Parlette I. `Whitey' Alban, 70, city firefighter...

Parlette I. `Whitey' Alban, 70, city firefighter

Parlette I. "Whitey" Alban, a retired Baltimore firefighter from Overlea, died Monday of a stroke at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 70.

Mr. Alban joined the Fire Department in 1958 and spent most of his career at Engine Co. 42 in Lauraville. When he retired in 1975, he was the driver for the department's chief.

He was a member of Baltimore Fire Fighters Local 734 and the Retired Fire Officers and Firefighters Association.

Born and raised in Northeast Baltimore, he earned his GED certificate while in the Navy during the Korean War. He was discharged with the rank of petty officer.

Mr. Alban enjoyed collecting coins.

Services were held Friday.

Surviving are his wife of 45 years, the former Edna Mae Carter; two sons, Michael Alban of Churchville and John Alban of Baltimore; two daughters, Charlene Alban and Janet Hileman, both of Overlea; a sister, Betty Lou Neubauer of Severna Park; and three grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to the Baltimore City Fire Department Widows and Orphans Fund, c/o Baltimore Fire Fighters Local 734, 1202 Ridgely St., Baltimore 21230.

Frank John Helowicz, 69, lithographer for 36 years

Frank John Helowicz, a retired lithographer and former longtime Pasadena resident, died Nov. 25 of cancer at his home in Apache Junction, Ariz. He was 69.

Mr. Helowicz, who had lived in Apache Junction since 1981, worked for 36 years as a lithographer for American Can Co. in Baltimore before retiring that year.

Born and raised on Duncan Street in East Baltimore, he attended Baltimore public schools. He saw combat during the Korean War as an infantryman and was discharged from the Army as a corporal in the early 1950s.

Mr. Helowicz collected antiques and owned and operated an antiques shop in Apache Junction.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery, 1080 Sunrise Beach Road.

Mr. Helowicz is survived by his wife of 45 years, the former Elizabeth Mullins; a son, David Helowicz of Pasadena; three daughters, Bonita Duffield of Ocean Pines, Cathy Helowicz of Pasadena and Andrea Hutchens of Chandler, Ariz.; and five grandchildren.

Sara Ruth Grose, 87, social worker, artist

Sara Ruth Grose, a former social worker, athlete and artist, died Wednesday of Alzheimer's disease at her Roland Park Place home. She was 87.

A former North Baltimore resident, she had lived at the Roland Park retirement community since 1998.

Sara Ruth Cox was born and raised in Kansas City, Kan., where she graduated from high school. She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Depauw University in Greencastle, Ind., 1936, and a master's degree in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1938.

She began her career in social work in Baltimore in 1939 as a caseworker for the Baltimore County Children's Aid Society. She later worked for the Henry Watson Children's Aid Society, now Family and Children's Services of Central Maryland.

In 1940, she married Dr. William E. Grose, who survives her.

During World War II, Mrs. Grose taught engineering and operations at the Air Force Clerical School in Fort Collins, Colo.

In the mid-1970s, after raising her family, she worked as a caseworker for Catholic Charities.

She was an accomplished artist who worked in oils and was an avid tennis player and golfer.

She was a 30-year member of the Gilman Jogging Club and participated in the Senior Olympics at Towson State University, where she won 26 gold medals. She also ran 10K races with her daughters, and was ranked sixth in the country in the 70-and-over age group.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at Roland Park Place, 830 W. 40th St.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons, George Grose of Ruxton and Robert Grose of Roland Park; two daughters, Susan G. Rioff of Lexington, Mass., and Barbara G. Carnevale of Montclair, N.J.; a sister, Mary C. Taylor of Denver; and 10 grandchildren.

James Arthur Fowler, 98, Beth Steel supervisor

James Arthur Fowler, a retired Bethlehem Steel supervisor and service club official, died Monday of renal failure at Howard County General Hospital. He was 98 and had lived in Towson for 46 years.

He retired in 1968 from the Bethlehem Steel Company where he had been a supervisor in the hot strip mills. During his 46 years of work, he won many awards for suggesting improvements.

A past president of the Dundalk Lions Club, where he was a longtime member, he was also active in the Dundalk YMCA, the Cassia Lodge No. 45 of the Masons, the Sparrows Point Engineers Club and the Sparrows Point Country He served in the Coast Guard Reserves at Curtis Bay during World War II.

His wife of 72 years, Margaret Frank, died in 1998.

Services were held yesterday.

He is survived by a son, Dr. James A. Fowler Jr. of San Antonio; a daughter, Margaret F. Carter of Ellicott City; four grandsons; and 12 great-grandchildren.

J. Mayo Greenberg, 79, astronomer, professor