Mitchell L. 'Mitch' Morgan



Mitchell L. "Mitch" Morgan, 49, of Minocqua, formerly of Schofield, died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, at Seasons of Life Hospice House in Woodruff after a five-month courageous battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).


He was born June 6, 1958, in Ventura, Calif., son of Harven and Mary (Maahs) Morgan. Mitch married Bonnie Block on July 28, 1990, in Wittenberg.


He owned and operated MB Auto Care for many years. After working in the Schofield area, Mitch and his family moved to Minocqua where he operated a property maintenance business. He enjoyed NASCAR racing and attended many races. Mitch enjoyed racing stock cars at State Park Speedway. He enjoyed fishing, camping, snowmobiling, golfing, bowling, the Wisconsin Badgers, the Green Bay Packers, gardening and landscaping (anything to get his hands dirty).


Survivors include his wife, Bonnie Morgan of Minocqua; daughter, Sarah Block of Appleton; mother, Mary (Jon) Aton of Hatley; sister, Michelle (Mike) Miller of Weston; stepbrothers, Jon (Linda) Aton of New Richmond and Steve (Jenne) Aton of Red Granite; stepsisters, Sue (Jesse) Ortiz of Vallejo, Calif., and Julie Aton of Wausau; nieces, Jill (Chad Kees) Miller of Fond du Lac and Jamie Miller of Weston; and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his father and both his paternal and maternal grandparents.


Funeral services will be at 6:30 p.m. today, Jan. 18, 2008, at Brainard Funeral Home-Everest Chapel, 5712 Memorial Court, Weston. The Rev. Carl Brewer will officiate. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. today at the funeral home.


In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ALS Association at alsa.org or Project ALS at projectals.org.


Online condolences at www.brainardfuneral.com.

Still, Keri Denise Brown


STILL PFAFFTOWN - Keri Denise Brown Still, 29, of Pfafftown died Sunday morning, Jan. 13, 2008 at her home, after her two-year battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig' s disease). She was preceded in death by her paternal grandmother, Alta Long Brown; and her maternal grandparents, Turner and Ruth Redding. She is survived by her husband, Copeland Burdell Still Jr. of the home; her daughter, Kellyn Redding Still; and her parents, Harold J. and Joan Redding Brown of Pfafftown. Keri was very close to her extended family members. Keri was born June 22, 1978, in Winston-Salem. She graduated from North Forsyth High School in 1996 and three years later, in 1999, from Appalachian State University with a B.S. degree (magna cum laude) in communications with a minor in music. She was in the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, American Advertising Federation, and the Sigma Alpha Iota-Professional Music Fraternity for Women. She later added two Master' s degrees, (both summa cum laude) in global technology Management and in marketing to her resume. She worked at the Winston-Salem Journal as a summer intern during her college years and briefly after her graduation. She then joined Allegacy Federal Credit Union from August 1999 to April 2006. She then moved to BB&T as an assistant vice president in the commercial marketing strategy group. Keri married Copeland B. Still in August 2005. Their daughter, Kellyn Redding Still, was born in March 2007. Keri was a board member of the Hispanic League of the Piedmont Triad and a member of Young Professionals Advisory Boards for the Winston-Salem Symphony & Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts (SECCA). She was a choral section leader of First Presbyterian Church for three years; chair of the Annual DW Golf Tournament for four years benefiting Cancer Services Inc.; First Elimination Round judge of the Nashville Star for USA television network; as well as being involved in countless other organizations. She was a graphic designer, an avid reader and an outdoor sports lover. She wanted so much to raise her child. She always put others first and will be greatly missed. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. today, Jan. 17, in the Worship Center at First Presbyterian Church on Cherry Street in Winston-Salem, with a reception to follow. Memorials may be made at any Allegacy Federal Credit Union branch to the Kellyn Still trust fund. Details of Keri' s battle with ALS may be found at the website, www.helpkeri.com. We would like to extend our Thanks and appreciation to all of our and Keri' s friends, neighbors, church members, Hospice, staff and nurses at both Forsyth and Baptist hospitals and the Jim "Catfish" Hunter Chapter of the ALS Association. There are literally thousands of people who have contributed in many ways during the past two years of Keri' s struggles with this debilitating disease. We have been supported and uplifted by people we have never met. This outpouring of support has been a major uplift in our lives during this time.


