William Randolph Groton, antiques dealer
William Randolph Groton, 79, of Georgetown, died Tuesday, May 22, 2012, following several years of battling prostate cancer. At the time of his death he was a resident of Delaware Hospice in Milford, where he was taken one week before he died.
Mr. Groton was the son of Herman C. and Stella (Wessells) Groton of Virginia’s Eastern Shore and was one of 10 children. He was preceded in death by an unnamed infant brother. He is also preceded in death by a brother, Herman C. Groton Jr.; and three sisters, Margie Groton, Ella Louise Groton and Pauline Groton Coyne.
Mr. Groton and his deceased wife, Ann Carolyn Groton, owned and operated GroNett’s Antiques for many years on Route 1 across from Brown’s Seafood in Dewey Beach. Mrs. Groton also worked for CK’s, her daughter’s salon and spa on Route 1 in Lewes, until she died of a heart condition in 1992.
During the last few months of Mr. Groton’s life he resided in Georgetown with a daughter, Cornelia Kay Barnett and her husband Thomas D.H. Barnett, until he was taken to hospice for observation and evaluation.
Mr. Groton was born in Mappsville, Va., but later his family moved to Bloxom, Va., where he grew up on a farm on Mason Road. In 1944, he moved to New Church and later served in the Army in Tokyo, Japan and Ft. Dix, N.J.
Following his marriage to Mrs. Groton, he lived in Horntown, Va., and for most of his adult life in Virginia he was employed by Midway Chevrolet, Cadillac & Oldsmobile. After leaving Midway, Mr. Groton’s family moved to the Rehoboth Beach area in the 1960s and opened the antique shop. Also during the period, Mr. Groton operated the Jolly Trolley for several years.
Mr. Groton is survived by a sister, Mildred Groton Kelley of Salisbury, Md., and her children, Ronald Kelley of Oklahoma and Carolyn Carmine of Selbyville; brother, Elton W. Groton of Salisbury and his children, Michael J. Groton of Milford, and Judy Skrip and Joyce Sides, both of Salisbury; brother, Richard T. Groton of Salisbury and his children Gregory Groton of Easton, Md., and Jennifer Owens of Salisbury; and by his youngest brother: Ernest Groton, of Virginia Beach, Va. Information about his six children is unknown.
He is also survived by his son, Thomas Ray Groton and wife Jane, and their daughter Jill Groton-Higginbotham and her husband Rob and their children, Julian, Ashton and Piper, all of Salem, Va; and his youngest daughter, Angela Kelley Abate and her longtime companion Joe Giberson of Slaughter Beach, and her daughter, Dairia Caroline Abate of Georgetown.
He is also survived by Cornelia Kay and Thomas Barnett, their daughter, Nichole Barnett-Baker and husband Steve and children, Thomas, Vincent, Matthew, KayRose, Holt and Cale, all of Georgetown; and by their son, Bryan Barnett and wife Kelly, and their daughters, Lilly and Summer, all of Harbeson.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 30, in Harbeson U.M. Church, 18647 Harbeson Road, Harbeson. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.
Arrangements in the care of Short Funeral Services, Georgetown.
