Meet the People Who Settled Horsham

We are sad to report the passing of long-time friend and supporter Al Edling. Al was the owner of Bloodgood Nurseries in Horsham and donated his time – and plants – to our organization. His fruit trees line the driveway between the barn and farmhouse at the Penrose-Strawbridge Farm. Al and his wife Eleanor also graciously hosted our Holiday Supper at their home several years ago.

Al was from Roxborough and received a BS in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown. In addition to owning Bloodgood for 47 years, he was also a horticulturist for National Park Services at Independence Hall, and co-director for Job Corp in Massachusetts.

HPHA is sad to report the passing of another good friend, Archie Ashley, on Saturday, March 9, 2013. Here are the details from Decker Funeral Home: 

Archie C. Ashley of Chalfont PA passed away on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at Abington Hospice at Warminster. He was 86 years old. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Clare K. (Hagerty) Ashley. Mr. Ashley was born in Edenton, NC, to Archie L. and Claudia A. (Coffield) Ashley on December 14, 1926.

After completing High School in Edenton, NC, he attended Duke University for 6 months but felt the call of duty and enlisted in the Navy in March 1943. Archie attended Hospital Corps School and served with the Marines on the Solomon Islands giving first aid. He was wounded while on Peleliu Island during World War II. He was also wounded during the Korean Conflict. For his bravery, saving the lives of others, he received the Navy Cross in Korea.

In 1966, Archie was the Navy’s seventh most decorated enlisted man. He was the holder of more than 40 medals and ribbons including the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and four Purple Hearts.

Archie was stationed at the naval Air Facility at Johnsville, PA in 1953, 1955 , and again in 1958. It was during his first tour of duty that he met and married his wife, Clare, herself a Navy veteran of World War II. After attending Aviation Medical School in Pensacola, FL, Archie was shipped to Johnsville to work on the centrifuge. He worked with all seven of the original astronauts and he and his mates pre-rode every flight project. On one occasion the gondola went wild when Archie was in it, but he emerged with only broken blood vessels.

After serving for one year during the Vietnam War Archie retired from the Navy in 1963. He then became a civilian employee of the Naval Air Development Center in Johnsville. He held various positions at Johnsville, until his retirement in 1983.

In addition to his wife, Archie is survived by three loving nieces and one nephew, and his sister-in-law, Pauline. Burial will be held privately at Horsham Friends Meeting House Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at Horsham Friends Meeting House, 500 Easton Road, Horsham, PA 19044, for all friends and family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, 701 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, in memory of Archie.

Archie and his wife Claire were great friends and supporters of our organization. We will miss them both.

HPHA is sad to report the passing of a good friend and member Danny Alverado. Below are thoughts from board member, Pete Choate.

“A Navy veteran, Danny was a positive person with a deep laugh and a selfless commitment to helping others. He often helped HPHA at the Penrose Strawbridge House and was a community leader in his North Philadelphia neighborhood. He indulged his passion for music as a weekend DJ and had hoped to make a living in the music industry.

“Dan came to HPHA through a friendship with me, I was working part-time as a caretaker at Indian Springs Farm in Mechanicsville and Danny was with a landscaping company that was servicing the property. We developed a friendship and when I cut back on my work at the farm I arranged for Danny to take over.

“A Navy veteran, Danny was a positive person with a deep laugh and a selfless commitment to helping others. He often helped HPHA at the Penrose Strawbridge House and was a community leader in his North Philadelphia neighborhood. He indulged his passion for music as a weekend DJ and had hoped to make a living in the music industry.

“Danny had lived through some hard times but was always in good spirits and ready to help anyone in need. He was only 55 when he passed after a long battle with a number of chronic medical conditions.

“Dan leaves a son, Daniel Alverado, Jr.

“I will miss him, as will HPHA.”

We are saddened to report the passing of a good friend, charter member, and a great supporter of HPHA, Claire Kenderdine Ashley. From The Intelligencer 1/24/2016:

“Clare K. Ashley, a longtime resident of Chalfont, Pa., passed away Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 at Holy Redeemer Hospice. She was 90.

“Born in Horsham on May 12, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Clarence K. Hagerty and Florene Hillborn Williams Hagerty. She was a direct descendent of Richard Kenderdine, one of the first Quaker settlers in Horsham Township and one of the original trustee’s of Horsham Friends Meeting in 1718. She was a lifetime member of Meeting, where she will be held in the light and greatly missed.