Published in the Winston-Salem Journal from 1/15/2008 - 1/17/2008.

Big cat enthusiast ‘will be missed’
23 January 2008
EDITORIAL - whtimes@archant.co.uk


Pete James with his wife Jackie and one of his cats
A BIG cat enthusiast who died after a long-term illness has been described as a "passionate and likeable man" by his widow.

Pete James, 68, had ferociously fought to save the near-extinct clouded leopard, breeding them at his home in Willow Walk in Welwyn

However, he died at home on January 2 almost a year on from being diagnosed with the paralysing Motor Neurone Disease.

Widow Jackie, 44, remembered her husband as a "lovely, funny man who had no enemies".

She said: "He loved being outside and couldn't stand being inside and that is why having the disease was so hard for him because he loved his animals."

Pete was born in Hackney, London, in July 1939 and developed an early love for big cats when his father took him to see Tarzan at the cinema.

At the age of 11 he moved to St Albans before going on to breed champion German shepherds.

In 1983 he moved to Willow Walk and seven years later achieved his long-term goal of buying a pair of cats from America to breed.

But it was in 2000 that he made his "big dream" a reality and became only the second person in mainland UK to breed clouded leopards.

In September 2005 he married Jackie at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, on the platform above the big cats, after meeting her in 1998.

"It was the most amazing day of my life and it was so right to do it there," said Jackie.

"That is why we got on so well we used to travel the world going to zoos and we both loved it.

"He would tell people in the zoos that we visited if he thought they were doing things wrong.

"He cared so much about the cats and all animals."

Over 300 people attended his funeral at Harwood Park crematorium in Stevenage last Friday , including his children Karen, 43 and Dean, 41, from a previous marriage.

"It just shows how much he was liked. We're really going to miss him," added Jackie.

http://www.whtimes.co.uk/content/wht...A49%3A52%3A350

SANDY BARCLAY (1947-2008)


SANDY BARCLAY: BALLATER GOLF CLUB SECRETARY

FACED DEATH WITH GREAT DIGNITY AND COURAGE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Sandy Barclay was one of the bravest men it's been my privilege to know personally.

The funeral service of the former Ballater Golf Club secretary was held at Glenmuick Parish Church last Friday. He was buried at Tullich Cemetery near Ballater where he was born in 1947.
Sandy died at Aboyne Hospital on January 10 "with great dignity and courage after a long illness," said his death notice in the Aberdeen "Press and Journal."

We are all going to die sometime but I doubt if I could be as brave about impending death as Sandy was after being told in April 2001 that he was suffering from the incurable Motor Neurone Disease.

Sandy was no saint. Like all of us, he had his good days and bad days but his heart was in the right place. I remember interviewing him for the May 2004 issue of "Golfview," and I could not have blamed him had he been wallowing in self-pity.

Not a bit. Sandy faced up to his limited future and told me the facts without exaggeration or emotion. His retirement from the Ballater Golf Club post had been fixed for April 30, some nine years after he took up the post. Much of his earlier life - 30 years of it - had been spent in the Royal Navy. He was a Warrant Officer in the Submarine Service when he came back to Civvy Street.

In that 2004 interview, Sandy told me: "My health has caught up with me. I can't golf but I can still walk and that's what I'll be doing. Motor Neurone is a disease that causes progressive muscular atrophy. I said that when my speech started to go and deteriorated to the point that I couldn't make myself understood on the telephone, then it would be the time to retire from the Ballater Golf Club job. I think that time has come."

He organised Texas Scramble open tournaments to raise money for the Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association and they always had a full house of entries, as much a testament to the high regard in which Sandy Barclay was held in the North-east golfing world as to the desire of the golfing public to do their bit for a worthy cause.

Sandy told me that he first developed pain in his right elbow and later some wasting of the muscles in that forearm before, in April 2001, he was given the diagnosis that he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.

"There is research going on all the time but the funding is nowhere near that which cancer reaseach enjoys," Sandy told me. "There are drugs being refined all the time to help combat MND. It is too late to help me but the money we have raised from these Texas Scrambles helped to fund ongoing research."

Not that a man like Sandy would be forgotten anyway but he does have an enduring golfing memorial in the Royal Deeside Golf Classic which attracts visitors from all over Britain to play at Ballater, Aboyne, Banchory and Inchmarlo in July every year. The tournament was a Sandy Barclay idea.

