March 20, 2020

Jane McEttrick Miller of Kennett Square

Jane McEttrick Miller, 90, of Kennett Square, died peacefully at her farm surrounded by her loving family on March 11.

Born in Boston, and later raised in Lyndonville, Vt. by her loving mother, Helen McKeon McEttrick and stepfather, Alfred Burbank Darling, Jane never forgot her New England roots. She attended high school at Stoneleigh Burnham and graduated from the Lyndon Institute. Jane went on to receive nursing training at Mary Hitchcock (Dartmouth College), completing her Bachelor of Science degree at Simmons College. She married Dr. Edgar Raymond Miller Jr. (Tyke) and raised her growing family in the Wilmington, DE, and Kennett Square, PA areas.

While a mother of five, Jane found time to actively contribute to her community through her volunteerism as a fundraiser with The Junior League of Wilmington and the University of Delaware Dept. of Art. She was also an art instructor at the Ferris School for Boys. Jane was a talented artist herself who studied in Giverny, France, at the Philadelphia Art Institute, and under Carolyn Wyeth in Chadds Ford.

Her paintings were displayed and honorably noted in several local art shows. Jane was truly a Renaissance woman who appreciated music, art, film, and literature, as reflected in her role as a founding member of a local book club. In addition, Jane was an incredible athlete, as displayed through her years on the tennis court, playing competitively for Vicmead Hunt and Greenville Country Club, where she once held the Club Champion Title.

Jane and her beloved husband Tyke of 66 years, enjoyed traveling adventurously together throughout the world, including the Antarctic, Kenya and Afghanistan. They worked together as a collaborative nurse and surgeon team at the Shanta Bhawan Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Jane and Tyke and their children summered on Nantucket Island, a place that Jane fondly remembered. Since her husband’s retirement, the couple have spent summers in the Northeast Kingdom in Lyndonville, VT enjoying their picturesque log cabin.

Whether whipping up a meal for her five children; driving the kids to and from their various schools and extracurricular activities; or playing in tennis matches, “she did it all” with grace, a lovely smile, and with a warm heart.

Jane’s beautiful five grandchildren describe their beloved and affectionately named “grandmere” as “charming, full of life, outgoing, warm-hearted, spirited, beautiful, effortlessly elegant, charming, intelligent, effervescent, delightful, radiant, thoughtful, kind, gracious, honest, confident, quick-witted, authentic, charismatic, a bright spirit, full of life, and insightful.” She was a “dignified lady” who exuded grace, poise, and joy in her myriad endeavors, and who delighted in entertaining her family and friends with elegance and heart. Guests were “warmed by her legendary hospitality and the beauty everywhere.” She was deeply loved by her family, taking an unflagging interest in everything her children and grandchildren did. Her children note the extent of loving welcome with which Jane greeted their friends throughout the years.

Jane is survived by her best friend and partner in life, Dr. Edgar (Tyke) Raymond Miller, Jr.; daughters, Catherine Darling Patel and Margaret Blackwell Perlis; sons, Dr. Edgar (Pete) Raymond Miller III, Alfred Scott Miller, John Jacob (Jake) Miller; grandchildren: Katherine (Kate) Walsh Darling Patel, Caroline Jane Patel, Edgar (Teddy) Raymond Miller IV, Anna (Annie) Riley Miller, and Ashley Elizabeth Miller.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to your charitable organization of choice.

For online condolences, please visit www.chandlerfuneralhome.com

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Locals react to Covid-related shutdowns

Along the Ford

_1JF4975-Hank's-empty — An empty parking lot at Hank’s Place is a sign of the current times with many businesses ordered to close.

Local resident and business reactions to the novel Coronavirus shutdowns are mixed. Most reflect a somber tone, while others are stronger, both pro and con.

One Chadds Ford Township resident who requested anonymity, said Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to shut down “non-life-sustaining businesses” is just wrong.

“This is a terrible mistake,” the resident said. “People are going to go out of business, not be able to pay their bills. The cure is worse than the disease. It also reeks of martial law.”

Yet, former Chadds Ford resident Pat Wells, who now lives in Concord Township, said some of the actions are necessary and that she is optimistic.

“We have to do what we need to do to stay safe. I’m confident in President Trump and all the biology labs will come up with a vaccine or medicine that will ameliorate the problem,” Wells said.

While Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered the closure of all “non-life-sustaining” businesses, supermarkets remain open, even with shortened hours.

Local businesses that can stay open, are, but that business has slowed. Leaders’ Sunoco in Chadds Ford Village is a case in point.

Dan Leader said that gasoline sales are down by at least half and there are no repair appointments on the books for this coming week.