“Clare graduated from Hatboro High School and later graduated from Bucks County Community College with an Associate degree in Business. She was in Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior College in 1991.

“Clare served in the U.S. Navy during World War II Hospital Corps for two years and Organized Reserves for four years during the Korean War, and worked for many years at N.A.D.C. and retired from Civil Service in 1991. She also worked for 21 years as a receptionist at Heritage Towers until 2006.

“Clare was active in many organizations including Bucks County Historical Society, Friends of Craven Hall, Heritage Conservancy, N.A.R.F.E., the Women in Military Service for America (Memorial Foundation), Questers and the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association.

“She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 59 years, Archie C. Ashley. She is survived by her sister, Pauline Millsaps, and nieces, Florence Degler, Sheila Nace, and Clare Tock; her nephew, Roy Degler; and six great-nieces and nephews.

“In lieu of flowers, remembrance gifts may be made to the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association (HPHA), 900 Governor Road, Horsham, PA 19044.”

HPHA is sad to report the loss of another good friend and charter member, John Stayt.

From Legacy.com, April 1, 2018. 

“Mr. Stayt was a veteran of WWII serving in the US Army Air Corps being stationed. In the Philippines and Japan and attached to the Pacific Air Command, 6th Photo Technical Squadron. He graduated from Central HS, received his BS degree from Temple Univ. in 1950 and his MBA from Temple. John was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Fraternity. He started to work at Crown Cork and Seal in 1950 and worked for the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association in Philadelphia in 1973 as Treasurer-Secretary. He was Lifetime member of the D.V.H.A.A. in Horsham.”

HPHA lost a good friend, supporter, and active member with the recent death of Leon Clemmer on February 28, 2013. Leon was the principle author of HPHA’s History of Horsham Book and had done watercolors of many local landmarks.

from the Helwig & Rowland Funeral Home and the Philadelphia Inquirer May 11,2013:

Leon Clemmer, Architect, Historian and Artist died peacefully on Thursday, February 28 2013. Born in 1926 to Leon and Mary Colton Steele Clemmer, he was raised in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia but lived the majority of his life in Abington and Jenkintown before retiring in the Horsham area. He died of complications from a series of strokes at Gwynedd Square Nursing Center.

Leon graduated from Central High School and attended the School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, his studies were postponed when he enlisted in the United States Navy. He served as ship’s carpenter during World War II and served in the Philippine Island and Guam campaigns from 1941 -1943. After the war, Leon returned to the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with honors in 1951 from the School of Fine Arts/Architecture.

In 1961, Leon started his own firm and has a long list of significant design accomplishments. Among his many significant is the Glenside Library which won honors from the Pennsylvania Society of Architects with its Distinguished Building Award. He is credited with changing the way the nation deals with adjudicated youth with the design of The Montgomery County Youth Center, where he convinced officials that youths would be better served in a secure environment that was not institutional in nature. The facility has been honored by the American Institute of Architects, the National Juvenile Court Judges, and the American Correctional Associated.

Leon is also credited with changing the skyline of Ocean City, New Jersey with the design of the Port-O-Call Hotel, the tallest structure on the island, the Stingray and the Pavilion Hotels, Bay Club Condominium and Marina, The Ocean City Yacht Club and the family favorite Wonderland Amusement Park.

Other significant projects include The Centralized Biological Lab in Penn State’s Main Campus, Wood River Village in Bensalem, PA, The Masonic Home in Lafayette Hill, The Elkins Park Train Station, Good Council Hall in Villanova University, Steam Building conversion at University of Pennsylvania, The Glenside Fire Department and the Whitpain Township Building.

Among his civic activities, Leon was particularly active in Historic Carpenter Company of Philadelphia where he served as President. He and his associates were responsible for the re-creation of the Grand Federal Edifice which was the center piece at the parade celebrating the Bicentennial of the Constitution of the United States. The Federal Edifice was praised by Vice President George H. Bush and was then featured in his inaugural parade in Washington, D.C.

