July 6, 2020

Carlos Corona Pantoja, 54, of Kennett Square, died Saturday, June 27, at Penn Presbyterian Hospital, Philadelphia. He was the husband of Maria R. Murillo.

Born in Guanajuato, Moroleon, Mexico, he was the son of Elias Corona Trejo and Raquel Pantoja Lopez.

He was employed by the Phillips Mushroom Co.

His service and burial will be private.

To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com

Arrangements by the Cleveland Funeral Home, Avondale.

Nancy Eileen Godek, 82, of Kennett Square, died Friday, July 3, at her residence. She was the wife of Louis S. Godek, who died in 2015, and with whom she shared 55 years of marriage.

Born in Shamokin, she was the daughter of the late Leo A. Troutman and the late Edna Wolfgang Troutman.

Mrs. Godek was a registered nurse, working at the Reading Hospital.

She enjoyed traveling, flowers, planting, and being with her family and friends.

Her survivors include one son, Timothy J. Godek and his wife Karen of Kennett Square; one brother, Ned Troutman of Delaware and two grandsons, Nicholas and Matthew.

Her services and burial will be held privately.

To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com

Arrangements by the Kuzo Funeral Home, Kennett Square.

 

Jeffrey Paul Brown, 77, the most enthusiastic person in the world, died on June 29 after a battle with lymphoma.

Jeff was born on October 27, 1942, in Bryn Mawr. The family moved to Arlington, Va. when he was young, then to Haverford, before settling on a farm in Thornton, just in time for Jeff to start ninth grade at West Chester High School.

The move worked out especially well for Jeff. He met Melinda Bodenhorn in homeroom in ninth grade, and they began dating. Eight years later, after graduating from high school and Lafayette College, Jeff married his high school sweetheart.

Jeff immediately got a job at Brooklyn Union Gas Company, and the couple moved to Hicksville, N.Y. Shortly after, they moved again, to East Rockaway, N.Y., where they had their first son. They then packed their bags for Staten Island before buying their first house in Englishtown, N..J, where they had their second son.

In 1971, Jeff took a job with Columbia Gas System and the family moved to Westtown. The Browns thrived in the same wonderful house on Carolyn Drive for 49 years.

In the 1970s, Jeff left the natural gas business for insurance. He worked with several firms before forming his own, General InsurCorp, in 1986. Jeff owned the successful business until 2011, when he sold the company to KMRD Partners in Warrington.

Business was important to Jeff. But his most powerful passions, outside of his family, were gardening and civic life. Jeff transformed the family’s acre in Westtown into a spectacle of beauty, a patch of land so dense with vibrant life that it seemed like some satellite of Longwood Gardens.

He brought the same level devotion to the many organizations with which he was deeply involved, including the West Chester Chamber of Commerce, where he served as chairman of the board; the Rotary Club, where he served as president; the Lafayette College Class of 1964, which he led as an alumnus; the Thorncroft Equestrian Center, where he served on the Board of Directors; and DNB Bank, where he served on the Advisory Board.

Jeff’s motto was “Go for the grins.” He lived by it, and his grins, a lifetime of them, brightened the world and helped lighten the loads of so many others. His family will never forget them. They hope the memory of those broad smiles continue to help get them through tough times, including most importantly his devastating loss.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Melinda Ann Brown; his son Douglas Jeffrey Brown and Doug’s wife Annie and children Stella and Ruby; his son Michael Edwin Brown and Mike’s children Eli and Benjamin; his sisters Bobbie Miller and Susan Delaney; and the many people across Chester County and beyond who were on the receiving end of those heartwarming grins.

Due to COVID, services will be held at a later date.

Arrangements by: DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com

 

 

James H. Anderson, 88, of Avondale, beloved husband, father, adoring grandfather, and proud great-grandfather died peacefully on July 1.

Our superhero, Pop-pop was kind, generous, funny, loving, smart, hard-working, natural leader, and determined. He embodied his favorite saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.

Jim was born in Catawba Station, Ohio on Dec. 5, 1931 and raised in Springfield, Ohio. He graduated from Springfield High School where he met his beloved wife Phyllis Potts. They married Dec 23, 1951, and enjoyed a long and loving marriage until Phyllis’s passing in 2012.

He served as a Seabee in the Navy and traveled all over the world. After the Navy, he attended Ohio State University graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1960. He moved his family to Newark and began his esteemed career with the DuPont Company working at various sites including Louviers, Experimental Station and downtown offices. As vice president of General Services, he had exciting opportunities like bringing the McDonalds LPGA to Wilmington, overseeing the renovation of the Hotel DuPont, selecting Broadway plays for the DuPont Playhouse and managing the DuPont Country Club. He was known to say, “Don’t tell anyone, but I have the best job in the world!”

Jim loved music, particularly Willie Nelson. He spent many hours expertly whistling a tune while tinkering on his latest project. A naturally gifted athlete, Jim enjoyed many sports. He played competitive softball well into his 50s. He was most passionate about golf and played with a group of cherished, lifelong friends and couples who traveled the world together. He and Phyllis spent their retirement years splitting their time between Chadds Ford, and Port Charlotte, Fla. They enjoyed many happy rounds at the Wilmington Country Club and Kingsway Country Club with their dear friends the Longeneckers and McCumbers.

Another great passion of Jim’s in retirement was as the patriarchal icon of Va La Vineyards in Avondale, owned by his daughter Karen and son-in-law Anthony. In his inimitable way, the “Grand Poobah” immersed himself in all aspects of the business, evolving from a novice into a respected expert. Many have remarked that his one-of-a-kind wine tasting experience served as the catalyst for their own journey into the world of wine. Jim’s presence can be felt everywhere in the tasting room from his hand-crafted tasting bar to the most level wood floors ever built.

Jim is predeceased by his beloved wife Phyllis. He is also predeceased by his siblings Ruby, John and Ed as well as his sister-in-law Liz LePera. He is survived by his four children…Sheryl (George) Worsham of Greensboro, N.C., Brian (Sandra) Anderson of Flower Mound, Texas, Kelly Anderson (Ken Chapman) of Avondale, PA and Karen (Anthony) Vietri of Avondale; his six adoring grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by siblings Georgia, Jane, Tom and Chris and brothers-in-law Byron Potts, and Alex LePera and sister-in-law Nancy Reed. Jim’s many nieces and nephews will miss him greatly as well.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date when pandemic restrictions have lifted. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to a favorite charity of Jim and Phyllis: Easter Seals of Delaware 61 Corporate Circle, New Castle, DE 19720 or The Ronald McDonald House of Delaware, 1901 Rockland Rd. Wilmington, DE 19803