rd. Holland, PA 18966, from 10:00am until his Funeral Mass at 11:00am. Interment will be Private.

Alfred R. Thornton of Ann’s Choice Warminster died peacefully Wednesday September 25, at Abington Memorial Hospital. He was 80.

Born in the Tacony section of Philadelphia, he was the beloved husband of Peggy Thornton and son of the late Alfred and Mariam Thornton.

Al attended both Northeast and Lincoln High Schools, where he actively participated in baseball and swimming. Served in the United States Army with the “D” Company, 27th Infantry, discharged as a First Sergeant. He was a graduate of Temple University with his degree in mechanical engineering. He had a long, successful career in chemical engineering and sales.

He enjoyed sports throughout his life, playing tennis and golf for many years. He was an experienced business traveller and enjoyed traveling. Was an active member of the travel club at Anne’s Choice as well as other club’s. Al was an avid reader and always had a book on his table.

A dedicated family man and devoted to his wife Peggy for 57 years and the father of his 2 children Susan and Alfred Thornton. Caring grandfather of A.J., Alex and Nick.

Memorial Services will be held at 11:00am Monday October 7, 2013 in Chapel of Ann’s Choice, 30000 Ann’s Choice Way Warminster PA 18974

Interment with Military Honors will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers contributions in his memory may be made to the Anne’s Choice Benevolent Fund, 20000 Ann’s Choice Way Warminster, PA 18974 or the Macula Vision Research Foundation, One Tower Bridge,100 Front St. Suite 300, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 or charity of your choice.

Marie R. Nastasi, of Ivyland, died on Sunday, September 22, 2013 at Abington Hospice Warminster. She was 85.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of the late Antonio and Eleanor Parrellino Sorrentino.

She was the beloved wife of 57 years to Michael Nastasi.

Marie was a graduate of All Saints High School in Queens NY. She moved to Northampton Twp. in 1975. Marie was a faithful Communicant of St. Cyril's Church in Jamison, where she was a member of the Choir.

She was a former private secretary and bank teller, and a dedicated school bus driver for over 10 years for the Centennial School District.

Marie was a former treasurer for Sons of Italy, Central Bucks / BJ Ventresca Lodge, as well as a volunteer for the Ben Wilson Senior Center. She took great pride in her role as Majority Inspector for Elections in Northampton, and was an active poll worker. In her free time, Marie enjoyed bowling, gardening, and working bingo at the senior center.

In addition to her husband, Marie is survived by her brother: Frank Sorrentino and his wife Josephine of Long Island, NY; four nieces and one nephew.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing on Thursday evening from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd. (at Holland Rd.) Richboro, PA 18954,and on Friday in St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church, 1410 Almshouse Rd., Jamison, PA 18929., from 10:00am until her Funeral Mass at 11:00am.

Entombment will follow at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa Cemetery, Doylestown, PA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 399 Market St., Suite 102, Phila., PA 19131.

Christin Mary Barilla, of Chalfont, passed away suddenly on Sunday, September 22, 2013, at the age of 21.

Born in Abington, she was the daughter of Robert M. and Susan L. DeMichiel Barilla of Chalfont.

Christin was a 2010 graduate of Central Bucks South High School. Soon after graduation, she began working for Children of America Educational Childcare and Academy in North Wales, where she has been an assistant teacher for the past three years.

Christin always had a brilliant smile on her face, a bubbly personality, and welcomed and loved others unconditionally. She loved “her kids”, an affectionate endearment she used to describe the toddlers that were in her care. Her love of children began early, and she babysat for almost everyone in her neighborhood.

In her free time, she loved spending time with her friends and family, and enjoyed dancing and going to the gym. She loved Starbucks Coffee, and was proud to be a Gold Card member holder. Christin enjoyed her Polish heritage and looked forward to visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, especially during the Polish-American Festival.

Christin was kind and caring, and affected everyone that came in contact with her in her own special way. She will be forever missed.

In addition to her parents, Christin is survived by her brothers: Robert M. Barilla Jr. of Chalfont, PA and Michael J. Barilla of Deerfield Beach, FL; her grandparents: John and Bernadine Barilla, and Rosemary DeMichiel-Maiale; and by many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Peter J. DeMichiel.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday, September 26, 2013 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 241 E. Butler Ave., (at Sandy Ridge Rd.) New Britain, PA 18901. Christin’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 27, 2013 at 11:00 am in St. Jude Church, 321 W. Butler Ave., Chalfont, PA 18914.

Interment will follow at Our Lady of Czestochowa Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Children of America, 1200 Welsh Rd., Bldg. Q, North Wales, PA 19454.

Elizabeth Rose (nee Stoeckhert) Hammond, formerly of Warminster, PA died on September 22, 2013.

Elizabeth Rose was the beloved wife for 56 years of the late John F. Hammond and devoted mother of Janis E. Garbutt, Gail S. Forr (Harry Jr.), and Steven J. Hammond (Lorraine). She was the dear grandmother of Michael, Jill, Jim, Lauren, David, Leah and Allison and great grandmother of Luke Garbutt and Leela Kafen.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing on Saturday from 9:00 AM until her Funeral Service 10:00 AM at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 877 Street Road, Southampton, PA 18966.

Interment Whitemarsh Memorial Park, Prospectville, PA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust Street, Phila., PA 19103.