Sun-News from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina • C7

THE SUN NEWS MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 7C THESUNNEWS.COM OBITUARIES FROM PAGE 1C Directions: Take US 17 to SC90 toward Conway. On SC90 Country Lakes is 3 miles on left. Only 5 minutes from North Myrtle Beach. Call Now! (843) 399-2333 jensencommunities.com Country Lakes, Little River, SC For People Directions: Take US 17 to SC90 toward Conway.

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$117,900 Country Lakes MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Leonard A. Ruggiero, 88, of Myrtle Beach, formerly of Le- high Acres, died Monday, September 20, 2010, at his resi- dence. Born in Pen Argyl, August 15, 1922, he was the son of the late Domenico A. and Filomena Sachetti Ruggiero.

He and his wife, the former Mar- garet Ann Stokes, celebrated their 64th wed- ding anniversary, November 23rd. Prior to retiring, Leonard was a Model Maker Supervisor, em- ployed by the U.S. Navel Research and Development Center, Annap- olis, Md. He was a Corporal in the Marine Corp, serving during World War II in the South Pacif- ic, where he received the Purple Heart. He was a 1941 graduate of Pen Argyl High School.

He was a member of St. Mi- Catholic Church, Garden City, a member and 4th degree Knight of Our Lady Star of Sea Council of Knights of Columbus, N. Myrtle Beach, and a member of the VFW Post 10420-Murrels In- let, American Legion, Post 0178, Murrells Inlet, Charter Member of Elks Post 2602, Lehigh Acres, DAV Life Member Post 94, Lehigh Acres, and a Life Member of Marine Corp League, Fort Meyers, Fla. In addition to his wife, Mar- garet, he is survived by a daugh- ter, Lenora Ruggiero-Fogus and her husband, Rich, of Myrtle Beach; two grandchildren, Wil- liam R. Ruggiero of Myrtle Beach, and Marci Gibson and her husband, Chris, of Edgewater, and grandson-in-law, Paul Zahler of Bowie, two step granddaughters, Nicole Fogus of Lake Mary, and Ashl- ley Fogus of Sanford, three great-grandchildren, Anthony Ruggiero-Rosen, Ambur Blume- nauer and Zachary Zahler of two step great- grandsons, Kyle and Blake Rosen, and their parents, Sherry and Keith Rosen of one great-great- granddaughter Mc Kayla McPherson of Ohio; four sis- ters, Millie DeC- esare of Pen Ar- gyl, Lucy Modolo and her husband, Ted, of Hack- ettstown, N.J., Mamie Burns of Glen Ridge, N.J., and Angelina DeLessio of Wind Gap, and a brother, Domenico A.

Ruggiero, Jr. and his wife, Grace of Pen Argyl; and many nieces and nephews. A son, Willliam; a grand- daughter, Terri Zahler; three sis- ters, Marion DeRea, Mary LaP- enna and Vincene Ruggiero; and a brother, Daniel A. Ruggiero, all died earlier. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 a.m.

Monday, September 27, 2010 at St. Eliza- Catholic Church, 300 W. Babbitt Pen Argyl. There will be calling hours Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Guerro Ruggiero Funeral Home, (www.

ruggierofuneralhome.com) 126 E. Pennsylvania Pen Ar- gyl, and Monday from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. at the church. In- terment will be in St. Cemetery, Pen Argyl, Pa.

Memo- rial services will be held in the home in Myrtle Beach on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 5 p.m. rial donations may be offered in name to St. Catholic Church Building Fund, 542 Cypress Garden City, SC, 29576. Leonard A. Ruggiero August 15, 1922 September 20, 2010 MYRTLE BEACH Michael Craig McNab, age 62, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, passed away at his residence on September 17th, 2010.

He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on July 24th, 1948. He was pre- deceased by his father, Jack Mc- Nab. A decorated veteran of Viet- nam, he retired from the United States Army as a Major in 1988. He and Laura moved to the Grand Strand in 1993, and became ac- tive in real estate. Along with Laura, he was the proud owner of Town Country, recently named outstanding special acknowledgement to all of his wonderful agents, and to Alex Holbert, BIC, for their love, loyalty and support.

Craig was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Myrtle Beach, serv- ing as an elder, teacher, member board member of the FPC Con- cert Series. He will be missed by his friends and mission partners of Constructores Para Cristo in Piedras Negras, Mexico, which he and Laura were privileged to call a home away from home. por casas en el nombre de Through- out his life, his interests varied from playing soccer, running completing the Chicago Mara- thon in 1985, to building sets and performing in productions for the FPC Players. But he was never happier than when spending time with his family. Mr.

McNab is survived by his wife, Laura McNab; his mother, Sheila McNab; his children, Bev- erley (Bret) Rockow and Brendan (Rebecca) McNab, all of Myrtle Beach. He will be lovingly re- membered as by his three grandchildren, Chloe, Jacob, and Miranda Rockow, and many of their friends. He is also survived by a beloved uncle, Alan Har- ris of Atlanta, Georgia; a sister, Donna (Fenton) Gentry of Semi- nole, Florida; and many nieces and nephews, and cousins. The family will receive friends at McMillan-Small Funeral Home on Friday, September 24, 2010, 5 to 7 p.m. A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held 11 a.m.

