Thomas V. Edwards, of Warrington, died peacefully on Monday, July 18, 2011, at Dresher Hill Health Care. He was 90.
He was the beloved husband of Susan Stackpole Edwards and the late Florence McMahon Edwards.
Born in Whitesburg, KY, he was the son of the late Richard R. and Diahanna Amburgey Edwards, and father and father-in-law of the late Richard R. Edwards II and his wife Bette Bickel Edwards.
Tom was a resident of Warrington for the past 17 years. He grew up in Kentucky and was a graduate of Whitesburg High School in Kentucky. He entered the US Navy on September 20, 1939 and served on the USS South Dakota and USS Wilkes Barre throughout World War II and for his meritorious service to his country was the recipient of a Purple Heart.
After his service to his country, he settled in the Philadelphia area and began a career in the automotive industry. For over many years he worked as a sales engineer dealing primarily with the installation and application of robotic welding systems.
In addition to his beloved wife, he is survived by his sons; Thomas V. Edwards, Jr. and his wife Deborah of Doylestown, and John R. Edwards of New York, his brother John Wiley Edwards of Marietta, GA, and his step-children, Hays S. Raab and his wife Bernadette of Southampton, PA, and Dr. Jennifer E. Souders and her husband Paul Gillingham of Seattle, WA. He is also survived by his 5 dear grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren and 1 step-granddaughter.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Thursday evening July 21, 2011 from 6:00pm to 8:00 pm and on Friday morning from 9:00am until his Funeral Service 10:00am at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd. (at Holland Rd.) Richboro. Interment will be in Our Lady of Grace Cemetery, Langhorne.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory maybe made to Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516.

Karl H. Gottlieb of Newtown died suddenly on Monday, July 18, 2011, at his residence. He was 59.

He was the beloved husband of Deborah A. McVeigh Gottlieb for 4 years.

Born in Atlantic City, NJ, he was the son of the late Emmanuel and Jeanette Harron Gottlieb.

In addition to his beloved wife, he is survived by his children, Sara E. Gottlieb of Newtown, MaryKate Viola, Joseph W. Viola, Kelly A. Viola, and Jack S. Viola, all of Newtown. He is also survived by his four sisters, Barbara Zehender of Philadelphia, Jeanette Hardy-Grady and her husband, Bill, of New Orleans, LA, Lisa Gottlieb-Fernandez of Medford Lakes, NJ, and Maggie Ireland of Salmon, Idaho.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Friday, July 22, 2011, from 10:00 AM until his Funeral Mass 11:00 AM at Church of Saint Andrew, 81 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Gottlieb-Viola Children’s Educational Fund, C/O PNC Bank, P.O. Box #6, Newtown, PA 18940.

Penelope A. “Penny” Thorpe of Newtown died Sunday, July 17, 2011 at Chandler Hall Hospice. She was 64.

Penny was the beloved wife of the late Robert G. Thorpe.

Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late William, Sr. and Maryann Dopirak Dowd and the sister of the late James Dowd.

Penny was a resident of Newtown for over 30 years having formerly residing in Philadelphia. She had worked with Bell Telephone in Philadelphia for 25 years retiring as a Supervisor. Also from a very young age, Penny was an accomplished Avon Representative for over 45 years. She was a Communicant of the Church of St. Andrew in Newtown and will be deeply missed by her family and by all who came to know her.

Penny is survived by her two step-children, William H. Thorpe and Donna Lynn Comas, her brother William E. Dowd, Jr. of Bensalem and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing Thursday, July 21, 2011 from 10:00AM until her Funeral Mass 11:00AM at the Church of St. Andrew, 81 Swamp Road Newtown, PA 18940.

Interment will follow at Our Lady of Grace Cemetery, Langhorne.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Bucks County SPCA, P.O. Box 277, Lahaska, PA 18931.

1SG Kenneth B. Elwell
United States Army

1SG Kenneth B. Elwell stationed at Ft. Wainwright, AK, with the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, and a lifelong resident of Holland, prior to his enlistment in the United States Army died heroically in Combat on Sunday, July 17 in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was 33.

He was the beloved husband of almost 9 years to Kristen A. Mirabella Elwell and the loving father of Elise and Nickolas.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, he was the dear son of Janice Smith Elwell.

1SG Elwell answered the call of his country back in 1997 when he fulfilled his dream and enlisted in the United States Army, and on July 17th he made the ultimate sacrifice for his Country when his unit came under attack by enemy forces. He faithfully and honorably served 1 Tour of Duty in Bosnia, 1 Tour in South Korea, 2 Tours in Iraq, and 1 Tour in Afghanistan.

Ken was a 1997 graduate of Council Rock High School. He was an accomplished Varsity Soccer Player since the 9th Grade. He was also a member of the Ukrainian Nationals Team, Fox Chase and Northampton Soccer Clubs. He also competed in the Keystone State Games and Inner County Soccer tournaments.

Ken will be sorely missed by everyone who came to know and love him and also by the grateful Nation for which he swore to protect against tyranny and oppression.

