The Star-Democrat from Easton, Maryland • Page 10

Film, stage star Barbara Bel Geddes dies at 82 LOS ANGELES (AP) Barbara Bel Geddes, the winsome actress who rose to stage and movie stardom, but reached her greatest fame as Miss Ellie Ewing in the long-running TV series has died. She was 82. The San Francisco Chronicle said she died Monday of lung cancer at her home in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Jordan-Fernald Funeral Home in Mount Desert, Maine, confirmed the death Wednesday, but owner Bill Fernald said the family asked that no further information be given out. Bel Geddes, daughter of renowned industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes, was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress for the 1948 drama Remember and was the original Maggie the Cat on Broadway in on a Hot Tin came late in her career.

She had retired to take care of her husband, Windsor Lewis, after he fell ill with cancer in 1966. He died in 1972. Her earnings depleted by his long illness, she found work scarce for a middle-aged actress and said she was in 1978 when she accepted the role as matriarch of a rambunctious Texas oil family. Though castigated by critics, hurtled to the top of the audience ratings and spawned copycat shows. Bel Geddes won an Emmy in 1980 as best lead actress in a drama series and remains the only nighttime soap star to be so honored.

Bel Geddes called but it was also marked by tragedy. In 1981, Jim Davis, who played Miss husband, Jock Ewing, died. was like losing her own husband said producer Leonard Katzman. was a terribly difficult and emotional time for In March 1984, Bel Geddes was stricken with a major heart attack. Miss Ellie was played by Donna Reed for six months, then Bel Geddes re- turned to remaining until 1990, a year before CBS canceled the show.

In 1945, Bel Geddes made a splash on Broadway at 23 with her first important role in Are the winning the New York Drama Critics Award as best actress. She announced to a reporter: ambition is to be a good screen actress. I think it would be much more exciting to work for Frank Capra, George Cukor, Alfred Hitchcock or Elia Kazan than to stay on REGIONAL THURSDAY, AUGUST 11,2005 A10 THE STAR DEMOCRAT The Star Democrat offers 10 lines of an obituary free of charge for the first day it runs in The Star Democrat Families who wish to include more information than can be presented in 10 lines may do so for a nominal fee. For more information about placing an obituary in The Star Democrat please consult your funeral director. OBITUARIES OBITUARY POLICY Jay B.

Kunkle CORDOVA Jay B. Kunkle, professor of biology sciences, author, waterman, beloved husband and father, died at his home on Sunday morning, Aug. 7, 2005, after an intense battle with lung cancer. Jay was born March 3, 1947, in Connellsville, the son of Robert F. and Kathryn Miller Kunkle.

He attended Germantown Elementary and Annapolis Junior High School, and in 1965, Jay graduated from Annapolis High School, where his father was director of choral music. He earned an sssociates degree at Anne Arundel Community College in 1969, and then transferred to Salisbury State College and earned his and degrees in biology. Jay was an instructor of biology for five years at Salisbury State College before transferring to Anne Arundel Community College, where he taught for 26 years. While there, he coordinated the general biology program, taught zoology and was the senior author of the Biology Laboratory Jay was also an adjunct faculty member at Chesapeake Community College. In 1992, he was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award by the Student Association of Anne Arundel Community College, an indication of the esteem held for him by the students of the college.

As a member of the Biology Department, he excelled at mentoring the average student to succeed well beyond their initial expectations. A key field scientist for the environmental center, be worked on the Poplar Island underwater grass restoration, a project which received national recognition and a letter from the Bush White House. He was also instrumental in developing protocols to conduct large- scale grass restoration in the mid-Chesapeake Bay, an effort that will leave a lasting legacy for the waters he loved so much. Jay worked with leading universities as a Chesapeake Bay researcher on other projects as well, including oyster life cycle distribution, yellow perch studies in the upper Chesapeake Bay, striped bass stock assessment, blue crab management and the training of undergraduate students in the field of estuarine biology. Jay was an avid waterman.

Dubbed his joys included crabbing and fishing up and down the Chesapeake Bay watershed with loved ones. His favorite spots included Annapolis, Shippings Creek, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, the Bay proper and the Choptank and Wye Rivers. For 10 winters, Jay devoted his time skippering the rescue boat for the Annapolis Frostbite Races. After a good day on the water, he loved to come home and enjoy his catch with his friends and family. When he was not on the water, summers saw Jay working in the garden and tending his fruit trees.

Many in the area knew him as Peach at the summer Market in Easton, as well as Railway Market. Always a supporter of education, peach sales proceeds were donated to the ecology classes at Easton High School. Jays legacy will be remembered by his wife of 29 years, the former Martha A. Czeh; his two sons, Andrew and JAY B. KUNKLE Kenneth Wrightson EASTON Kenneth E.

