American Legion

On March 9, 2009, RICHARD WALTER- HEFRIGHT, age 86, beloved husband of the late Betty Jane Hefright (nee Jepson), devoted father of Mary Sue Lowery and her husband Danny, Deborah Lee Becicka and her husband Leonard, Richard Kelly Hefright and his wife Nancy, and Theodore Dennis Hefright and his wife Patsy, dear brother of Mildred "Skippy" Miller, loving grandfather of Jessica Lehr, James Matusky, Matthew Matusky, Rebecca Becicka, Katie Hefright and Patrick...

Arthur J. Brett, a retired Social Security Administration official who was active in veterans affairs, died Thursday of cirrhosis at his Mount Airy home. He was 76. Mr. Brett was born and raised in Milwaukee, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Marquette University in 1953. He served in the Army during the Korean War and remained an active reservist, attaining the rank of lieutenant. He went to work for the SSA in 1958 and was transferred to headquarters at Woodlawn in 1964.

Howard County Fire Capt. Stephen M. Hardesty remembers his parents telling him as a young child that the first words he spoke were "fire engine." For Lt. Joseph R. Ross, becoming an emergency medical services provider was following a family tradition of serving as career firefighters. After years of service, Hardesty and Ross will be recognized as Career Firefighter and Career EMS Provider of the Year, respectively, by the American Legion - Department of Maryland. They are to receive their awards at the organization's annual convention tomorrow in Ocean City.

On July 1, 2008, CLETUS J. EWALS, 75, Born in New Rockford, ND, He was an Air Force Veteran and a member of the VFW and the American Legion. He was employed by the Government Printing Office in Washington, DC for 38 years. He is survived by his loving wife Elaine, son; Michael, daughters; Marcie, Michelle and Jeri, step-children; Lisa, Jamie, William and Thomas, brothers; William, Herbert and Martin, sisters; Bernice and Terry, 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Prevatt Funeral Home, Hudson, Florida.

Philip M. Prestianni, a retired optical lens crafter who designed a prescription face-mask shield worn during games by Baltimore Colts receiver Raymond Berry, died Wednesday at his home in Gardenville. He was 90. Mr. Prestianni was the third of eight children born to Signorino and Basilia Prestianni in their Camden Street home. He graduated in 1937 from City College, where, family members said, his interest in the vision industry began. A year later, Mr. Prestianni started working at New City Optical.

MARK FACTOR passed away Wednesday March 19, 2008 at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. He was born in Philadelphia, PA on Nov. 27, 1919, the son of the late George and Ida Goldberg Factor. He grew up in Philadelphia and attended the Mastbaum Vocational School. He enlisted in the Navy in 1938 and was aboard the USS St. Louis at Pearl Harbor during the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. He was a veteran of numerous naval battles of the Pacific including Leyte Gulf, Guadalcanal, Okinawa and Kolombangara.

On February 4, 2008, STANLEY W.; beloved husband of the late Shirley J. king (nee Wilt); beloved father of Anne K. Whaples; brother of Doris Gentile and Lois King; grandfather of Matthew W. King; step-grandfather of Graham Whaples; uncle of Tony and Robert Gentile, Dr. George Baumgardner and Carolyn Breitbach and Lori Burkland. Services at Trinity Lutheran Church, 38 W. Baltimore St., Taneytown, MD on Saturday, at 11 a.m. Interment in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home.

John P. "Big John" Matthews, a retired and decorated Baltimore City police officer who was an accomplished horseman, died of renal failure Dec. 28 at his Harford County home. He was 88. Born in Baltimore and raised on North Montford Avenue, he attended Baltimore public schools. During World War II, Mr. Matthews served in the Army's Signal Corps in Saipan. He left the military as a sergeant and remained active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. In 1950, he joined the old Baltimore City Park Police.

JOAN E. (Blevins) WILSON, 72, of Freeland, died January 5, 2008 in York Hospital, York, PA. She was the wife of the late A. Morris Wilson; mother of Larry A. Wilson, Gary P. Wilson and Robin M. Wood; grandmother of Jason, Wesley and Mindy Wilson, Christie Pahl, Danielle Wood, Daniel Wood, Jr., and Cory Cotton; great grandmother of Vida A. Wilson. She is also survived by one brother, James Blevins and his wife, Rosalie, one sister, Faye Stewart, and one sister-in-law, Doris Blevins. She was the daughter of the late Paul M. and Annis V. (Robbins)

Marie J. Hird, a homemaker who enjoyed cooking and entertaining, died Saturday of undetermined causes at Northwest Hospital Center. The longtime Randallstown resident was 83. Born Marie J. Mu, the daughter of Italian immigrants, she was raised in Hornell, N.Y. In 1952, she married Charles Thomas Hird, an ironworker, and the couple moved to Randallstown. In the 1960s, she was the counter manager at the Fairlanes bowling alley in Randallstown. During the 1970s, she worked as a cosmetics sales associate at the old Floyd's department store in the Old Court Shopping Center.