Labels: OBITUARY

Potter loses fight with ALS MORE ON CHAPMAN
Phil Chapman, Fredericksburg's first potter, succumbs to ALS

BY EDIE GROSS




Date published: 1/26/2008

BY EDIE GROSS


In the end, it was the stillness of Phil Chapman's hands that friends would find so hard to accept.

His hands had built kilns brick by brick.

They'd molded clammy lumps of clay into sought-after bowls and vases.

They'd pulled award-winning pottery out of 1,800-degree furnaces.

They'd rebuilt his Sophia Street pottery studio, board by board, after it was gutted by fire.

But now, 2 years after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease, Chapman's hands, the tools he'd relied on for more than 30 years, had become uncharacteristically still.

"Life is just mean sometimes," his wife, potter Trista Depp Chapman, said Wednesday, two days before her husband passed away in their Fredericksburg home. "It really is."

Chapman, 55 and Fredericksburg's first full-time potter, was diagnosed with ALS in August 2005, about six months after first telling doctors he was experiencing weakness in his right leg and unexplained fatigue.

The fatal disease attacks the nerve cells in a person's brain and spinal cord, destroying voluntary muscle movement.

Chapman began using a wheelchair about 18 months ago. His bright blue eyes had stayed fierce throughout, but in recent weeks, he'd struggled to speak and his hands remained at rest.

Chapman was fresh out of college and full of enthusiasm when he arrived in Fredericksburg in 1976. His job: to entertain downtown tourists by throwing clay in front of a picture window in a shop at Sophia and Hanover streets.

He later moved his operation to Spotsylvania County and then founded Sophia Street Studios next to his downtown Fredericksburg home. There, he worked for 25 years, mastering the art of raku, a Japanese style of pottery with a cracked finish that became his hallmark.

In 1995, fire gutted the studio. Chapman briefly considered starting over elsewhere, but he stayed and rebuilt the studio with help from friends and other local artists.

Five years later, he and Trista would help start the Empty Bowl Fundraiser, a soup dinner that benefits the Rappahannock Council on Domestic Violence.

Chapman was recognized within the arts community for an almost fanatical dedication to perfection.

He spent years experimenting with kiln materials, temperatures, glazes and finishes before adopting his complex raku process.

He literally set himself on fire once trying to create the perfect clay pot for his brother.

Often at work into the wee hours of the morning, he tolerated no flaws. And even after all the honors, the bests in show and awards of excellence, he didn't consider himself an expert.

"Anybody who thinks they are a master of clay is full of it," he said shortly after his diagnosis. "They call it 'practicing medicine.' This is just 'practicing clay.' It'll always be a challenge."

When the effects of ALS weakened his hands and drained him of energy, he ceased making his own pottery and instead devoted his efforts to helping wife Trista improve hers.

He also mentored potter Daniel Christie, who, like Chapman, arrived in Fredericksburg fresh out of art school with a yen for perfection.

"I always secretly liked the fact that some people, even at the hospital, would say, 'Is this your son?'" Christie said yesterday. "It was something I was flattered by."

After his diagnosis, Chapman enrolled in a drug trial at the University of Virginia, took up yoga, adopted a daily regimen of vitamins and supplements, and barred unhealthy foods from his diet--all in an effort to battle the degenerative nerve disease.

In February 2006, Chapman's prognosis seemed more hopeful when tests indicated he had Lyme disease, a less life-threatening condition than ALS.

But his health did not improve. Speaking became more difficult, navigating stairs dangerous.

On bad days, Chapman said he tried to focus on the family and friends who had supported him.

"I'm so privileged," he said about a year ago. "I can't feel bad about things. I always come back to that. I have it pretty good. For what's happened to me, I have it pretty good."

Last May, he and Trista visited the Grand Canyon, a trip Chapman had always wanted to take.

At home, he settled into a first-floor sun room, created by friends who worried about him going up and down the house's staircase. From it, he could look onto the wisteria-covered patio where he'd asked his wife to marry him.

Beyond that was the gas kiln he'd built by hand. And next door, the pottery studio where he'd spent more than two decades perfecting his craft.