Wrightson of Easton died Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005, at the Memorial Hospital of Easton. He was 77. Ken was born Oct. 14, 1927, in Baltimore.

He moved to Talbot County in 1936, initially living in Neavitt, then St. Michaels, and finally moving to Easton. Following KENNETH E. WRIGHTSON Sharon D. Gould LAUREL Sharon Denise Gould, 46, of Laurel died Aug.

4, 2005. Funeral services will be at 12 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, at Robinson A.M.E. Church, Grasonville, where friends may call from 10 a.m.

to noon. Burial will be in Robinson Church Cemetery, Grasonville. Constance Bramble HEBRON Constance Kinnamon Bramble of Hebron, formerly of Cambridge, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2005, at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. She was 72.

She was born in Cambridge Jan. 21, 1933, and was a daughter of the late Brice G. and Carolyn Layton Kinnamon Sr. Mrs. Bramble graduated from Cambridge High School, and on July 12, 1952, she married Irvin C.

Bramble Sr. Mrs. Bramble worked for Maryland National Bank from 1951 to 1963, and from 1963 to 1974 she stayed at home to raise her children. In 1974, she worked for the Dorchester County Board of Education until she retired in 1995. Mrs.

Bramble was a member of St. United Methodist Church. She is survived by her husband, Irvin C. Bramble Sr. of Hebron; one daughter, Tracie B.

Burton and her husband, Mark G. Burton, of Hurlock; one son, Irvin Bramble Jr. of Taylors Island; two grandchildren, Connor Grant Burton and Gavin Cole Burton, both of Hurlock; two brothers, Brice G. Kinnamon Jr. and his wife, Meg, of Cambridge, and Robert G.

Kinnamon and his wife, Geraldine, of Cambridge; a sister, Christine Kinnamon Carter and her husband, Russell, of Cape May, N.J.; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a sister, Phyllis Elizabeth Kinnamon. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12, at East New Market Cemetery, with Rev.

Dale L. Brown officiating. Memorial contributions can be made to St. United Methodist Church, Shirley Kailianu, 8 Somerset Avenue, Cambridge, MD 21613. Thomas Funeral Home in Cambridge is handling the arrangements.

Constance Cummings VERO Constance J. Cummings, 58, died Monday, Aug. 8, 2005, at Indian River Memorial Hospital. She was born March 3, 1947, in York, and moved to Vero Beach, Fla. in 1987 from St.

Michaels. Constance was a supervisor with the Florida Department of Children and Families and was formerly director of the Indian River County March Of Dimes. Before moving to Vero Beach, she was Assistant Curator of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the first female officer of The Miles River Yacht Club in St. Michaels. Ms.

Cummings is survived by her mother, Mildred J. Myers of Vero Beach, one son, Carl H. Judisch of Vero Beach; three brothers, Terry L. My- Ronald H. Mouring FEDERALSBURG Ronald Hayes Mouring, 52, of Federalsburg died Aug.

8, 2005. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at Hurlock U.M.C. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 12, at Bennie Smith Funeral Home in Hurlock. Burial will be in Thompsontown Cemetery, Hurlock. Mildred E. Willey CAMBRIDGE Mildred E.

Willey of Cambridge, 94, died Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005, at the Chesapeake Woods Center in Cambridge. The service will be 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12 at the Thomas Funeral Home in Cambridge, where friends may call one hour prior.

Burial in Dorchester Memorial Park. Irene K. Williams CENTREVILLE Irene Kemp Williams of Centreville, formerly of Sudlersville, died Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005, at the Chester River Hospital in Chestertown. She was 87.

Born Oct. 5, 1917, in Caroline County, she was the daughter of the late Henry and Ida Mae Kemp. She grew up in Caroline County and later married William M. Williams on Oct. 19, 1935.

They resided in Queen County, where she was a homemaker. Mrs. Williams loved her family, gardening, gospel music and bingo. Her favorite gospel singer was Betty Jean Robinson. his graduation from St.

Michaels High School in 1944, Ken started work at the St. Michaels Milling Co. In Nov. 1945, Ken enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he served one year in the Air Transport Command prior to the end of WWII. He received an honorable discharge from the military in November of 1946, returning to the milling company where he worked for a total of 50 years.

