William Robert Hocker, 68, of Avondale, died Tuesday, Feb. 23, at his home. He is survived by his wife of 43 years Laura Stonemetz Hocker.
William Robert Hocker
Born on Nov. 26, 1952, in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Robert William and Mary Jane (Campbell) Hocker.
Mr. Hocker was a graduate of Ridley High School in Folsom, the class of 1970. He continued his education and earned a bachelor’s degree at West Chester University. He loved his family and his grandchildren were the light of his life. He dedicated his life to a career in law enforcement working as a federal special agent, retiring in 2009.
He was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Chester. In his free time, he enjoyed gardening, golfing, and telling stories of summers at the Jersey Shore.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Hocker is survived by his children, Lauren Missirlian (Albert), Christopher W
William Hocker (Lindsay), and Julie Elizabeth Hocker; grandchildren Luke, Claire, Henry, and Brooke, and siblings Dennis Hocker (Lynn), Susan Hartel (Edward), Nancy Plank, and Amy Giulian (Karl), sister-in-law Judy, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Mr. Hocker is preceded in death by his brother David Hocker and his brother-in-law George Plank.
All services will be private. Contributions may be made in Mr. Hocker’s name to the DEA Survivor Benefits Fund, https://survivorsbenefitfund.org or 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 659; Washington, DC 20006. Arrangements by the Foulk Funeral Home of West Grove.
Jeanette Lewis, 65, formerly of Chadds Ford, died Thursday, Feb. 11, in her longtime home in Oak Creek, Colo., ending her courageous, multiyear battle with cancer.
Jeanette Lewis
She was born Sept. 2, 1955, in Philadelphia, to William and Mary Lewis, as the eighth of 10 children. Later, she and her sister, Lillian, joined the family of Burson and Joan Carpenter and their daughter, Patricia, in Chadds Ford.
Jeanette was a beloved mother, sister, aunt, friend, and much more. Her flair for life brought a smile to everyone she knew and left a lasting memory in their mind. She was a pioneer woman who made her way out to the Yampa Valley some 40 years ago for river trips, mountain peaks, newfound friends, and the opportunity to run her own business.
Her lifelong career was as a cosmetologist. She had several hair salons in Steamboat Springs throughout the decades, beginning with a salon behind the old Harbor Hotel back in the 80s.
Jeanette is survived by her daughter, Cassandra, and siblings, Patricia, Mike, and Martin of the Lewis’s, and Patricia of the Carpenter’s.
She is preceded by her parents, William and Mary Lewis of Philadelphia, and Burson and Joan Carpenter of Chadds Ford, and her siblings William, Paul, Charles, James, Lillian, and Catherine of the Lewis’s.
A memorial service will follow this summer in the Colorado Yampa Valley as well as in the Chadds Ford area of Pennsylvania with more information to come at a later date. Funeral arrangements handled by Yampa Valley Funeral Home.
The Rev. Dr. Richard Joseph (“Dick”) Kirk Sr., 89, of Kennett Square, died Sunday, Feb. 21. He is reunited in spirit with the two great loves of his life; the late Joyce Kirk with whom he shared 33 years of marriage and the late Jan Kirk with whom he shared 26 years of marriage. He was born on Aug. 30, 1931, in Trenton, N.J. to the late Richard Alexander Kirk and Jane (Golden) Kirk.
Richard Joseph Kirk Sr.
Dick graduated from Princeton University in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science & Engineering with honors. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity from General Theological Seminary, a Master of Sacred Theology from Temple University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Eden Theological Seminary.
He served as an Episcopal priest in parishes in New Jersey, New York, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. He was the Rector at The Episcopal Church of the Advent in Kennett Square for 17 years until his retirement in 1996. After retirement, he continued to work as a parish supply priest for Advent and other churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He also continued to be active in organizational development and parish consulting through The Alban Institute. Through the years he was involved in the United Way in Kennett Square, the Kendal Communities Board. He passionately continued teaching and taking classes at the Institute for Life-Long Learning at the University of Delaware.
Dick was an athlete and sports fan, rowed crew for Princeton, was an avid swimmer and lifeguard, and played tennis regularly to the age of 84. He had season tickets to watch Princeton Football every year bringing his children and grandchildren with him.
Dick leaves a legacy of a life well-lived. He raised his children to be independent, following their own paths. Through his ministry, he touched the lives of countless others as a teacher, counselor, and mentor. Richard was a man of a deep abiding faith in God yet also a man of science. For him, the two were never in conflict. He approached his own mortality with confidence in a better life to follow. Well, that and playing tennis again.
Dick is survived by his two sons Richard Joseph Kirk, Jr. (Susanna) of Newark, and Michael David Kirk (Elaine) of Kennett Square; his two daughters, Mary Elizabeth Kirk and Anne Catherine Kirk both of Coatesville; two stepsons, Michael Mogavero (Val) of Thornton, and Dee Mogavero of Philadelphia; 10 grandchildren, Sherri (Bryan), Fred, Arion, Justin (Rachel), Briana (Chris), Matthew (Naty), Sarah, Lex, Lauren, and Brandon; four great-grandchildren Jake, Tori, Alex and Max; and his brother Karl Langlotz Kirk (Jeannine) of Elyria, Ohio.