He helped change the way the nation housed adjudicated youth; his design in the mid-1970s for the Montgomery County Youth Center was innovative because it was secure but resembled a school, not a jail. “He thought that if you could get a kid into a calm environment, you could calm them down and help them,” said his son. “He took a big risk by sticking his neck out and saying, ‘This is what you have to do.’ ” The facility – replicated nationwide – was honored by the American Institute of Architects, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the American Correctional Association.

Leon was a 54-year active member of the Union League of Philadelphia, former Director, Chair of the Library Committee and Chair of the Lincoln Foundation for Preservation of the League and its art and archives. He was also a member of The Independence Hall Association, The Engineers Club of Philadelphia, The Foundation for Architecture, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Bartram Garden, Friends of Historic Rittenhouse Town, and The Old York Road Historic Society. He also served on the Abington Township Planning Commission and as Historic Consultant to Cheltenham Township. Leon was also a member of the Summit Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Elkins Park and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Maple Glen, PA.

An accomplished artist and watercolorist, he studied at Woodmere Art Museum under Howard N. Watson, a nationally recognized watercolorist and illustrator.

He and his wife, the former Mary Jane Bertolet, bred and showed bearded collies for 30 years. He was a former president of the Huntingdon Valley Kennel Club and will be honored June 1, when the club dedicates its 100th show to his memory.

Leon was married for 57-years to Mary Jane. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter Catherine C. and her husband Gary Pickell; by his son Leon Clemmer, Jr.; by his grandchildren, Andrew, Bradley, Kristin, Samuel and Molly and by his brother, David Clemmer.

Leon was a great friend and will be missed.

Our organization has lost a long-time friend and very generous supporter with the recent death of Joseph Hallowell “Buck” Penrose Jr on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015.

Mr. Penrose was the great-grandson of Jarrett and Tacy Kirk Penrose and great-great-grandson of William and Hannah Penrose, who built the major additions to the main house and the out-buildings at what we now call the Penrose-Strawbridge Farm. Tacy Kirk Penrose’s great-grandfather, John Kirk, had been the stone mason who built the Keith House 120 years earlier. Her maternal grandfather was the clock maker Seneca Lukens and her uncle was Isaiah Lukens who made the clocks for Independence Hall and Loller Academy.

Mr. Penrose, over the past few years, has generously donated a great deal of significant historical documents, including the 1718 Samuel Carpenter Indenture, that are now in our collection; plus numerous other items that are either on display at the Penrose-Strawbridge House, used around the farm, or that we have sold. He has also bequeathed HPHA the remainder of his historical collection.

From the PhillyBurbs.com:

“Joseph Hallowell ‘Buck’ Penrose Jr. of Norwalk, Conn., formerly of Warrington, passed away Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. He was 78. He is survived by his loyal friend, Margherita McElwreath.

“Born in Abington, he was the son of the late Mary S. Park and Joseph Hallowell Penrose Sr. Buck graduated from George School in Newtown, and the College of Engineering at Cornell University with additional degrees from the Wharton School of Business and The Pennsylvania State University. He served in the U.S. Navy, having successfully completed the ROTC program at Cornell. He was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity at Cornell and subsequently a member of several professional organizations.

“Buck had many successful years in corporate development and as a business and management consultant for various clients, both in the United States and Europe. For the last several years he owned and operated Penrose Development, located in Connecticut.

“Buck was a member of the Horsham Friends Meeting.

“Memorial contributions in his name may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018.”

We were very saddened at the sudden death of a good friend and long-time supporter of HPHA, Mary Jane Clemmer, on May 9, 2015. Mary Jane was currently serving as treasurer of the organization.

From Montgomery Newspapers:

“Mary Jane Bertolet Clemmer died unexpectedly on May 9 at her home in Horsham, Montgomery County. She was predeceased last year by her husband of 57 years, Leon Clemmer. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Melrose Park and raised her family in Abington Township.

“She was a graduate of Cheltenham High School, Brown University (Pembroke College) and studied at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. Mary Jane was the past president of Jenkintown Day Nursery, The Hannah Penn House for Young Republicans, and the Huntingdon Valley Kennel Club. She was also the first President of the Brown University Alumni Club of Philadelphia. Mary Jane was an active volunteer and served on the Young Republicans of Cheltenham Township, she was a Committeewoman in Abington Township and was currently serving as Judge of Elections in Horsham Township. She also served on the Vestry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Elkins Park as well as several committees for the Episcopal Diocese of Philadelphia. For many years, she was a local chairman for the American Cancer Society Daffodil Days program.

