Obituaries for the Week of Oct. 30

Vincent DiPaul III, 24

Vincent Anthony DiPaul, III, 24, of Port Providence, PA, died suddenly on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011 following injuries sustained in an auto accident.

Born in Phoenixville, PA, he was the son of Vincent A. Jr and Tracey A. (Tubbs) DiPaul.

Vincent was a graduate of Spring-Ford High School, Class of 2005. He graduated from Wesley College in Dover, DE with a degree in Physical Education.

He was employed by Ron Smith Inc. in Downingtown, PA.

He was a member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church. He loved to workout and lift weights, and he loved all sports.

Surviving in addition to his parents are brothers Adam, Christopher and Matthew; maternal grandparents, Warren and Andra Talley; many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Vincent Sr. and Anna DiPaul.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 212 Dayton St., Phoenixville, PA on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. John Hutter officiating.

Burial will be private.

A viewing will be held on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011 in the Devlin-Rosmos-Kepp Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 517 S. Main St. at Fourth Avenue, Phoenixville, PA from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Tuesday morning in church from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be sent to the Vincent A. DiPaul III Scholarship Fund, c/o Phoenixville Federal Bank, 120 Main St., Phoenixville, PA 19460.

Condolences may be given to the family at www.DevlinRosmosKepp.com.

Robert Roehner, 74 

Robert F. Roehner, 74, husband of Nancy (Pieczonka) Roehner, of Phoenixville, PA, died on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011.

Born in Norristown, PA he was the son of the late Robert and Josephine (Koniewicz) Roehner.

Robert served in the United States Army.

He was a manager for Acme Market in Phoenixville for more than 30 years.

He was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church in Phoenixville. He was an avid Philadelphia sports fan.

Surviving in addition to his wife are son, Chad, husband of Donna Roehner of Mission Viejo, CA; daughter Stacie, wife of Bob Wise of Phoenixville; daughter Donna, wife of Gary Rightnour of St. Peters, PA; son Jay, husband of Lynne Roehner of Phoenixville; he was especially proud of his six grandchildren
Zach, Jeff, Brooke, Jarrett, Alex, Madelyn; sister Jean, wife of the late Joseph Siegl of Trooper, PA; sister Dorothy, wife of Peter Chiaravalloti of Norristown, PA; and sister Joan, wife of John Stanish of Conshohocken, PA.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral mass in St. Ann Catholic Church, Third Avenue at Main Street, Phoenixville, PA Friday, Nov. 4, 2011 at 10 a.m.

Burial will be private in Holy Trinity Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Condolences may be given to the family at www.DevlinRosmosKepp.com.

Harlon Watts, 83

Harlon P. Watts, 83, of Phoenixville, PA, died Monday, Oct. 31, 2011 in his home.

He was married for 60 years to his loving wife Arline (Favinger) Watts, of Phoenixville. 

Born in New Haven, CT, he was the son of the late Harlon H. and Elizabeth (Priest) Watts.

Harlon attended Harbour Elementary in Bradford, CT, St. Ann's Elementary in Phoenixville, and graduated from Phoenixville High School, Class of 1947.

He was a retiree from B. F. Goodrich after 32 years in Quality Control.

In his youth he raised and raced pigeons with the Phoenixville Pigeon Club, and was a lifetime member of the Black Rock Boat Club.

Harlon served in the United States Army during the Korean War. 

Surviving in addition to his wife are step-sister Claire Gotaskie of Phoenixville; brother-in law Wilbur S. Favinger of Kirkwood, PA; brother-in-law Mervin Anderson of Elizabethtown, PA; and nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral service in the Devlin-Rosmos-Kepp Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 517 S. Main St. at Fourth Avenue, Phoenixville, PA on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011 at 11 a.m.

Burial will be private.

Visitation will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in his name may be made to St. Ann Catholic Church, 502 S. Main St., Phoenixville, PA 19460.

Arline would like to express her appreciation and to say "Thank You" to our neighbors and friends for all of their kindness, and for always being there for us.
Thank you also to the wonderful caregivers and nurses who attended to Harlon.

Condolences may be given to the family at www.DevlinRosmosKepp.com.

Thomas Benjamin Dempsey, 69, former Phoenixville Police Officer

Thomas B. Dempsey, 69, of East Coventry, PA, died on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011 in his home surrounded by his loved ones.

