Obituaries for Jan. 29

Today's obituaries recognize: Joan Allen, William Axford, William Berry, Edwina Condatore, Woodrow Fortune, John Haselby Sr., Fred Reese, Alice Ulasek and James Vrabel

Joan Allen

Joan Wendy Allen, 64, a native of England who lived in Odenton for 30 years, died of cancer Jan. 25 at her home after a year-long illness.

Mrs. Allen was born Nov. 20, 1943, in England to the late Charles Thomas and Annie Rose Darlow Wright.

She worked in the cafeteria at Arundel Middle School for 20 years.

She was a member of the British Wives Club.

Mrs. Allen was a homemaker for 20 years, and enjoyed shopping, gardening, traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 37 years, Everett Allen Jr., and one sister, Pauline Sampson.

Survivors include two sons, Russell E. and Christopher C. Allen of Odenton; two daughters, Terri Marshall of Palmyra, Va., and Rachael Hines of Baltimore; five brothers, John, David, Michael, Robin and Richard Wright, all of England; four sisters, Shirley Morgan, Ann Adams, Patricia Matthews and Sheila Baldry, all of England; and six grandchildren.

Family and friends may visit from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Hardesty Funeral Home, 851 Annapolis Road in Gambrills. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Interment will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Online condolences may be made at www.hardestyfuneralhome.com.

William Axford

William Barry Axford, 79, of Solomons and formerly of Annapolis and Bowie, died unexpectedly of natural causes Jan. 22 at Calvert Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Axford was born April 26, 1928, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where he graduated from Daniel McIntyre High School and attended Winnipeg University.

He was employed as a clerk for the Great Northern Railway in Winnipeg and Dallas, Texas, from 1958 to 1966, and as a sales representative for the Burlington Northern Railway in Washington, D.C., from 1967 until his retirement in 1987.

He served as president of the Baltimore Traffic Club from 1982 to 1983.

He enjoyed many things, including current events and politics, golf, bowling, reading, Scrabble and crossword puzzles, cribbage, music and movies. He especially enjoyed entertaining his many clients and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Joan Elizabeth Axford; and one sister, Grace McKeever.

Survivors include two daughters, Elizabeth Axford of Houston, Texas, and Lorraine Woodmansee of Chesapeake Beach; one sister, Merle Johnston of Halifax, Nova Scotia; and one grandson.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are by Sewell Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Owensville Primary Care, 134 Owensville Road, West River, MD 20778.

William Berry

Retired Navy Cmdr. William H. "Bill" Berry, 98, of Annapolis died Jan. 15 at Ginger Cove Retirement Community.

Cmdr. Berry was born March 26, 1909, in Tunnel Hill, Ga., to the late Paul Milton and Nancy Hoke Berry. He earned a bachelor's degree from Richmond College and a master's degree from Columbia University.

Cmdr. Berry joined the Navy in 1940, and was assigned as an instructor in languages at the Naval Academy. He taught English, Spanish, French, Latin, German and Italian until he retired in 1973.

In addition to teaching, he was active with the Masqueraders, a theater group, and with the sailing program at the Naval Academy. He was an officer for the Annapolis-Bermuda races.

He traveled extensively during his retirement, making five "semester-at-sea" voyages where he was the tutor, mentor, and grandfather for students taking courses for college credit.

He loved the outdoors and nature. His personal conservation and land preservation efforts resulted in a woodland nature preserve bordering on the Severn River in Arnold. The Severn River Association presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.

He was also a mentor to many children in the area, teaching them about the diverse group of plants and animals.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 33 years, Elizabeth S. Berry.

Survivors include one stepson, Robert Schmidt of Virginia; one stepdaughter, Elizabeth Morrison Craig of Annapolis; six grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Cmdr. Berry donated his remains for medical study. Following the return of his ashes, a memorial service will be held at Ginger Cove Retirement Community.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Ave., Annapolis, MD 21403 or to the Severn River Association, P.O. Box 146, Annapolis, MD 21404.

Edwina Condatore

Edwina Marie "Eddie" Condatore, 56, of Chester, died of complications after a surgical procedure Jan. 27 at the University of Maryland Hospital.

Mrs. Condatore was born March 9, 1951, in Wheeling, W.Va., to the late Edwin Sinilla and Clara Rohanna. She graduated from high school in Wheeling, and later moved to Southern California.

She lived in California for 25 years, working as a nurse and later as a nursing supervisor. Subsequently, she moved to Chester and worked for Anne Arundel Medical Center as a nursing supervisor.

She loved to dance, and enjoyed camping and water recreation. She was a passionate Pittsburgh Steelers fan. She was the legal guardian of two of her grandchildren, Brennen and Aaliyah Studevent.