The wall next to his bed was covered with photos: Snapshots from the Grand Canyon. From a 2000 trip to New Zealand. From a canoe outing in Maine. From the couple's honeymoon in the Outer Banks.

In December, just after Christmas, Chapman developed pneumonia. Originally, he resisted going to the hospital.

Ultimately, he spent a week and a half at Mary Washington Hospital, but the antibiotics did not help.

He chose to come home, to the sun room, where family, friends and hospice volunteers made him comfortable.

He passed away there yesterday morning, his wife and Christie holding his hands.



Edie Gross: 540/374-5428
Email: egross@freelancestar.com

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2...ex_html?page=2

Related stories on Phil Chapman

The fight of his life (12/17/07)
Searching for answers (6/11/2006)
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2...1262008/350648
__________________

William M. Barth




William M. Barth, 66, passed away in his Payson Arizona home on Jan. 21, 2008 after a short struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease. He was born to Judge William and Elizabeth Barth in Chicago, IL on Aug. 6, 1941. Bill leaves behind his beloved Joan McManus, his children Brian and Eric Barth, Dana Black and son-in-law Mark Black, and his sister Betty Barth Jennett and brother in law Ned Jennett. Bill's larger than life presence and colorful gift of conversation ensured that he never knew a stranger in his life. He enjoyed scenic Arizona and all of its critters, sailing, skiing, golfing and was an avid fan of the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears and Notre Dame football. If Bill could give one piece of priceless advice to everyone on Earth, it would most certainly be - "Don't take yourself too seriously".

Phil Chapman




Date published: 1/28/2008

Phil Chapman

Phil Chapman, 55, of Fredericksburg died at his home Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, after a 2-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Chapman arrived in Fredericksburg in 1976, a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., he was Fredericksburg's first full-time potter. He founded Sophia Street Studios in 1982, and in 2000, he and his wife, Trista, helped start the Empty Bowl Fundraiser, which benefits the Rappahannock Council on Domestic Violence.

Chapman is survived by his wife, Trista; his mother, Margaret Chapman of Winston-Salem; his brother and sister-in-law, Hunt and Betsy Chapman of Arlington and their sons, Jonathan and Brian Chapman; and numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and friends in the arts community. He was preceded in death by his father, Phillip Chapman.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the ALS Association, Development Department, 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 150, Calabasas Hills, Calif. 91301, or to the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), Box 838 Montpelier, Vt. 05601-0838.

A celebration of Chapman's life will be held at Sophia Street Studios at a later date.

Donald L. Wilhelm
WILHELM Donald L. Donald L. Wilhelm passed away at home surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, January 26, 2008. Born in Fremont, Ohio on March 3, 1936, to Edward J. Wilhelm and Ellen (Sorg) Wilhelm, Don graduated from Central Catholic High School. He attended St. Meinrad's Seminary and the University of Toledo. Don was employed for 25 years by the Catholic Diocese of Toledo. After serving as administrative assistant to Msgr. Lawrence J. Ernst, he was appointed director in 1971 of the newly established Toledo Diocesan Office of Pastoral Services. He was the first lay person to serve as a director. His many responsibilities included the establishment of a Diocesan Pastoral Council and Parish Councils. In addition, he served as Staff Consultant and Facilitator for the Catholic Conference of Ohio (Columbus, Ohio) as well as for the Bishop's Advisory Council at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington D.C. Don was contracted as an organizational consultant/facilitator by over 30 church-related organizations or dioceses in the United States and Canada. He was forced to retire in 1987 following a diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Don's past affiliations include: President, Toledo Deanery Council of Catholic Youth; Vice President, Toledo Jaycees; Chairman, Toledo Family Life Education Council of Toledo Public Schools; President, Levis Square Ministries of Toledo (community leaders dedicated to downtown renewal); President, Ecumenical Communications Commission of Northwest Ohio; Secretary, Toledo Catholic Diocesan Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs Commission; Board Member, Ohio Council of Churches; Member, Advisory Council, WGTE-TV; Member, Urban Task Force, Mayor's Advisory Committee on Penal Reform; Chairman, Bishop's Advisory Council, Catholic Council of Ohio; President, St. Pius X School Board (3 terms); Member, Board of Directors, Ability Center of Northwest Ohio (3 terms); Tutor, Read for Literacy Program; Prison Ministry at Milan Federal Correctional Institute for the past 10 years; Advisory Committee, Toledo Muscular Dystrophy Association and on-line mutual support and communication with over 20 persons who shared a diagnosis of ALS. Don is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Patricia (Holzemer); daughter, Gretchen (Donald) Squires; sons, Martin (Bridget), Philip (Melissa), Edward (Natalie) and seven grandchildren. He is also survived by siblings, Dorothy (James) Vandenbroek Sr. and Phyllis Wilhelm, OSF, Mary Jo (William) Schlagheck, Elisabeth Horwitt, Peggy (Richard) Snyder; Brother Philip, OFM, William (Pauline), Joseph (Nancy) and numerous uncles and aunts and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Jean and brother, Thomas. Visitation will be held on Monday, January 28th from 2:00-8:00 p.m. with a Scripture service at 7 p.m. at Wisniewski Funeral Home, 2426 North Reynolds Road. Services will be held at Corpus Christi University Campus Parish on Tuesday, January 29th at 11:00 a.m. Donations in lieu of flowers should be sent to Corpus Christi University Catholic Parish; Hospice of Northwest Ohio; Central Catholic High School, Toledo; or the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Toledo (ALS programming).