“Along with her husband Leon, she collaborated on many architectural projects both commercial and residential in the Philadelphia region and Jersey shore.

“Mary Jane was also a breeder of prized Bearded Collies. Over the past 30 years, her litters produced over 300 puppies. Four of her own dogs became AKC Champions and 16 of the dogs she bred also became AKC Champions. The Huntingdon Valley Kennel Dog Show on May 31 will be dedicated in her honor.

“Mary Jane and Leon were both active members and supporters of HPHA and will be very much missed.”

HPHA is saddened again with the loss of another good friend and active supporter of the organization, Tom Ambler of Grindleton.

From Montgomery Newspapers:

“Thomas Sayre Ambler of Ambler, PA died suddenly at his home “Grindleton” on March 5th,2014 at the age of 98. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Pulrang Ambler, to whom he had been married for 63 years, and two sons, Jonathan and his wife, Peggy, in Lancaster County and David and his wife Holly, in Cambridge, MA, and five grandchildren.

“He was the son of Margareta Quick Ambler and Howard Muir Ambler. He was born at home in 1915, in the ‘Henry House,’ Germantown, and lived there until 1940, when his family moved to the home ‘Grindleton,’ where he lived the rest of his life.

“His Quaker forbearers came to Philadelphia at the time of William Penn. He was a life-long Friend (Quaker) and was a conscientious objector during WWII. He attended Temple and the University of Pennsylvania and took part in development of blood preservation for medical transfusion use at the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania before becoming a science teacher at Chestnut Hill Academy. He also taught science at Unami Junior High School in Chalfont before retiring.

“As a member of the Religious Society of Friends he clerked committees at the Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly level. At his death, he was the oldest member of the Corporation of Haverford College and was still clerking the Bible Association of Friends in America. Thomas was one of the last recorded ministers in the Religious Society of Friends. Recording recognized Friends whose ministry was considered especially gifted, a practice that has since been dropped by the Society of Friends.

“Dendrology (the study of trees) was his special interest and he had a mini arboretum on his grounds at ‘Grindleton.’ In 1977 he took a 6 month sabbatical to work at Kew Royal Botanical Gardens in London, which also tied into his enduring interest in things British. (note – Tom was happy to take visitors to Grindleton around the property and providing them with detail bios of every bush and tree on the property).

“Major hobbies included cricket, steam railroads and early Philadelphia history. He was a member of the C. C. Morris Cricket Association located at Haverford College and for 40 years refereed, at his home, an annual cricket game including children as young as 8.

“He was also the Treasurer of the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad when it first started, as a steam tourist railroad, and was a founding member of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. He was also a member of the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway museum (narrow gauge) in Maine as well as other railroad associations. He was a member of ‘Friends of the American Philosophical Society’ and numerous other historical societies in Philadelphia, the suburbs and Maine.

“He summered on the North Haven and Vinalhaven Thoroughfare in Maine where he enjoyed flower gardening and sailing. Thomas was active and able right up until he died. At 98, he continued climbing a ladder to maintain his antique gas lights that luminated the drive at his home.

“In keeping with Tom’s wish, there will be no memorial service. Private family interment was the 16th of March at Germantown Friends Meeting. Thomas was buried in a coffin built by his sons with lumber from a dead mature cedar Lebanon tree Thomas had planted about 50 years ago after first being used as a family Christmas tree. Contributions in Tom’s memory can be made to Germantown Friends Meeting, 47 West Coulter Street, Phila, PA 19144 or Haverford College, 370 W. Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041.”

Board member Kevin Winters said, “Tom was a neighbor of mine for a while and I remember going for a visit and seeing Tom, at the age of 97, coming round the house on his tractor dressed in a tweed jacket and bow tie. After introducing me to each tree and bush on the property, we found we had a mutual interest in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Southwest Philadelphia, near where I grew up and where Tom had family interred. Mount Moriah was built in 1865 but had been on hard times as long as I could remember. I told Tom of a new group that was working to restore the cemetery, and he hopped in his car, paid them a visit, and made a contribution.” 

We will miss you Mr. Ambler.