Survivors include her husband of 10 years, Michael Condatore; two sons, Christopher Chamberlain of North Carolina and Brandon Condatore of Chester; two daughters, Brittney Chamberlain of Chester and Taylor Condatore of Texas; and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Queenstown. Arrangements are by Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the education fund of Brennen and Aaliyah, made to Edwina Condatore Memorial Fund, M & T Bank, 60 Kent Towne Market, Chester, MD 21619.

Online condolences may be made at www.fhnfuneralhome.com.

Woodrow Fortune

Woodrow Peyton "Woody" Fortune, 90, of Gambrills and previously of Crofton, died of pneumonia Jan. 26 at the Crofton Convalescence Center.

Mr. Fortune was born July 12, 1917, in Lynchburg, Va.

He worked as a book-binder for the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.

During World War II, he served in the Army as a private 1st class, and received the Purple Heart.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Greenbelt.

Mr. Fortune was an avid gardener and animal lover.

He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 50 years, Mary Virginia Graves.

Survivors include two sons, Woodrow G. Fortune of Brandywine and Richard E. Fortune of Boca Raton, Fla.; two daughters, Barbara A. Dove of Dunkirk and Linda M. Murray of Crofton; and three grandchildren.

Family and friends may visit from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 Crain Highway in Bowie.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Interment will be in Lakemont Cemetery in Davidsonville.

John Haselby Sr.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. John V. Haselby Sr., 88, of Gambrills and previously of Camp Springs, died of natural causes Jan. 26 at Baltimore Washington Medical Center.

Lt. Col. Haselby was born April 24, 1919, in Grass Creek, Ind.

During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps and received the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross with seven Oak Leaf Clusters. Subsequently, he made the Air Force his career.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Cheryl K. Blunt.

Survivors include his wife of more than 60 years, Marjorie Haselby; one son, John V. Haselby Jr. of Arlington, Va.; one daughter, Barbara L. Lynard of Crofton; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Family and friends may visit from 11 a.m. to noon tomorrow at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 Crain Highway in Bowie. Funeral services will follow at noon.

Interment will be in Lakemont Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville.

Fred Reese

Fred Reese, 92, a resident of Annapolis for 30 years and previously of Lisbon, Ohio, died of natural causes Jan. 27 at Anne Arundel Medical Center after a long illness.

Mr. Reese was born July 1, 1915, in Ohio.

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Melvena Mae Reese; and one son, Dennis Reese of Arnold.

Funeral services and interment are private. Arrangements are by Hardesty Funeral Home.

Online condolences may be made at www.hardestyfuneralhome.com.

Alice Ulasek

Alice O'Hara Ulasek, 92, a resident of Heritage Harbor in Annapolis, died Jan. 26 at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Mrs. Ulasek was born April 23, 1915, in Billerica, Mass., to the late Frederick and Lena Conway O'Hara. She attended the Howe High School and graduated in 1932.

She moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the federal government, where she met her husband.

She was a volunteer at Prince George's Hospital and enjoyed dancing, music and travel, but she most loved the company of her granddaughters.

She was preceded in death by three sisters, Phyllis McGowan, Louise Mann and Shirley Nuttall.

Survivors include her husband of 64 years, Henry Ulasek; two daughters, Ellen Guyker of Baltimore and Margaret "Peggy" Ulasek of Huntingtown; three sisters, Eleanor Hayes of Dover, N.H., and Grace Joncas and Elizabeth "Betty" Ferraro of North Billerica, Mass.; and two granddaughters.

Family and friends may join in a celebration of her life from 10 to 11 a.m. tomorrow at Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road in Edgewater.

A Mass of Christian burial will offered at noon tomorrow at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 101 Owensville Road in West River.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 5335 Wisconsin Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20015.

Online condolences may be made at www.kalasfuneralhomes.com.

James Vrabel

James Joseph Vrabel, 72, of Riva, died Jan. 26 at his home.

Mr. Vrabel was born May 29, 1935, in Bayonne, N.J. He lived in Denville and West Milford, N.J., before moving to Burford, N.C. He moved to Riva in 2001.

He was a freelance illustrator and commercial artist, retiring in 1985.

Mr. Vrabel served in the Army during the late 1950s, and was stationed in Germany.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara H. Kockerols Vrabel.

Survivors include three sons, Frank Vrabel of Roslyn, N.Y., Bryan Vrabel of Island Lakes, N.J., and Christopher Vrabel of West Milford; one daughter, Kirsten Vail of Warwick, N.Y.; one brother, Frank Vrabel of Denville; three sisters, Janice Garman of Tennessee, Vivian Deeds of Rockaway, N.J., and Maryellen Serafine of Pennsylvania; and eight grandchildren.

Family and friends may visit from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Ave. in Denville.

A Liturgy of Christian burial will be offered at 9 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Church, 15 Meyers Ave. in Denville.