Saturday, September 25, 2010 at First Pres- byterian Church, 1300 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach. tions can be made to the follow- ing organizations: Constructores Para Cristo, P.O. Box 661406, Birmingham, AL, 35266-1406, or the First Presbyterian Church Concert and Adult Music Fund, care of Brown Bradley, P.O. Box 1306, Myrtle Beach, SC, 29578- 1306.

An online guest book is available at www.msfh.net. McMillan-Small Funeral Home is serving the family. Michael Craig McNab July 24, 1948 September 17, 2010 MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Sarah L. Usher Steele, 92, wife of the late Leit- ner Alyon Steele, of Park Drive, died Wednesday, Septem- ber 21, 2010 at her residence.

Mrs. Steele was born in Dillon County, S.C., a daughter of the late Samuel and Pearl Pate Usher. She was preceded in death by a son, Mickey L. Steele. Mrs.

Steele was a charter member of Grand Strand Baptist Church where she was very active in many areas. Surviving are one son, Leitner Mack Steele of Myrtle Beach; one daughter, Katherine Spivey West and her husband, Wayne, of Conway; four grandchildren; six great-grand- children; and two step grandchil- dren. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday, September 24, 2010, from Grand Strand Baptist Church with Dr. Freddie Young Hillcrest Cemetery directed by way Chapel.

The family will receive friends at Grand Strand Baptist Church, from 1 until 2 p.m. Friday. Memorials may be sent to Grand Strand Baptist Church Youth Fund, 350 Hospitality Lane, Myrtle beach, SC 29579. An online guest book is available way Chapel, is in charge of ar- rangements. Sarah L.

Usher Steele MYRTLE BEACH, SC Julia Ann H. Roberts, 50, passed away Wednesday, Sep- tember 22, 2010 at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, Myrtle Beach. Julia was born November 16, 1959 in Conway, and was the daughter of the late Walter and Mary Bromell Hill. She was also predeceased by four brothers, Ralph Hill, Walter Hill, James Albert Hill and Jerry Lee Hill. Surviving are her husband, Jef- frey W.

Roberts of Myrtle Beach; two brothers, LeVern Hill and his wife, Margree, of Conway, Kent Smith and his wife, Gloria, of Conway; three sisters, Mary Al- ice Benning, Alberta Sarvis, and Phyllis Moses, all of Conway; and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 3 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Witnesses, 110 Babaco Myrtle Beach, S.C. (near Tanger Outlet Mall on Hwy. 501).

may be delivered to the family at their home. An online guest register is available at www.msfh.net. McMillan-Small Funeral Home is serving the family. Julia Ann H. Roberts November 16, 1959 September 22, 2010 GREEN SEA, S.C.

Wayne E. Strickland, 76, of Glenwood Drive, Green Sea, died at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, September 21, 2010, at Welllmont Holston Valley Medical Center following a brief illness. Wayne was born in Horry County, S.C., and had resided in Kingsport for the past two and a half years. He was a self-em- ployed auto mechanic.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Zeb and Essie Edna Grainger Strickland; a son, Timothy Strickland; two broth- ers, Avis and Rea; and an infant sister. Survivors include two daugh- ters, Teresa Pettengill of King- sport and Deborah S. Skipper of Dillon; a son, Randy Strickland of Myrtle Beach; seven grandchil- and a brother, J. D. Strickland of Pelion, S.C.

Graveside services will be con- ducted 11 a.m. Saturday, Septem- ber 25, 2010 in Forest Lawn Cem- etery, Tabor City, N.C. Please visit www.hamlettdob- son.com to leave an on-line con- dolence for the family. Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, Kingsport, is serving the family of Wayne Strickland. Wayne E.

Strickland NORTH MYRTLE BEACH Mr. Jerry Hammett, 63, passed away Saturday, September 18, 2010. A memorial service will be ers, donations may be made to the Box 3006, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582. Shields Funeral Home is serving the family. Jerry Hammett GARDEN CITY, S.C.

Robert Fred Smith, Jr. went home to sing in choir on September 17th, 2010. Not only did Robert have a love for singing; but was an advid him on Garden City Pier trying to catch the big one. A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, Septmeber 26th, 2010 on The Garden City Pier.

All friends and family are urged to attend to share memories and say their goodbyes. be made to Robert Fred Smith Jr. Memorial, Edward Greene, 116 Huxley Place, Newport News, VA 23606. Robert Fred Smith Jr. July 21, 1961 September 17, 2010 Then help came in the form of Jean Yawkey, the wife of for- mer Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey, Dumm said.