HPHA is saddened at the loss of another good friend and supporter, and nephew of Margaret Strawbridge, Thomas Kent. Jan 20, 2016.

From Philly.com:

“Thomas D. Kent, 86, an environmental lawyer, died Wednesday, Jan. 20, of complications from congestive heart failure at the Hill at Whitemarsh.

“He had lived at the senior community in Lafayette Hill since 2007. Before that, he resided at Seabrook Island, S.C., and Summit, N.J.

“Mr. Kent came from a family with historic roots in the Pennsylvania suburbs. His grandfather George Morley Marshall, a physician and faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, bought Phillips Mill along the Delaware Canal in New Hope and invited William Lathrop to live on the property. Lathrop became known as an Impressionist landscape painter and a founder of the art colony at New Hope. Students flocked to his side to learn landscape painting in the open air.

“Mr. Kent’s mother’s sister Margaret Marshall was married to Welsh Strawbridge. The two lived at Graeme Park in Horsham. They later donated (part of the estate) that was home to the colonial-era Gov. Sir William Keith, and 40 acres to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The property is now a historic site. (The farmhouse they called home, the Penrose-Strawbridge House, is now owned by Horsham Township and is being restored and maintained by the Horsham Preservation and Historical Association.

“The son of Philena Marshall and Stephen Girard Kent, Mr. Kent was born and reared in Summit. He graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1947 and Williams College in 1951. Following Navy service during the Korean War, Mr. Kent enrolled in Columbia University Law School. While there, he met and married Ann Matthews. The two would have celebrated their 59th anniversary this spring. Mr. Kent joined the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City after graduating from Columbia in 1958. In 1963, he accepted a job in the legal department of Allied Chemical Corp., later Allied Signal. He retired as staff vice president and associate general counsel in 1989.

“A specialist in environmental law, Mr. Kent was active in many professional and trade associations. He testified before Congress several times, and lectured at Harvard Business School, Williams College, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the University of South Carolina.

“After his retirement, he and his wife moved to Seabrook Island, where he enjoyed competitive tennis and worldwide travel. He had a longtime association with Camp Susquehannock in northeastern Pennsylvania, starting as a tennis counselor while in college and later being interim director for two seasons. His sons and grandchildren also were involved in camp life. Mr. Kent had a special fondness for racquet sports. He earned national ranking within his age group in both squash and tennis until retiring from competition at age 84.

“In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Kent had a strong commitment to community service. He was a member of the Summit City Council. On Seabrook Island, he was president of the property owners association.

“‘He was particularly proud of his leadership role in the establishment of the first public tennis courts on Johns Island, S.C.,’ his wife said.

“In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughter Celia Marin Kent; sons Thomas ‘Tim’ Jr. and Robert; four grandchildren; two stepgrandsons; and nieces and nephews.”

HPHA is sad to again report the loss of a good friend and community leader, Wayne C.Watson, who passed away on July 10. The bio below is from the Scanlin Funeral Home. Read another tribute to Mr. Watson from the Williamson College of Trades where he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the past 33 years.

“Wayne Watson, 86, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, passed away on July 10, 2016, with his wife, Marie Heckler Wick-Watson at his side. He was born to the late James “Conrad” and Margaret Watson, November 16, 1929, in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. He was married in 1955 to the late M. Frances Watson, and raised a family in Horsham. Frances passed away in 2004. Wayne then married Marie E. Heckler Wick at the Williamson Chapel.

“Wayne grew up in Hatfield, and attended Hatfield High School. He entered the Williamson School of Mechanical Trades, now the Williamson College of the Trades, Media, Pennsylvania, in 1945, graduating from their Power Plant Technology Program in 1948. Wayne served his country honorably in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1956.

“In his early career, Wayne worked as an engineer at Link-Belt Company in Philadelphia. His longest employment was at the American Olean Tile Company in Lansdale, rising to Machine Design and Maintenance Superintendent. At American Olean, Wayne was awarded 12 U.S. patents for ceramic manufacturing processes, and retired after 30 years. He later worked an additional 10 years as a consulting engineer at Rosenberger’s Cold Storage, Hatfield, PA and the Crystal Inc., Bristol, PA.

