Michael “Mikey” Joseph Difilippo, 89, of Kennett Square, died
Wednesday, Nov. 16, at his residence. He was the husband of Grace
Neidlein DiFilippo, with whom he shared 64 years of marriage.
Born in Springdale, he was the son of the late Michael J.
DiFilippo Sr. and Anna DiPaola DiFilippo.
Mikey was the meat department manager at the Acme Market in
Kennett Square, retiring in 1984 after 36 years of service. After his
retirement, he worked for 20 years butchering deer and game in his shop at
home.
He was a member of St. Patrick’s Church, the Italian
American Club and the VFW Post No.5467, all of Kennett Square.
He enjoyed being with his family and friends, especially his
grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son, Albert
M. DiFilippo and his wife Ruth S. of Baywood Greens, Long Neck, Del.;
three daughters, Kathy Corby and her husband Nick of Kennett Square Michele
DiFilippo of Kennett Square, and Joanne Tighe of Kennett Square; three sisters,
Eva Hallman of Kennett Square, Mildred Jordan of Yorklyn, and Marie Leone
of Kennett Square; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Mikey was predeceased by one son, Thomas Patrick DiFilippo.
You are invited to visit with his family and friends from
8:15 to 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22, at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, 250
West State Street, Kennett Square, (Phone: 610-444-4116). His Mass of Christian
Burial will follow at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 212 Meredith Street,
Kennett Square, PA. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Kennett Square.
Hope Miller Swamer, 87, died on Nov. 15, at Jennersville. She
was the widow of Frederic W. Swamer, and the widow of Clarence S Miller.
She is survived by her children, MaryAnn Russ of Dallas,
Texas, Alan Todd Miller of Quakertown, John Malcolm Miller of Bellingham, Wash.,
Martha Jane Hill of Sarasota, Florida, Elizabeth Hope LeVan of Shunk,
Pennsylvania, five grandchildren, Phoebe Long Faden of Lewisburg, Racer Richard
LeVan of Chicago, Ill., Claire Elizabeth Russ of Philadelphia, John Gregory
Russ of Dallas, Texas, and Jennie Ann Russ of Olympia, Wash., and two great grandchildren,
Otto Roy Faden and Mette Hope Faden of Lewisburg. Two step-daughters also survive,
Joanne Swamer Kopp of Hoboken, N.J. and Sandra Swamer Mulligan of Newark, Del. Mrs.
Swamer was preceded in death by her sister, Jane Crittenden Harris, and her two
brothers, Todd Crittenden and Jordan Crittenden.
Mrs. Swamer was born in Casper, Wyo., daughter of Ruth
Meller Crittenden and John J. Crittenden. She grew up in Wichita, Kan.,
graduated from East High School there in 1941, and from the University of
Kansas with a degree in music education in 1945. In 1972 she received a master’s
in music education from West Chester State University. Her college honors
include Mu Phi Epsilon, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Mortar Board.
For many years she gave piano lessons in her home. She
was active in music at the Church of the Advent, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania,
serving as assistant organist/choir director, substitute organist and choir
member.
She taught at West Chester Friends, at Marbrook School in
Delaware, and retired from ten years of teaching at Elwyn Institutes.
Elwyn published her book, Music Curriculum for Developmentally Delayed
Students.
Since retirement, she volunteered with: Meals on Wheels, the
Longwood Gardens Horticultural Library, the Adult Day Care center in West
Chester, Pennsylvania, and the Tick Tock Shop
Her Memorial Service will be at 3:00, Saturday, Dec. 3, at
the Episcopal Church of the Advent, 401 N. Union Street, Kennett Square, PA.
Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Church
of the Advent, Memorial Fund , 201 Crestline Drive, Kennett Square,
PA 19348.
Arrangements by the Foulk & Grieco Funeral Home, West
Grove, PA (Phone: 610-869-2685)
Salute to WW II Veterans Benefits Wounded Warriors
Eric Wiesenhutter received a directive to document on film the horror of the concentration camp from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in case anyone in the future denies what happened. During his march across Europe with the Third Army, Wiesenhutter witnessed the violence of war. Nothing prepared him for what he saw in the concentration camps
Wiesenhutter’s story was one of several that were told during a gathering to honor World War II Veterans at Radley Run Country Club on Nov. 16. What is rare is that most combat veterans do not speak about their experiences in public. On this day as a group they shared their recollections.
Pay for those often called the greatest generation doesn’t seem the greatest looking back. A seaman’s pay was twenty one dollars a month. One and a half time pay was awarded for overseas duty.
Radioman Bill Dettwyler said that news was often 7 to 10 days late in arriving. However when President Roosevelt died, the news was relayed to his ship within one and a half hours of the death. Dettwyler had to make the announcement to his shipmates.
“Fast” Freddie Eufrasio described the assault on Omaha Beach D-Day. Eufrasio told of the death of his friends and capturing German soldiers his part of one of the most dramatic days of World War II.
The only people in uniforms were re-enactors Lee and Ann Terrey. Their plans to arrive in their World War II jeep was scuttled by the rain storm.
Veterans answered questions asked at a program to salute those who served in World War II held at Radley Run Country Club. The event was sold out well in advance of the program.
The featured speaker, Dr. Joseph Strange, gave a blitzkrieg lecture of highlights of World War II. He enumerated the details of American manufacturing might which was awakened and thrust into the world conflict by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
All of the questioners from the audience as well as Dr. Strange expressed awe and appreciation at what the honored veterans dared and accomplished.