The Yawkeys eve a a bought the land for the current campus of the school. And now, though Tara Hall is far from closing, Dumm hopes the celebration will remind the community of the school and its mission. not very good at keeping ourselves in the public he said, and private dona- tions, which are the majority of the funding, have dropped in recent years. He said the school has had to dip into its savings to meet its $850,000 budget for this year and the staff has been reduced from 18 full-time workers to 10 full-time and four part-time workers. just about breaking he said.

As it has with other nonprof- it groups, the recession has hit the private donors who make up 85 percent of the funding, Dumm said. seen $5,000 dona- tions turn into $500 or $1,000 he said. And, for the first time in the history, the board has hired a fundraising consultant to help come up with new ways to raise money. Dumm said he, and mem- bers of the board, decided it was time to the place And with houses by the wa- ter, a slide into the river, a wooden platform bridge lead- ing from the school to the din- ing hall and a dining hall with panoramic views of the woods surrounding the Black Mingo Creek, a lot to see. Boys ages 6 to 12 are referred to Tara Hall.

Some have prob- lems in school and others have problems with their parents, but all welcome at the school next to cotton fields in Georgetown County. Dumm said the school gets referrals from the Department of Social Services and other state organizations, but the school exists to try to help kids stay out of the system. always wanted to be open to the single mom with he said. One of the kids who grew up at Tara Hall, Jimmy Lee, decid- ed to come back as an adult to work with the kids. He said he count the he was there growing up, but the majority of his adoles- cence was spent in the Red Cabin.

And been working there for 13 or 14 years now, he said. Lee said he was lucky to be placed at Tara Hall. a lot more places that would have been he said. These days, he works to help the kids at Tara Hall develop good habits. them everything I he said.

40th anniversary celebration a fundraiser, but Dumm said he hopes it will serve to people here and that we need Contact GINA VASSELLI at 443-2434. BY JANET BLACKMON MORGAN Jim Dunn pauses in a room to smile at the stuffed dog on the bed Wednesday at Tara Hall Home for Boys in Georgetown County. Michael and Shawn hustle through their chores so they can play softball after lunch. HALL From Page 1C Among other things, Musta- fa said in his press conference that agency money had been lavished on employees rather than spent on the low income residents of Horry, George- town and Williamsburg coun- ties, as is intended by the feder- al grants that funds agency programs. Mustafa said the reason he was attacked and eventually removed from the board by vot- ers was that he asked uncom- fortable questions, such as are we going to do about the 1,500 plus people on the waiting and are we going to get the money to help these Previously though, he did in- terfere in the day-to- day operations, and said that he did it to help poor people and that he would continue doing it.

Mustafa criticized some news coverage of the agency since problems surfaced earli- er this year, insisting that re- porters understand what they were writing about and therefore portrayed an in- correct picture. He further said news cover- age of his recent arrest for wav- ing a gun at a former girlfriend and her boyfriend after awak- ening them in her bed at 5:30 a.m. was wrong and improper- ly done. He said nothing should have been reported until he could be contacted, even though he was in jail at the time the first reports went out. Now, Mustafa said wants to initiate a federal lawsuit be- cause rights were vio- lated in the holding of the reas- sessment election.

In addition, he said, he plans to go about the business of helping lift the poor of the area from poverty. Contact STEVE JONES at 444-1765. MUSTAFA From Page 1C 501 starting in September 2009, but Walker said the state has now the plans and the city is ready to start this fall. Construction should be done in January, he said, but because the EOC had to use or lose a federal Housing and Human Services grant that was going to launch the Head Start pro- gram, there will be a lag be- tween when the buildings are ready and when the program can start. In the meantime, the EOC will occupy the new buildings and work on programs for low- income residents, like housing rehab grants.

will further the work already going on in the Walker said. a i a $400,000 construction and building rehab is all being paid for with grant money, and already in place, Peder- sen said. But the EOC will have to re- apply for the Head Start fund- ing, Walker said, and when it comes to grants, there are no guarantees. Walker said the city already has identified 800 children within a 3-mile radius who would be eligible for the Head Start program and could bene- fit from it, and that alone should help the EOC get the money to hire teachers, a direc- tor and a dietician. The city has said the center would likely provide jobs for people in the neighborhood, as well as foundational education and nutrition for children.

need is Walker said. feel when the funds are available, we should be able to get The center will serve as a gateway into the neighbor- hood, he said, and kick-start the revitalization work that has been planned. The city is also working on a deed agreement with Sandy Grove Baptist Church, which owns the Canal Street plot of land known as Bathsheba Bowens Park. Pedersen and Walker said the Canal-Nance residents have said they want the park to be a safe, family-oriented place, and the city said it feels the land can best be operated as a park by the city. Myrtle Beach is asking the church to deed the land to the city so it can work on cleanup, maintenance and improve- ments, including mowing and trimming trees, adding play equipment and a picnic shelter, and later, a walking trail.

area is really a thick- Pedersen said. The deed agreement would allow the park to go back to the rc i 1 0 ye a rs i leaders are not happy with the stewardship of the land, Walker said. Walker said the plan is to meet with church leaders later in the week to talk over the deed agreement. Contact LORENA ANDERSON at 444-1722. MEETING From Page 1C.