“One of Wayne’s interests, and legacies in his life, was in character development of youth. Wayne served on the Board of Trustees at the Williamson School of Mechanical Trades in Media, Pennsylvania, now the Williamson College of the Trades, starting in 1971, a position he actively and passionately held for the rest of his life. Wayne served as the Chairman of the Board for the last 33 years. “Williamson gratuitously provides students with academic, trade, technical, moral, and religious education, and a living environment based on the Judeo-Christian perspective that fosters the values of faith, integrity, diligence, excellence, and service.” In April 2016, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at Williamson for the construction of a new dormitory, the WATSON dorm, named in honor of Wayne’s contributions to the school. He remarked at the ceremony, ‘I have been privileged to lead, guide, and make decisions with men and women who believe in our mission. I have worked with many presidents and the large Williamson family, consisting of trustees, instructors, staff, alumni, and many friends. It has been a privilege serving alongside so many outstanding and dedicated people.’ The trustees honored him with the School’s first ever title of Chairman Emeritus earlier this month.

“In the mid-1970’s, Wayne began serving as the Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 410, Prospectville, a position he held for ten years. Wayne was a seasoned outdoorsman, who loved the outdoors and was comfortable camping year-round, always willing to show the boys what “roughing it” meant; this love of the outdoors, combined with his interest in character development of youth, facilitated his leadership that resulted in a flourishing Boy Scout program in the Horsham area. Stressing reverence into the scouting events was an important element to Wayne. Through Wayne’s leadership and guidance, over 15 scouts achieved the highest rank, Eagle, in the Boy Scout program, including his two son’s David and Paul. He was also proud of three additional members of his family who also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout: grandson Alexander Watson and grandnephews James and Dan Lohan.

“Wayne was a long time member of Pleasantville United Church of Christ in Chalfont. He served as a Deacon, on the Building Fund Committee, on the Scholarship Committee, and as President of the Church Council. He will be particularly remembered for his organization and conscientious efforts in the development of a formal usher program. For years his post at the entrance door at the church labeled him the ‘friendly host’ as he welcomed all who entered.

“One of Wayne’s favorite hobbies, as was quite evident to anyone that knew him was antique car restoration. Brother Gerald and Wayne began collecting cars and parts years before their father, Conrad, retired. Upon their father’s retirement, they converted a chicken house into a functional antique auto restoration facility at their father’s home in Hatfield. The shop was the central meeting place for many hours of companionship with family and many, many friends. The hobby later expanded to nearly every relative in Wayne’s family and became a huge source of enjoyment that surrounded him with life-long friends that also enjoyed old cars.

“Approximately 20 cars were restored at the facility, many of the cars earning National First Prize awards from the Antique Automobile Club of America. Wayne was very active in the North Penn Model A Club, and the Delaware Valley AACA Club, having served as the president for many years. Wayne loved going to the annual Hershey car show, immersing himself in the flea market, and socializing with friends, family, and with everyone he met.

“A favorite place Wayne enjoyed were the mountains of north-central Pennsylvania and his involvement with Otter Run Fish and Game Club in English Center. Wayne cherished the comradery of spending time with and working with the members and friends of Otter Run. As a life time member of the club, family vacations and holiday weekends were often spent enjoying the camp with family and friends. Wayne enjoyed trout fishing, jeep rides, and especially deer hunting at Otter Run.

“In addition to his wife Marie, he is survived by his three children: David Watson and his wife, Paulette of Media, PA, Elaine Pappas and her fiancé Chris Radseck, of Carmel, IN, and Paul Watson and his wife, Vivian of Brimfield, MA and their children, Alexander, age 18, Zoe, age 15 and Frances Rose, age 11. Also surviving are a sister, Doris Gerges of Hatfield, PA, and two brothers, Gerald Watson and his wife Annette of Souderton, PA, and Donald Watson and his wife Pat of Warren, PA. Also surviving is in-law sister Marion Heckler, the wife of late George Heckler, daughter Celia E. Humeston, in-law grandsons David, CT and Stephen of RI. Surviving step children include son-in-law Thomas Wick and his wife Kitsy and their children Alexander, Zachary and Matthew of Silverdale, WA, daughter-in-law Carolyn Thomas and her husband Jonathan and their children Nathan and Christian of Bremerton, WA, and son-in-law Andrew Wick and his wife Lynette of New York City, NY.”