Tributes 2009-04-17

Hazel Anderson, 80

YOUNGSTOWN – Services will be at noon today, April 17, 2009, at the Alpha & Omega First Baptist Church for Mrs. Hazel Anderson, 80, who departed this life Friday, April 10, 2009, at Briarfield Manor.

Mrs. Anderson was born Jan. 2, 1929 in Youngstown, a daughter of Sanford and Myrtle Williamson Gidney.

She attended the Youngstown City Schools and was employed as a domestic technician, retiring in 2002.

She was a member of the Alpha & Omega First Baptist Church and its culinary ministry. She enjoyed cooking, shopping and spending precious moments with her family.

Her husband, Henry, whom she married Sept. 25, 1986, passed away June 18, 2004.

She leaves to cherish her beloved memory, a son, John O. (Jean) Robinson Jr. of Meridian, Miss; loving sisters and brothers, Willard (Mary) Gidney, Virginia McRae and Marion (Lee T.) Rucker, all of Youngstown; four grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a brother, Warren Gidney.

Friends may call today from 11 a.m. to noon at the church.

Arrangements are entrusted to the L.E. Black, Phillips and Holden Funeral Home.

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Michael H. Atwood, 52

HUBBARD – Michael H. Atwood, 52, passed away Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at 3:10 a.m. at Sharon Regional Hospital after a very courageous battle with cancer.

Mr. Atwood was born on Dec. 29, 1956 in Youngstown, the son of Henry C. and Joan M. (Brown) Atwood.

He was a graduate of Liberty High School and had served his country in the U.S. Army. He had been employed by Sharon Regional Hospital as a surgical technician.

In his leisure time, he enjoyed golfing, biking, and taking long walks along the railroad tracks.

Michael leaves behind his son, Michael Atwood of Texas; his two daughters, Carla Atwood of Youngstown and Tara Atwood of Hubbard; and his two sisters, Patti Koncar of Hermitage, Pa. and Beth Carter of North Carolina.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A time of remembrance in Michael’s honor will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2009, at 3239 Lewis-Seifert Road, Hubbard, OH 44425 at 1 p.m. for friends and family.

Services are being handled by the Lane Funeral Homes, Madasz Chapel in Brookfield.

Family and friends may visit www.lanefuneralhomes.com to send condolences.

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Dennis J. Carroll

WINDBER, PA. – Dennis J. “Bud” or “Nuz” Carroll, went peacefully to be with the Lord on Saturday, April 11, 2009, at Windber Hospice, surrounded by family and friends.

He was born Nov. 21, 1945 in Windber, the son of John and Marie Homway Carroll Rodgers.

He was preceded in death by his father, John Carroll; mother, Marie Carroll Rodgers; stepfather, William Rodgers; sister, Debi Rodgers Stiffler; and nephew, John Tessari.

He is survived by his daughters, Renee Carroll and Stacey Carroll Kolesar; son-in-law, Anthony (Tony) Kolesar; and was the proud grandfather of Tyler Carroll and Dylan and Alexis Kolesar, all from Girard. He is also survived by six brothers, seven sisters and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He formerly worked at General Motors Lordstown and Fetteroff Coal Mines in Somerset, Pa. He was a member of UMWA Local 6410.

Services will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 18, 2009, at the Meek & Dalla-Valle Funeral Home in Windber, where friends may call from 2 p.m. until the time of service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in memory of Dennis to the family.

Please visit www.meekfuneralhome.com to view this obituary.

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Estella Laura Cox, 69

EUCLID – Services will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at the New Galilee C.O.G.I.C., 903 Franklin Ave. in Youngstown, for Mrs. Estella Laura Cox, 69, formerly of Campbell, who departed this life Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at her home.

Mrs. Cox was born Oct. 1, 1939 in Campbell, a daughter of Ulysses and Carrie Jackson Vanderhurst.

A homemaker, she enjoyed fishing, crocheting, music, dancing and cooking, as well as sleepovers and coloring with her grandchildren.