Following several buyouts, Ken retired as general manager of Easton Grain on June 6, 1994. Ken was an active member of the Rotary Club. He joined in 1953 and had served as vice president from 1963 to 1964, and President from 1965 to 1966. Ken is survived by his wife, the former Thelma Bare; five children, Edith Wrightson Reid, Leslie Potter, Ken Wrightson John Wrightson and Charles Wrightson; 16 grandchildren; and six great- grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Fellows, Helfenbein Newnam Funeral Home, 200 South Harrison Street, Easton. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make donations in name to either the American Cancer Society, Talbot County Unit, PO Box 1306, Easton, MD 21601, or Talbot Hospice Foundation, 586 Cynwood Drive, Easton, MD 21601. See www.fhnfuneralhome.

com. She is survived by two sons, Earl Williams and his wife, Joyce, of Sudlersville, and Foster Williams and his wife, Linda, of Greensboro; three daughters, Phyllis Startt and her husband, Garrett, of Winter Haven, Henrietta Stavely, and her husband, J.R., of Manassas, and Barbara Ebling and her husband, Bryan, of Ridgely; two brothers, James and Willard Kemp, both of Chestertown; and two sisters, Dorothy Smith of Federalsburg and Catherine States of Chestertown; 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and three great-great- grandchildren. A graveside service will held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, in Church Hill Cemetery in Church Hill.

The family requests that memorial contributions be made to The American Cancer Society, Eastern Shore Chapter, 1358 Parsons Salisbury, MD 21801 or a charity of choice. See www.fh- nfuneralhome.com. ers of Vero Beach, Timothy P. Myers of Bel Air and James T. Myers of Easton.

Constance was preceded in death by Carl W. Judisch and Jessie B. Cummings; a brother, Thomas W. Myers; and her father, Theodore H. Myers.

A memorial service will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at Dodger Town Conference Center in the Jackie Robinson Room. The service will be open to everyone who wishes to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to VNA Hospice, 1110 35th Ln.

Vero Beach, FL 32960. Cremation services were provided by Indian River Cremation, Inc. Nicholas Kunkle; his brother, Noel Kunkle and his wife, Suzie; and his sister, Kay Rowland and her husband, Donald. Family will receive friends for a memorial gathering from noon to 1 p.m Saturday, Aug. 13, at Fellows Helfenbein Newnam Funeral Home in Centreville.

The Memorial Service will begin at 1 p.m. In keeping with wishes, dress is casual. Donations to honor memory can be made to Easton Shore Oncology Center, 509 Idlewild Avenue, Easton, MD 21601. See www.fhnfuneralhome.com. Mark Grande, head of arts council, dies Musician lived in Denton 25 years; performed at several local establishments By JOHN EVANS Caroline Editor DENTON Mark Grande, a well- known local musician who was also the executive director of the Caroline County Council of the Arts, died Friday at age 58.

Grande, who came to Denton from Silver Spring in 1980, died two days after being found unconscious in his Denton home. The cause of death was listed as bleeding in the brain as the result of a subdural hematoma. Grande also had been a very active member of the Caroline County Historical Society. The offices of the arts council were located in the Musuem of Rural Life in Denton and Grande was often musically involved in the events, as well as offering computer expertise. was an extremely talented man who gave freely of his time in a number of said Caroline County Commission President Jack Cole.

was extremely involved with both the arts council and the historical society, those were his passions, and he always seemed to be caught up in any activity that was coming down in the Grande was born in Minneapolis, but attended high school in Silver Spring and the University of Maryland College Park, where he earned a degree in music and played in the marching band. He was an accomplished musician, with the clarinet and piano being his main instruments. Grande owned a bike shop in Glen Burnie for 10 years and moved to the Denton area in 1980. Once settled here, he worked for several years as a disc jockey with radio station WKDI-AM in Denton and also owned a camera and optical equipment repair business for many years. He performed at a number of restaurants and clubs locally, most recently at the Riverside Hotel in Greensboro and Chez Lafitte in Easton.

He also frequently performed at functions at the Club in Denton. Last year, he was an extra in the movie which was shot in Talbot County and just recently released nationally. His daughter, Lauren Y. Grande of Pasadena, described her father as very giving and generous person; every one he knew he made them feel good. He was a kind, loving and great Lauren Grande said her father had been feeling poorly recently, but that his sudden death was unexpected.

In addition to his daughter, Grande is survived by three sisters, Mary A. Grande of Sykesville; Nancy M. Grand, of Paradise, Australia; and Dede Ryan, of Boise, Idaho; and a niece, Emily C. Ryan, of Boise. A memorial service is planned for Saturday at 11 a.m.

at the Moore Funeral Home in Denton. Following the service, a reception in his honor will be held at the Museum of Rural Life on Second Street in Denton. MARK GRANDE AP PHOTO Actresses Barbara Bel Geddes and Linda Evans, right, pose with their awards after they tied as best actress in a television series for their respective roles in the 39th annual Golden Globe Awards, in Beverly Hills, in this Jan.30, 1982 file photo..