Born in Bridgeport, PA he was the son of the late Benjamin and Valerie (Oscapinski) Dempsey.

Thomas served 27 years with the Phoenixville Police Department. Most of that time was as a juvenile officer, and at the same time he served as Montgomery County Constable.

He also ran a family pizza business in the Rahns area. He owned Deacon's Pub in Earlville for 10 years, and, most recently he ran his own lawn care and snow removal business.

He is survived by Susette Wilson; daughter Lisa, wife of Raymond Haas; son Thomas Dempsey II and his wife Susan; daughter Renee Hawkins; daughter Joanna, wife of Daniel Engle; daughter Fallon, wife of Eric Cellucci; Jimmy Yonkers who was like a second son to Tom; his cherished grandchildren Brandi, Alexis, Jonathan, LeeAnn, Tommy III, Savannah, Dezirae, Deja, Anthony, Adrianna; two sisters, Mary, wife of Anthony Storti and Valerie, wife of Benjamin Gilinger; and his former wife, Maryann (Olkewicz) Dempsey.

He was preceded in death by his beloved, "Deacon."

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral service on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 in St. Ann Catholic Church, Third Avenue at Main Street, Phoenixville, PA at 10 a.m.

Burial will be private.

A casual viewing will be held on Friday, Nov. 4, 2011 in the Devlin-Rosmos-Kepp Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 517 S. Main St. at Fourth Avenue, Phoenixville, PA from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in his name may be made to the ASPCA and mailed to ATTN: Linda Tiramani, 520 8th Ave., Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Condolences may be given to the family at www.DevlinRosmosKepp.com.

Amanda Jefferies, 27

Amanda M. (King) Jefferies, age 27, wife of Julius M. Jefferies, of Jackson, TN, formerly of East Coventry Township, PA, died early Saturday morning, Oct. 29, 2011 in the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, TN after several lengthy illnesses.  

Born in Phoenixville, she was a daughter of Jeffrey A. and Melissa A. "Missy" (Stull) King. She was a 2003 graduate of the Owen J. Roberts High School.  

She received her masters degree in social work from the Union University in Jackson, TN.  Mrs. Jefferies devoted much of her time to helping children. She went on various mission trips to help children through the Paoli Baptist Church and the West Jackson Baptist Church. She worked as a social worker for the Child Protective Services of Tennessee. 

In addition to her husband and parents, Mrs. Jefferies is survived by one sister, Kimberly M. King of Spring City; maternal grandmother Margaret M. Stull of Ephrata; aunt and uncle John and Ginny King; cousins Beth King Rivera, Jeremy King; and many other aunts, uncles and cousins. 

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral service at the Bethel United Methodist Church, 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, PA 19475 on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 at 10:30 a.m.  

Burial will be in the Church Cemetery. Friends will be received from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. or from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Cattermole–Klotzbach Funeral Home, 600 Washington St., Royersford, PA.  

Friends will also be accepted from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Saturday morning at the church. There will be no calling time at the funeral home on Saturday.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the "Amanda King-Jefferies Memorial Fund," C/O National Penn Bank, 1111 Ridge Road, Pottstown, PA 19465.

Condolences may be made and the video tribute may be viewed by visiting www.RoyersfordFuneralHome.com.

Emilie Kalocai, 65

Emilie D. (Croasdale) Kalocai, 65, of Pottstown, PA, wife of the late Andrew J. Kalocai, died on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 in Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.

Born in Bryn Mawr, PA, she was the daughter of the late Olney R. and Emilie (Adams) Croasdale.

Emilie was a personal home care caregiver.

She is survived by son, Andrew, husband of Michelle Kalocai of Ellicott City, MD and two grandchildren, Brianna and Logan.

She was preceded in death by her son, Christopher Kalocai, and her brother, Art Croasdale.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral service in the Devlin-Rosmos-Kepp Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 517 S. Main St. at Fourth Avenue, Phoenixville, PA, on Nov. 1, 2011 at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Frank L. Lamson officiating.

Burial will follow in Limerick Garden of Memories, Limerick, PA.

A viewing will be held in the funeral home from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in her name may be made to the Creative Health Services, Attn: Randy Reber, 11 Robinson Street, Pottstown, PA 19464.