She attended the Community Baptist Church in Euclid and was a member of the N.A.A.C.P.

Her husband, Sylvester, whom she married May 25, 1961, passed away Sept. 26, 2000.

She leaves to cherish her beloved memory, two sons, John A. Cox of Baltimore and Sylvester Van (Heidi) Cox IV of Cleveland; two daughters, Sylvia A. Cox of Youngstown and Carrie Cox (Charles) Bluford of Bedford Heights; two stepchildren, Sylvester (Rochelle) Cox Jr. of Campbell and Ronald (Michelle) Walker of Youngstown; 14 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Anna Marie Cox; a brother, Jesse Vanderhurst; three sisters, Atan Tensley, Alberta Greene and Elizabeth Pixley.

Friends may call Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. at the church.

Arrangements are entrusted to the L.E. Black, Phillips and Holden Funeral Home in Youngstown.

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Mae K. Fares, 84

AUST1NTOWN – Mae K. Fares, 84, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, April 12, 2009, at her home.

Ms. Fares was born Feb. 24, 1925 in Youngstown, one of 10 children of the late Lulu and Sab Fares.

As a very young girl, Mae worked in her family’s ice cream cone factory, packing cones, and in the 1940s, delivering cones with her dad to Handel’s, Parker’s and Idora Park. She was the “sparkle” in her daddy’s eyes. She loved to work in everything she pursued.

Mae graduated in 1943 from Woodrow Wilson High School. She was a cheerleader and majorette and was voted the most popular female student in her graduating class. In 1960, she was the organizer of the 25th Woodrow Wilson Class Reunion, the first reunion for the class of 1943, which turned out to be a huge success.

During World War II, Mae worked as an acetylene welder at MacKenzie Muffler and at General Fireproofing.

In 1945, she became a licensed hairdresser after graduating from the Ohio School of Cosmetology and the Lewis School of Advance Styling in New York. In Youngstown, she worked at Strouss’ Beauty Salon, McKelvey’s and was manager at Roslyn’s Salon. In New York, she worked at Bloomingdale’s and Robert’s on Fifth Avenue.

As a hairdresser, she had many models and celebrities as clients and many friends and neighbors including the late Dolly and Al Hershfield and Margaret Sanger. In New York, she met her dear friends, Perry Como, Jake Lamotta, Willie Pep, Mickey Rooney, and many more through her companion, Tony Janiro, who preceded her in death on Feb. 21, 1985.

Mae was a great dancer and won a jitterbug contest at Idora Park in the 1940s. She loved sports, especially softball, ice skating, roller skating and bowling. She enjoyed watching her sons wrestling meets, was a serious football fan, and encouraged and supported her sons in all sports including Little League Baseball. She was a benefactor of the Fitch Wrestling Team and Little League Baseball.

Mae was a gourmet cook and she loved to bake. She enjoyed sewing, crafts, crocheting, embroidery, machine embroidery and tatting. She also designed Halloween costumes in the 1960s that won first place for five years at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and won first place at Elm’s Ballroom and St. Maron’s Church.

Ms. Fares became a real estate broker in 1971 and had owned and operated Mae’s Realty since 1972. She received a teaching certificate in real estate from The Ohio State University in 1976. She was also a decorator, remodeling seven houses and two commercial buildings, doing the labor herself with the help of her sons.

Mae hosted the “Fares & Cousins” family reunions in 1999 and again in 2001. The count of family members in attendance exceeded 150. A family book that Mae created and had printed was given to each family member as a gift.

She was a member of the Pyramid Club at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Mae leaves three sons, Robert J. Vesia (Cindy Goerres) of Alpine, Calif., William Vesia (Cindy Barnes) of Diamond and Joseph Vesia of California; a daughter-in-law, Robin Vesia of Howland; and four grandchildren, Alexander and Serena of Alpine, Rachel of Howland and Will of Diamond.

A son, Victor J. Vesia, died Jan. 20, 1993. Her siblings, Bud J. Fares, James Fares, Delia Hanna and Rose Marie Barkett, are also deceased.

