11/27/09

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Eleanor Lingo, resort market owner
Eleanor Lingo, 94, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away Monday, Nov. 23, after a brief illness. Mrs. Lingo was born Jan. 24, 1915, in Frankford, daughter of the late Hazel Walls and Atwood Lynch.
With her husband, she owned and operated Lingo’s Market, a business established by her father-in-law, John A. Lingo, in 1898 at First Street and Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth, the former location of the Atlantic Hotel. She ran the business for 67 years, retiring in 2005 at the age of 90.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William H. Lingo in 1981. She is survived by her daughter and caregiver, Dinah H. Lingo of Rehoboth Beach; son, Archie Lingo of Lewes; granddaughter, Jessica Lingo of Lewes; grandson, Drew Lingo of Milton; five great-granddaughters; brother Bernard Lynch of Frankford; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services with the Rev. Max Wolf officiating will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Nov. 27, at St. George’s Episcopal Chapel, 20274 Beaver Dam Road (Route 23), near Lewes. Interment will follow at All Saints’ Cemetery. There are no calling hours. Arrangements are being handled by Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Lewes.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society, P.O. Box 4, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.

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Michael M. Duffin Jr., freelance researcher
Micahel M. Duffin Jr. of Dewey Beach, who never met a crossword puzzle, including those of the Sunday New York Times, that he couldn’t wipe out in half an hour or so, died of congestive heart failure Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, at Beebe Medical Center. He had turned 79 on Halloween, a birth date he assiduously hid from even the closest of friends.
Mr. Duffin was born in Easton, Pa., to Michael Maurice and Isabelle Cannon Duffin. He attended schools there, was stationed in the Army in Germany during the Korean War, then returned to graduate from Cornell University. With a degree in statistics he hit New York City, rented an apartment in Greenwich Village and toiled for national research, advertising and broadcast marketing firms successively before embarking west in the 1960s to San Francisco. He was soon to be followed there by a young woman, a researcher and writer who, with her roommates, had frequently walked his dog, and to whom he had sublet his apartment. Eventually she became his wife.
In California, Mr. Duffin worked for some time with a national industrial design firm whose offices were in a renovated ferryboat docked at San Francisco’s Embarcadero. But the East called, and the rest of his working years were spent in freelance research and writing, first in Manhattan and then in Washington, D.C. During their years in the capital he and his wife became entranced with Delaware’s beaches.
The Duffins and their animal entourage, once including a white, deaf cat whose attention was gained only by floor stomping, visited Dewey Beach regularly, bought in Rehoboth by the Sea in 1984 and retiring six years later, split time between Dewey and Centerville, Md., halfway between old home and new.
Mr. Duffin and their dogs, usually including a basset and a Plott hound, became a fixture in north Dewey and, most recently, he and his last basset, April Mae, had been joined on their regular walks by a lilac-point Siamese cat named Charley, who teaches properly leashed dogs forbearance and attracts children for the basset to enjoy.
Mr. Duffin was predeceased by both parents; and a sister, Ann Duffin. He is survived by his wife, Anne Hetfield Duffin, who with friends is planning a celebration of life and perhaps a crossword puzzle contest for the spring.
Memorial contributions have been suggested to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 326 S. DuPont Hwy., Georgetown, DE 19947, or a charity of choice.

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Lois Betts Bunting, church treasurer
Lois K. Betts Bunting, 85, passed away at her home in Georgetown Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, surrounded by her family. She was born in Waverly, Pa., to Van and Clara Keator.
Lois was a member of Bethesda U.M. Church, serving many years as treasurer of the United Methodist Women and treasurer of Mary Rebekah Lodge 15, plus a 65-year member of Midland Grange 27 in Georgetown.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by a son, Francis B. Betts; her first husband, Howard Betts; her second husband, Donald Bunting; a sister, Betty Foskey and her husband Tom.
She is survived by her daughters, Joan B. Hitchens and husband Bob of Georgetown, and Tammy Dorey and husband Dave of Dover; a son, Bruce Betts and wife Kathy of Huntington Beach, Calif.; six grandchildren, Wendy Byram, Rob Hitchens, Brandon Betts, Seth, Brianna, and Brandon Dorey; three great-grandchildren, Kyle and Kayla Byram and Brooke Mitchell; and great-great-grandchild, LiLeigh Byram; sisters-law, Rosalie Walls, Carol Moore and Thelma Brittingham; and brother-in-law, Clifford Bunting, all of Georgetown. Special thanks go out to Beth and Ron Hitchens, Cathy Fabian and granddaughter Wendy and husband David for all their extra care and compassion during her illness. The family also sends appreciation to the Delaware Hospice staff.
Graveside services were Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Millsboro Cemetery, Millsboro. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bethesda U.M. Church, 24619 DuPont Blvd., Georgetown, DE 19947. Arrangements handled by Short Funeral Services, Georgetown.