Proceeds from the event are to be contributed to The Wounded Warrior Project. www.WoundedWariorProject.org
Biographical information about the honored guests.
Bill Dettwyler – Radioman Second Class
Enlisted Jan 15 1944 discharged May 15 1946
Served on Sub Chaser #1356 and PT boat 375. Involved in the battles at Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. Awarded a Purple Heart.
Dominic Diarcangelo –Army, 1941-1944
Completed boot camp at Fort McCullan, AL.
8th Division, Company B-Weapons Platoon, Allied Expeditionary Force, D-Day, June 6, 1944, Omaha Beach. Fought through France Hedgerows
Wounded in Belgium, hospitalized for 8 months. Ribbon with two Battle Stars.
Europe: Omaha Beach, D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, Siegfried Line, Normandy, action in Germany, Prague. Served with General Pat-ton.
Pete Galantino –Seaman First Class
Served on the destroyer USS Shannon. The destroyers mission was to sweep for mines and then lay down buoys to develop ocean paths for other ships. The ship went thru the Panama Canal, then up the CA coast and over to Pearl Harbor then to many islands in the Pacific and ultimately off the coast of Japan.
Charlie Kazanjian –Squad Sergeant
Served in Europe, Major battles: Battle of the Bulge, Colmar Pocket and Crossing the Rhine. Hospitalized twice due to shell explosion and a gunshot to the bicep. Received 2 Purple Hearts. Still plays golf every week.
Cliff R. Long –Captain, Army Air Corp
Enlisted in the Army Air Corp Reserve in 1942. Called to active duty in March,1943; completed flight school in Jan. 1944 and com-missioned a 2nd Lt. Trained in India, flew combat missions in china and Burma in sup-port of the Chinese and American troops in the offensive to reopen the Burma Road. Decorations include: Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Medal, Asiatic/Pacific Cam-paign Medal and the Chinese Pilots Wings.
Raoul Pagin –US Army Air Corps
March, 1943–February, 1946
Completed boot camp in Virginia Beach. Served with the 1st Air Command as a state-side weapons instructor training fighter pilots aerial guns, 50 caliber machine guns for a P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang and Grumman Bombardier Slight for B-17 and B-29s and light bombing by fighter planes.
Alfred D. Roberts –Army, 1943-1946
Completed boot camp at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. Served in the 78th Infantry division. Was involved in the European theater, Battle of Ruhr Pocket, Germany from February-April, 1945.
Joseph C. Sicoli –Staff Sergeant,U.S. Army, Airborne
February 1942 to November 1945
326th Glider Infantry L company. His com-pany flew missions before the actual battle to check the terrain. Glider Infantry was a type of airborne infantry in which soldiers and their equipment were inserted into enemy con-trolled territory via military glider rather than parachute. Awarded the Bronze Star.
Alfred Peery Taylor –Army, Quartermaster Corp.
Drafted in 1943 and served until 1945. Trained in Camp Lee, VA, Montana and Vancouver before shipping out from San Fran on a converted luxury liner to Hawaii where he served in the Quartermaster Corp until 1945. Returned upon the fleet aircraft carrier, the Saratoga which was nearly lost at sea when it encountered a typhoon. Once home, he was reunited with his wife Dorothy and met his 2-year old son Jerry for the 1st time.
Sam Walker –Navy, Quartermaster-Petty Officer 3rd Class; Mid-1944 – Mid-1946
Served on the USS Duplin. Sam was de-ployed initially in the Atlantic to the European Theatre then on to Marseilles, France. From Marseilles, to the Pacific Theater through the Panama Canal. While in port at the Marshall Islands, the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He then sailed for Manila Bay and the Southern Philippine Islands mostly carrying materials. The USS Duplin encoun-tered a five-day typhoon on their way to Ja-pan. Sam was honorably discharged from the Navy in San Francisco.
Eric Wiesenhutter Third Army, enlistedAugust 21, 1941
Joined this unit just after they landed at Nor-mandy and continued with them through Czechoslovakia. His mission was to film ac-tion for documentation purposes. His tour culminated at the concentration camps. Rank at the time of discharge was Warrant Officer. He has written a book about his experiences in WW II.
Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years. She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982. ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community.
Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors. Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi.
She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.
Pennsbury Township residents
won’t be facing any tax hike for 2012.
Supervisors’ Chairman Wendell
Fenton, during a brief conversation on the 2012 budget during the Nov. 16 board
meeting, said there would be no tax increase. Supervisors will vote on the
budget —balanced at $1.139 million — during a Dec. 13 meeting.
That December meeting would
have been held on Dec. 21, but Township Manager Kathy Howley said that would
conflict with Christmas week.
Also during the November
meeting, supervisors gave final approval for renovations at Crosslands
Retirement Community. Part of the deal includes Crosslands paying a $4,000 fee
in lieu of open space to the township.
While there is no increase in
density at the community, there will be seven more beds available for health
care.
Township Solicitor Tom Oeste
said the fee could have been as high as $14,000 because of those seven beds,
but instead they altered the calculation to treat the seven as two dwelling
units.
Supervisors granted conditional
use for the project in July. The hearing had been in June.
The project includes an
additional 27,000 square feet to be added to the health and wellness center and an increase
in the number of parking spaces from 93 to 110. The number of actual
residential units will remain the same. The extra seven beds are in the
personal care and nursing areas.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