Known by all her friends as a caring and loving mother, grandmother and friend, Mae had a sense of humor and her personality was a real attribute that touched everyone she met.

She will be missed by her grandchildren and her special nephews and nieces, Bud J. Fares, Buddy W. and Maria Fares, Gigi Jenkins, Mary Rose Hanna, Cathi Cordetti and Betty Phillips and their families. She will also be missed by her caring friends, Sharon Bowers, Danny Grubbs, Meter Fromel, Ted Terlesky, Marge Julian, Mark Cleland and Sister Frances Marie Sopko OSU, who watched over Mae always.

When asked “What was your greatest accomplishment in life?”, Mae replied, “other than helping young couples buy their home and providing them with knowledge about their purchase, it was raising her four boys as a single mother, with the tremendous help of the Lord.”

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Mae at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 16, 2009, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Austintown. A committal service followed at Resurrection Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home.

Mae’s family suggests that anyone wishing to honor Mae’s memory with monetary donations may do so by donating to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4490 Norquest Blvd., Austintown, OH 44515, or to the Ursuline Sisters, 4250 Shields Road, Canfield, OH 44406, or to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, for heart research.

Please visit kinnickfuneralhome.com to view this obituary and send condolences.

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Edward Lincoln Pates, 87

YOUNGSTOWN – Graveside service will be at noon on Monday at Tod Homestead Cemetery for Edward Lincoln Pates, 87, who departed this life Monday, April 13, 2009, at Forum Health Northside Medical Center.

Mr. Pates was born Oct. 21, 1921 in Shelby, Miss., a son of Frank and Eva McKnight Pates.

He worked for Youngstown Sheet and Tube and as a security guard in the Youngstown area. He was a U.S. Army veteran during World War II. He was baptized at and a former member of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, sang in its male chorus, where he was well known for his rendition of “Precious Lord” and served as a security guard there.

He leaves his wife, the former Rubye L. Jones, whom he married Oct. 24, 1953; sons, Edward L. Jr., Raymond and Wayne Pates, all of Birmingham, Ala., Abdulmateen (Ayesha) Salaam of Cleveland; daughter, Nothrice A. Pates of Youngstown; adopted daughters, Mariana Gullatte of Atlanta and Vivian Martin of Youngstown; a brother, Clarence Pates of Washington, D.C.; a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and cousins; and other relatives and friends.

His parents; three sisters, Geneva Shy, Ethel Anderson and Syretha McConnell; a brother, Sterling Pates; and a stepson, Terry Thomas, preceded him in death.

Arrangements are being handled by the F.D. Mason Memorial Funeral Home Inc.

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Allison Skruck, 51

WADSWORTH – Allison Skruck, 51, died Thursday, April 16, 2009.

She was born June 1, 1957 in Warren to the late Earl and Dolores Hudgins.

Mrs. Skruck was a member of the Living Hope United Methodist Church, where she was very faithful in running the food pantry, and was known for collecting teddy bears, a member of Wadsworth Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, and a member of the Ohio State Firefighters Association Ladies Auxiliary.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Earlene Hewitt.

Allison is survived by her husband, Larry; her sons, Jeff Terwilliger of Wadsworth and Michael (Carrie) of Chicago; granddaughter, Emily; sisters and brothers-in-law, Hope and Richard Myers of Wadsworth, Sandra Hudgins of Barberton and Mary and Doyle Haughney of Talihina, Okla.; brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Pat Hudgins of Sterling, Mark and Angie Hudgins of Wamego, Kan. and Lee Bendel of Wadsworth; her niece, Chrissy Simmons of Wadsworth, along with her children, Matthew Scott, Savahana and Mason; and nephews, Mike (Kathy) Hudgins of Medina and David Hudgins of Akron.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, April 20, 2009, at the Hilliard-Rospert Funeral Home, 174 N. Lyman St. in Wadsworth, with Pastor Dave McGrath officiating.

Interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Living Hope United Methodist Church Food Pantry, 3406 S. Hametown Road, Norton, OH 44203 or the Wadsworth Fire and EMS Association, 153 Lyman St. Wadsworth, OH 44281.

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Martha D. Vukovic, 89

LIBERTY – Martha D. Vukovic, 89, formerly of Struthers, died Wednesday April 15, 2009, at Windsor House at Liberty Health Care.

Martha was born Dec. 17, 1919 in Youngstown, to the late Joseph and Mary Petrik Phillip (S) (Filip).

She was a beautician at Strouss Hirshberg Store and Assumption Nursing Home. She was a member of St. Nicholas Church, its Altar and Rosary Guild, the Slovak Catholic Sokols Branch No. 132, Order of St. Francis and Catholic Daughters of St. Anne Court No. 1875. She was an avid dog lover, gardener and card player. She loved playing 500 bid with her sister Helen. She pitched softball and was a member of the Women’s International Bowling Congress as a young woman. She also enjoyed playing the piano.

She is survived by two sons, Thomas (Anna) Vukovic of Marietta and Richard (Lydia) Vukovic of McDonald; two daughters, Chris Ann (Gary) Thompson and Ginny Fairhurst of Cedar Lake, Ind.; a brother, Thomas Filip of Boardman; eight grandchildren, Mark, Joseph, Richard, Adam, Matthew and Corey Vukovic and Scott and Molly Fairhurst; and four great-grandchildren, Abby, Mabel, Martha Cumming Vukovic and Erika Olivio Vukovic.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter Vukovic, whom she married Jan. 10, 1949, and he died Feb. 16, 1967; seven brothers, Joseph, Cyril, Vincent, Frank, Andrew, Stanley and Edward Phillip; and eight sisters, Sr. Annunciata, Sr. M. Vincent, Catherine Warfel, Agnes Behan, Olga, Magdaline, Julia Phillip and Helen P. Sapara.

Visiting hours will be today from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Kirila Funeral Home Inc., 258 Poland Ave. in Struthers.

Services will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home and 10:30 a.m. at St. Nicholas Church in Struthers.

Please visit www.kirilafh.com to view this obituary and send online condolences.

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Michael T. Welke, 65

WARREN – Michael T. Welke, 65, died following a short illness at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 16, 2009, at his home surrounded by his family.

Mike was born May 12, 1943 in Warren, the son of Theodore and Evelyn (Weston) Welke.

A lifetime area resident, he was a 1961 graduate of Howland High School, and served in the U S Army.

He was employed as a mechanic for Daniels Motor Freight, worked for the Champion Fire Department, and then was a Warren City Firefighter for 26 1/2 years, retiring in 1997 as a Lieutenant. Mike also owned and operated Welke’s Antenna Service for many years.

He was a handyman and mechanic and was always fixing things for anyone who asked. He was interested in politics and had volunteered on many local campaigns. He was a member of the Warren Police and Fire Retirees and the Warren Moose Lodge.

He will be missed by his wife of 43 years, Lynda (Cope) Welke, whom he married June 19, 1965; a son, Michael (Kelly) Welke of Warren; daughters, Tina Welke-Pflager and Sheila Welke, both of Warren; and seven grandchildren, Marissa and Kaitlyn Welke, Dylan, Lexie and Michael Pflager and Samantha and Teddy Arthur. He also leaves four brothers, Nelson of Warren, Richard (Sue) Black of Blacksburg, S.C., Ted of Garrettsville and Patrick James Welke of Florida.

Services will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 2009, at the Roberts-Clark Chapel, with the Rev. Myron Daum officiating.

Friends will be received from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home, where an honor guard from the Warren Fire Department will be posted.

Interment will be at Crown Hill Burial Park ,where military rites will be observed.

The family suggests that material contributions be made to Celtic Healthcare Hospice, 3530 Belmont Ave., Suite 7, Youngstown, OH 44505 or the American Cancer Society, 525 North Broad St., Canfield, OH 44406.

Visit www.robertsclarkchapel.com to view this obituary online or send condolences.

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