In addition to his beloved wife, children and loving mother, Ken is survived by his 3 brothers Michael J Elwell (Eileen) of Croydon, Mahlon D. Elwell of Holland, and Scott A. Elwell (Joanne) of Bensalem, and his sister Susan A. Burkhard (Douglas) of Pineville. He is also survived by his Uncle John Smith, 5 nieces, 2 nephews, 1 great niece, and 2 cousins.

Relatives, friends, members of the Armed Forces and his community are invited to offer their condolences on Sunday, August 7, 2011, from 3:00 PM until his Funeral Service at 6:00PM from the Church of St. Andrew 81 Swamp Rd. Newtown, PA 18940.

Interment with Full Military Honors will be conducted at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at precisely 11:00AM.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Kenneth Elwell Family Trust, 3512 Ashville St. Phila., PA 19136.

George R. Gentile of Churchville, PA died peacefully on Thursday, July 14, 2011, at his home surrounded by his family. He was 74.

He was the beloved husband of Catherine M. Herb Gentile for 51 years.

He was the son of the late George and Anna Page Gentile.

Born in Manhattan, NY, he was a resident of Warminster for 32 years before recently moving to Churchville. George was a veteran of the Korean War having served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was employed in sales for many years working in the health and beauty aides industry. He will be sadly missed as a loving husband, father and grandfather.

In addition to his beloved wife, he is survived by his three children, Georgann M. McGill and her husband, James, of Churchville, George R. Gentile Jr. of Stafford, VA and Anthony P. Gentile and his wife, Marybeth, of Jamison. He is also survived by his brother, Thomas Gentile of Philadelphia and his six loving grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, from 8:30 AM until 10:15 AM at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Road (at Holland Road), Richboro, PA 18954 followed by his Funeral Mass 11:00 AM at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 654 Hatboro Road, Richboro.

Interment will be held privately at George Washington Memorial Park.

Joseph N. Rosella of Holland, PA died peacefully on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, at his daughter’s residence in Warwick. He was 97.

He was the beloved husband of the late Elsie T. Sokolowski Rosella and the late Amelia “Molly” Dalesandro Rosella.

Born in Boston, MA, he was the son of the late Michael and Carmella Mercuri Rosella and brother of the late Jenny Dickson.

Mr. Rosella was a resident of Holland for the past two years and formerly resided in the Rhawnhurst section of Philadelphia for 57 years. Before retiring in 1971, he was employed as a machinist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for 32 years. During that time, Mr. Rosella was president of both the machinist union and the metal trades union. After retiring, he then started a family contracting business with his son and continued working until he reached the age of 93. He was a past Grand Knight and member of Father Thomas Ryan Council #5036 of the Knights of Columbus in Philadelphia. In his leisure time, he enjoyed taking trips to Atlantic City, NJ and visiting the casinos for a game of chance. He was an avid Phillies fan.

He is survived by his three children, Constance D. Coffin and her husband, Jay, of Warwick, Joseph M. Rosella and his wife, Karen, of Holland, and Joseph Dalesandro and his wife, Donna, of Brigantine, NJ, his brother, Lou Rosella and his wife, Clara, of Philadelphia, and his sister, Clara Brennan and her husband, Michael, of Wrightstown. He is also survived by his 7 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Saturday, July 16, 2011, from 9:00 AM until his Funeral Mass 10:00 AM at St. Bede the Venerable Church, 1071 Holland Road, Holland, PA 18966. Interment will take place at Resurrection Cemetery, Bensalem, PA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Compassionate Care Hospice, 3331 Street Road, Suite 410, Bensalem, PA 19020.

Peter Taratuski, of Churchville, PA died suddenly on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, at Holy Redeemer Hospital. He was 64.

He was the beloved husband of 40 years to Martha Cannon Taratuski.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, he was the son of the late Peter and Marion McNesby Taratuski.

Peter grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Father Judge High School in 1964. After graduation, he attended Temple University. He served his country in the Army and was stationed in South Korea and Vietnam before being honorably discharged in 1971. He was employed as a union carpenter for 30 years and was a member of Local Union No. 8 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America. He will be sadly missed as a loving husband, father, brother and uncle.

In addition to his beloved wife, Peter is survived by his daughters Amanda and her husband Bruce Pierpont of Garwood, NJ, and Jessica of Red Cliff, CO, his brother Michael Taratuski and his wife Kathleen of Feasterville, PA, and his sister Anne Fanelli and her husband Thomas of Huntingdon Valley, PA.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Saturday, July 16, 2011, from 1:30 PM until his Funeral Service 3:30 PM at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd., (at Holland Rd) Richboro. His interment will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to American Heart Association, Memorial Fulfillment Center, 5455 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43214.

Grady D. “Don” Blackburn of Richboro passed away Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at his home. He was 64.

Don was the beloved husband of Shirley Ginther Blackburn for almost 45 years.

Born in Huntsville, AL, he was the son of the late Harvey Owen and Lera Burke Blackburn and the brother of the late David A. Blackburn.

