Mary Catherine Forsberg
Mary Catherine Forsberg, 95, passed away in Atlantic Beach, Fla., on January 29, 2014. She was born in West Milton, Ohio, and moved to Atlantic Beach eight years ago from Sun City Center, Fla.,where she was a member of Christ Church of Sun City Center.
A woman of many talents, she won a Chevy Corvair in the 1950s as the result of a sales contest and created a cookbook of over 300 recipes, many of which she prepared with expertise. She and her late husband founded the Academy Ballroom Dance Club, where they taught ballroom dancing and provided the music for 25 years. An avid golfer, she was also a member of the Caloosa Golf and Country Club.
She is predeceased by husband Carl and is survived by son Bruce Forsberg (Linda) of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; daughter Carla Cormany (Garrit) of Bozeman, Mont.; grandchildren David Forsberg (Jennifer), Steven Forsberg (Lisa), Katie Wienhardt (Brent) and Josh Cormany (Nicole); nine great-grandchildren; brother Herbert Fogle of Troy, Ohio; and sister June Bell, also of Troy.
A graveside service will be held at a later date in Troy, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida.
Virginia Lee Jeffries Gummere
Virginia Lee Jeffries Gummere, 95, passed peacefully into the next world at her home in Wilkesboro, Pa., on February 2, 2014.
Virginia was married for 67 years to Walter Cooper Gummere Jr., during which time they enjoyed raising their family as well as many travels at home and abroad. Virginia was a devoted volunteer in the numerous places they lived, working in programs with children with special needs, as a docent for historical societies, and on various boards with art guilds and zoos. She was an avid gardener, enjoying more than anything to dig in the dirt and plant her always enormous and always prolific vegetable garden.
Virginia is survived by daughters Glenn Stewart and Rebecca Gummere; grandchildren Tricia Stewart Shiu (Eric), Cassie Stafford (Brett), Joie Scott (Jeff), Jeff Lilgendahl (Jennifer Pals), Landon Smith (Brandi), Liam Carey, and Maggie Carey; and great-grandchildren Sydney Shiu; Haley and Jackson Stafford; Avery and Charlie Scott; Henry Lilgendahl; and John Walker and Sally Kate Smith; former son-in-law Chuck Lilgendahl (Betsy) and many devoted friends at Rose Glen Village and elsewhere.
Preceding her in death were husband, Walter Gummere, daughter Debbie Lilgendahl, and grandson Cooper Carey.
The family plans a private memorial service at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to OASIS Inc. online at www.oasisinc.org or by check to PO Box 1591, Boone, NC 28607; or to Kiva, online at http://www.kiva.org/about/supportus or by check to: Microfunds, Kiva Attn: Chief Development Officer, 875 Howard St., Suite 340, San Francisco, CA 94103.
On-line condolences may be sent to the family at the website www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.
Helen Marie Moore
Helen Marie (Regan) Moore, born August 22, 1925, made her transition February 7, 2014. A resident of Kings Point in Sun City Center, she formerly was from Minnesota.
She is survived by her loving children Jim, Dan, Mike, Cathy and Suze; grandchildren Amy, Matt, Josh, Dan, Jeff, Ryan, Eric, Omar and Evan; and great-grandchildren Madison, Wyatt, Paige, Demerrick and Martel.
A Joyous Celebration of Life will be from 10 a.m. to noon in the Banquet Room of the Kings Point North Clubhouse, on Thursday, Feb. 27. Refreshments will be offered.
Internment will be with her loving husband, Army Major Merle E. Moore, at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, later in the spring.
Woodward D. Pealer
Woodward “Woody” D. Pealer, 92, born May 18, 1921, a retired businessman, Judge of the Maryland Tax Court, philanthropist and avid golfer, died on January 21, 2014, in Sun City Center, Fla., where he had resided since 1982. Mr. Pealer was a native of Cumberland, Maryland, and predeceased by his loving wife, the former Virginia “Jenny” Louise Smith.
In 1956 and 1957, Mr. Pealer was voted the most outstanding young man in Allegany County and was considered among the most outstanding young men in the State of Maryland, for which he was nominated.
In 1962, the Congressional Record of the United States Congress published a speech by then-US Sen. J. Glenn Beall, Sr., recognizing “Woody Pealer” to be one of the most decorated veterans in Allegany County. Mr. Pealer flew 55 combat missions in World War II with the 12th Air Force, for which he was highly decorated, including the Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster (twice wounded), the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters and a Presidential Unit Citation. While serving with the 12th Air Force, he was specifically selected to have an audience at the Vatican with Pope Pius XII.
Aside from his business activity, Mr. Pealer was actively involved in many fraternal and civic affairs while in Cumberland, and was instrumental in organizing the area’s first County United Fund, which he served as president. Mr. Pealer was a past Potentate of the Ali Ghan Shrine Temple; a two-term director of the Cumberland Chamber of Commerce; past president of the Sacred Heart Hospital; vice-president of the Cumberland Lions Club; and cochairman of the Cumberland Sports Car Races, the largest closed-circuit races in the US at the time.
As a cochairman of the Lions Sports Car Races, he was successful in promoting the Cumberland area and contributing thousands of dollars to area charities.
In addition, Mr. Pealer was a director of the Salvation Army, Central YMCA, and was chairman of the Brotherhood Dinner, the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
Other civic endeavors were secretary-treasurer of the Cabri Chapter No. 156 International Order of Past Potentates; first chairman of the Civil Service Commission of Allegany County; member of the Wage and Hour Committee for the State of Maryland; and chairman of the Alcoholic Beverage Liquor Control Board of Allegany County.
For 12 years he was treasurer and cochairman of the Republican Party Finance Committee, which included serving as Western Maryland Treasurer for US Senators J. Glenn Beall, Sr., McCharles Mathais, and J. Glenn Beall, Jr. He was a guest of President and Mrs. Nixon for one of their few Sunday worship services in the White House, which was followed by Brunch.
In 1974 Mr. Pealer began a six-year term as Judge of the Maryland Tax Court. Only three citizens of Allegany County have ever served on this Court for Tax Appeals.
Frostburg State University has dedicated its Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Building to honor the accomplishments of Mr. Pealer. In 2009 FSU publicly recognized Mr. Pealer’s considerable achievements and generous support of the University and its students by conveying upon him an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters and Lifetime Achievement Award.
A memorial service will be held for Mr. Pealer this spring at Arlington National Cemetery, where he will be honored for his considerable service to the country and his remains will be buried. In lieu of flowers, Mr. Pealer desired that donations to Frostburg State University be made in his memory.
Paul Rahn
Paul Rahn, 75, of Wimauma, Florida (formally of Endicott, N.Y.), lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on February 7, 2014.
He is survived by his loving family: wife of 51 years, Marylin (Reillly) Rahn; daughters and their families — Dawn, Tom, Adriana and Alex D’Agostino, Rochester, N.Y.; Colleen, Ben, Bennett, Oliver and Georgia Yang, Potomac, Md.; Stacy, John, Stanley, Reilly, Joseph and Claire Refermat, Rochester, N.Y., sister BJ Rahn, New York, N.Y.; brothers- and sisters-in-law, several nieces and nephews and many friends.
Paul was a kind and generous man who took great pleasure in helping others in any way he could. He loved his family and his friends deeply.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, at St. Anne Church, Ruskin. Expressions of sympathy in memory of Paul may be made to LifePath Hospice, 12470 Telecom Dr., Suite 300, Temple Terrace, FL 33637 or to Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, 55 Ryder Rd., Ossining, NY 10562.
