Elizabeth “Beth” Gordy Arvidson
OCEAN CITY – Elizabeth “Beth” Gordy Arvidson, 70, of Mill Valley, Calif., passed away peacefully on Jan. 2, 2017, after a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
She was born and raised in Ocean City, Md., and was a descendant of Lemuel Showell, one of the original founders of Ocean City. Arvidson was an honor roll student throughout her academic career at Stuart Hall girls’ school in Staunton, Va., the University of Virginia School of Nursing and ultimately a master’s degree in Public Health frm the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
After obtaining her master’s in 1972, she set off for the West Coast and fell in love with Mill Valley, which would be her home for the remainder of her life. She hired to be the first patient care coordinator at the University of California-San Francisco. In 1980, Arvidson was hired by Kaiser Permanente in San Rafael, Calif., where she would spend the next 28 years working in health education.
After surviving her own breast cancer diagnosis, she became the first breast care coordinator for Kaiser in northern California, helping develop a role that is now integral to every Kai-ser facility.
In retirement, Arvidson pursued her passion for travel, visiting Asia, Europe, South America and Africa. She was a board member and major contributor to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She loved to dance, taking lessons weekly at Bay West Dance Company and going on “dance” cruises around the world. She had a love for all oceans and would body surf whenever and wherever she could.
She was an avid gardener and found great peace maintaining and enjoying her garden at home. She was personally and professionally a belov-ed mentor and counselor to many.
Arvidson is survived by her daughter, Jessica, of Newport Beach, Calif., and son, Andrew, and wife Jennifer of Valley Center, Calif., and their three children; and by her brother, Harold B. Gordy Jr., and wife Connie of Ocean City; and cousin Maggie and her husband, Terry Steimer, of Melbourne, Fla., and their families. Her marriage to Thomas Arvidson ended in divorce.
There will be a service celebrating her life on Feb. 4 at the Community Church of Mill Valley at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent ot Cystic Fibrosis, 1731 Embarcadero Rd., Suite 210, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303, or to the memorial fund founded by her late mother, Elizabeth S. Gordy, at St. Paul’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, 300 Baltimore Ave., Ocean City, Md. 21842.
Joseph Montgomery Harden Jr.
OCEAN PINES – Joseph Montgomery Harden Jr., 72, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, at Salisbury Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Born in Baltimore, he was the son of the late Joseph Montgomery Har-den Sr. He is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Judith Ann Harden. He is also survived by his cousin, Michael Meekins, and his wife, Stacy, of Berlin and three great-cousins, Michael J. Meekins, Mathew Meekins and Justin Meekins. Mr. Harden had worked as a plumber for the Department of Defense.
In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1850 York Rd., Suite D, Timonium, Md. 21093. Arrangements are in the care of the Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin.
Letters of condolence may be shar-ed with the family at [email protected].
God will heal your spirit, time will heal your pain, fond memories will heal your heart.
Joyce Watkins Hamstead
BERLIN – Joyce Watkins Hamstead, 85, died Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at the Berlin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Joyce Watkins Hamstead
Born in Cambridge, she was the daughter of the late Orland Glenn Dean and Cora Etta Harper Dean. She was preceded in death by her husband, Glenn Hamstead, in 2000. She is survived by her children, Phyllis Towers and her husband, Randy, of Seaford, Warren Hamstead and his wife, Doris, of Ocean Pines and David Hamstead and his wife, Lounell, of Bishopville, 11 grandchildren including Emily Smith, Jimi Kellogg, Jason Kellogg, Julia Adamski Lohr, Thomas Adam-ski II, Terri Piser, David Shauck, Mi-chael Baccala, Jon-athan Hamstead, Coleman Hamstead and Chase Hamstead. There are 16 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her brother, William Irvin Dean.
Joyce Hamstead was a graduate of Goldey Beacom College in Wilmington, Del. She had worked as a secretary with I.E. Dupont of Seaford, Del., and had been the owner and operator with her late husband of Homeworks Furniture store in Ocean City.
She enjoyed reading, sharing jokes with everyone, loved humor and will always be remembered lovingly as a joyous person.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. at the Bur-bage Funeral Home in Berlin. Friends may call one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in St Johnstown Cemetery in Greenwood.
Letters of condolence may be sent to the family at [email protected]. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at 108 North Bedford St., Georgetown, Del. 19947.
Ronald Lee Beaver
BERLIN – Ronald Lee Beaver, 81 of Ocean Pines, Md., died Jan. 20, 2017.
Ronald Lee Beaver
He was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He was the son of the late F. Gerald Beaver and Dolly Wells Beaver (Clark). He was also preceded in death by his step-father Robert C. Clark and his brother Cliff Bernard Beaver all from Huntingdon, Pa.
Beaver is survived by his wife of 61 years Virginia R. (Gallis) Beaver, a son Roger L. Beaver, son (Wyndie) of Pahrump, Nevada and a half-brother, William Beaver (Cathy) of James Creek, Pennsylvania.
He graduated from Huntingdon High School in Pennsylvania, sang in Glee Club for four years, played football and ran track. He attended University of Maryland.
Beaver pursued a career at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. as supervisor of fingerprints, where he met his future wife Ginny, retiring after 38 years in 1990. He attended the Trinity UCC Church. After living in the Hyattsville and Silver Spring, Maryland area for 35 years, Ron and Ginny retired in Ocean Pines, Maryland in 1990.
He loved to hunt, fish, boat and travel. He liked to ride his bicycle and ran a 13-mile marathon. He loved to do wood carving of birds and ducks, and belonged to Purple Martin Association.
He also did watercolor paintings and liked to cook. He was a member of the Ocean Pines Anglers Club, he was a Redskins, Orioles and Maryland Terrapins fan.
A memorial service in celebration of Ron’s life was held at Burbage Funeral Home, 108 William St. in Berlin, Md. on Thursday Jan. 26, 2017. Inurnment followed in White Cottage, Ohio, at Wesley Chapel Cemetery.
Arrangements were in the care of the Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin. Letters of condolence may be shared with the family at [email protected].