“People are putting it off, they’re playing it safe. But I want them to know we’re here, especially for emergencies. We want to help make sure they can drive to the supermarket or doctors’ offices,” Leader said.

He added that there has been a run on racing fuel. It’s ethanol-free and can be stored for up to two-and-a-half years, he said, while normal gasoline can only be stored in a can for about six months.

He also has mixed reactions to the governmental response.

“It’s important for people to follow the authorities. I agree with the precautions. But I’m more concerned about the reaction than the virus itself.”

Banks, too, have had to make changes. Lisa Dort, the manager of the BMT in Chadds Ford, said the lobby is now closed to the public. Deposits and withdrawals need to be done at the drive-through window and new accounts can be made online. If people need to get into the bank building for other reasons, they need to call to make an appointment.

Other banks are doing the same.

Joe Lafferty, president of the Chadds Ford Business Association, said he and the association’s board members are in agreement that the health and safety of the community are the most important thing at this point, and support the decisions that have been made.

“We should recognize the requests of our leaders and government. Together we can get through this. Unity is the key,” he said.

Lafferty also gave a big thank’s to the life-sustaining businesses that are staying open: “Thank you for your service and dedication,” he said.

Supermarkets are staying open and two store managers, Jared Fedor at Wegmans and Brian Seifred of the Giant at Marlborough Square in East Marlborough Township say business is good and store morale is high even with shorter hours.

The Giant is now open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. instead of midnight, and that first hour is reserved for shoppers who are at least 60 years old.

Wegmans, which had been running a 24-hour operation, is now open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Random shoppers outside the markets all said pretty much the same thing but spoke quietly about the reaction to forced closures.

“I gotta keep on living,” said one. “You can’t just sit in your house.”

“All measures are necessary at this point,” said another. “If not now, you won’t have a business.”

Another said, “It’s very serious. I’m fortunate to work from home but it’s bad for hourly workers who might get laid off.”

About Rich Schwartzman

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.

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Op/ed: House Dems support Wolf’s decision

Opinion

House Democratic leaders said criticism of Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to use emergency powers to shut down non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania is off-base in light of the most up-to-date medical guidance for dealing with COVID-19.

“This unprecedented national public health emergency demands leadership from all levels of government. This is a matter of life and death, without hyperbole. That’s a reality we all need to confront. In conjunction with top medical professionals, the governor is leading our state and working to make the best decisions based on medical evidence. Every hour we see more of that evidence in front of us.

“Now is the time to reduce people’s contact in order to lessen the impact of this crisis and reduce its duration. Simply put, the action taken by the governor, which is strongly supported by Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, will save lives. Taking swift action sooner rather than later will lessen the long-term impact on businesses and help our employers and employees return to normal as soon as possible.

“The governor is facing impossible choices and is making decisions based on the advice of medical experts. We will continue to work and offer help and guidance to all affected employees and employers. We thank all the business owners who have led the way in this effort and helped prevent the spread of the virus, as well as the medical professionals and first responders who are once again running toward an emergency as others run away.

“We’re currently looking at a public health crisis the likes of which we have not seen in recent times. Being an elected official is about serving the public, and that service is needed now more than ever. We ask all Pennsylvanians to stay home, stay calm and stay safe, and we commit to following the governor’s leadership and doing everything in our power to mitigate the life-changing impact this will have on our state.

“We’re all in this together as Pennsylvanians, and by working together and heeding the advice of our medical professionals we can minimize the potential damage to our people and our state.”

State Rep. Frank Dermody
D- Allegheny/Westmoreland

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Op/ed: House GOP responds to Wolf’s shutdown

Opinion

House Republican Leadership issued the following statement in response to Gov. Tom Wolf’s order to shut down all non-life-sustaining business in Pennsylvania:

“The Wolf Administration set off a panic [last night] throughout the Commonwealth with its edict to shut down employers. The ill-prepared actions, announced after normal business hours, are not only an economic blow to every worker in the state right now but will have ramifications long into the future.

“Any announcement in an emergency event such as this calls for clear and efficient lines of communication, but the open-ended and short-noticed announcement [yesterday] is the complete opposite and only adds to the sense of chaos many Pennsylvanians are struggling with tonight.

“These actions will shut down many small, family-owned shops and businesses, not only for the duration of this event, but possibly, and probably, forever.

“The sprawling and confusing list provided by the governor is provided with no explanation, and we will explore all avenues available to us to determine whether the action he’s taken is allowed within our state Constitution.

“It is incumbent upon all state leaders to recognize that long after we have defeated this public health threat, we must have the ability to create economic opportunities for all Pennsylvanians.

“Therefore, we are compelled to raise our voice on behalf of millions of hard-working Pennsylvanians who are already making enormous sacrifices in the face of this worldwide event, none of which was of their own choosing.”