Condolences may be given to the family at www.DevlinRosmosKepp.com.

Helen Latshaw, 89

Helen M. Latshaw, Chester Springs, 89, widow of Russell T. Latshaw, passed away on Oct. 23, 2011 at home.

A daughter of Clarence and Grace (Bright) Missimer, she graduated from Royersford High School and Norristown Business School. She was an accomplished typist (still using her IBM Selectric) and Gregg Shorthand master, skills little used today.

During World War II she was a Red Cross volunteer at Valley Forge Military Hospital and received a commendation from then U.S. President, Harry S. Truman.

In 1948 she married Russell T. Latshaw, President of Sunny Slope Dairies, Spring City and raised two children. Over the years they enjoyed playing cards with friends, entertaining on their boat and travelling. One of their most memorable trips was when they went overseas to Brussels and Paris, a prize Mr. Latshaw had won as a contestant on the original “The Price is Right” with Bill Cullen. She continued to go on various adventures with her daughter and son.

After Mr. Latshaw’s death in 1981 she became involved with West End Fire Company in Phoenixville, serving as Financial Secretary for the last 25 years. She retired from that position in March of this year and treasured the watch the members gave her.

Up until this summer Mrs. Latshaw was active as a member of the Senior Bowling League at Phoenix Lanes and a regular at Thursday pinochle games with the Senior Center. To keep her intellectual acuity and for pure enjoyment, she read two newspapers a day, priding herself in doing all the puzzles in each, as well as numerous magazines.

As a child during the Great Depression, she learned the importance of saving and being thrifty. She continued that lesson throughout her life, always looking for Senior discounts, restaurant coupons and grocery sale items.

For many years she was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, Royersford, and also a member of AARP.

She is survived by her daughter Kyle L. Latshaw, of Saugatuck, MI, and her son Russell T. Latshaw Jr., of Spring City, along with her sister Margaret Ludolph, of Pottstown, nieces, nephews and many friends.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her sister, Marion Himes of Phoenixville.

At Mrs. Latshaw’s request, she was cremated. A funeral reception will be held at the Covered Bridge Room of the Kimberton Fire Company, 752 Pike Springs Rd., Phoenixville, PA 19460 on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011 at noon.  

A private burial will be in St. Matthew’s UCC Cemetery, Chester Springs, PA.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial  contributions may be made to West End Fire Company (earmarked AMBULANCE) 801 West Bridge St., Phoenixville, PA 19460-4214.  

Online condolences may be offered at www.royersfordfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements are by Cattermole-Klotzbach Funeral Home.

Lawrence Hand, 85

Lawrence J. Hand, 85, husband of Patricia M. (O'Neill) Hand, of Phoenixville, PA, died on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 in Coventry Manor Nursing Home.

Born in Philadelphia, PA he was the son of the late Kathryn (Dettra) Cook.

Lawrence served in the United States Navy during World War II aboard the USS Vesuvius in the Pacific Theatre.

He retired from Leighton Industries in Phoenixville, and for many years worked part time at the Wetherill Christmas Tree Farm.

He was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church in Phoenixville, and the Knights of Columbus Phoenixville Council 1374. 

He coached baseball for Phoenixville Little League and football for PMYC. 

He was an avid Philadelphia sports fan, enjoyed fishing, gardening, watching wildlife and visiting the Outer Banks, and especially spending time with his family.

Surviving in addition to his wife are three daughters, Donna, wife of Jack Kraynak of Phoenixville; Denise, wife of Ed "Wings" Wisneski of Phoenixville; Deb, wife of Tom Thorpe of State College, PA; one son, Larry, husband of Pamela Hand of New Hanover, PA; seven grandchildren, Christa Lee, Lauren, John, Jessica, David, Casey James, Derek; and brother, William, husband of Ethel Hand of Mays Landing, NJ.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Funeral Mass in St. Ann Catholic Church, Third Avenue at Main Street, Phoenixville, PA on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011 at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Michael J. Rzonca officiating.

Burial will follow in St. Ann Cemetery, Phoenixville, PA.

A viewing will be held in church on Wednesday from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Phoenixville Area Community Services, 257 Church St., Phoenixville, PA 19460.

Condolences may be given to the family at www.DevlinRosmosKepp.com.