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Lauraline K. Schleicher, executive secretary
Lauraline Kenney Schleicher, 90, of Rehoboth Beach and formerly of Portsville, Pa., died Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.
She was the daughter of the late Roy and Amy Moore Kenney. A graduate of Laurel High School class of 1936, she went on to further her education at Notre Dame Business College in Washington, D.C. At a time when executive positions were hard for women to attain, Lauraline became executive secretary to Rep. Eugene Keougle before she was quite 18 years of age. Then there followed a distinguished career with the U.S. government. She was also the first executive secretary to Secretary Robert Weaver, the first secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs. Perhaps the most challenging time in her career was the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. Lauraline married Joseph Schleicher in 1940, who predeceased her in 1998; the greater part of her life was spent in the Washington, D.C. area, but after retirement they moved to Winter Haven, Fla. She was the past president of the Welcome Wagon in Florida, and past president of the Retired Government Employees of the State of Florida. After years of combating strokes and regaining much better health she wanted to come back to Delaware, so for the last four and a half years she resided happily close to her family. Lauraline was so fortunate to have so many who loved her. Two years before her trip back to Rehoboth, Judge Robert D. Thompson, a relative, visited her, which ultimately led to his working out a plan for her to come home. Jamie and Andy Ross brought her, a stroke victim, back to Rehoboth from Winter Haven by car because she didn’t want to fly. Once in Delaware she attended St. Edmond’s Catholic Church in Rehoboth, and later would attend Mass at Brandywine Assisted Living.
In the last weeks of her life Linda Wootten and Janet Phillips have worked tirelessly to make her life as comfortable as possible. Jamie and Andy Ross have contributed to her welfare. For the last four and a half years George and Mickey Singer have given their support in so many countless ways. The two caregivers, Crystal Bounds and Brenda Adams, became like family with their caring nursing expertise. A special thank you to her sister-in-law Mabel Kenney for her wonderful friendship, love and support over the many years.
Survivors are one sister, Ann Walls McCool of Rehoboth Beach; a sister-in-law, Mabel Kenney; two nieces, Linda K. Wootten of Delmar and Janet Phillips of Laurel; a nephew, Bruce Kenney of Laurel; and several great-nieces and -nephews. In addition to her parents, two brothers, Lynn Kenney and Harvey Kenney, predeceased her.
A funeral service was held at the Hannigan, Short, Disharoon Funeral Home, 700 West St., Laurel, Wednesday, Nov. 25. The Rev. Raymond L. Forester officiated. Burial was held at the Portsville United Methodist Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Lauraline’s memory to Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.

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Carmen A. Balascio, construction worker
Carmen A. Balascio, 65, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, at his residence. Born April 20, 1944, he was the son of the late Henry and Ada (Roe) Balascio. He was a self-employed construction man, remodeling some of the homes in Sea Air of Rehoboth; he collected antiques and enjoyed the company of his family and friends. Carmen was a devoted father to three sons, Bill Balascio of Bridgeville, John Balascio of Cheswold and Bob J. Balascio of Rehoboth Beach; and a daughter, Teresa Cammron of Bridgeville. Also surviving are two brothers, Francis Balascio of Florida and Albert Balascio of California; five sisters, Mary Jane Bowman of Wilmington, Janice Gaskins of Wilmington, Marie Nicholas of California, Marlene Holland of Virgnia and Toni Earnest of New Jersey; and nine grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at The Crystal Family Restaurant, 260 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12. The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 163, Salisbury, MD 218030163.