The family asks that you hold them gently in your hearts for in the warm thoughts and prayers of friends and family they will find solace and peace. A memorial service celebrating Rev. Kirk’s life at the Episcopal Church of the Advent will be scheduled for late summer.
Due to COVID, Richard’s funeral service at the Episcopal Church of the Advent will be private. He will be laid to rest next to his wife Joyce at Union Hill Cemetery. Contributions in his memory may be made to: The Episcopal Church of the Advent, (in memo list “Capital Fund”) 401 N. Union St. Kennett Square, PA 19348. Arrangements are by Matthew Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. (484-734-8100). To view Richard’s online obituary, please visit www.griecofunerals.com
Margherita Chiabrera Lovisa, 101, of Kennett Square, died Friday, Feb. 19.
Margherita Chiabrera Lovisa
Her life story began when she was born on Jan. 31, 1920, in Sanpierdarena (Genoa), Italy, to Guglielmo and Maria Giuseppina Chiabrera. For the first few years of her life, she was wet-nursed and raised by the wonderful Doglio family of Ponti (Piemonte), who had seven children of their own. When she returned to the Chiabrera family, in their hometown of Rivalta Bormida (Piemonte). She grew up with her six brothers and sisters.
She considered herself very lucky to have two families in her life who loved her. She remained close to her siblings and the Doglio children throughout her life, always corresponding and visiting during her trips back to Italy.
After graduating from school, she worked in Genoa and in France. she especially enjoyed working for the glamorous Beaumonts of the Villa Eilenroc, Cap D’Antibes, who were neighbors to the Duke of Windsor. Unfortunately, with the Nazis invading France, she was advised that it was no longer safe on the French Riviera and so she returned to her native Italy.
Margherita embarked on another life journey when she married Luigi Lovisa in June 1948. She returned with him to the U.S. thru Ellis Island, settling in Kennett Square where they owned their own mushroom farm. She dedicated herself to caring for her husband, raising two daughters, and helping with her grandsons. She was a great Italian cook, especially her pasta with pesto and meat ravioli were the best. They celebrated 54 years of marriage before Luigi passed in 2002.
A reserved, quiet person, she believed in a life of moderation. The key to a happy life, she said, is to live in the moment, not thinking of the past, and not worrying about the future.
She will be forever missed by her loving daughters, Wilma Illgas and Irene Lovisa-Pucci, and by her cherished grandsons, Michael and Joseph Illgas. She was pre-deceased by her siblings; Biagio, Caterina (Francescon), Pietro, Ester (Testa), Manlio, and Giselda (Pesce)
Her funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 212 Meredith Street, Kennett Square, followed by burial at St. Patrick’s Cemetery Kennett Square.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005.
To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com
Patricia A. Dungey, 79, of Avondale, died Saturday, Feb. 20, at her residence, with the Bayada Hospice loving care team of Shawn, Anna, and Kaleigh. She was the wife of Ronald A. Dungey, with whom she shared 55 years of marriage.
Patricia A. Dungey
Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Thomas P. Gallagher and the late Anna Gavin Gallagher.
Mrs. Dungey was a nurse’s aide at Camilla Hall at Immaculata University, Malvern, retiring in 2004, after 14 years of loving service.
She was a member of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church, Avondale, and the Kennett Area Senior Center.
She enjoyed making greeting cards and being with her son and grandchildren and her friends at the Kennett Area Senior Center.
In addition to her husband Ronald A. Dungey, she is survived by her son, Ronald A. Dungey Jr., his wife Nicole, and three grandchildren, Madaline Dungey, Julianna Dungey, and Connor Dungey.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 399 Market Street, Suite 102, Philadelphia, PA 19106
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.
•Mt. Cuba Center is hosting a special event, Invisible Layers in the American Landscape, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 27. The online lecture is by Abra Lee, a 2019–2020 Fellow at Longwood Gardens who has more than two decades of experience in horticulture, including a municipal arborist and landscape manager for international airports in Atlanta and Houston. It focuses on the African American influence on American horticulture and how those influences were hidden in plain sight. The lecture covers 400 years of that influence. The cost is $24. Register here.
•It’s another drive-through bread sale at the Chadds Ford Historical Society. On Saturday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., you will be able to drive into the parking lot at the Barn Visitors’ Center and purchase bread that we bake in the beehive oven of our John Chads house. First come, first served, and available while supplies last. Our baker, Lise Taylor, will be baking the following bread flavors for the event: $7.00 per loaf French, herb, herb & onion, cinnamon dot, and cinnamon raisin; and $8.00 per loaf “Special” beer bread in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
•The Chester County History Center will hold an online book discussion on “The First American in Afghanistan” by Ben MacIntyre. The book centers on Newlin Township native Josiah Harlan who inspired Rudyard Kipling’s classic “The Man Who Would Be King.” Harlan, Prince of Ghor was an American adventurer, best known for traveling to Afghanistan and Punjab to make himself a king. While there, he became involved in local politics and factional military actions, eventually winning the title Prince of Ghor in perpetuity for himself and his descendants in exchange for military aid. The discussion is set for 10 to 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11. This is a pay-as-you-wish event, but participants must reserve a spot.