Don resided in Philadelphia for many years before moving to Richboro in 1995. He was a former Philadelphia Police Officer and Detective for over 25 years until his retirement in 1995. He eventually went to work with Atlantic Health in Morristown, NJ, where he recently became a Compliance Manager. Don was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy. In his leisure time he enjoyed hunting and salt water fishing on his boat at the New Jersey shore.

Don was a dedicated father and grandfather who especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He will be deeply missed as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend to all who knew him.

In addition to his beloved wife Shirley, Don is survived by his loving children and their spouses, Robert J. and Kerry Blackburn of West Chester, PA and Kelly A. and Michael Giordano of Churchville, PA. He is also survived by his two brothers, Ronald O. Blackburn of Huntsville, AL and Dale L. Blackburn of Gadsden, AL; his sister, Karen J. Blackburn of Ringgold, GA, and his four cherished grandchildren, Richard, Bridget, Michael and Megan.

His family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, July 22, 2011 from 10:00 A.M. until his Funeral Mass 11:00 A.M., at St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church, 654 Hatboro Road, Richboro, PA. A private burial will be held at St. John the Baptist Cemetery in Pottsville, PA at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Brain Tumor Association, 2720 River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018.

Michael A. Blatz of Washington Crossing, PA died suddenly on Sunday, July 10, 2011, while riding his mountain bike at Washington Crossing Historic Park in NJ. He was 45.

He was the beloved husband of Sandra Y. Kitka Blatz for 20 years.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of Donna Marie Garcea Blatz of Doylestown, PA and Robert W. Blatz and his wife, Judith, of Bradenton, FL.

Mike was a resident of Washington Crossing for the past 12 years. He graduated from Truman High School in Levittown, Class of 1984 and received his bachelor degree in Business from Temple University, Class of 1988. Mike was employed as a certified financial planner with Janney, Montgomery, Scott and three years ago, along with his business partner, Dan Levin, started 1776 Capital Management Group. Mike enjoyed his work and was especially proud of the success of the company. He was a dedicated father who was actively involved with his children especially coaching their soccer and baseball teams. In his leisure time, he was an outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed skiing, hiking and biking. Mike touched everyone’s lives with his gregarious personality and positive outlook on life. He will be sadly missed as a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend to many.

In addition to his beloved wife and parents, he is survived by his three children, Jessica L. Blatz, Julia M. Blatz, and Ethan M. Blatz, all of Washington Crossing, PA and his sister, Kimberly A. Politz and her husband, Christopher, of Dallas, TX and aunt & uncle, Anna and Gordon Leib of New York, NY. He is also survived by his parents-in-law, Barbara and Andrew Kitka of Richboro, his three sisters-in-law, Holly Baider and her husband, Scott, of Woodbury, CT, Andrea Mazzolla and her husband, John, of Doylestown, and Jennifer Kitka and her fiance’, Michael Pramberger, of Philadelphia, and also his two nieces and four nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Thursday evening, July 14, 2011, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and Friday, July 15, 2011, from 9:00 AM until his Funeral Service 10:00 AM at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Road (at Holland Road), Richboro, PA 18954. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Blatz Children Educational Trust Fund, C/O Sovereign Bank, 1102 Taylorsville Road, Washington Crossing, PA 18977.

Martin E. Boekel, of Warminster, died peacefully on Friday, July 8, 2011, at Abington Hospice at Warminster. He was 77.
He was the beloved husband of 52 years to Marianne Blumenstock Boekel.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Herman and Martha Schwittay Boekel.
He is also survived by his children; Debbie Riener and her husband Michael, David Boekel and his wife Joyce, Brian Boekel and his wife Sharon, and was dearly known as “Goggy” to his devoted grandchildren; Nicholas, Brandon, Sophie, Emily, Allie, Garrett, Evan and Connor; his brother Eric Boekel, his wife Dolores, his nieces Jackie and Carol and late nephew Bob.
Marty was a resident of Warminster for the past 2 years, having been a 40 year resident of Richboro.
He was a graduate of Northeast High School, class of 1952; he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Drexel University in 1961 and his Masters in Civil Engineering from Villanova University in 1966. Marty’s professional career spanned many years, he worked for the Federal Government in the Department of Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for 25 years. He turned his engineering focus to the telecommunications industry and joined RCA and GE Aerospace, working on contracts with the US Air Force. He retired in 2003, after working with Verizon Wireless developing cellular sites throughout the tri-state area.
Marty was a man of many talents, never missing an opportunity to be with family and friends, as a little league coach for his children, cheering for his favorite Philadelphia sports teams and Penn State Football or a round of golf with buddies. Marty, believed in his community and was a member of the Northampton Planning Commission for 16 years. He was a proud veteran of the United States Army and a faithful member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Marty’s family will receive condolences on Tuesday evening from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd, (at Holland Rd.) Richboro, and on Wednesday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 877 Street Rd (at Knowles Ave) Southampton from 9:00am until his funeral services at 9:30am.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Memorial Fund of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at the above address or Fox Chase Cancer Center 333 Cottman Ave. Phila PA 19111.