We Remember Those We Have Lost

William Thomas Gallagher
BERLIN – William Thomas Gallagher, 80, died on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 at his home in Berlin.

Born in Baltimore, he was the son of the late Francis and Agnes McDonald Gallagher. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Barbara Ann Gallagher.


Gallagher was an Army Veteran and had served in the Korean War. He worked for many years for Continental Can Company and for 10 years at Walmart. He leaves behind his beloved dogs Noel and Scooby and 
was known around town as the "Dog Walker".


Along with his wife, he is survived by a son, William Thomas Gallagher, Jr. of Ocean City; two daughters, Elizabeth Ann Todd of Ocean City and Bridget Rose and her husband Lang of Berlin. He was the adored grandfather of William (The Dude), Sarah, Bridget and Ian Todd, Amanda Gallagher and Molly Rose.


Services were held. Interment will be on March 10 at 1 p.m. at the Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery in Hurlock. Donations may be made to the Humane Society of Worcester County, PO Box 48, Berlin, Md. 21811.


Rudolph W. Arena

OCEAN PINES – Rudolph William “Rudy” Arena, 84, died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.

Born in Johnstown, Pa., he was the son of the late Joseph and Anna DeRosa Arena. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Vita R. Arena; daughter, Annette Francine Arena and her husband Jack H. Belgum of San Anselmo, Calif.; and son, Joseph Anthony Arena and his wife Ann Cecilia of Philadelphia. There are four grandchildren, Daniel L. and Anthony Arena and Elena and Monica Belgum, and one great-grandson, Alex. Also surviving are his sisters, Rita Locher of Lancaster, Pa., Eleanor Gehret and her husband Pat of Corona, Calif., Joanna Watkins and her husband Bob of Johnstown, Pa., and  Diane Weigel and her husband Bud, of Johnstown. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Anthony and Leonard Arena, and sisters, Mary Locher and Delores Erdley. He is survived by sisters-in-law Teresa and June Arena and brother-in-law Robert Erdley and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arena had been employed for many years with the Federal government, retiring in 1982 as Director of the Internal Revenue Audit Division after a distinguished career of 28 years. He was a WW II Army Air Corps Veteran and had attended St. John Neumann Catholic Church.

A mass of Christian burial will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. John Neumann Catholic Church. Friends may call on Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin, and also on Saturday one hour prior to Mass at the church. Entombment will be at Springhill Memory Gardens, Route 50 West, mile marker 106, Hebron, Md. 21830.

Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society C/o Gerrie Harrison, 337 Winter Quarter Dr. Pocomoke City, Md. 21851.

Albert B. Thomas

BERLIN – Albert Barker Thomas, 76, died Jan. 22, 2011 at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.

Born in Baltimore, he was the son of the late Arthur W. and Marie Selby Thomas. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joan Windsor Thomas, and his children, Barbara Ann Thomas of Seaford, Del., Michael A. Thomas of Columbia, Md. and Jeffrey A. Thomas and his wife Lisa of Laurel, Md.

He was “Papa” to his grandchildren, Colleen M. Devaney, Norris Thomas, Corey M. Thomas, David Dawes, Jessica Dawes, Ashley Thomas, Donyea Burroughs, Brandon Whitacre, and Grant Whitacre, and to his great grandchildren, Jacob Dallas Moser and Marleigh Quinn Pinkston. He leaves a brother, Taylor W. Thomas and his wife Judie, as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by a son, Steven L. Thomas and a brother, Arthur A. Thomas.

After beginning his construction career with several large firms in the Baltimore/Washington area, he became self-employed, first as T&G Contractors and then ABT Contractors, Inc. He took great pride in pointing out the countless projects on which he had worked.

He was a proud member of Laurel Wreath Lodge # 149 (Laurel MD), Evergreen Lodge # 153 (Berlin, MD), Boumi Temple, Ocean City Shrine Club, Eastern Shore Shrine Club, Camel  Wheels, the Jesters, and St .Matthews by the Sea Methodist Church in Fenwick Island , DE. As treasurer of the Paramedic Foundation of Ocean City Inc., he was proud to support those who served the needs of the community.

A service will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. at St. Matthews by the  Sea Methodist Church in Fenwick Island. A donation in his memory may be made to the Paramedic Foundation of Ocean City Inc., P.O. Box 3099, Ocean City, Md. 21842, or Boumi Transportation Fund, 5050 King Ave. Baltimore, Md. 21237

Arrangements by Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin.

Frank Cain


OCEAN CITY – Francis John Xavier Cain "Frank", 91, died Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011 at the Berlin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Born in Maplewood, NJ, he was the son of the late Matthew Cain and Mary Murphy Cain. He was also preceded in death by his step-mother, Margaret Carlin Cain. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Elizabeth Patricia Clark Cain.


Cain had worked in sales for many years with Studebaker in Newark, N.J., and Packard and Interstate Patching Supply Co. in Raleigh, N.J. He was a WWII Army Veteran, member of the Sinepuxent American Legion Post #166 in Ocean City, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Irish American Club and St. Luke/St. Andrew Catholic Church in Ocean City.


Along with his wife, he is survived by his sons, Gerald M. Cain and his wife 
Wendy of Brick, N.J., Donald J. Cain and his wife Valerie of Haddonfield, N.J. and John F. Cain of Leucadia, Calif.; his daughter, Diane Cain Coolidge and her husband Robert Todd Coolidge of Newbury Park, Calif.; nine grandchildren, Sherie Cain, Matthew Cain, Shelby Cain, Shannon Cain, Kyle Coolidge, Jarrett 
Coolidge, Tanner Cain Coolidge and Kianna Coolidge; and numerous nieces and nephews.


A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 at 11 a.m. at St. Luke Catholic Church in Ocean City. Rev. Richard Smith will officiate. Friends may call one hour prior to the service in church for viewing. Donations may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, Ohio 45250-0301, Attn: Gift Processing. Arrangements by the Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin.

Gary Hughes Esposito

OCEAN CITY – Gary Hughes Esposito, 65, of Ocean City and formerly of Oxford, died Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011 at Chesapeake Rehabilitation Center in Salisbury.

He was born in Baltimore and was the son of the late James B. and Carrie E. (Oaks) Esposito.

He had owned Business Systems Consultants in Ocean City for 20 years.   

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Lou Esposito of Ocean City; two sons, Michael L. Esposito and his wife Anne of Easton, Md. and Matthew J. Esposito and his wife Rachel of Trappe, Md.; and a brother, James A. Esposito and his wife Shirley of Pasadena, Md.  He is also survived by four grandchildren, Isaiah, Sophia, Luci and Rory.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Coastal Conservation Association, 101 Ridgely Ave., Suite 12A, Annapolis, Md. 21401 or The American Heart Association, P.O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, Va. 23058.