John Charles Coe, 69
January 28, 2008


John Charles Coe, a retired social worker with the state Department of Aging, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease, Jan. 20 while being taken to Johns Hopkins Medical Center. He was 69 and lived in Windsor Hills.

He was born in Marlborough, Mass., and graduated from Princeton University in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and English. He then earned a master's degree in social work from the University at Buffalo after serving two years in the Army.

In 1976, Mr. Coe and his wife, Julee H. Kryder-Coe, moved to Baltimore and pursued careers in social work while raising their two children.

Mr. Coe was a social worker for the Department of Aging for 30 years before retiring in 2003. Mrs. Kryder-Coe, assistant dean for professional education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, died of cancer in 2003.

"A truly caring, devoted and loving man, he stayed by the side in aid of his wife as she battled cancer to her passing in late 2003," said his daughter, Kirsten K. Coe of Ithaca, N.Y.. "His sincerity of friendship was felt by co-workers and neighbors alike, whereby through his quiet thoughtfulness, he always showed respect for those around him, and with his quick wit, could always kindle the humor of another."

Mr. Coe was a naturalist and birder who enjoyed hiking on nature trails.

"He was also highly regarded as a tireless volunteer, woodsman and gardener by many of the Windsor Hills neighbors who worked alongside him in his varied community ecological restoration efforts," said his daughter.

A memorial service was held Jan. 21.

In addition to his daughter, Mr. Coe is survived by a son, Justin Coe of College Park; and two brothers, Peter Coe of Chicago and Robert Coe of Bethesda.

Michael James Porada

Michael James Porada, 32, of 204 Randall Drive died the morning of Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, in his home.Born July 30, 1975, in New Castle, he was a son of James and Sandra Faivre Porada. They survive in New Castle.He married the former Melissa Carney on Sept. 3, 2005. She survives.Mr. Porada was national recruiting manager for Sprint-Nextel Corp.He was a 1993 graduate of New Castle High School and graduated with a degree in psychology in 1997 from Allegheny College.Mr. Porada was named to the All-American Baseball Team in NCAA Division 3 while a student at Allegheny College.He enjoyed golfing and loved his family.Mr. Porada was a member of St. Vitus Church.In addition to his wife and parents, survivors include a daughter, Jadyn Elizabeth Porada, at home; a sister, Deanne Petrangeli of New Castle; paternal grandfather, Edward Porada of New Castle; mother- and father-in-law, Marie and Martin Carney of New Castle; and brother-in-law, Matthew Carney of New Castle.He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother, Betty Jane Porada; and maternal grandparents, Rene and Germaine Faivre.Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Ed and Don DeCarbo Funeral Home and Crematory, 941 S. Mill St.A procession will leave the funeral home at 10:30 a.m. Thursday for St. Vitus Church, where a Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. The Rev. Robert Zajdel of the church will officiate. Burial will be in Castle View Memorial Gardens.Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael Porada Foundation, 33 Chestnut St., Sharon, Pa. 16146.Online condolences may be received at www.decarbofuneralhome.com.Please sign the guestbook at www.legacy.com/ncnewsonline/Obituaries.asp.